A Stupid Idea: Mid-Level Magic Missile Cleric

[ComaVision]

I have it caught in my head that I really want to play a Cleric completely focused on using Magic Missile. I've seen some stuff about optimizing Magic Missile via google-fu but a build with 10 levels of Incantatrix isn't going to work for me. My games typically end around level 12.

I haven't been able to get past Cloistered Cleric 6/Force Missile Mage 5, with the Spontaneous Domain ACF keyed to the Force domain. I'd also grab the Magic domain for wanding and change the Knowledge Domain for Knowledge Devotion.

Feats something like:
H/ Empower Spell
1/ DMM: Empower
F/ Combat Casting (required for Force Missile Mage)
F/ Versatile Spellcaster
3/ Repeat Spell
6/ Practical Metamagic (Empower)
9/ Residual Magic
12/ Practical Metamagic (Repeat)

Any blank feat slots I'd just plug in with Extra Turning. As may be evident, I don't have a lot of experience playing full casters. What am I missing that might make this work?

At level 11, it looks like I'd have a caster level of 10, and my max damage in a round would be 5d4+5 (base) 2d4+2 (FMM abliity) 3d4+3 (Empower) and probably +20 from Knowledge Devotion (+2 per missile). That would be an average of 55 damage out of a 2nd level slot, or 110 out of a 5th level slot with Repeat Spell.

EDIT: Updated with Practical Metamagic (Thanks ExLibrisMortis)

[Flickerdart]

Beyond optimizing magic missile, make sure you have reliable ways to identify and defeat countermeasures like shield and the brooch of shielding.

[ComaVision]

Beyond optimizing magic missile, make sure you have reliable ways to identify and defeat countermeasures like shield and the brooch of shielding.

Definitely. At level 9 I'd get a caster level check versus Shield or the Brooch. I'll make sure I have other spells that will suffice in the event of my main shtick not being applicable.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Well, Practical Metamagic (Empower) seems like a winner, for starters, and if you like Repeat, get PM(Repeat), too. Practical Metamagic doesn't require arcane spells, only the ability to spontaneously cast third-level spells, and the dragonblood subtype.

[daremetoidareyo]

You can always chain spell it also. Target five different enemies, and hit them all 5 times. Fell drain makes you a walking wightocalypse.

If you do do chain spell, consider adding wounding spell to your feats. You can give them the equivalent of fast anti-healing 5.

More seriously though, consider entangling spell as another metamagic feat.

Invisible needle and blade of force feats both add +1 to caster level for force spells.

Once you get anyspell through your magic domain, you could, theoretically, take southern magician and go incantatrix or argent savant. Obviously one of those options is a better use of a lost caster level.

If you do go argent savant, the fifth level ability pairs up nicely with a chain repeated entangling spell. While the opponent is entangled, the spell is still considered "in effect" and as a standard action, you can unbind force on it, do an additional 9d6 damage to everyone in 10' of the force spell effect. So when your repeat entangling spell goes off this turn, you dispel that entangling for an average of 27 damage or so to anyone affected by the chained magic missile. No save! You can also unbind shield spells!

[Flickerdart]

Once you get anyspell through your magic domain
Anyspell is in the Spell domain, not the Magic domain.

[daremetoidareyo]

Anyspell is in the Spell domain, not the Magic domain.

You're correct sir. You're gonna have to use the spell domain instead.

[Grod_The_Giant]

It might be worth asking about a Divine version of Arcane Thesis, which is perfect for a single-spell character. The fluff should still fit with a Cloistered Cleric.

[ComaVision]

You're correct sir. You're gonna have to use the spell domain instead.

I appreciate the advice but I don't know how I could swing that all in mid-levels.


It might be worth asking about a Divine version of Arcane Thesis, which is perfect for a single-spell character. The fluff should still fit with a Cloistered Cleric.

I try not to ask for homebrew, as I'm averse to it while I'm DMing. I suppose I could take Southern Magician to qualify for Arcane Thesis but that would only work HD/2 times per day. I'm not sure if I'd get more mileage out of that or Practiced Metamagic.

[Forrestfire]

Ideally, you want both. Magical Training + Alternate Source Spell would do the trick, though.

[Hecuba]

Pick up Versatile Spellcaster. Unless you are somehow burning through all of your spell slots every day, this is probably the best option for managing your meta-magic costs for a build like this that leans heavily on a single spell.
Since you're taking force missile mage (and thus you get energy missile), I'd recommend lingering spell (the 3.5 one, not the pathfinder one). It's only +1, and on a multi-target volley it will more than double the base damage output.
Energy missile also opens up the useful Entangling spell feat, though there are (if I recall) bracers that can get that effect for you without the feat.
If you can swing spell focus as a prerequisite, you might also look at Energy Gestalt. You can use energy missile to alternate damage types and inflict some interesting status effects. In the past, however, I've found that the combination of this and energy missile from FMM comes online too late.