New Spell: Mage Bolts

[Merlion]

Ok I have long wanted to create a spell to simulate powerful, non elemental bolts of magical energy. Magic Missile is a start, but heres my version.

Mage Bolts
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Mys 5
Target: 1 or more creatures or objects no two of which may be more than 15 ft apart

As Magic Missile accept as above, and as follows: each bolt inflicts 2d6+2 points of damage, and each bolt requires a ranged touched attack to hit its target.

Tell me what you think

Ohh yea Mys stands for the new
Mystic class I am working on

 

[Technik4]

This version seems very balanced, grabbed from The Jester's Story Hour homebrew stuff page: http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23482

Personally I think a reflex save works better than a ranged touch attack.

SEEKER MISSILES
Evocation
[Force]
Level: Wiz/Sor 5
Range: See text
Targets: Up to five creatures separated by any distance
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: See text

A higher level variant of magic missile, seeker missiles fly 100’+10’/level every round until they reach their targets. You may target each missile at a different target if you desire. The more exactly you know the target’s position the better your odds of successfully striking him. The missiles seek with the intelligence and knowledge you have except that the only action they will take is to move at their maximum speed each round until they can strike the victim (they won’t lurk in hiding or anything like that). If you can see the victim they are an easy mark; otherwise the missiles streak away to try to seek him.

A seeker missile that reaches its target zips in to attack. The target must make a Reflex save or be hit for 2d6 damage. If the missile fails to connect, it will swing around for another pass each round as long as the spell continues.

Except as noted above, this spell is the same as magic missile.

 

[Merlion]

Hmm...thats not a bad spell at all. But it doesnt fit what I am trying to do.
So what do you think of my spell?

 

[Technik4]

A good benchmark would be an empowered magic missle spell (which also sort of negates the need for such a spell in the first place but oh well).

1d4+1 (x1.5)

So:

On a 1 deals 3 damage
On a 2 deals 4 damage
On a 3 deals 6 damage
On a 4 deals 7 damage

Essentially each missle got a 1.5 kick-up in damage, to a max of 10 extra damage at 10th level caster (assuming all even rolls).

Despite the ranged touch attack, your spell seems overpowered. I would try and work with the same mechanic The Jester did. Keep damage on the low side (as an aside, the reason magic missle does 1d4+1 damage is because they didnt want the missles to do just 1 damage, they wanted a minimum of 2 damage, this may or may not be the reason jester set his at 2d6 (higher damage, but still 2 minimum)) and add a reflex save over a ranged touch attack. Bolts of force don't generally need to "hit" like a ranged touch attack, but they can be dodged, resisted (either willlfully or fortitudously).

Technik

 

[Spatzimaus]

Don't compare an Empowered 1st-level spell to a 3rd-level spell. Yes, they take up the same slot, but metamagicked spells are supposed to be inferior to the true spells of the higher level. See double-Empowered Fireball vs. Delayed-Blast Fireball, or any low-duration 1st-level spell (Biofeedback) that has a much longer-duration version at 3rd (Improved Biofeedback) that is also twice as effective.

I'd say its balance is fine. Compare to Flame Arrow's "flaming bolt" mode, it seems about right. Both are ranged touch attacks with no save, but you're doing force damage instead of fire.

 

[Technik4]

Flame Arrow is a double jeopardy spell, ranged touch AND saving throw.

I said it was a good benchmark and considering his spell does more damage than a 5th level spell I considered balanced I think a benchmark is a good place to start.

If I were going to design a 3rd level magic missle spell, heres what I'd do:

Greater Magic Missle
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3

As magic missle except these missles deal 2d6 damage and extra missles are determined by one-third your caster level with a max of 5 missles at 15th level. Any effect that prevents or reduces damage from magic missle also affects greater magic missle.


This spell is like fireball in that it maxes at 10d6 (although at a later level) and it can still be stopped by a 1st level shield spell, brooch of shielding, or similar effect. Compared to his spell it does lower damage and takes longer to hit its peak (as does magic missle spell, which doesnt peak until 10th level; 1st level spells are supposed to top out at 5th level).

Incidentally, this analysis leads to an interesting revelation. Judging by the spell on wizards website "Arcane Missle" or some-such which is as magic missle but d6 instead of d4 and I considered balanced that means based on my spell, Merlion's which has +1 damage per die (same as upping the die) but requires a ranged touch attack is ergo balanced if the one I just wrote is balanced.

Heh, I think I just outsmarted myself.

Technik