Does the ability to ignore the Somatic Component of spells makes those spells unable to be Counter Spelled? If the Spell only has a Somatic component, I would assume so. I mean the person casting the Counter Spell can't see you making the forceful gesticulation or intricate set of gestures needed, right? What if the spell has a Verbal, Somatic, and Material component? Would that spell be considered unabled to be Countered as well since they can't see part of the spell not being cast?
If a spell doesn't have any components, then no one can tell you're casting it, and therefore it isn't subject to Counterspell.
That item allows you to ignore the Somatic component of a spell you're casting with a spell slot, but it doesn't allow you to ignore the Verbal or Material components if there are any.
So, if your spell only has an S component, then this thing will prevent it from being Counterspelled. If it has V or M components, this will not prevent it from being Counterspelled.
If a spell doesn't have any components, then no one can tell you're casting it, and therefore it isn't subject to Counterspell.
That item allows you to ignore the Somatic component of a spell you're casting with a spell slot, but it doesn't allow you to ignore the Verbal or Material components if there are any.
So, if your spell only has an S component, then this thing will prevent it from being Counterspelled. If it has V or M components, this will not prevent it from being Counterspelled.
If it has V or M components and the counterspell caster can hear (V) or see (M)you do those things, and recognize it as spellcasting. This is not guaranteed.
For example, M components don't need to be as visually obvious as S components, and are frequently rather subtle (as you can frequently figure out what they should be from the spell components). Any amount of cover may obscure M components in a lot of cases.
That's true, though I think the point still stands that this item doesn't do anything to facilitate hiding or removing the Verbal or Material components of spells and the answer to this question:
What if the spell has a Verbal, Somatic, and Material component? Would that spell be considered unabled to be Countered as well since they can't see part of the spell not being cast?
is, in general, no. Simply removing one component of a spell that has all three does not, on its own, make the spell impossible to counterspell.
If a spell doesn't have any components, then no one can tell you're casting it, and therefore it isn't subject to Counterspell.
That item allows you to ignore the Somatic component of a spell you're casting with a spell slot, but it doesn't allow you to ignore the Verbal or Material components if there are any.
So, if your spell only has an S component, then this thing will prevent it from being Counterspelled. If it has V or M components, this will not prevent it from being Counterspelled.
If it has V or M components and the counterspell caster can hear (V) or see (M)you do those things, and recognize it as spellcasting. This is not guaranteed.
For example, M components don't need to be as visually obvious as S components, and are frequently rather subtle (as you can frequently figure out what they should be from the spell components). Any amount of cover may obscure M components in a lot of cases.
But the 5.5e Counterspell is clearer: you take a Reaction when you see a creature within 60 feet of yourself casting a spell that has Verbal, Somatic, or Material components.
The following advice from XGtE also explains that the form of a material component doesn't matter for the purposes of perception:
[...] But what about the act of casting a spell? Is it possible for someone to perceive that a spell is being cast in their presence? To be perceptible, the casting of a spell must involve a verbal, somatic, or material component. The form of a material component doesn’t matter for the purposes of perception, whether it’s an object specified in the spell’s description, a component pouch, or a spellcasting focus.
If the need for a spell’s components has been removed by a special ability, such as the sorcerer’s Subtle Spell feature or the Innate Spellcasting trait possessed by many creatures, the casting of the spell is imperceptible [...]
I recently acquired this item in a campaign I'm in.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/11914421-spell-duelists-trophy
Does the ability to ignore the Somatic Component of spells makes those spells unable to be Counter Spelled? If the Spell only has a Somatic component, I would assume so. I mean the person casting the Counter Spell can't see you making the forceful gesticulation or intricate set of gestures needed, right? What if the spell has a Verbal, Somatic, and Material component? Would that spell be considered unabled to be Countered as well since they can't see part of the spell not being cast?
If a spell doesn't have any components, then no one can tell you're casting it, and therefore it isn't subject to Counterspell.
That item allows you to ignore the Somatic component of a spell you're casting with a spell slot, but it doesn't allow you to ignore the Verbal or Material components if there are any.
So, if your spell only has an S component, then this thing will prevent it from being Counterspelled. If it has V or M components, this will not prevent it from being Counterspelled.
pronouns: he/she/they
If it has V or M components and the counterspell caster can hear (V) or see (M) you do those things, and recognize it as spellcasting. This is not guaranteed.
For example, M components don't need to be as visually obvious as S components, and are frequently rather subtle (as you can frequently figure out what they should be from the spell components). Any amount of cover may obscure M components in a lot of cases.
That's true, though I think the point still stands that this item doesn't do anything to facilitate hiding or removing the Verbal or Material components of spells and the answer to this question:
is, in general, no. Simply removing one component of a spell that has all three does not, on its own, make the spell impossible to counterspell.
pronouns: he/she/they
Maybe that made more sense with the 5e Counterspell, where you take a Reaction when you see a creature within 60 feet of you casting a spell. Spell's components are not even mentioned, and a 5e SAC entry explained the intent about when it's not possible to perceive a spell being cast: If a sorcerer casts a spell with only verbal or somatic components using Subtle Spell, can an opponent use counterspell against it?
But the 5.5e Counterspell is clearer: you take a Reaction when you see a creature within 60 feet of yourself casting a spell that has Verbal, Somatic, or Material components.
The following advice from XGtE also explains that the form of a material component doesn't matter for the purposes of perception: