magic missile always hits again???

[Destil]

So... like a completely different power that does something different.

For various reasons, you can't have a basic attack that targets multiple targets (without some very special circumstances) so that makes this power unworkable. It gets away from their goal: To make the classic magic missile. They can't have the magic missile that models the classic MM not do auto-damage, cause that's all the classic MM did. People wanted it.

The classic magic missile gave you multiple missiles that you could split up however you liked between targets. It also was auto hit. I like the first aspect and think it could be interesting in 4E, but not the second, which is just boring. So that's why my idea MM can be multi-target. The +2 is a concession to players wanting it to be accurate, I would most likely drop it on my own.

I actually agree with 'no mulitarget basic attacks' in principle and had that in the write-up at one point (only the single target version was a basic). But then Heavy Blade Opportunity and its buddy Twin Strike had some words with me, the rules don't actually say that (though IMHO they should). Not as big a deal with ranged attacks as melee, anyway, since you don't get AoOs granted for ranged; just stuff like warlord bonus attacks.

 

[DracoSuave]

My question for the group: What are we to do with monster stats that have MM in them? Is that also errata or do we follow the as printed version because they are monsters?

Do not errata the monster. They have damage figures and stats designed for monsters. It wouldn't make any sense to anyways, they never used the same magic missile players used to begin with. The numbers are different.

 

[jonesy]

The classic magic missile gave you multiple missiles that you could split up however you liked between targets. It also was auto hit.

The original magic missile didn't say auto-hit. That was one of the first big rules arguments. Supplement 1 didn't say whether it was, or wasn't. Gary made it so, Holmes didn't. Moldvay took the damage of the Supplement 1 version and the auto-hit from the PHB, and said that you had to see your target. Mentzer went with Moldvay.

4E has sort of gone back to Holmes.

 

[Felon]

I'm playing a sorcerer that's picking up the Arcane Initiate feat. With a 13 Int at 25th level, my practical choices are pretty limited.

Looking at magic missile, here's what I'm figuring I'll get for damage:

+1 Int mod.
+5 at epic level
+6 implement enhancement bonus
+10 from my sorcerer spell source bonus

Does that look right? Pretty sure that's all I'd get. The sorcerer probably comes out better than a wizard.

 

[Pbartender]

+10 from my sorcerer spell source bonus

Like most all others, that bonus only applies to damage rolls.

A Wizard modestly decked out for Magic Missile at mid epic levels might look like:

+8 Int
+5 Power
+12 Staff of Missile Mastery

25 damage per magic missile.

 

[Felon]

Like most all others, that bonus only applies to damage rolls.

Well, you can officially add me to the "magic missile's bullcrap" list then.

 

[Oulak]

What I really like about the new magic missile is that since it always deals damage as an effect, the wizard doesn't have juggle at-wills to try to cover all NADs. Now they have one power that will damage ANYTHING.

Another thing that was kind of alluded to but not stated clearly was that the higher the target's defenses are, the more effective it is, relatively. Against a monster 10 levels higher (just for an extreme example), the wizard will likely be out DPRing the strikers. Even though I'm not defining that curve mathematically, it does exist, and there is a use for it.

 

[I'm A Banana]

It has some very effective niche uses. But here's the thing to love most about the new magic missile from my perspective:

You don't need to roll to hit.

At the table, this makes you feel powerful. You can simply decree something. No roll to succeed. No DM saying "Ah, but...!". No chance to fail and look like a gimp.

You just do it. It just works. It might not do much, but it does it all the time. No one can take it away from you.

That is awesome, memorable, and cool. It is something you'll note during character creation, and talk about afterwards. That's what keeps you coming back to D&D. That's what makes it good game design. That's why it's great to see WotC returning to it, to embrace the lessons learned from the previous 30 frickin' years of the game, refined through a new generation.

 

[DracoSuave]

You don't need to roll to hit.

You don't need to roll to damage.

I know it's nitpickery, but 'hit' is one of those game concepts where precision in usage is important and avoids future confusion.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Yar, I meant hit in the colloquial, conversational sense, really, not in the rulesy-speak sense.