SPELLS: Enhanced Magic Missile and Superior Magic Missile

[tigycho]

My Wizard PC is thinking of researching some spells in some upcoming campaign downtime (a story arc is ending next session). I'd very much like it if the Hive Mind could tell me if they are too powerful, too weak, or give some other advice.

He has made very good use of magic missile of the years, but is worried that its usefulness will wane is he faces greater and greater challenges. Being a conservative type, he figures he just needs to research some enhanced versions of it. Metagame, I know that there are plenty of other spells out there for him which would work fine, but Magic Missile has sort of become his signature spell.

So, I compared my proposed spells to each of the following 'iconic' damage spells: magic missile, melf's acid arrow, fireball and cone of cold.

Comparing the resulting minimum, avg and maximum damage of my proposed spells, I think I'm pretty much in line with spell level guidelines.

...

The first spell is Enhanced Magic Missile. It is exactly like Magic Missile except that the damage goes from 1d4+1 to 1d6, the maximum number of missiles is nine, instead of five, and you start with one missile at 3rd level, instead of two missiles. Also, the targets can now be up to 60 feet apart, instead of the regular 15.

I compared this to Melf's Acid Arrow, which, also allows no saving throw, and does better average damage to the target for caster levels 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, and 18.

Enhanced Magic Missile

Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to nine creatures, no two of which can be more than 60 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes its target, dealing 1d6 points of force damage.

The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can’t be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.

For every two caster levels beyond 3rd, you gain an additional missile—two at 5th level, three at 7th, four at 9th, five at 11th, etc, up to the maximum of nine missiles at 19th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.
​

...

The Second spell is Superior Magic Missile. It is exactly like Magic Missile except that the damage goes from 1d4+1 to 1d8, the maximum number of missiles is ten, instead of five, and you start with five missiles at 5th level, instead of three missiles. Also, there is no longer any restriction beyond range to how far apart the targets can be.

I compared this to Fireball, which, although it allows saving throws, is an area effect (multiple targets at full possible damage), and which, even though it does less damage to each target for most caster levels, does that damage to up to 44 five-foot swuares worth of them... which is really quite massive.

Superior Magic Missile

Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to ten creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Five missiles of magical energy dart forth from your fingertip and strike its targets, each dealing 1d8 points of force damage.

The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can’t be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.

For every two caster levels beyond 5th, you gain an additional missile—six at 7thlevel, seven at 9th, eight at 11th, nine at 13th, and the maximum of ten missiles at 15th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.
​

<edited to change the targetting information: Enhanced has 60 foot, Superior has no restriction>
<edited to change damage of Superior Magic Missile to a d8>

 

[DragonSword]

I think you need something really original to research, a new "trademark" spell, rather than just a coupla better Magic Missile spells. Something like, I don't know... Arnold's Flying Boomerang? Okay, bad example, but hopefully you'll get the point. It's not that your spells aren't good, it's that you should use the opportunity to come up with something really cool and original, and unique to your character.

That's my two cents. Hope it helps.

 

[tigycho]

I think you need something really original to research, a new "trademark" spell, rather than just a coupla better Magic Missile spells. Something like, I don't know... Arnold's Flying Boomerang?

Int his case it would be 'Ansar', not 'Arnold' But you couldn't have known that

Okay, bad example, but hopefully you'll get the point. It's not that your spells aren't good, it's that you should use the opportunity to come up with something really cool and original, and unique to your character.

That's my two cents. Hope it helps.

If this were any other character, I'd say you are probably right. Ansar, though, doesn't often think outside the box, if you know what I mean. He has incredible intelligence (Int 20), but he uses it to think deep and complicated thoughts about the known.

For example, Ansar would read and memorize everything written on a subject that interests him, and may even write a book on it, synthesizing the points of view in the books he's read, but you would likely never find him doing original research on the topic. His book may be the greatest single text on a topic, but it would be unlikely to contain anything you couldn't get by reading the same books Ansar did.

 

[Cyberzombie]

Your spells actually look a bit on the weak side, frankly. The change for 1d4+1 to 1d6 doesn't change the average damage and, lowers the minimum damage, actually weakens it in some cases. Strengthens it in others, but guess which one will come up when you're fighting the Boss Monster.

I'd make the damage 1d6+1 for the Enhanced and 1d8+1 for the Superior missile. I'd make it so Enhanced starts with two missiles, +1 at every odd level, up to a maximum of 10. I'd have Superior start with the five missiles, +1 per level, up to a maximum of 15. Yes, that will make it stronger than fireball against single enemies, but it's still far weaker against groups. If 15 sounds like too many missiles, you can always keep it limited to 10.

The other change I'd make is have Enhanced be able to target enemies within 60 ft. of each other, and remove that restriction entirely with Superior. It is a 3rd level spell, after all. When you're dividing up missiles, it fares very poorly in comparison to fireball; removing that restriction improves it a bit.

