Magic Missle: overpowered???

[dedicated]

If you make it ranged touch that allows for critical hits. And for feats like improved critical, I think, and should be.....I say fine the way it is. Sords and sorcery had flaming missle or something that was an extra missle ever two level above first, no cap, and required a ranged touch attack. oh, and did fire damage. I didn't like that.....

-Sravoff

All spells that require an attack roll of any type have a 20/X2 crit mod

 

[Land Outcast]

[mumble]scorching ray[/mumble]

4d8, touch attack, 3rd level PC

 

[Sravoff]

[mumble]scorching ray[/mumble]

4d8, touch attack, 3rd level PC

You mean fourth levle PC? And a 4d6 touch attack? I never miss it!

-Sravoff

 

[FireLance]

[mumble]scorching ray[/mumble]

4d8, touch attack, 3rd level PC

4d6, actually.

Complete Arcane has the lesser orb of [energy] spells which are ranged touch attack spells that deal 1d8 of energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire) with so save and no SR. Damage increases by 1d8 per two levels, to a maximum of 5d8 for a 9th level caster. My group finds them to be comparable to magic missile because they don't get SR, it's relatively easy to connect with a ranged touch attack, and there's a small chance of double damage with a crit. Of course, they don't work so well against energy resistant foes.

Anyway, why begrudge the sorcerer or wizard his 1d4+1 damage per round? It's not like he can keep it up indefinitely, no like some other classes that can deal out 1d6 damage with a ranged touch attack round after round.

 

[FireLance]

You mean fourth levle PC? And a 4d6 touch attack? I never miss it!

-Sravoff

3rd level for a wizard.

 

[Sravoff]

3rd level for a wizard.

Yeah, but at lvel four you get two rays.....I though that was what he meant.....Maybe the extra rays are too much to deal with?

-Sravoff

 

[gilchapa]

Magic missle is rather weak in my opinion. At low levels, it is only 5 damage max, and you could do more than that using a bow easily (crossbow or longbow). The only things it has going for it is the fact that it never misses and is useful against incorpal stuff. At the low levels color spray is much more effective, and at higher levels magic missle is just a I want to help spell but not use the good stuff.

I agree 100% to this! MM is not overpowered, many spell casters I know pick color spray or sleep as their attack spells at low levels because they can take more monsters down with them.

 

[Land Outcast]

My fault, 4d6

And yes, 2 scorching rays would be a problem at 4th level (it's 1 ray plus 1 every 4 levels over third)

 

[Nifft]

IMC, I simply cap 1st level spells at 5th level caster -- so you get up to three Magic Missiles.

The slow scaling *is* an excellent balance factor, up until it starts doing the same damage as Shocking Grasp.

-- N

 

[Evilhalfling]

It seems overly powerful in my current game, but only because most of the party is built for personlity rather than power, and the party sorcerer is a machine gun. It is actually such a defining aspect of his character that he is moving into the Force missle mage PrC - giving up a caster level for better magic missles, it tops out at 7 missles instead of 5 (11th level /10th caster)
The sorcerer has no offensive 2nd level spells, so all combat is a choice of fireball or magic missle. He has been known to burn 2nd level slots for more magic missles, if the utility of an entire party with spider climb, false life or invisibility isn't necessary.