Magic missile build help

[Gingerino]

I am trying to build a character focused around the spell magic missile and can't decide what class to use

[VoodistMonk]

Classic one level Cha Cha Slide in Crossblooded Sorcerer, then jump into School Savant Arcanist... pick up the Exploit to advance the Bloodline of your choice.

[yukongil]

is there anything else you want to be able to do other than cast Magic Missile?

I liked Magus so I could bonk something and blast other things with MM (once hit Cthulu for a couple of hundred with Mythic versions, his damn fault for being so big I could see him from shore a mile out)

[Gingerino]

No the entire idea is that the only damage spell they know is magic missile

[Firebug]

Magical Lineage and Wayang Spellhunter(Metamagic Master on d20) to reduce metamagic costs by 2.

I suggest Wizard, but you actually don't memorize Magic Missile after you take Preferred Spell. This allows you to spontaneously cast 1 spell (and you pick Magic Missile) and apply metamagics to it without increasing the cast time by sacrificing a memorized spell. Heighten Spell is required, but you will also want Empowered (+2), Dazing(+3) and Quicken(+4) at least. Toppling(+1), Maximize(+3) if you feel like it. Maybe.
So, your 1st level spell slots can be sacrificed to spontaneously cast Magic Missile with +2 spell level in metamagics, ie Empowered. 2nd level slots can be +3 in metamagics, so Dazing/Maximized makes an appearance. 3rd can be Quickened. 4th you start mixing so Empowered Dazing, etc.

If you feel like adding damage, add in the level dip into (crossblooded) Sorcerer, or Medium(Archmage) if you find you are targeting only missile per target.

[VoodistMonk]

For fun, be a Psychic Detective Investigator VMC Magus. Not optimal, but fun...

[Gingerino]

My gm is allowing me to use spell perfection if that changes anything

[Firebug]

Gingerino wrote:

My gm is allowing me to use spell perfection if that changes anything

Like... earlier than level 15?

[Gingerino]

no just in general because of how broken it is its usually blanket banned

[Kasoh]

You could ask if you could use the old Force Missile Mage prestige class from Dragon magazine. Its 3.5 material, but you might be able to update it or use it as is.

[yukongil]

if you're not playing mythic, I don't see much point in maximize or really even empower. You ain't looking at MM for it's damage potential, instead dazing and toppling for crowd control. If you just have to do 25 points of damage, buy a lesser rod, that should do you.

use those feats for Improved Trip and Greater Trip with Toppling Spell and let your party AoO gank foes you trip next to them.

[VoodistMonk]

Gingerino wrote:

No the entire idea is that the only damage spell they know is magic missile

The ONLY? Be an Alchemist... take the Spell Knowledge Discovery. Now you have one spell, and it's Magic Missile. All the other crap mentioned still applies.

[Gingerino]

I Wouldn't have enough feats to play both a alchemist and get all the metamagic feats mentioned above

I also wanted to ask about the metamagic cherry blossom spell because as far as I can tell that lets me deal a total of 12 points of ability score damage with a level two spell

[Gingerino]

At level 3*

[Taja the Barbarian]

Race: Elf with Overwhelming Magic alternate trait, giving you Spell Focus (Evocation)
Stats: Best Charisma you can get, 14+ Intelligence
Traits: Gifted Adept(Magic Missile), Wayang Spellhunter(Magic Missile)
Class: Tattooed Sorcerer (Orc Bloodline), getting Varisian Tattoo (Evocation)
Level 1 Feat: Spell Specialization (Magic Missile)

You start out a +4 Caster Levels for Magic Missile, which means three missile (each at +1 dmg from your bloodline) per casting at level 1.

You can then multi-class into Arcanist with the Potent Magic exploit at level 2+ to get a couple of +6 level casts per day (mostly, you want the additional set of level 1 spell slots).

Oh, you will gain a remarkable hatred for the Shield spell, whose very existence mocks you...

[VoodistMonk]

Taja the Barbarian wrote:

Race: Elf with Overwhelming Magic alternate trait, giving you Spell Focus (Evocation)

Stats: Best Charisma you can get, 14+ Intelligence
Traits: Gifted Adept(Magic Missile), Wayang Spellhunter(Magic Missile)
Class: Tattooed Sorcerer (Orc Bloodline), getting Varisian Tattoo (Evocation)
Level 1 Feat: Spell Specialization (Magic Missile)

You start out a +4 Caster Levels for Magic Missile, which means three missile (each at +1 dmg from your bloodline) per casting at level 1.