Personally, I have no problem with creating new spells similar to old. Themes are fun things to have.

 

[rvalle]

Here is how one of our dm's runs it:

Magic Missile II (Evocation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100’ +10’ / level
Effect: up to five creatures, within a 15’ cube
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
The missiles from this spell are similar to the 1st level Magic Missile spell. The same number of missiles are fired (with a maximum of 12 missiles from a 24th level caster), and the damage from each is 1d6+1. The rays appear a bluish white.
* NOTE * A shield spell will still stop this attack.

Magic Missile III (evocation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100’ +10’ / level
Effect: up to five creatures, within a 15’ cube
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
The missiles from this spell are similar to the 1st level Magic Missile spell. The same number of missiles are fired (with a maximum of 18 missiles), and the damage from each is 1d8+1. The rays alternate Silver and Gold in color.
* Note * If the missiles strike a Shield spell, the target creature must make a Will save for EACH missile, one at a time. The first time a save is failed, that missile and the Shield spell cancel each other out in a colorful flash of light. All remaining missiles then strike the target creature.

 

[tigycho]

Your spells actually look a bit on the weak side, frankly. The change for 1d4+1 to 1d6 doesn't change the average damage and, lowers the minimum damage, actually weakens it in some cases. Strengthens it in others, but guess which one will come up when you're fighting the Boss Monster.

I thought of that, but I wanted to make sure I didn't do better than Acid Arrow... the Enchanced MM does its damage all at once, while the extra damage from Acid Arrow happens over time.

Yeah, (assuming you always target a single creature) compared to the original MM, Enhanced Magic Missile does less min, avg and max damage for caster levels 1 thru 10. I didn't want to make the spell too complicated in decription though, and couldn't come up with a combination of number of missiles, and damage die per missile which would make it strictly better than the original magic missile but roughly equivalent to acid arrow at most levels.

Would it help if I posted the spreadsheet?

I'd make the damage 1d6+1 for the Enhanced[...and...]make it so Enhanced starts with two missiles, +1 at every odd level, up to a maximum of 10.

Doing that makes Enchanced strictly better at damage than Acid Arrow at every level, often severely so. In fact, at some levels, it does as much damage to a single target as Fireball... I don't know if that is a problem though.

and 1d8+1 for the Superior missile. [...]I'd have Superior start with the five missiles, +1 per level, up to a maximum of 15. Yes, that will make it stronger than fireball against single enemies, but it's still far weaker against groups. If 15 sounds like too many missiles, you can always keep it limited to 10.

Let me crunch some numbers.

The other change I'd make is have Enhanced be able to target enemies within 60 ft. of each other, and remove that restriction entirely with Superior. It is a 3rd level spell, after all. When you're dividing up missiles, it fares very poorly in comparison to fireball; removing that restriction improves it a bit.

That's a change I think I'll make immediately. I like that. <Note: editing the original post to reflect this advice>

Thanks for the feedback. I am always reluctant to 'invent' spells that are more powerful than anything existing, for fear of being labelled a Munchkin.

 

[Cyberzombie]

It's very hard to balance a single-subject spell like this against an area effect spell like fireball. Especially when (like me) you think most of the targeted spells are awfully weak. I'm not sure what the best solution is...

 

[tigycho]

It's very hard to balance a single-subject spell like this against an area effect spell like fireball. Especially when (like me) you think most of the targeted spells are awfully weak. I'm not sure what the best solution is...

I considered looking at total possible damage for an area effect spell, and using that, but then, you have to try to guess what a reasonable amount of targets would be...

A Fireball has a 20 foot radius, so it affects about 44 five-foot squares, doing at lvl 10, 10-60 damage per square, or 440-2640 damage total possible (with all failed saves, and a target area full of medium sized creatures).

What to do? Wish there were more single target spells to balance against?

That's why I'm balancing as if fireball were single target, and not being too concerned when the spell does a little more damage to a point target than the area effect.

WHich convinces me that Superior Magic Missile should do at least a d8. <note: editing original post thusly>

 

[Cyberzombie]

Yes, the official spells that target individuals are sadly lacking. Which can be a big, big pain in the rear in a lot of cases -- like if you're in a city. Fireballs and market squares don't mix. But if the targetted spells are really weak, the party wizard becomes pretty ineffective in a fight.

Hmm. Maybe a solution would be to have a magic missile spell that MIRVed -- split into different missiles after "launch". You could only do so much damage to a single creature, but the split-off missiles could target other creatures. That might get around the big problem: all the missiles going into the Boss Monster and killing him too easily.

 

[tigycho]

Maybe a solution would be to have a magic missile spell that MIRVed -- split into different missiles after "launch". You could only do so much damage to a single creature, but the split-off missiles could target other creatures. That might get around the big problem: all the missiles going into the Boss Monster and killing him too easily.

What does that mean: mirv? "multiple independent rocket vehicle'? How does that apply here?