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View Full Version : [3.5] 10 Level Force Missile Mage [PrC]



RMS Oceanic
2009-03-03, 08:58 AM
Just for fun, I'm gonna take Dragon Compendium's Force Missile Mage prestige class, and expand/improve on it for a 10 level class.

Hit Die: d4

Prerequisites: Able to cast 3rd level spells, Concentrate 8 ranks, able to cast Magic Missile at least once per day.

Skill Points per Level: 2+Int

Class Skills: As Sorceror

Force Missile Mage
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Bonus Missile, Caster Level Bonus|-

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Damage Type, Missile Penetration|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Still Missile, Improved Magic Missile|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Bonus Missile, Shield 1/day|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Metamagic Missile|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Silent Missile|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Bonus Missile|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Greater Magic Missile|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Spontaneous Missile or Spell-Like Missile, Shield 2/day|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Bonus Missile, Metamagic Missile, Whirlwind Missile|+1 level of existing spellcasting class [/table]

Class Features

Bonus Missile (Ex): At 1st level, and every three levels afterwards, gain a bonus missile when casting Magic Missile. These ignore the caster level cap.

Caster Level Bonus (Ex): Gain a +1 bonus to caster level when casting Magic Missile.

Damage Type (Ex): When casting Magic Missile, you can have its damage count as fire, cold, electric, acid or sonic damage.

Missile Penetration (Ex): You gain a bonus equal to one half your Force Missile Mage level on caster level checks made to overcome Spell Resistance when casting Magic Missile. This stacks with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration. In addition, you can penetrate Shield spells and Brooches of Shielding with Magic Missile by making a caster level check (DC 11+Shield's caster level or DC 20 for the brooches). The bonus doesn't apply to these uses.

Still Missile (Ex): You can apply the Still Spell metamagic feat to all Magic Missiles you cast for free, with no increase in casting time.

Improved Magic Missile: At 3rd level, you learn an advanced form of Magic Missile as a bonus 3rd level spell. It functions like Magic Missile, except each missile deals 1d6+1 damage, and the missiles accrue at a rate of 1 for every 2 caster levels after first (maximum 10 missiles at CL 19). For the Force Missile Mage's class features, Improved Magic Missile counts as Magic Missile.

Shield: At 4th level, you can cast Shield as a spell-like ability as an immediate action once per day, with caster level equal to your own caster level. You gain another use of this at 9th level.

Metamagic Missile (Ex): At 5th level, choose a metamagic feat you know, except Heighten Spell. When applying that feat to Magic Missile, decrease the level adjustment by 1 (minimum +0). You can apply that feat without increasing the casting time. At 10th level, choose another different metamagic feat to apply.

Silent Missile (Ex): At 6th level you can apply the Silent Spell feat to Magic Missile for free, without increasing casting time.

Greater Magic Missile: At 8th level you learn Greater Magic Missile as a bonus 6th level spell. It functions like Improved Magic Missile, except the missiles accrue at a rate of 1 per caster level (Maximum 20 at level 20). For the Force Missile Mage's class features, it counts as Magic Missile.

Spontaneous Missile (Ex): At 9th level, if the spellcasting class you've advanced with Force Missile prepares its spells before casting them, you can expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to cast Magic Missile, the same way clerics can spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells. You can do this a number of times per day equal to 3+Your spellcasting DC ability modifier.

Spell-Like Missile (Sp): At 9th level, if the spellcasting class you've advanced with Force Missile casts its spells spontaneously, you gain the ability to cast Magic Missile as a spell-like ability. You can do this a number of times per day equal to 3+Your spellcasting DC ability modifier.

