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I've read both the question Casting multiple spells in a single round and the question Is it possible to cast multiple spells per turn? about using multiple spells on my turn. I know there are plenty of question concerning counterspell and how it works on my own turn.

From the example in Sage Advice Compendium, I also know that I can counter a counterspell that was cast against me on my turn:

Can you also cast a reaction spell on your turn? You sure can! Here’s a common way for it to happen: Cornelius the wizard is casting fireball on his turn, and his foe casts counterspell on him. Cornelius has counterspell prepared, so he uses his reaction to cast it and break his foe’s counterspell before it can stop fireball.

However, from my understanding, that contradicts the PHB:

You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.

Both fireball and counterspell are not cantrips, and both are cast on the same turn. So is the example in the compendium misleading here, or do I have some gap in my understanding?

Thomas Markov
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MakePeaceGreatAgain
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1 Answers1

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You may counterspell on your turn, as long as you have not already cast another spell with a casting time of 1 Bonus Action.

The rule you quote that you say is a contradiction is the "Bonus Action" spell rule. The full rule is:

A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.

If you have already cast a spell using your Bonus Action, you cannot cast any other spells that turn except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 Action. This means you may not cast counterspell if you already cast a bonus action spell. However, if you have not cast a Bonus Action spell yet, you are free to use your Reaction to cast counterspell.

Since fireball has a casting time of 1 Action, it does not fall afoul of the Bonus Action casting rule.

Thomas Markov
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    Okay, that happens when we only read posts that quote just parts of the rules, instead of relying on the actual handbook. Thanks for your answer. – MakePeaceGreatAgain Sep 21 '21 at 18:05
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    @HimBromBeere No problem. The bonus action casting rule is, in my opinion, the most confusing rule of the whole spellcasting system. You're not alone in your confusion. – Thomas Markov Sep 21 '21 at 18:08
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    However, if you are a sorcerer and cast a Qickened Fireball, you can’t cast a reaction spell. – Dale M Sep 21 '21 at 21:42
  • @ThomasMarkov not only is it the most confusing, it's also one of the most play limiting features in the game. The interaction here with reaction spells is one of the worst effects of it given the description of how long a reaction spell is described as taking to cast (compared to a BA spell). When I'm running games I specifically ignore the BA-reaction interaction because it's unfun and actively discourages BA spells being chosen by my players and nerf's the Sorcerer's quickened spell metamagic enormously. – illustro Sep 24 '21 at 16:14
  • @illustro I've only had this particular situation come up once in a game, and I let it slide because I didn't think about it till later. – Thomas Markov Sep 24 '21 at 16:16
  • @ThomasMarkov I had a Sorcerer in my game that took the quickened spell metamagic and had counter spell as one of their learned spells, so ran into it frequently enough when they fought spellcasters. :( – illustro Sep 24 '21 at 16:18
  • @illustro My DM banned counterspell from his universe in the game where I played a sorc, so I never got the opportunity to argue about it. – Thomas Markov Sep 24 '21 at 16:20
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    @ThomasMarkov that is unfortunate. A Subtle spell empowered counterspell is a beautiful sight to behold. – illustro Sep 24 '21 at 16:33
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    Isn't the point of subtle spell that it isn't a sight to behold anymore? – Farahad Sep 27 '21 at 13:24
  • This implies that the spell fireball finishes casting but not yet hit the target since both Fireball and Counterspell require Somatic activity. This is quite contradictory since Fireball is "instantaneous" – Mikhail Dec 05 '22 at 01:39
  • @Mikhail: Spells aren't literally "instantaneous", that would mean you couldn't see them coming to make a Dex save. It means there isn't a dispellable effect that lasts past the end of your turn. The description section should let you figure out what it narratively looks like in your game. e.g. Fireball has a bead of fire streak to the target (at finite speed). I guess you could argue that it means there's no time between when you finish the "1 action" cast time to when the spell effect is out of your hands? Then narratively counterspell could act on the magic that's streaking outward. – Peter Cordes Mar 04 '23 at 18:30