Overpowering Missile vs Shield (Force Missile Mage)

[Thanatosia]

The Overpowering missile ability of the FMM has a portion that reads:
In addition, a force missile mage's Magic Missiles might penetrate Shield spells and Brooches of Shielding. Against such protections, the force missile mage makes a caster level check with a DC equal to the caster level, in the case of Shield
Is there some rule for caster level checks that should indicate a implied +10 to the DC?

Because the rules as writ seems to indicate that a 10 caster level missile mage vs a 10 caster level shield caster would get to roll d20+10 vs a DC of 10.... so pretty much automatic, and you'd need to exceed the FMM's Caster level by a really significant amount for the caster check to possibly be relevant. Is there something I'm missing?

[BowStreetRunner]

That does seem pretty weak for a DC. A caster level check of Caster Level + 1d20 has a huge advantage over a DC of just Caster Level. Although the only errata (http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gqya?Dragon-Compendium-Official-Errata-Now-Available) to the Force Missile Mage published changes its d8 hit die to a d4, I would probably rule this as an obvious typo in my own games.

[Curmudgeon]

Is there something I'm missing?
No, there's nothing you're missing.
Shield creates an invisible, tower shield-sized mobile disk of force that hovers in front of you. It negates magic missile attacks directed at you.
Shield is a level 1 spell which would otherwise completely nullify the raison d'être of the Force Missile Mage. The check is supposed to be trivially easy for the FMM most of the time.

[StreamOfTheSky]

I agree with the below.

No, there's nothing you're missing.
Shield is a level 1 spell which would otherwise completely nullify the raison d'être of the Force Missile Mage. The check is supposed to be trivially easy for the FMM most of the time.

Though I wish similar thinking went into martial classes.
"Why shouldn't all the full BAB and rogue and monk classes get a specific way to easily ignore the physical damage immunity of swarms? That swarm quality would otherwise completely nullify the raison d'être of the [insert martial class]."

For martials, when a spell or enemy type makes their bread and butter specialty obsolete, the conventional wisdom is usually more like, "Deal with it!"

[Curmudgeon]

"Why shouldn't all the full BAB and rogue and monk classes get a specific way to easily ignore the physical damage immunity of swarms? That swarm quality would otherwise completely nullify the raison d'être of the [insert martial class]."

A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage.

unarmed strike

A successful blow, typically dealing nonlethal damage, from a character attacking without weapons.
Unless the DM throws in a house rule to override the RAW, the Monk or other character with Improved Unarmed Strike can simply swat the swarm.

[ericgrau]

Swarms have low damage and hp for their CR, at least in core. Some have low speed too. The way for mundanes to deal with them without strict RAW tricks is to walk away at their leisure or chuck a few cheap alchemical items.

Yes, when a prestige class revolves around magic missile I agree it's supposed to defeat easily anti-magic missile techniques. Though I still think such a mage should remember that he's still a mage and have a few other spells ready too. Because there's no class feature that can overcome using an excessively narrow strategy.

[Taveena]

Unless the DM throws in a house rule to override the RAW, the Monk or other character with Improved Unarmed Strike can simply swat the swarm.

While this interpretation is not something I'm opposed to, don't Unarmed Strikes and Natural Weapons deal weapon damage? An Unarmed Strike is, after all, treated as alternately a natural weapon or a manufactured weapon.

[Curmudgeon]

While this interpretation is not something I'm opposed to, don't Unarmed Strikes and Natural Weapons deal weapon damage? An Unarmed Strike is, after all, treated as alternately a natural weapon or a manufactured weapon.
Unarmed strike is a natural weapon for categorization purposes (after all, you don't go to a blacksmith or other manufacturer to get it), but it's still weaponless.

[Taveena]

Unarmed strike is a natural weapon for categorization purposes (after all, you don't go to a blacksmith or other manufacturer to get it), but it's still weaponless.

I can't find any real definition of Weapon Damage in rules compendium. It's worth noting that it's not explicitly "manufactured weapon damage".