D&D 5E Do magic missiles automatically hit

[Gargoyle]

They automatically hit.

View attachment 64225

Magic missile automagically hits.

 

[Piratecat]

You disgust me, Kulp.

Someone is jealous he didn't think of it first.

 

[Mistwell]

Can you back that statement up?

Because, assassinate says "any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit", unconscious condition says "Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature", and magic missile says "Each dart hits a creature o f your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 1d4+1 force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit on e creature or several."

I understand that in older editions the term "hit" meant it required an attack roll, I have played for a very long time. But we can't take our preconceptions from older editions and apply them to 5th. There is no rule in 5e saying that only an attack roll can crit.

Sure do I think the designers wanted magic missile to crit in those instances no. But that is not my fault, it is poor wording and using a mix of natural language and key terms, 4e was much clearer in the rules.

I would allow it for unconscious. I would not allow it for assassination. Because while it was a hit, you didn't score the hit.

More importantly, if you think they didn't want it to work in that circumstance, then it does not work in that circumstance. At least for our games, we are 100% done with "I can find a loophole to get around obvious intent" type stuff. And I think the thesis of 5e includes that sentiment as well.

 

[Wrathamon]

You disgust me, Kulp.

It inspired me ...

 

[Wrathamon]

Can you back that statement up?

I understand that in older editions the term "hit" meant it required an attack roll, I have played for a very long time. But we can't take our preconceptions from older editions and apply them to 5th. There is no rule in 5e saying that only an attack roll can crit.

I agree with Paraxis

under Rolling 1 or 20

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.

Rolling at 20 makes the attack a critical hit but that doesn't define a critical hit. Many things let you deal a critical hit. Just do a search in Basic for critical hit. It has nothing to do with rolling. I agree on assassinate working with magic missile because MM says Hit.

 

[Andor]

The same reason people get mad when you say "disinterested" to mean "not interested in", even though that was original meaning. Change before one's time isn't change; it's history.

That's .... The only way I have ever heard the term used. It's certainly the only way I have ever used it. If anyone ever used "disinterested" to mean anything other than "uninterested" in my presence I would be completely lost. And while I do acknowledge the reality of linguistic drift I might possibly beat them to death with an iron-clad OED.

 

[Plane Sailing]

My favourite use of magic missile hinged on the fact that it could damage things on the ethereal plane, but not from the ethereal plane.

So there was a misty part of the dungeon which silently transitioned the adventurers onto the ethereal, and they came across the wizard guards with see invisible and magic missile which allowed them to see and hurt the adventurers, while the adventurers couldn't touch them back.

It was fun watching them work out what had happened and then take appropriate action

 

[Plane Sailing]

And it does not SAY it needs a roll to hit.

Supplement 1: Grayhawk - p. 22

Magic Missile: This is a conjured missile equivalent to a magic arrow, and it does full damage (2-7 points) to any creature it strikes. For every five levels the magic-user has attained he may add an additional two missiles when employing this spell, so a 6th level magic-user may cast three magic missiles at his target, an 11th level magic-user casts five, and so on. Range 15".​

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

 

[aramis erak]

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

It's not in the 6th or 9th printings of the little box. I checked those.

 

[PeelSeel2]

Not in 5e. In 3e and 4e that is true, but there is no such limit in 5e.

The magic missile spell says "hit" multiple times in the description, assassinate and attacking an unconscious character both just say when you "hit" so it does work with magic missile.

First, as someone said earlier with assassinate, you need to score a hit.

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

Third, the only spells that can score a critical are the ones you make attack rolls with. Confirmed by Mearls, and backed up by attack roll rules.

Fourth, the you have to hit for a condition to give you an autocrit. Again under attacks.

That is RAW. However you want to play/interpret in your game is fine.