Magic Missile - I don't understand

[Uchawi]

There are Paragon paths, like the Divine Oracle, with a power that makes your next attack/hit become an automatic critical. There are also powers like Punishing Eye via the artificer class that allow you to add damage on your next hit. So there are probably a host of related questions that may need to be answered in regards to "hit" versus "automatic hit".

[Pat o' the Ninth Power]

Uchawi wrote:

So there are probably a host of related questions that may need to be answered in regards to "hit" versus "automatic hit".

Not necessarily. The new Magic Missile damage is an "Effect," not a "Hit." So it is an attack for purposes where that's the keyword, but it's not a hit.

[Uchawi]

I thought about that as well, so it be interesting to see if there is any confusion as a result of the change.

[Matthew Koelbl]

Oh, I'm sure there will be confusion, but the rules are pretty clear. :) The new Magic Missile - just like various other Effects that deal damage - can't score a critical hit. Which means the Staff is definitely borked and will probably get re-erratad soon enough

Meanwhile, we've seen a bit more mention of what other Wizard powers might be receiving errata when Essentials comes out. Previously there was mention that 'encounter powers may deal half damage on a miss' - it sounds like this won't be all wizard powers, but just some of them, such as Lightning Bolt. (Which will get the 'Evocation' keyword - only relevant to Mages from Essentials - and will deal half damage on a miss.)