D&D 5E Do magic missiles automatically hit

[fjw70]

I don't think it's poorly worded at all.

First, the point of abilities like Assassinate is to give the PC a critical hit when they typically wouldn't. That includes Magic Missile.

Second, given the ruckus over Magic Missile in 4e's Essentials, I think the designers of the game, and the writers of the PHB, knew how special the term 'hit' was and wrote the entry appropriately. I think they knew what they were doing when they used the word 'hit' in the spell description.

Third, 2d4+1 per missile on those occasions when it's applicable isn't exactly game braking.

To be poorly worded the outcome would not have to be unintentional, but game breaking.

Poor wording doesn't have to have game breaking implications.

 

[diaglo]

I'm afraid I'm with Diaglo here - that is how it is described in Greyhawk supplement 1, but I believe that in the original white box it created and fired a magic arrow that was +1 to hit and damage. At that point all weapons did 1d6, so it was +1 to hit for 2-7 damage.

Nobody ever took it in those days because it was pants compared to Sleep and Charm Person

page 31 of Booklet 2 under Magic arrows is what he wants to read.

edit: yes, i did that from memory. of course i am still playing OD&D(1974)

edit2: of course it is on page 15 of 2edD&D (1977) aka Holmes edition. and ditto 3edD&D (1978) also Holmes edition. although the Holmes editions spell it out since they don't require you to have the OD&D(1974) boxed set to play. thus the ease of Basic.

 

[Wrathamon]

Second, in order to score a critical, you have to have an attack roll. See attacks and rolling a 1 or 20.

I do not believe this is correct. This is just one way to get a critical hit. It never says it is the only way. It points you to critical hits.

If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter.

Under Critical Hits it doesnt say when you "roll" a critical hit; it does use the term "score". Then it explains what a critical hit is, which is rolling damage dice twice and adding a modifiers.

It never says Rolling a 20 is the only way to get a critical hit. It just says rolling a 20 is an automatic hit and in addition go see critical hits. You also get critical hits for other things as well. Hitting with an attacking someone unconscious or paralyzed. They use attack roll all over the place in the basic rules, why is it missing from all of the critical hit references? They could have easily wrote it when making an attack roll against an unconscious player? or you can only score a critical hit when you make an attack roll. It never says that.

I can see how it could be implied since Making an Attack goes through the steps of making a roll, but the then later they talk about making magical attacks, etc.

 

[Grimstaff]

I once repackaged a beholder as nearly a dozen dead wizards necromantically sewn together into a single levitating arcane golem's body, heads and arms sprouting off the torso at weird angles, each with wands or a hand to cast with. Completely freaked them out.

This is why I keep coming to these boards.

 

[Evenglare]

I love it when I go to a thread, read the first post then go 5/10/20 whatever pages back and read the last post. I almost always has absolutely nothing to do with the topic hahaha.

 

[rollcrit]

lol yep, the OP was pretty straightforward yes or no question. Simple yes to the question would have been enough. Not sure how 74 replies to thread happened. classic!

 

[diaglo]

lol yep, the OP was pretty straightforward yes or no question. Simple yes to the question would have been enough. Not sure how 74 replies to thread happened. classic!

[video=youtube;zng5kRle4FA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zng5kRle4FA[/video]

 

[David J. Sylvia]

I'd have to say it is the DM's job to set the tone, but make it fun, not intentionally kill you. I do have a question about magic missile. I know it always hits or guaranteed to do damage. It's 1D4+1 force damage. I get that part but it says it's three missiles at one or up to three tgts. So are they three separate attack rolls? So really the player would be rolling 3D4+3 on a single target or 1d4+1 on three separate targets? Or is it just a total of 1d4+1? Anyone get what I'm saying?

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I'd have to say it is the DM's job to set the tone, but make it fun, not intentionally kill you. I do have a question about magic missile. I know it always hits or guaranteed to do damage. It's 1D4+1 force damage. I get that part but it says it's three missiles at one or up to three tgts. So are they three separate attack rolls? So really the player would be rolling 3D4+3 on a single target or 1d4+1 on three separate targets? Or is it just a total of 1d4+1? Anyone get what I'm saying?

Strictly speaking, the official word on the matter is that a player is intended to roll 1d4+1, total the result, and apply that much damage for each missile that they direct at a target.

So if you roll 1d4 and get a 2, you add 1 for a total of 3, and your 3 (or more, if you cast the spell with a higher-level spell slot) missiles each deal 3 force damage whether they are directed at one, two, or three targets.

But a lot of groups, like mine for example, let the player roll the 1d4+1 for each missile individually because that is how it worked in older editions so we are more used to doing it that way.

 

[David J. Sylvia]

Okay so if I read the reply correctly...

3 separate missles that each deal 1d4+1 dmg individually. So maximum damage would be a total of 15.