The Magic Missile Murder Machine

[T.W. Hamill]

So...

This isn't a "works on everything" kind of thing because anything that makes a target immune to Magic Missile will make this not work, but i found some EXTREMELY funny interactions between items and feats.

So...

Bolster Spell (Feat) - increases the damage rolled per die by +2, and makes anyone adjacent to the target(s) of the spell take 2/die that is rolled as splash damage, basically.

When applied to Magic Missile, it is (incorrectly, i'd assume) applying the +2 damage/die to each missile.

So, if you're high enough level to get 5 missiles, EACH missile hits for 1d4+1+10, so you get a total damage of 5D4+5+50... though i think its also interacting some OTHER way, since at 9th level my Nenio was landing each missile for 20-23 damage. EACH missile, not the whole spell, which is higher than expected (each missile should hit for between 12-15, not 20-23)

I think its working this way because the game treats each missile as its own effect - each missile rolls against SR, etc.

Oh, and guys standing near to main target are taking another 50 - 10/missile. So it turns into a basically unsoakable small AoE (its "adjacent targets" - so about 5ft).

But WAIT... it gets bettah.

There's a dagger called Edge of Force...

That adds +2 force damage per die rolled to any spell with the Force Descriptor.

It, also, improperly adds that +2/die to EACH missile. Now Nenio is landing MMs for 30+ PER MISSILE.

Just for shiggles, i used Bag Of Tricks to give me a second copy of Edge of Force.

Yeah.

You can dual-wield it.

They stack.

40 per missile. 200 damage from a level 2 spell (Bolstered is only +1), unsoakable, mostly. And anyone nearby takes over 100.

Its...

Its pretty hillarious.

Im going to take Heighten spell just so i can make them 3rd level too.

I have run into instances where its not effective, obviously, because there are mobs that are just outright immune to Magic Missile, and lots of casters will throw up Shield or already have it active.

But when it does work its hillariously broken. The super-tough spectres in a certain town area (like CR20 or something when you're 9th ish)? Melted. CR22 treants? provided you overcome their SR (a little tough at that level but not impossible) One shot.

Just thought id share.

[The Silver Santana]

Nice catch. Didn't put together that bolster would work on every missile.

[Mikeavelli]

As a bonus, if you pick the lich power that deals ability damage when you deal normal damage, each individual missile procs the ability.

With quicken, that's 10 points of strength, Dex, and con damage *every turn*.

[phadin]

It works on each missile, but it 'should' be +2 damage on each missile, not +2 damage per missile on each missile. So the TOTAL damage for five missiles should be 5d4+5+10. Definately a bug.

[Morgian]

Use Empower Spell instead of heighten. I got 33-39 per missile out of Nenio, but there is a catch. Bolster splashes all around the target with substantial damage. If your target stands amid your party, you can kill them. Yes, it says "enemy", but it actually hits everyone.

There is something very broken with the feat and dagger aside the damage thing, because I landed 11 hits with one spell, which should be impossible. The majority hit the dire boars and smilodons, but four hit my party. I was using empowered/bolstered missiles at the time.
I made a screenshot, but I don't know how to paste it here.

Edit: I managed to link it somehow. But I lied, this is the unempowered version.[steamcommunity.com]

[T.W. Hamill]

Originally posted by phadin:

It works on each missile, but it 'should' be +2 damage on each missile, not +2 damage per missile on each missile. So the TOTAL damage for five missiles should be 5d4+5+10. Definately a bug.

Oh, yeah, it should work that way. Thats why i said it was incorrectly applying to each missile instead of the spell as a whole.

The combo of Bolster + the Dagger would still (if it were working correctly) be 5D4+5+10+10, though, which would be an impressive 30-45 unsoakable (not sure anything has Force resist) damage from a level 2 spell. Or up to 55 with two of the daggers.

But bugged.. its crazy.

[T.W. Hamill]

Originally posted by Mikeavelli:

As a bonus, if you pick the lich power that deals ability damage when you deal normal damage, each individual missile procs the ability.

With quicken, that's 10 points of strength, Dex, and con damage *every turn*.

... lol holy crap thats crazy.

