Habololy Books > Magic of Habololy
Magic Missile
Windblade:
Yes but the "fancy" ones alter the substance of MM. Whereas the other make the pure magic of MM even stronger at least that is how I see it. When it comes to flavor there really isn't a right or wrong answer on how you can view. I think this one ultimately comes down to the DM and how he sees the flavor of this spell.
Malchia:
I'm starting up this conversation again. With our recent discussions surrounding Magic Missile cannons and wands, it feels relevant.
So far, we all agree that Magic Missile and all it's variants (Chain Missile and Force Missiles) ignore SR on Habololy. That being the case, the question is should it regain SR if altered by metamagic.
I don't see any reason why it would need to be changed. Metamagic feats change the difficulty of the spell, so having the missiles continue to ignore SR seems a mute point. If one were to Maximize (+3 slots) and Empower (+2 slots) a Magic Missile, it becomes a 6th level spell. I can think of a lot more powerful 6th level spells that deal a whole lot more damage and some even have no SR or save. That's only 37.5 points of damage. 75 if Twinned which then becomes a 10th level slot. We're talking epic level here. If you're willing and able to use a higher spell slot to modify a Magic Missile, I think the caster should be rewarded with no SR. That's the whole point of the spell. It's 1st level for a reason. It's a staple of arcane spellcasting that has lasted through generations of casters. Casters take the spell early on in the careers, so it stands to reason they'd be able to learn ways of modifying it over time with metamagic feats.
The system has it's own way of preventing too much from happening to Magic Missiles by capping them at 5d4+5. Chain Missiles cap at 10d4+10 and Force Missiles don't cap, but it's a 4th level spell, so there's only so much you can do to beef it up. Plus, you only gain new missiles every 4 caster levels. We're looking at 10d6 as a 20th level caster for Force Missiles.
So, the built in trade off is auto-hit for less damage. The bonus for no save, no SR spells like the Orbs is higher damage, but you have to hit a ranged touch AC. You also gain the potential benefit of a critical hit with a roll of 20, whereas you don't get that benefit from Magic Missiles. It's similar to the shotgun rule. You auto hit, but there no chance of crit and you can't avoid it unless you happen to be a Modern Ranger with Clicker Evasion.
Bottom line: Magic Missile and it's sister spells should remain no save, no SR on Habololy regardless of metamagic enhancement.
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