Verdict
Good, but less reliable than before. The 2024 version gives you the same odds against any spell, so it improves against the highest-level spells and gets worse against low-level ones. It suits a caster with a high spell save DC who is facing enemy casters with weak Constitution saves. It is a gamble if you just want a guaranteed answer to a 3rd-level spell.
What the 2024 version does
| Level and school | 3rd-level Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Casting time | Reaction, when you see a creature within 60 feet casting a spell with Verbal, Somatic or Material components |
| Range | 60 feet |
| Components | S |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Resolution | The target makes a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save its spell fails |
"If that spell was cast with a spell slot, the slot isn't expended." System Reference Document 5.2, Counterspell (CC-BY-4.0)
A countered caster loses the spell and the action, Bonus Action or Reaction they spent on it. They also keep the slot, which softens the loss for them.
2014 vs 2024: what changed
| Detail | 2014 (SRD 5.1) | 2024 (SRD 5.2) |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | A creature within 60 feet casting a spell | A creature within 60 feet casting a spell with Verbal, Somatic or Material components |
| Component | Somatic | Somatic |
| How it resolves | Automatic against 3rd-level or lower spells. An ability check against 4th level or higher: d20 + spellcasting modifier vs DC 10 + the spell's level | The target makes a Constitution save against your spell save DC. On a fail the spell has no effect |
| Upcasting | A 4th-level or higher slot automatically stops any spell of that slot level or lower | No higher-level text, so a bigger slot adds nothing |
| On success | The spell fails with no effect | The spell has no effect, the action, Bonus Action or Reaction used to cast it is wasted, and a spent slot is not expended |
| Classes | Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard | Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard |
Success odds
In 2024 the odds depend only on your save DC and the target's Constitution save bonus. Your chance to stop the spell is the chance the target rolls below your DC. There is no automatic success or failure on a save.
2024: chance the spell fails
| Your spell save DC | Target Con save +0 | Target Con save +3 | Target Con save +6 | Target Con save +9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 60% | 45% | 30% | 15% |
| 15 | 70% | 55% | 40% | 25% |
| 17 | 80% | 65% | 50% | 35% |
| 19 | 90% | 75% | 60% | 45% |
A save DC of 15 is a level 5 caster with a +4 modifier (8 + 3 + 4). A DC of 17 is a level 9 caster with +5. A target with a +6 Constitution save cuts your odds to 40 to 50 percent at those DCs.
2014: chance of stopping a 4th-level or higher spell
Against 3rd-level or lower spells, the 2014 version never failed. For higher spells you rolled an ability check with your spellcasting modifier against 10 plus the spell's level, and a plain 3rd-level slot was assumed.
| Countered spell level | DC | Modifier +3 | Modifier +4 | Modifier +5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 14 | 50% | 55% | 60% |
| 5 | 15 | 45% | 50% | 55% |
| 6 | 16 | 40% | 45% | 50% |
| 7 | 17 | 35% | 40% | 45% |
| 8 | 18 | 30% | 35% | 40% |
| 9 | 19 | 25% | 30% | 35% |
Compare the two. Against a 9th-level spell, the old check gave 25 to 35 percent. The new save gives 55 to 65 percent at a DC of 15 to 17 against a +3 target. Against a 3rd-level spell, the old version was a sure thing and the new one stays at those same 55 to 65 percent. A better answer to a huge spell, a worse answer to a small one.
Who gets it
On the SRD 5.2 spell list, Counterspell belongs to the Sorcerer, the Warlock and the Wizard. A warlock can prepare it as a Pact Magic spell, and the warlock guide lists it as a level 5 option. The wizard and sorcerer guides cover the other two.
Common rulings and mistakes
- You must see the caster. The trigger needs you to see a creature casting within 60 feet.
- Upcasting does nothing. The 2024 text has no higher-level entry, unlike 2014.
- The target rolls, not you. The Constitution save is the enemy's, against your spell save DC.
- It uses your Reaction. You cannot take another Reaction, such as an opportunity attack, until the start of your next turn.
- The wording of the trigger is debated. The text names Verbal, Somatic or Material components. How it applies to a spell cast without any is a table call, so ask your DM.
Questions
Is Counterspell automatic in 2024?
No. Even against a 1st-level spell the target gets a Constitution save, so it can fail.
Does the countered caster lose their spell slot?
No. If the spell used a slot, it is not expended. They do lose the action, Bonus Action or Reaction they used.
Is it still worth preparing?
If your table has enemy casters with big spells, yes. If it rarely does, the slot is better used elsewhere.
Can I counter a Counterspell?
The text lets you target any spell cast with the right components, and Counterspell is a spell with a Somatic component, so on paper yes.
Corin Ashdown is the pen name of the editor who writes and checks every guide on Vorbelutrioperbir. How we write and check guides.