Magic missile conversion question

[bedir than]

Forked lightning, perhaps? Just house-rule the change in damage type.

Magic Missile may be an iconic spell and useful enough at a low level, but IMO the damage just doesn't scale up well compared to other damaging spells. If you use Magic Missile with a 3rd-level slot, it will do 5d4 + 5 force damage. Lightning Bolt, another 3rd-level spell, does 8d6 lightning damage. That's a damage range of 10-to-25 hit points (guaranteed) against a single target vs. 8-to-32 points of damage each against multiple targets on successful hits (and failed saving throws).

[I still maintain that it would make more sense if Magic Missile were a cantrip with cantrip-style damage scaling.]

For flavor consistency, I can see a PC having Magic (Lightning) Missile early on; it does have the advantage over Lightning Bolt of being capable of hitting scattered targets and the always lovely guaranteed hit. For a wizardly Benjamin Franklin, fascinated by electricity, I think that it's fitting.

A key thing to note about Magic Missile versus other damaging spells is that there is only one defense from Magic Missile, Shield. Nothing else stops it. There's no attack role, no save. Also, that 3rd level spell slot creates 5 missiles, so it isn't a single target. I still think the damage is a bit weak. I still like the d4+1, but want some kind of buff. I've been tempted to use casting modifier plus proficiency (at level one that would be something like +4/5 or so). I know this removes a mid-tier benefit for many casting classes.

 

[Redthistle]

A key thing to note about Magic Missile versus other damaging spells is that there is only one defense from Magic Missile, Shield. Nothing else stops it. There's no attack role, no save. Also, that 3rd level spell slot creates 5 missiles, so it isn't a single target. I still think the damage is a bit weak. I still like the d4+1, but want some kind of buff. I've been tempted to use casting modifier plus proficiency (at level one that would be something like +4/5 or so). I know this removes a mid-tier benefit for many casting classes.

Points taken. Somewhere recently, I remember reading a suggestion to add the level of the spell-slot used to each missile, which would certainly up the damage potential. I'm still musing on the game-balance of that idea.

To add to the mix, cbwjm posted earlier today (3 January 2016) a Forked Lightning spell:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...ghtning-evocation-spell&p=6790991#post6790991