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Old 05-27-2009, 02:21 PM   #1
arnej
 
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Default Counterspell and Watchdog

Pondering the interaction of these two spells for some thief-like scenarios:

AFAIK, Counterspell can negate one hex at a time of a large area cast (like Create Fire, for example.) Okay so far.

But Watchdog is a perimeter. Can you negate just one hex of the perimeter of a Watchdog? Can you then pass through that hex w/out the Watchdog going off?

Does the mage who set up the Watchdog get to notice that his spell is getting messed with?

Hmmmm....

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Old 05-27-2009, 02:28 PM   #2
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Default Re: Counterspell and Watchdog

Watchdog is a Area Spell like any other...
So, yes...

And, the action must take place inside the Watchdog area in order to warn the Mage...
As long as you counter it from afar, you're safe.
:)
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Last edited by Yami Fowl; 05-27-2009 at 02:31 PM.
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Old 05-27-2009, 04:06 PM   #3
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Default Re: Counterspell and Watchdog

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yami Fowl View Post
Watchdog is a Area Spell like any other...
So, yes...

And, the action must take place inside the Watchdog area in order to warn the Mage...
As long as you counter it from afar, you're safe.
:)
Of course that is if you notice it in the first place...after all it has no visible manifistation...so you would have to be running the appropriate spell (Magesight or the like) to detect it.
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Old 05-27-2009, 04:38 PM   #4
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Default Re: Counterspell and Watchdog

Quote:
Originally Posted by Witchking View Post
Of course that is if you notice it in the first place...after all it has no visible manifistation...so you would have to be running the appropriate spell (Magesight or the like) to detect it.
Well, of course, that goes without saying...

;)

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Old 05-27-2009, 04:48 PM   #5
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Default Re: Counterspell and Watchdog

Some other thoughts:

Negating one hex of the area might simply alter the perimeter of the Watchdog rather than create a hole. That is, the "perimeter" could be defined as the boundary between any spelled and unspelled hexes; Counterspell turns a spelled hex into an unspelled hex, pushing the perimeter in. You could carve your way to any spot in the area like this, but not just cast Counterspell once and then freely wander around inside the original perimeter.

A properly designed Watchdog spell would be self-monitoring, and would alert the mage if it got cancelled or changed. The spell description says nothing about this, of course. If you've got schools of magic, presumably one of the bright profs thought of this already. If it's a bunch of independent iconoclasts, maybe your thief is the first one to notice the loophole. (And maybe you'd make a lot of money researching the ritual for Improved Watchdog.)
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Old 05-27-2009, 11:46 PM   #6
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Default Re: Counterspell and Watchdog

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
Some other thoughts:
A properly designed Watchdog spell would be self-monitoring, and would alert the mage if it got cancelled or changed. The spell description says nothing about this, of course. If you've got schools of magic, presumably one of the bright profs thought of this already. If it's a bunch of independent iconoclasts, maybe your thief is the first one to notice the loophole. (And maybe you'd make a lot of money researching the ritual for Improved Watchdog.)
Which of course would lead to Silent Counterspell, to deal with it. And the arms race continues...

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