Level
3rd
Casting Time
1 Reaction *
Range/Area
60 ft
Components
S
Duration
Instantaneous
School
Abjuration
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Negation
You attempt to interrupt a creature in the process of casting a spell. If the creature is casting a spell of 3rd level or lower, its spell fails and has no effect. If it is casting a spell of 4th level or higher, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a success, the creature's spell fails and has no effect.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the interrupted spell has no effect if its level is less than or equal to the level of the spell slot you used.
* - which you take when you see a creature within 60 feet of you casting a spell
Is it possible to counterspell a counterspell?
Say another party member casts a spell, Lich goes for a counterspell and the wizard counterspells the counterspell
I can totally imagine 2 wizards countering each other's counterspells like in mtg
let's not buff wizards
you can :D
is it possible to counter-spell a counter-spell
Yes, if both of the following are true:
It is even used as an example of reaction spell timing in the Sage Advice Compendium:
Too op. Imho : should nit be near automatic. Just cast magic missle
1. Must have action saves
2. Make perception check to beaware that a spell is being cast
3. Insight check to determine spell type ( religious or arcane) , success +1, failure -2
4. Appriate spell craft check to determine school, +1, failure -2
5. Chance ofSucces as written. With above modifiers. Target caster still get concentration check to still cast, -1per point on damage taken in round.
If the spell is coming from an object (wand of magic missiles, rod of fireballs, etc..), does counterspell still work? Seeing as there is no person waving their hands or speaking magic chants.
I think in first or second edition it was a class feature because all the years I've played, it was used as everyone who is a spellcaster had counterspell automatically to use. you had to roll a spell percentage to match or beat their roll.
I don't care what Sage Advice says. It doesn't even make sense. In my games I would never allow a caster to cast 2 spells simultaneously.
Can you counterspell a cantrip?
Yes, and it's automatic because a cantrip counts as level 0, and spells of level 3 and lower are countered automatically.
I don't think there are very many situations where it's worth burning a level 3 spell slot to stop a cantrip from being used, but I'm sure it will happen occasionally.
Somatic components are gestures, you're thinking of verbal components.
I didn't read all the comments but I feel something should be said about special circumstances regarding upcasting.
What if you were only able to use a 4th level counterspell against a 5th level spell? As DM I would rule the DC to beat is 1 less per level upcast, in this case 9 + the spell's level, so the ability check would be 14. And a 5th level counterspell against a 9th level spell would be 8 + 9; 17 instead of 19.
It feels like an advantageous opportunity to make a clutch roll easier when playing with reduced resources, and more exciting when used by tricky opponents.