Magic Missile, Missing Some Useful Features?

[CrescentCalling_5]

When I'm playing in game as a caster or with a caster (sorcerer and wizard obviously) I almost "always" hear some complaint against Magic Missile. To be honest, I don't dislike Magic Missile, but I do think it's missing some of the better features it has in the Forgotten Realms, and PnP.

First off let me make one thing clear, I do NOT want the damage affected. 1d4+1 per missile is set out in "every" version I've read so far and I'd rather not make an overpowered Magic Missile Spell.

Anyway here's what I think magic missile should do when a player casts it:

*A party is fighting a mass of oozes in the sewers the targetted ooze has 2 other oozes adjacent to it
1. Level 9 player casts Magic Missile at a targetted ooze with a little hp left.
2. First missile hits the ooze inflicting 5 damage
3. Second missile hits the ooze inflicting 3 damage, ooze dies
4. One of the adjacent oozes is randomly chosen by the spell
5. Two of the missiles hit that ooze and it dies
6. There are no adjacent enemies to that ooze, the last missile is wasted

So basically if one enemy is killed before all the missiles are used up, they target another enemy. I don't think this suggestion deviates too far from the PnP version or overpowers Magic Missile, just adds a new feature to a spell that really isn't as good as some of the other evocation spells (niac's cold ray can hit for 20 damage at level 2 and burning hands basically has the limit of range to the number of targets it can hit)

[Missing_Minds]

The idea has merit, but what if you ONLY want to target that singular one? That is one of the strong points of the current implementation.

[CrescentCalling_5]

The idea has merit, but what if you ONLY want to target that singular one? That is one of the strong points of the current implementation.

True, in PnP version you get to choose whether Magic Missile targets one or a maximum of 5 enemies, so maybe make it work like the Resist Energy spell? You choose during casting whether all missiles will only target a single enemy or they will target more than one.

[Nerate_Mireth]

True, in PnP version you get to choose whether Magic Missile targets one or a maximum of 5 enemies, so maybe make it work like the Resist Energy spell? You choose during casting whether all missiles will only target a single enemy or they will target more than one.

Wait...we can make the resist spells target multiple people now? Since when did this happen? Must have been that stealth patch last night.

[jcTharin]

Wait...we can make the resist spells target multiple people now? Since when did this happen? Must have been that stealth patch last night.

hes probably talking about how you cast the spell then a window pops up with the different versions of the spell.

[Angelus_dead]

So basically if one enemy is killed before all the missiles are used up, they target another enemy.

Partially wasting some MM shots due to overkill is a really negligible concern. If the monster was so, so, so very weak that it takes less than one MM spell to kill it... why bother using any spell on it? Who cares?

[Ganolyn]

If I were to change anything it would be the non-linear route they take to their target. It takes too much time and adds nothing to the spell.

[Memnir]

If I were to change anything it would be the non-linear route they take to their target. It takes too much time and adds nothing to the spell.

Agreed.
If they were to fix one aspect of MM, this'd be my choice too. And if ya can't make em go straighter - at least speed up the time it takes em to meander to the target.

[CrescentCalling_5]

Agreed.
If they were to fix one aspect of MM, this'd be my choice too. And if ya can't make em go straighter - at least speed up the time it takes em to meander to the target.

I was gonna rant about that at first actually xD but I guess I went for the one I missed most from Neverwinter Nights and Pnp :x

[Damionic]

Isaac's greater missile storm!!

http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Isaac's_greater_missile_storm

[Pugsley]

I think Magic Missile is fine. It's moderate damage for a 1st level spell and it's no save.

Niac's Cold Ray is high damage, but it's save for none.

Burning Hands is low damage, but save for half and AOE.

How is Magic Missile not balanced?

The only real problem I guess is that a 10% damage boost is rounded down to 0 no matter what your level is, since it deals low damage multiple times. Unless they fixed that; I have no idea.