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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 03:02:13
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Has anyone ever read a description of what a Magic Missile actually does to it's target. I tend to run a very descriptive campaign and I have always wondered what the heck it does. It says that they do no damage to inanimate objects so I am assuming that it passes thru clothing and armor
What kind of damage is it doing. concussive?, piercing?, metaphysical?
Anybody know?
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Artalis
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Yasraena
Senior Scribe
USA
388 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 05:19:22
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Hmmm. That's an interesting question. Truthfully, I never really gave it much thought as I always assumed it was just 'magical' damage, with no real definitive description of what it physicaly did to the target. I play it as kind of a cross between electrical and heat/fire damage. If someone gets hit with it, they'll have scorch marks on their clothing and body. I realize that inanimate objects themselves can't be harmed by the spell, like if you cast it at, say, a door or window. But if a living being is hit by it, then their clothing at least gets some residual effect from it.
I seem to remember a description of this type of damage from Magic Missile in one of the FR novels I've read in the past, possibly one of the Drzzt novels or maybe one of the Harper novels. |
"Nindyn vel'uss malar verin z'klaen tlu kyone ulu naut doera nindel vel'bolen nind malar."
Yasraena T'Sarran
Harper of Silverymoon |
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 06:56:25
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| I'd describe them like the blasters in Star Wars, but one which deals dammege only to living things |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 08:51:35
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I've been thinking of them as just concentrated magic. I guess that's sort of like what Zemd said, as blasters are lasers, and a laser is concentrated light. Most lasers don't do much against non-living substances, but react bad to organics. Especially at certain wavelengths.
(That's not to say that don't destroy inorganics, but just that most lasers used today are like that. That red light they flash over your purchase at the checkout counter is a laser, and it's at a frequency that would ruin your eyes faster than staring at the sun.)
You'd think they'd show what kind of damage is dealt, though. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 11:05:32
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| I think that they designed it pretty well in the BG games, pink balls of energy that disappear after striking |
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Echon
Senior Scribe
Denmark
422 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 12:51:35
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Not based on any element, I have always assumed that they simply created wounds where they hit because of the force behind them (they strike the moment they are released even at long distances). Magic Missile also belongs to a group of spells labeled force, as described in Player's Option: Spells & Magic.
-Echon |
"If others had not been foolish, we should be so."
-William Blake |
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 16:56:03
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So when you hit someone with a magic missile you can say : May the force be IN you  ?
...
Sorry, i won't try to make humour anymore... maybe |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 17:25:45
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 Bad, Zemd. Very, very bad.  I wouldn't have touched that one, and I'm not known for my clever and original quips.  |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Elrond Half Elven
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
322 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 18:31:14
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Zemd take no offence but i didnt like that joke! a few of years ago i would have laughted at it but i think i have hear almost every star wars pun!
Oh and Bookwyrm im just after finished the Queen of Sorcery and i am ready to move on to the Magicians Gambit.
As for my thought on Magic Missile i feel that it is more like a force than a scortching, however it might also have peircing damage as the name suggests an arrow or bolt... however it might also just be force damage! Oh crap ive gone crossed eyed!  |
Once upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While i nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
-The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe |
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branmakmuffin
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 18:36:16
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| This won't definitively answer the question, but I can say that if you turn on the verbose mode in the Black Isle/BioWare games (where it shows all the attack rolls, damage rolls, etc.), and Mr. X casts MM at Ms. Y, the text says "Ms. Y takes 14 magic damage from Mr. X." |
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 18:37:46
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| It was only a bad joke, sorry if i hurt someone |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2003 : 18:39:11
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| Don't worry, it looks like the only one you actually offended was Elrond. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2003 : 22:02:28
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FINALLY!!!!
While posting to this thread last month, I had had the nagging suspicion that I had seen the "type" of spell that the magic missile belonged to somewhere in my then-brand-spanking-new Player's Handbook.
I finally found what I had seen in passing while paging through my new aquisition. Under the entry for ethereal jaunt, it says that all force-type spells -- such as magic missile -- on the Material Plane still affect things in the Ethereal Plane.
There we go. With Echon's evidence, we now have two statements that it's force damage. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2003 : 00:32:15
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| And it's in the list of the Specialist Force Mage |
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2003 : 10:33:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
FINALLY!!!!
While posting to this thread last month, I had had the nagging suspicion that I had seen the "type" of spell that the magic missile belonged to somewhere in my then-brand-spanking-new Player's Handbook.
I finally found what I had seen in passing while paging through my new aquisition. Under the entry for ethereal jaunt, it says that all force-type spells -- such as magic missile -- on the Material Plane still affect things in the Ethereal Plane.
There we go. With Echon's evidence, we now have two statements that it's force damage.
Based on what Bookwyrm and zemd have said I am saying that it is concussive damage that the magic missile does. Apparently the damage is strictly impact-related.
Thank you all!  |
Artalis
Email
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2003 : 13:01:55
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You're quite welcome. I'm just sorry it took so long to find the info again.
(Bookwyrm, Inc.: Questions answered . . . eventually.) |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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eilinel
Learned Scribe
France
296 Posts |
Posted - 14 Apr 2003 : 15:27:15
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Yes, effectively Magic Missile is one the only spell that can strike an ethereal spirit, that's why Incantatrix is a so good choice to kill ethereal beings such as ghost and everything. Indeed, with this prestige class, u can not only see ethereal but also strike spirits with classic and elemental spells.
PS : Zemd, u did better jokes... really disappointed, really... Next time, perhaps... let's hope |
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 14 Apr 2003 : 19:01:09
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| Sorry again... Still it makes me laugh |
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eilinel
Learned Scribe
France
296 Posts |
Posted - 14 Apr 2003 : 19:58:37
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u, bad!
will i be allowed to believe that u'll change one day?
bad girl!!!!!!!!
ta blague est pourrie!!! 
quant est-ce que tu le comprendras, bordel?  |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2003 : 02:39:01
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. . . . if you'll pardon her French.
Hey, I never said I was any better than Zemd, now did I? 
[ Bookwyrm ducks as objects fly at him. ] |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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eilinel
Learned Scribe
France
296 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2003 : 08:32:56
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Funny [tape your back]
THAT makes me laughing
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zemd
Master of Realmslore
France
1103 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2003 : 10:29:02
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We don't have the same sense of humor...
Well, correction: I don't have the same sense of humour as yours... I'm unique |
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eilinel
Learned Scribe
France
296 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2003 : 12:18:51
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unique in what... the speed u get drunk? or the blood u let behind u after a party? or the way u torture ur players?
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2003 : 19:05:14
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Who could? I'm far too weird to be like anyone else in something like that!
And Eilinel, be nice . . . . |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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eilinel
Learned Scribe
France
296 Posts |
Posted - 16 Apr 2003 : 09:31:04
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I was just kidding, for sure im nice, did u think that i wasn't? How could u !
And, anyway, she know that i do the same things... |
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Malice
Seeker
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - 16 Apr 2003 : 21:08:22
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| *raises eyebrow as head spins* augh...too many details. As far as I was concerned, as long as the spell did damage, it was good enough for me... *stops and thinks for a second* then again, if you do bring all the other things into the picture...I could really confuse some of my fellow DnD players! (we're all idiots, you see...) |
"Khaless? Ha. Vel'bol zhah nindol 'khaless' dos telanth? d'usstan zhaun ol naut." |
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Good ol' Magic Missile
