Sick of Magic Missile
- Thread starter Slobber Monster
- Start date
Altalazar
First Post
After gaming for over two decades, my solution to the "boring" magic missile is to just create a totally different sort of character. My latest campaign just started this week. They needed a mage, who would have likely had the generic magic missile. I made a psion. I focused on telepathy. And, just to make things really interesting, I'm limiting this character to ONLY telepathy powers. This is the true telepath. It makes things interesting and different.
Magic missile is boring because the mechanics of it are: "I check off the spell use and I do (rolls) damage." Very, very few things in the game are that boring, mechanically. Fireball, for example: You have to figure out where you're firing your fireball, and the targets get saves.
A magic missile is a simple "blat! damage" effect which is nearly unique in the game, and it's dull for that reason. The damage is so low and the range is so constrained that it's not even worth getting excited about high or low rolls.
Bo-ring.
--Kynn
A magic missile is a simple "blat! damage" effect which is nearly unique in the game, and it's dull for that reason. The damage is so low and the range is so constrained that it's not even worth getting excited about high or low rolls.
Bo-ring.
--Kynn
Pbartender
First Post
An Anecdote conerning Magic Missle:
A while back, my players were going up against a barbaric orc tribe. The orcs had a sorcerer amongst them, who I wanted to give shamanistic feel. He had, of course, Magic Missile as a first level spell. All I really did was describe the spell's effect a little bit differently than the usual cloing blasts of magic...
Me: "As you fight the orc warriors another orc appears on the opposite side of the cavern, about eighty feet away. He's swathed in fur robes and cloaks, has fetishes dangling from his hair and about his neck, and carries a long curved dagger made of some sort of horn, bone or ivory. He eyes The Fighter, obviously the strongest enemy facing his warriors. From where he stands, he mutters a curse, and slashes his bone dagger three times through the empty air in front of him.
Me: "Fighter, each times the shaman slashes his dagger, you feel a burning line drawn across your chest. You take... [DICE ROLL] ...12 points of damage total. You can feel a few drops of blood running down your belly, even though your armor doesn't have the slightest mark on it."
Fighter: "Don't I get a saving throw?"
Me: "Nope."
Fighter: "But you didn't roll an attack roll for him."
Me: "Nope."
Fighter: "So he just does 12 points of damage automatically right through my armor?"
Me: "That's right."
Fighter: "That hardly seems fair."
Wizard: "Wow. Crazy spell. I've got to find a copy of that for my spellbook. What is it?"
Me:
The fact was, when my players didn't know what the spell was, they were that close to calling bull
on a spell that deals a modest amount of damage, but doesn't require a saving throw, doesn't require an attack roll, ignores armor, can hit multiple targets, and practically always hits without fail.
A while back, my players were going up against a barbaric orc tribe. The orcs had a sorcerer amongst them, who I wanted to give shamanistic feel. He had, of course, Magic Missile as a first level spell. All I really did was describe the spell's effect a little bit differently than the usual cloing blasts of magic...
Me: "As you fight the orc warriors another orc appears on the opposite side of the cavern, about eighty feet away. He's swathed in fur robes and cloaks, has fetishes dangling from his hair and about his neck, and carries a long curved dagger made of some sort of horn, bone or ivory. He eyes The Fighter, obviously the strongest enemy facing his warriors. From where he stands, he mutters a curse, and slashes his bone dagger three times through the empty air in front of him.
Me: "Fighter, each times the shaman slashes his dagger, you feel a burning line drawn across your chest. You take... [DICE ROLL] ...12 points of damage total. You can feel a few drops of blood running down your belly, even though your armor doesn't have the slightest mark on it."
Fighter: "Don't I get a saving throw?"
Me: "Nope."
Fighter: "But you didn't roll an attack roll for him."
Me: "Nope."
Fighter: "So he just does 12 points of damage automatically right through my armor?"
Me: "That's right."
Fighter: "That hardly seems fair."
Wizard: "Wow. Crazy spell. I've got to find a copy of that for my spellbook. What is it?"
Me:
The fact was, when my players didn't know what the spell was, they were that close to calling bull
on a spell that deals a modest amount of damage, but doesn't require a saving throw, doesn't require an attack roll, ignores armor, can hit multiple targets, and practically always hits without fail.Digital M@
Explorer
I have to agree with a poster above that this is no different than a fighter always attacking with his sword, which is usually doing more damage than mm, or a ranged based fighter using a bow. MM may be boring, but it is a side effect of the D&D magic system. With memorization, a wizard will use spells they know will be beneficial and MM can be used in any combat. Sorcerer's have a limited number of spells and need good combat spells to be of use in combat. Unless there si a change in the classes or magic system, I think MM is an essential spell to keep magic users involved in combat, especially at lower levels.
ForceUser
Explorer
Quoted for utter coolness.Pbartender said:The fact was, when my players didn't know what the spell was, they were that close to calling bull
PieAndDragon
Duncan T
My response to reducing the utility of magic missile in many situations was to reduce the price of Brooch of Shielding to 25 gp.
The spell is still useful, as many foes won't be carrying a brooch. When foes do carry them, they just have to change to different magics. And the PCs don't seem to complain as they get the immunity too.
The spell is still useful, as many foes won't be carrying a brooch. When foes do carry them, they just have to change to different magics. And the PCs don't seem to complain as they get the immunity too.
Brother MacLaren
Explorer
In 3.0, MM was clearly superior to the other 1st-level damaging spells. Despite the DMG's advice "If one spell is so good that everybody takes it, it is overpowered," you had Tome and Blood explicitly saying that Magic Missile is so good that every spellcaster should take it.
3.5 fixed this a bit by boosting Shocking Grasp. MM used to do equal or better damage at levels 5-12, but with medium range, no hit roll, and no chance of energy resistance. Now, MM just does equal damage at levels 1 and 9+. Burning Hands still falls short of being useful due to its very low damage at low levels; maybe 2d4+1/level would be a better escalation (better than current version at 1-3, worse at 4-5).
3.5 fixed this a bit by boosting Shocking Grasp. MM used to do equal or better damage at levels 5-12, but with medium range, no hit roll, and no chance of energy resistance. Now, MM just does equal damage at levels 1 and 9+. Burning Hands still falls short of being useful due to its very low damage at low levels; maybe 2d4+1/level would be a better escalation (better than current version at 1-3, worse at 4-5).
Grimstaff
Explorer
Slobber Monster said:
You have to admit, your beef here is your problem, not the spell or the players. My advice would be to a) get over it, or, b) leave a spellbook laying around your next adventure with some fun alternatives for your players to use (any of the Lesser Orb spells should do fine).
In any case, once these guys start to hit 10th-12th level, there will be a whole lot more interesting and powerful spells and opponents, and magic missle will find itself relegated to the "kill the red-shirts" role. Hang in there.
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