Counterspell and Knowing What is Cast

Counterspell is one of the potentially messiest spells in the game.  Enemy caster begins casting something, player wonders what that spell is (doesn't want to blow a 3+ level spell stopping a cantrip), player opts to counterspell, enemy decides to counterspell the counterspell, another player decides to counterspell the counterspell of the counter spell, then one or more heads explode around the table.

There are clear RAW answers to most of teh relevant questions.  I'm not much satisfied with them.  This post will summarize relevant RAW as I understand it and then offer the rule that I intend to use.

Counterspell

The spell is a reaction spell and its description pretty clear:

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.

The rule doesn't explicitly say it, but Counterspell can itself be counterspelled resulting in a spell duel of sorts. The original spell will complete if the casters "helping" the original caster cast the last counterspell.

Identifying a Spell Being Cast

An element not addressed in the spell description is if (and how) a spell might be identified in progress.  The original rules were silent on this, implying for sometime that spells can not be identified while being cast.  Then it was clarified by XGE and further clarified in several tweet storms involving the game designers.  Here is the relevant section from XGE:

Sometimes a character wants to identify a spell that someone else is casting or that was already cast. To do so, a character can use their reaction to identify a spell as it’s being cast, or they can use an action on their turn to identify a spell by its effect after it is cast.

If the character perceived the casting, the spell’s effect, or both, the character can make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with the reaction or action. The DC equals 15 + the spell’s level. If the spell is cast as a class spell and the character is a member of that class, the check is made with advantage. For example, if the spellcaster casts a spell as a cleric, another cleric has advantage on the check to identify the spell. Some spells aren’t associated with any class when they’re cast, such as when a monster uses its Innate Spellcasting trait.

This Intelligence (Arcana) check represents the fact that identifying a spell requires a quick mind and familiarity with the theory and practice of casting. This is true even for a character whose spellcasting ability is Wisdom or Charisma. Being able to cast spells doesn’t by itself make you adept at deducing exactly what others are doing when they cast their spells.

Ok, now we are getting somewhere (not where I want to be but somewhere).

The clause, "If the spell is cast as a class spell and the character is a member of that class, the check is made with advantage," inserts the opportunity for a delay while the DM looks up the spell to determine what class lists it is on.  I'm not a fan.

This is further discussed in various parts of the Interwebs.  One such discussion is on Stack Exchange.

Tweet Storms

Our man, Jeremy Crawford has been dragged into quite a few tweet storms about these rules as a lot of people, beside me, don't like the implications in the above. Two of the juicer tidbits.

Character casting counterspell can't identify a spell and cast counterspell, they both need a reaction.

 

A character can identify a spell (using its reaction) and tell a potential counterspeller what is being cast before the other character casts counterspell, creating a reaction train.

Implications of RAW

The rules as written (and intended) now seem to be clear.  When Counterspell is a possibility, each time a spell is cast the following things should happen:

1. Announce a spell is being cast by Caster,
2. Pause to allow time for a Counterspeller or Spotter to Speak up,
3. Spotter (if any) should say they want to identify the spell,
1. Pause encounter to figure out the DC
2. Spotter roll his d20 to see if successful
3. Caster tell Spotter what was cast
4. Spotter announces (if desired) the spell being cast
4. Counterspeller announces intent to interupt
5. Pause to allow any additional counterspellers to declare their intent
6. Resolve counterspells from tha last to the first
7. Resolve surviving counterspell (if any) versus the original cast
8. Implement the effect of the spell.

Most of those steps only happen if a counterspell duel errupts.  The problem is step 2 and maybe 3.  Pausing to allow for a counterspeller/spotter to speak up is going to slow things down.  Having a spotter use their reaction to identify a spell with their reaction and tell the counterspeller what it is so that they can use their reaction to counterspell before the original spell completes is just bonkers.

It combines some odd time travel thing with a SLOWING down play for no good reason.  This is just a terrible idea.

Secret Casting

Lurking beneath this morass is the assumption that casting is done in secret.  This typically goes something like: monster casts spell, effect is implemented, players can guess what was cast.  This may inform them in various interesting ways about the caster and the spell.

That is not terrible.  In fact, it's likely good if the effect of the spell has isn't obvious (e.g. charm) or perhaps is deceptive (e.g. illusion).  It is a bit less "fun" than a dramatic announcement that BBEG is casting Finger of Death at Fred!  But, it does allow for easy disguise of deceptive spells.  It is also required for counterspell to work as designed.

RAW sets the players up for sadness when they learn, after the fact that a precious high level spell slot was used to prevent the enemy caster from tossing out a cantrip.

Similarly, this method side steps the dramatic moment when the party learns that the enemy is about to toss a Power Word Kill on a party member who is facing instant death only to be saved by a  counterspell, Replacing the drama with: enemy tries to cast spell, friend casts counterspell - nothing happens - great way to avoid fun.

Or, we can, after slowing things down (on every cast) have a spotter try to identify, maybe announce "OMG it's a Power WORD KILL" and then have another character counterspell.  This generates the dramatic moment, if it happens.  It also leaves everyone scratching their head wondering what the heck Jeremy was smoking the day he had that dumb idea for how things work.

Basically RAW manages to make the game slower and less fun to protect the secret casting of spells.  A thing that a lot of groups value this so little they don't bother with the secrecy.  (e.g. Matt Mercer on Critical Role).

How Would I Fix This?

If you're still with me, you know I have a house rules coming on this.  My intent is to allow the DM to just say creature is casting spell X, naming names as he/she wants to share information on what is going on with players, basically doing what works to make things fun.  I'm expecting players to understand that sometimes their characters don't know everything they do.  If the DM announces a spell that isn't apparent to the people around the table, they should play their characters without that knowledge.

I also want to retain the arcana check to identify spells while avoiding a spotter calling things out.

Spell Announcements: DM may announce specific cantrip/spell being cast as situation warrants.  Cantrips will generally be identified as such immediately by the DM. Allowing time for counterspell decision when it seems appropriate. Players should not use meta-knowledge of spell being cast for in-character decisions.

Spell Identification/Counter Spell:  If character sees/hears a spell being cast, they can use their reaction to identify it, Intellect(Arcana) DC is 2xSpell Level + Casters Relevant Stat Bonus. They may not communicate this until after the cast is complete.  They may as part of the identification cast Counter Spell as a free action. Identification with advantage for spells familiar to the caster, disadvantage if view of cast is even partially obscured or sounds are distorted.

Making Cantips immediately identifiable as cantrips eliminates the risk of inadvertent counterspell of a trivial spell.  The intent of the DC is to make low level spells easy to identify when a low level spell is cast by a low stat caster (e.g. 14INT Wizard and 1st level spell -- 3DC is really trivial) but really hard for high level and high stat caster (e.g. 20INT Lich and 9th level spell -- 23DC).