Magic MIssile vs Eldritch Blast

[Hugh de Salle]

MM never misses can bend round corners and can target more foes not to mention can directly benefit from certain items and can get huge damage from certain Wiz/Sorc sub classes but takes up a spell slot.

EB can miss cannot bend round corners but can benefit from items and again Wiz/Sorc sub classes plus it can be warped into what you want it to do.

Of the two what do people consider to be the more potent for Act 3 ?.

[Mister Sir]

Eldritch Blast by far. Yeah it can't bend around corners and MM can hit up to 4 times with certain amulet, while Eldritch Blast hits 3 times at level 10. However the knock back and power of Eldritch Blast is just better.

Also it does not consume a spell slot, which is huge for warlock which are already limited on spell slots. EB is like only offensive magic I use on Wyll. MM don't hit that hard really, even in act 2 anymore, unless you upcast it of course but that takes higher spell slot which you can use for better spells.

[Husker_85]

There are a bunch of specific situations where MM is all but required and when these situations happen you'll be very glad you have someone in your party who can upcast it. But EB does good damage all the time, costs nothing, and can fling enemies into chasms. So they're both really good. If possible, I would have someone in your party who can cast both. Like a Sorlock.

[Zsrai]

EB is a cantrip, MM is a spell. EB is inherently superior in that regard, but MM has greater heights of usefulness (getting a guaranteed kill since it can't miss, f. ex.)

[The_Dipl0mat]

Magic missile is a good finisher, the level 5 spell version is a good "I WISH TO SEE YOUR HEALTH DISAPPEAR"
Eldritch blast is amazing at just a free damage dealer, and even a bonus action if you have the quickspell gloves

[Supply Slut]

They are both damaging casts and use an action to cast, but otherwise they are fundamentally different. MM is essential in the party imo because it is a fantastic way to break concentration. Your striker just got hit with hold person? One cast of MM can get you several guaranteed hits against the spellcaster holding them.

Eldritch blast is a solid cantrip but only really becomes excellent when you invest into it, like a warlock picking up agonizing blast AND repelling blast makes it great for pushback and dealing solid damage at range, all without using a spell slot.

Edit: that said, because of the way certain items interact with MM, you can make a build which turns it into one of if not the most damaging spell in the game - but imo this is kind of cheesy as some of those item interactions are clearly not intended to work with MM

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

EB doesn't cost a spell slot.

Why not both? Sorlock ftw!

[WeenerTuck813]

The advice you’re getting is ridiculous in here OP.

Eldritch Blast is, by far, better.
Magic Missiles has a hand full of moments where it’s useful, like when you fight the Hag and want to pop each image to remove them all ASAP

But Eldritch Blast outdamages Magic Missiles by a SUBSTANTIAL amount due to Agonizing blast (adds your Charisma Modifier) and Potent robe (again adds Cha mod).

At baseline, that means +10 to +14 raw damage PER BEAM of Eldritch blast (3 beams. 30-42 damage) that Magic Missiles does not have access to.

There’s so many items and abilities to add to spell attack it doesn’t matter as the game progresses, you’ll rarely miss and even if you miss 1 beam it’s still going to put damage Magic Missiles and cost no spell slots.

[WeenerTuck813]

There’s a TON more to augment both EB and MM but to keep it simple…

EB will do more damage and be free to cast.

MM will hit 100% unless they cast shield.

So any situation where damage doesn’t matter and a 100% hit chance is needed MM will be more useful. But that’s pretty rare

Eldritch Blast is your every-turn, Ham and eggs spell.

MM is the bat-erang, a useful tool in your belt you can use on occasion

[Dank Sidious]

Originally posted by Isaac_Clark:

There are a bunch of specific situations where MM is all but required and when these situations happen you'll be very glad you have someone in your party who can upcast it. But EB does good damage all the time, costs nothing, and can fling enemies into chasms. So they're both really good. If possible, I would have someone in your party who can cast both. Like a Sorlock.

I have not encountered a single situation in the game where MM is even remotely necessary.

[Rhapsody]

What's the point of this comparison? Their use is never mutually exclusive, they aren't spells of same level, and aren't even available to same class.

[Husker_85]

Originally posted by Dank Sidious:

Originally posted by Isaac_Clark:

There are a bunch of specific situations where MM is all but required and when these situations happen you'll be very glad you have someone in your party who can upcast it. But EB does good damage all the time, costs nothing, and can fling enemies into chasms. So they're both really good. If possible, I would have someone in your party who can cast both. Like a Sorlock.

I have not encountered a single situation in the game where MM is even remotely necessary.

Unstoppable - Worth having to counter that alone in act 3

Also it's useful against Cazador

[Balekai]

Eldritch Blast by far:

1. Agonizing Blast for an extra 3-8ish damage based on chairisma bonus.

2. Repelling Blast. Edit: Starting with this at the beginning of the game can wipe out entire encounters with the use of Minor illusion or whatever its called outside of combat. Just lure to be enemies to ledges and sneak hit them off ledges one by one until none are left. :p

3. Three Attacks at Level 10, that knockback and do decent damage with nothing else.

4. Before Level 10, you can get the Potent Robe for helping all the tiefs out, which adds your charisma modifier to cantrips dmg. So another 3-10ish damage from CHA.

5. More Gearing. For this post I will use a Reverberation[bg3.wiki]
EB build. Applying reverb will debuff -1 STR, DEX and CON and at 5 stacks, cause 1-4 thunder damage with a possibility to prone the enemy. With the reverb gloves, boots and amulet your're basically doing 4 initial reverb stacks per EB hit (or 6+ with Illithid ability drain or applying any extra condition on attacks). Which means 1-4 thunder damage each 5 stacks applied + possibility to prone. Thunderskin cloak can daze enemies that are reverbed for yet another condition applied.

6. Great Old One Warlock for level 1 Mortal Reminder passive (small AoE fear on crit).

So with all of the above put together, your Eldritch Blasts is an unlimited cantrip, that easily does 25-40ish plus force damage x3 endgame, Can knockback x3. Stacks ability debuffs, can do 1-4 thunder damage and prone every 1-2ish hits on the same enemy. On any crit or prone state EB will also AoE fear (automatic critical hits on prone enemies). Meaning they can't move if they fail prone/fear saves after all that ownage. Melee only enemies may get totally shut down and forever knocked back.

Edit: I forgot there's also the ring Ring of Spiteful Thunder that causes daze w/ thunder dmg to reverbed enemies on hit. So on doing reverb thunder dmg and still having stacks of reverb on the enemy, because you're applying so many, the enemy must save vs. daze in addition to vs. prone. So no reactions or DEX mod to AC if they fail. The Daze also creates two more stacks of reverb.

[dolby]

both get the job done.. But magic missile is better the whole game just cos it's magic missile.

[talemore]

both used to fight mobs. Magic missile has always been there.

[Gregorovitch]

Magic Missile is, as is tradition in D&D games, situationally an extremely useful, sometimes essential, spell that every caster who can get access to it should have to hand.

However Eldritch Blast is much more powerful. It doesn't consume a spell slot and is easily enhanced by Level 10 to 3 x (1D10 + 1D8 + 10) with 20 CHA and the right cloak which doubles your CHA bonus on it. That's a 36-84 damage range per shot with a cantrip. Plus it blasts enemies off cliffs when you want it to.

There is really no contest. It makes the Sorlock a very strong build.