You can then multi-class into Arcanist with the Potent Magic exploit at level 2+ to get a couple of +6 level casts per day (mostly, you want the additional set of level 1 spell slots).

Oh, you will gain a remarkable hatred for the Shield spell, whose very existence mocks you...

I'm just going to go ahead and borrow this...

[Gingerino]

thanks for the help

[Taja the Barbarian]

VoodistMonk wrote:

Taja the Barbarian wrote:

Race: Elf with Overwhelming Magic alternate trait, giving you Spell Focus (Evocation)

Stats: Best Charisma you can get, 14+ Intelligence
Traits: Gifted Adept(Magic Missile), Wayang Spellhunter(Magic Missile)
Class: Tattooed Sorcerer (Orc Bloodline), getting Varisian Tattoo (Evocation)
Level 1 Feat: Spell Specialization (Magic Missile)

You start out a +4 Caster Levels for Magic Missile, which means three missile (each at +1 dmg from your bloodline) per casting at level 1.

You can then multi-class into Arcanist with the Potent Magic exploit at level 2+ to get a couple of +6 level casts per day (mostly, you want the additional set of level 1 spell slots).

Oh, you will gain a remarkable hatred for the Shield spell, whose very existence mocks you...

I'm just going to go ahead and borrow this...

A friend of mine brought this build to a PFS Season 0 campaign (home game using old PFS adventures): It was kinda shocking (and funny) to see how many 'bosses' were somehow immune to Magic Missile in those adventures.

[Artofregicide]

Shield is a common arcane spell, but otherwise you're screwed.

[zza ni]

Taja the Barbarian wrote:

VoodistMonk wrote:

Taja the Barbarian wrote:

Race: Elf with Overwhelming Magic alternate trait, giving you Spell Focus (Evocation)

Stats: Best Charisma you can get, 14+ Intelligence
Traits: Gifted Adept(Magic Missile), Wayang Spellhunter(Magic Missile)
Class: Tattooed Sorcerer (Orc Bloodline), getting Varisian Tattoo (Evocation)
Level 1 Feat: Spell Specialization (Magic Missile)

You start out a +4 Caster Levels for Magic Missile, which means three missile (each at +1 dmg from your bloodline) per casting at level 1.

You can then multi-class into Arcanist with the Potent Magic exploit at level 2+ to get a couple of +6 level casts per day (mostly, you want the additional set of level 1 spell slots).

Oh, you will gain a remarkable hatred for the Shield spell, whose very existence mocks you...

I'm just going to go ahead and borrow this...

A friend of mine brought this build to a PFS Season 0 campaign (home game using old PFS adventures): It was kinda shocking (and funny) to see how many 'bosses' were somehow immune to Magic Missile in those adventures.

he left out the blood havoc blood mutaion - trade the sorcerr ability to touch some1 and give him a bonus for 1 round into dealing an extra 1 point of damage per dice with his sorcerer spells (should also work with arcanist as he is treating his arcenist class as sorcerer for the bloodline, but if not maybe stay sorcerr)

[Firebug]

Blood Havoc doesn't work for dipping Sorcerer, since you have to cast it from your sorcerer slots. That is the generally accepted reading of "Whenever you cast a bloodrager or sorcerer spell that deals damage"

[zza ni]

and that is what "but if not maybe stay sorcerer" refer to

[Taja the Barbarian]

The major hangup with Blood Havoc Mutation is probably that is is not flagged as PFS Legal: Since it's obviously not banned for being item creation related, that's a pretty good indicator it wouldn't be allowed at our table.

On a side note, one of the reasons for multiclassing was our GM didn't want full single-class casters in this particular campaign (I think it was no more than 75% of your levels in a single full caster class), but I think the extra spell slots were worthwhile in any case. The character was Sorcerer 1 / Arcanist 3 when PF2e came out and we dropped this campaign for Age of Ashes.

[Meirril]

Let me offer an alternative: Kineticist.

Aether Kineticist means you're doing physical blasts (vs AC) from 1st to 6th level. 7th level you can double down on Aether and start doing Force Blasts (vs touch) as a composite blast.

Though if you want to be mechanically closer you'll choose a different element that lets you do an energy type as your basic blast. Fire or Cold would probably be best. Water/cold has more flexibility to avoid energy resistance. Fire is more focused on doing damage, and Searing Flame will help you overcome fire resistance...but not immunity.

If you mix water and fire you get the best of both worlds. Cold or Fire basic blasts, and you can do steam blast if the creature is immune to both.