Magic Missile Slinger (just for fun PrC) [3.5]

[Fiery Diamond]

I made absolutely no attempt at balance when making this class, so feel free to tell me whether you think it is good/bad/powerful/weak/good-for-dipping/bad-for-anything/etc. Unless I get lots of responses, I'm not really planning to try to balance it out, but feel free to offer suggestions. Also, I'm aware there exists something called a Force Missile Mage or Magic Missile Mage or something like that, but I've never read it and don't intend to.

So, without further ado, the unstoppable Missile-slinging abomination itself.


"No archer can match him! Run for your lives!" -the late Kao Warde, referring to an anonymous Magic Missile Slinger.

Magic Missile Slinger

Prerequisites:
Spells: Ability to cast magic missile as a spell or spell-like ability at least once a day
Skills: Spellcraft 4 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks
Feats: Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration


{table]Level| BAB| Fort| Ref| Will| Special
1| +0| +0| +0| +2| MM as SLA HD times/day, +1 Missile, +2 SR penetration, Impaling Missile
2| +1| +0| +0| +3| MM SLAs always Maximized or Empowered, +3 Missiles, +4 SR penetration, Ricocheting Missile
3| +1| +1| +1| +3| MM as SLA HDx3 times/day, +5 Missiles, +6 SR penetration, Dispelling Missile
4| +2| +1| +1| +4| MM SLAs can be Quickened without penalty, +7 Missiles, +8 SR penetration, Guided Missile
5| +2| +1| +1| +4| MM as SLA at will, +10 Missiles, +10 SR penetration, Greater Dispelling Missile[/table]

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points: 2+Int mod
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spot, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Tumble
Weapon&Armor Proficiencies: Gains none.

Features:

Magic Missile SLA: You gain magic missile as an SLA (effective caster level equal to your HD)
1st-Can cast magic missile as an SLA a number of times per day equal to your total hit dice.
3rd-Can cast magic missile as an SLA a number of times per day equal to thrice your total hit dice.
5th-Can cast magic missile as an SLA at will.

Additional Missiles: Your magic missile SLA gains additional missiles per use.
1st-One additional missile.
2nd-Three additional missiles.
3rd-Five additional missiles.
4th-Seven additional missiles.
5th-Ten additional missiles.

Spell Resistance Penetration: Your magic missile SLA can easily bypass SR and gains a SR penetration bonus beyond that granted by caster level and feats.
1st-+2 bonus
2nd-+4 bonus
3rd-+6 bonus
4th-+8 bonus
5th-+10 bonus

Metamagic Missile: Your magic missle SLA gains the benefit of certain metamagic for free.
2nd-Always either Maximized or Empowered, your choice at casting.
4th-In addition to being Maximized or Empowered, can be quickened.

Special Missiles: By reducing the number of missiles by half, you can grant your magic missile SLA special powers.
1st-Impaling Missile-Choose a linear path for each missile to follow. It damages every target in that path out to the end of its range.
2nd-Ricocheting Missile-Choose 3 targets for each missile rather than one, but each successive target receives two fewer damage.
3rd-Dispelling Missile-Each missile has the effects of a targeted dispel magic rather than dealing damage. Shield is automatically dispelled regardless of caster level.
4th-Guided Missile-You need not have line of sight to your target so long as you have line of effect and correctly identify the location of your target within an error margin of 5 feet per effective caster level. However, each missile suffers a 50% miss chance.
5th-Greater Dispelling Missile-Each missile has the effects of a targeted greater dispel magic in addition to dealing damage. Any spell effect or non-permanent non-spell effect that blocks magic missile specifically (but not force in general) is automatically dispelled regardless of caster level.


Have fun!

[finalepic]

I like the concept. The concept is excellent. I've only skimmed it, though, and I can see that it's probably not the most balanced thing. That is, it can fire 10 extra missiles with every cast by level 6. That's 13d4+13 all but unavoidable damage at will. It seems a tad excessive. The pre-reqs should probably be upped a bit, and maybe slow down the extra missiles. Or maybe you could have and ability that removes the cap, then another that gives you one missile/level or some such. I'm not great at balance, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

[Zeta Kai]

Well, as you say, you may not have read the Force Missile Mage from Dragon Magazine's Compendium, but you did a decent job recreating it. :smallwink: This seems to be quite a bit like it, only a bit lot more powerful.

[Terazul]

Well, as you say, you may not have read the Force Missile Mage from Dragon Magazine's Compendium, but you did a decent job recreating it. :smallwink: This seems to be quite a bit like it, only a bit lot more powerful.

Sort of. You get awesome magic missiles alot sooner, and with many more options. You also lose 5 caster levels.

Though there's nothing stopping you from taking one, then the other...

[CTLC]

I hadn't noticed you lose caster levels. Why do I never see missed caster levels? My numbers were wrong, but I feel the point stands.

it could give you 100 missiles for all balance cares, losing 5 CLs is just crippling. Unless you arent a caster and just have a MM sla...
awesome awesome gish build possible?

[Realms of Chaos]

Wow. I never thought that I'd say this about a a caster PrC with no advancement but... I think that this thing is a bit overpowered.

Okay, perhaps that needs some qualification. In a high-level campaign, this thing isn't overpowered. It is good and healthy fun. In fact, being reduced to a (surprisingly effective) blaster makes you rather ineffective without 9th level spells.
This class, however, doesn't need a high level game. A Wizard 1/MMS 5 is completely possible. At level 6, the ability to spam 130 damage each round, all day long is a bit overpowered. Take for a moment to consider that there are only really 4 defenses against this guy's magic missiles.
1. Total concealment (obtained by darkness, fog, or invisibility)
2. Total cover (a brick wall between you)
3. Regeneration (you can still outpace any regeneration anyway)
4. Being a Golem (magic immunity is the one and only sure-fire defense).

I'd recommend upping the skill requirements to 8 appiece so that you finnish progressing with this class by 9 HD (when your magic missile SLAs stop improving at a flat 150 per round). By that time (and for awhile afterwards), your (nearly) unavoidable source of (massive) damage will remain relevant for a long time but you are closer to the rest of the power curve.

I do acknowledge that levels 5 and 6 is when other casters start getting their insane bag of tricks but they don't have literal death effects or massive CL boosts yet, most of their instant kill moves rely on Will saves (a Wiz 1/MMs 5 would have a base of +6), there is no contingency or celerity in the picture yet, none of a 6th level wizard's spells could provide much protection against this guy (even summoned and charmed help would be torn to part), and even a flying caster couldn't hit you without either entering range or making liberal use of the enlarge spell feat (which, from my experience, is pretty rare). Don't forget that this guy also has a dispelling abilities and a few tactics to take out armies of mooks.
Invisibility would kind of help but it would prevent a wizard 6 from using any spells and the magic missiles could still hit (albeit with a 50% miss chance) if the Wiz/MMS picks a square within 30 feet of the target as being effected.

[Latronis]

Could be interesting with Argent Savant coming in later