My main is Knife Master/Vivisectionist (because i wanted a rogue and W-Whatsit sucks), so i cant do that, but thats nuts.

[T.W. Hamill]

Originally posted by The Silver Santana:

Nice catch. Didn't put together that bolster would work on every missile.

Well it definitely isnt supposed to as it is written. But hey, enjoy it while it lasts.

[Morgian]

Only the mobs in Blackwater are immune to MM I believe.

Every miniboss is immune to stat damage, so it is not all that great :(

[Mechalibur]

On my end it seems to be dealing 2 damage per Caster Level, not even per missile. It's stupid broken.

[T.W. Hamill]

Originally posted by Morgian:

Use Empower Spell instead of heighten. I got 33-39 per missile out of Nenio, but there is a catch. Bolster splashes all around the target with substantial damage. If your target stands amid your party, you can kill them. Yes, it says "enemy", but it actually hits everyone.

Yep, i imploded Seelah once with it. Its still super useful for taking out long-range targets though, like the Succubi archers that like to hang way back.

There is something very broken with the feat and dagger aside the damage thing, because I landed 11 hits with one spell, which should be impossible. The majority hit the dire boars and smilodons, but four hit my party. I was using empowered/bolstered missiles at the time.
I made a screenshot, but I don't know how to paste it here.

The combat log tracks the "splash" hits as Magic Missile hits. So itll appear that you hit a lot of stuff when you didnt. I, too, wondered why the combat log registered a ton of hits once but it was because there were like 4 deer nearby that each took splash from each missile.

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197971448694/screenshots/?appid=0&sort=newestfirst&browsefilter=myfiles&view=imagewall

You can just post a link to whatever photo storage site you use. I think the /url tag screwed up the link you tried to post.
I un-tagged it, it should take people to the pic.

[djinnxy]

Taking an elemental bloodline will give you the ability to change any energy spell to the element of your elemental. Taking either crossblood or a mythic added bloodline will give you the dragon of the element for +1 per die rolled damage. There's items that add +1 to any spell with the descriptor of the element. I'm wondering if that would stack with that or at least have the same effect with spells with multiple die. I do have a sorc built for acid crossblood dragon/earth. I can check it later.

[Morgian]

I managed a kind of link above. You are probably right and the 24 are the splash damage from the 7 dice per missile. They were empowered after all :) High damage was 39 per missile thus far.

[Miskatonic]

if only there was something like Isaac's greater missile storm spell from NWN2

[T.W. Hamill]

Originally posted by Miskatonic:

if only there was something like Isaac's greater missile storm spell from NWN2

This is basically that. Except its easier to resist because its level 1 base and some enemies are just outright immune to it.

[T.W. Hamill]

Originally posted by djinnxy:

Taking an elemental bloodline will give you the ability to change any energy spell to the element of your elemental. Taking either crossblood or a mythic added bloodline will give you the dragon of the element for +1 per die rolled damage. There's items that add +1 to any spell with the descriptor of the element. I'm wondering if that would stack with that or at least have the same effect with spells with multiple die. I do have a sorc built for acid crossblood dragon/earth. I can check it later.

I think it will only work like this with spells that have multiple projectiles, because the game is mechanically treating each missile as its own instance of the spell (which it souldnt, if it were accurate to PnP).

There's that 3rd level spell battering blast (also a Force spell) that this might work with. I might do some experimentation later with Bag of Tricks to level me up to get the extra projectiles.

That could get... crazy potentially as the missiles do 5D6, and then you get up to a total of 4 (at 20th level) so... 20D6 total damage done by the spell would add 40 damage to EACH projectile from Bolster, plus an additional 40 to each projectile from each instance of the dagger ... so potentially each missile would do 5D6+120 and splash for 120.

Each. Ouch. Gonna have to try that out. (And its not Magic Missile so Shield and MM immunity which is common on some mobs wont help).

Edit - and if you Empowered it... hmm. it would add a total of 8 more dice (2 per missile) so... 16 more damage from Bolster and Each instance of the dagger for a potential of ...

7D6+168 per projectile.

....

Q.Q.

Definitely need to test that.

Edit.. Math was off. Corrected above.