Whirlwind Missile (Ex): At 10th level, your mastery of Magic Missile is complete. Three times per day, when you cast Magic Missile, you can have each missile strike up to one target per missile produced in a 60 foot radius. For example, there are 15 enemies attacking you in a 60 foot radius. You can choose to target up to 9 of them (5 from the normal effects of Magic Missile, and your four bonus missiles), and each of them will take 9d4 + 9 damage. Roll a single damage value for all targets.
In an exception to their counting as Magic Missile for the Force Missile Mage class features, applying this ability to Improved Magic Missile takes up two uses, and applying it to Greater Magic Missile takes up three.


What do you think?

(Clarification: Improved Magic Missile will end up with 14 missiles and Greater Magic Missile will end up with 24 missiles, due to the bonus missiles.)

EDIT: Added Whirlwind Missile capstone ability, corrected some wording.

Knaight
2009-03-03, 09:08 AM
Add in an ability to throw a normal magic missile spell, sans extra missiles, as an at will SLA somewhere. That and this seriously needs a missile barrage feature as a capstone (or exploding missiles. Turn each missile into a splash weapon.)

Triaxx
2009-03-03, 03:50 PM
Well, Greater Magic Missile does end up launching 24 missiles per cast, and can in be cast quickened with a rod, plus a normal casting. 48 hits is nothing to sneeze at. Anything stronger is pretty much too strong.

That said, the ability to instantly expend all casting slots to unleash missiles from every slot at once would be totally awesome. Given that at level 20 you'd have 58 slots as a Sorceror, or 52 if you discount Cantrip slots, That's... 108 + 252 + 336 = 696 missiles in a single turn. That's guaranteed to make the DM cry. Damage works out to 108d4+108, and 588d6+588. Nearly three thousand damage just on one random calculation.

Oh, and you need to put the last bonus missile in the level 9 slot, instead of ten.

The Mentalist
2009-03-03, 05:40 PM
As much as I don't believe in Spell casters as damage cannons, this is really good. I'm seeing an NPC bounty hunter with this class.

Pyrusticia
2009-03-03, 11:27 PM
Improved Magic Missile: At 3rd level, you learn an advanced form of Magic Missile as a bonus 3rd level spell. It functions like Magic Missile, except each missile deals 1d6+1 damage, and the missiles accrue at a rate of 2 per caster level (maximum 10 missiles at CL 20). For the Force Missile Mage's class features, Improved Magic Missile counts as Magic Missile.

I think you mean "the missiles accrue at a rate of 1 every 2 caster levels" for it to end up with 10 missiles at CL20.

Other than that, it looks really good! I especially like the ability for wizards to spontaneously convert to missile spells...it ensures that the class's features are likely to remain useful throughout the day.

RMS Oceanic
2009-03-05, 03:42 AM
I've taken your advice and added a nice capstone ability.

Pramxnim
2009-03-21, 04:39 AM
Very impressive looking class you have there :D

Clear, simple and elegant. In the spirit of keeping things that way, I'd suggest clearing up the 4th and 6th level abilities a little bit. Do they require that you have those metamagic feats or do they grant the effects of those feats for free? I'd say you should go with the latter interpretation and make that clear at first glance.

Other than that, great class! I really like the improved and greater versions of magic missile. 3 cheers for D&D's classic spell!

Triaxx
2009-03-21, 05:42 AM
This is awesome. Now I'm going to have to find an excuse to use it against my players. :smallbiggrin:

Cieyrin
2009-03-21, 02:11 PM
I'd almost want to to suggest renaming the capstone Death Blossom, in homage to the Last Starfighter, cuz that's what Whirlwind Missile reminds me of =3

As for the class itself, I loved the Force Missile Mage when it was originally printed and you definitely kept true to the spirit of the PRC. Awesome Job!

The only thing that would make it better would be an epic progression w/ feats to match and this becomes as pimp as two-weapon fighting soul bow with Swarm of Arrows XD

Siosilvar
2009-03-21, 02:17 PM
Whirlwind Missile doesn't strike me as an appealing capstone. All it does is let you widen a Magic Missile three times per day at the cost of dealing the same damage to all targets (could be good or bad, depending on the roll) and removing the range of the spell.