Should I take Magic Missile on my Bard/Warlock?

[Satyr]

Title. I am currently running a party with:

Shadow Monk/Rogue
Light Cleric
Battlemaster
Lore Bard/Warlock

I have no wizard, and I know how useful magic missile can be. Is it worth taking as one of my Magic Secrets spells, or are there higher priorities? I was thinking Magic Missile and Haste.

[Exarch_Alpha]

IMO yes. 100% hit in a potentially 20 damage spell is too good.

[⇧⇨⇩⇩⇩]

Take it if you like the spell. Withers can always help you change your mind if you regret your decision.

[mrauseti]

It never misses, and will go around corners. It will always be useful.

[DarkArcanum]

Hands down I would grab magic missile. It has a lot of uses and sometimes you just need that one hit and it can guarantee it.

Plus as someone pointed out, if you aren't getting enough use out of it/regret it, just talk to old Withers.

[⇧⇨⇩⇩⇩]

Also there are always those moments where an annoying enemy has a tiny amount of health left and you want it dead but would like to spend as little action economy as possible on it. One missile in that thing, and the rest in your next target.

[Kozzy]

Yes, having beat the game and put many hours into the game, I take this spell everytime

[Wolfherz]

It's easy to forget but magic missile is GREAT for interrupting channeled spells and abilities. Every missile forces a concentration check. Regardless of any damage it does it's just great in its potential to cancel spells requiring concentration checks.

[Blackknight]

No. It's one of the best spells in the game, even at late levels. You can upcast it and it can shoot around corners. Eldritch Blast requires a straight line of sight. Also, it's not roll to hit and there is no save. Guaranteed damage is critical in some battles.

[Aristocles]

"Should I take magic missile-" is almost always a YES! Darn useful spell. It can hit one opponent or several, can be upcast to do more damage, never misses, and can ever fire around corners. Plus, each missile forces a concentration check.

[Rommel]

Originally posted by Satyr:

Title. I am currently running a party with:

Shadow Monk/Rogue
Light Cleric
Battlemaster
Lore Bard/Warlock

I have no wizard, and I know how useful magic missile can be. Is it worth taking as one of my Magic Secrets spells, or are there higher priorities? I was thinking Magic Missile and Haste.

MM rules!

[Blackknight]

Originally posted by Frey:

It's easy to forget but magic missile is GREAT for interrupting channeled spells and abilities. Every missile forces a concentration check. Regardless of any damage it does it's just great in its potential to cancel spells requiring concentration checks.

Yup. MM is great for breaking the enemy's concentration. Every hit requires another save.

[votadc]

You get the same damage type with eldritch blast but you are advised to get magic missiles against multiple illusions.

[Nekonoaijin]

Originally posted by votadc:

You get the same damage type with eldritch blast but you are advised to get magic missiles against multiple illusions.

Eldritch Blast is LoS and IIRC is a ranged attack, Magic Missile is multiple projectiles, no attack roll, no save.

To the OP: Yes, almost certainly. It's never not useful.

[The1Kobra]

Magic missile is very good. However, you may find it's use tapers off when you're higher level. When you start stacking CHA bonuses on cantrip damage, getting multiple blasts on eldritch blast, etc, you'll probably find more use for another spell then, since direct damage will be better with eldritch blasts.
Haste is god though. Take it. And possibly spirit guardians.

[Revenant]

I wouldn't bother. 10.5 (1st level) to 24.5 (9th+ level) to a single target is pretty meaningless in 95% of combats. Even counting the need to roll to hit, the battlemaster and rogue are going to be averaging more damage than that, round after round, without using up resources.

You'll do almost as much damage with your eldritch blast cantrip (assuming agonizing blast), and a whole lot more if you use fireball, cone of cold, or some other AoE spell.