Consecrate problem

Okay, Consecrate counters and dispels Desecrate.

Except it doesn't. I've cast it numerous times on that annoying skeleton priest battle in Emridy Meadows, but my characters are still under the influence of Desecrate. I'm not even sure Consecrate is kicking in (I don't see it on my character's buff bar.)

Is there something different you need to do to get a spell to counter another spell in effect, or is this just a bug?

 

In order to counter a spell, I think you have to use a readied action to counter-spell. I haven't ever used in ToEE, so I don't know if and how that is implemented. In that particular encounter, because of surprise, I think it isn't possible to counter-spell the skeleton priest.

But dispelling should work, and if it hasn't your caster either failed to pass an opposed level check, or the spell is badly implemented in ToEE... not sure which.

 

You can be se sure, matmaisan, you need to "ready action:counterspell" in order to counterspell. But I do it very rarely, spells mostly have a better use then counterspelling.

 

Yeah. . . I managed to get the priest to pop low on the initiative order by approaching the Rainbow Rock from the NW and having the rest of my part stand a bit aside while one went to loot. Got my cleric in before the priest and readied a counterspell, and it worked.

But, if you can successfully counterspell, can't you also successfully dispel with the appropriate spell casting? They are basically the same check, if I recall correctly.

 

Feh. That is not the way it's supposed to work. To counterspell Desecrate, you're supposed to need another Desecrate spell. Consecrate is supposed to counter and dispel Desecrate no matter when you cast it.

Just another royal Atari screwup ... :rant:

 

Let's clear things:

-Consecrate it's supposed to work as a counter for Desecrate, if the counterspell works, then that's great news.

-Casting Consecrate on an area where Desecrate it's acting, will dismiss/dispel/cancel Desecrate, and the inverse too. This doesn't work in the game, it's a known bug

-Also, some spells are supposed to work against other spells (usually the opposite) as counterspells, Consecrate vs Desecrate it's one of those cases, as well Light vs Darkness; this it's cause some alignments/specializations would prevent some charcters to memorize the same spell that you need to cast for counter (good clerics memorizing Desecrate?? :no: )
The normal rules are that you need the same spell (with the proper feats -not available in the game- you could also use a spell of the save level or higher).

-Using Consecrate as a counterspell for Desecrate it's right.

 

From 3.5 PHB, p 171, top first column, first full paragraph. Under Counterspells:

Specific Exceptions: Some spells specifically counter each other, especially when they have diametrically opposed effects. For example, you can counter a haste spell with a slow spell, as well as another haste spell, or you can counter reduce person with enlarge person.

Now, that is in the part where they talk about readied action counterspells, so it seems that simply casting Consecrate over an area affected by Desecrate won't counter Desecrate. However, the spell description specifically stats "counters and dispells Desecrate," so one would assume it would dispell Desecrate if cast over the same area as covered by Desecrate, leaving neither spell in effect.

 

From the D&D Official FAQ:

"When an opposite spell is used to negate an effect that is
already in place (such as using slow spell to counter and
dispel a haste spell), is the success of the dispel automatic,
or is a level check required? Does the subject or the caster
of the spell being countered and dispelled get a saving
throw?
Two opposite spells simply negate each other. No dispel
check is required, no saving throw is allowed, and spell
resistance does not apply."

In PnP I imagine this requires a targeted use of the desecrate or consecrate, meaning that you target the opposite effect with the explicit intention of countering/dispelling it. I guess this is also bugged in ToEE... I don't recall having any options in the use of Dispel Magic.

 

Humm... i didn't checked...but maybe they actually cancel each other in-game, one gives a +1, the other a -1 so no bonus for anybony.

In any case, the spell visual effects of BOTH spells seem to stay in place...

 

There was a = instead of == error in there. Once fixed, it works fine (the spells don't work at all otherwise).

 

Hi Ted. Not in my current game, but in my last adventure I was quite annoyed how nothing seemed to help in the battle with the umber hulks on level 3. I was still afraid after magic circle against evil, ready counterspell Cle Lv 8, ready counterspell Wiz Lv 8! Cle Wis18 Cha 18(16,Cloack +2) Wiz Int 18( 20,Headband +2) Wis 14 Cha 16. On the dice roll sheet I had counterspell succcess! Latest CMF