Rogar's thread about Precocious Spellcaster got me wondering, how far can you go with a build entirely based around Magic Missiles?
Firstly, does Precocious Spellcaster stack with Gifted Adept?
or does the language "one caster level higher than your actual caster level" negate the +1 caster level from Gifted Adept?
Here's the build:
Wizard (Evocation school)
1) Spell Focus (evocation), Spell Specialization (Magic Missile), Varisian Tattoo (evocation)
2)
3) Toppling Spell
4)
5) Heighten Spell, Preferred Spell (Magic Missile)
6)
7) Empower Spell
8)
9) Spell Penetration
10) Intensified Spell
11) Dazing Spell
12)
13) Maximize Spell
14)
15) Spell Perfection (Magic Missile), Piercing Spell
16)
17) Greater Spell Penetration
18)
19) Quicken Spell
20) Disruptive Spell, Greater Spell Specialization (Magic Missile)
Any other ways to improve his Magic Missile?
I'm wondering how Intensified Spell would effect Magic Missile.
I'd like to believe that because it increases the damage dice by 5 levels, it makes a 1d4 missile become a 6d4 missile and with multiple missiles (max of 5), that'd be 6d4+1x5=125 max damage from a single spell.
Is this right or wrong, because it seems pretty close to a broken spell and feat combo.
I'm thinking it wouldn't work because Magic Missile's damage dice doesn't increase as your Caster Level goes up, but I could be wrong, so of it's legit, you now have a new way of making Magic Missile awesome, Rufus. :)
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I would do magical heritage and put magic missile on that. Then get the toppling feat. Freely applying toppling to magic missile so you can make a free trip attempt against enemies you damage.
I would then probably do an invoker wizard to get the extra damage. You add half your level for each evoking spell you cast
With a 20 int you can blast off 4 MMs a day at first level with that can topple.
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Intensify wouldn't do anything to Magic Missile: it only increases damage dice cap by 5 dice, and you only get that damage if you would be sufficient level to get those dice. Magic missile does not increase damage dice based on level; it only gives you more missiles. Intensify spell does not increase the number of missiles, therefore it does nothing to magic missile.
What intensify does improve is -say- fireball. Fireball does 1d6 damage per caster level, and caps out at 10d6. Intensify kicks this cap up to 15d6. You don't get 15d6 until you have a caster level of 15, though.
Toppling, however, is a fun one with magic missile. Just gotta watch out for those CMD numbers on your targets.
There's no reason to get bonuses to Caster Level with Magic Missile since they have their absolute maximum level based effect at level 9 anyway. If your game ends at level 6 or something (E6?), then sure, by all means take the two traits and a tattoo.
Otherwise, you're way better off with Magical Lineage or Wayang Spellhunter (they do not stack--each treats the spell as one level lower than normal--there's nothing to stack).
However, Toppling Spell is not as nice as you think because Caster Level + Casting Stat doesn't scale nearly fast enough to keep up with CMDs.
Intensified Spell does absolutely nothing to Magic Missile. Magic Missile adds missiles based on CL, not damage, and Intensified Spell explicitly only affects damage.
Preferred Spell is better than Greater Spell Specialization in literally every way--why would you plan to take both?
Dazing Spell will be disappointing to you as well. It will only Daze for one round on a Will save against a level 1 spell. And it won't make the same guy save 5 times, either--it only applies to each target once.
Also note that, due to a strange quirk with d4s, Empowered actually adds more damage than Maximized does. 1d4+1 averages 3.5. Each empowered Magic Missile would deal 5.25 average. Each Maximized Magic Missile would deal 5 damage. Of course, each Empowered and Maximized missile deals 7.75, so that's not too bad.
Oh wait, yes it is because it means the spell you put all your resources into only deals 38.75 damage. I don't care that you're doing that with a level 2 spell slot (level 5 when you Quicken it), it's not sufficient--you have higher level slots so use them.
Yes, this is a pretty good strategy for the early levels. It's totally awesome for the first 5 or 6--maybe even 7--levels. After that, you'll regret you didn't put the same resources towards boosting a better spell.
You probably want this. $.48 for 7 magic missile feats. It's a good product.
You probably want this. $.48 for 7 magic missile feats. It's a good product.
I have literally never met someone that allowed 3rd party marterial for D&D or Pathfinder.
What? Well that's strange. I'm a big fan of third party stuff, and somebody must use it because there a few companies that are doing pretty well. Although I see now this character is for PFS, so I guess it's a moot point.
