According to Jeremy Crawford, you roll once, add one and multiply that by the number of missiles. Which means that there are several feats and features that can improve the damage, since they only effect one damage roll.
Strictly rules as written, yes, that’s correct. But it’s rarely going to be enough damage to matter too much, and the benefits and drawbacks of each method even out. (The single roll method does improve the use of some damage enhancing features, but it might feel wasted if you roll a 1.)
At my table if someone takes it I let them decide how they to roll it, and I’m happy with whatever they choose. The only thing I’d insist on is that they can’t change their mind after they’ve rolled that first d4. ;)
According to Jeremy Crawford, you roll once, add one and multiply that by the number of missiles. Which means that there are several feats and features that can improve the damage, since they only effect one damage roll.
Correction. Features only, there are no feats that would improve your damage with magic missile.
I agree with the folks who say you're only supposed to roll one die no matter how many missiles. But at my table, we roll one for each missile. Because rolling dice is fun, and rolling more dice is more fun.
According to Jeremy Crawford, you roll once, add one and multiply that by the number of missiles. Which means that there are several feats and features that can improve the damage, since they only effect one damage roll.
Correction. Features only, there are no feats that would improve your damage with magic missile.
Well yes, but actually no. IF (and this is a very specific "if") you play an Order of Scribes wizard, you could potentially change the magic missile's force damage to almost any of the other damage types when you cast it, which means if you have a feat that improves damage for one of those types (such as treating 1s as 2s for elemental adept, rerolling 1s for fire damage for flames of phlegethos, or ignoring resistance to that damage type like elemental adept or the poisoner feat) then you could potentially raise your average damage for magic missile, even if only a small amount. That being said, this improvement would work regardless of if you are rolling once or multiple times
Not really trying to contradict you, just bringing it up because I recently played a Scribes wizard and doubled down on elemental adept (fire) and flames of phlegethos for bumping my spells' fire damage
According to Jeremy Crawford, you roll once, add one and multiply that by the number of missiles. Which means that there are several feats and features that can improve the damage, since they only effect one damage roll.
Correction. Features only, there are no feats that would improve your damage with magic missile.
Well yes, but actually no. IF (and this is a very specific "if") you play an Order of Scribes wizard, you could potentially change the magic missile's force damage to almost any of the other damage types when you cast it, which means if you have a feat that improves damage for one of those types (such as treating 1s as 2s for elemental adept, rerolling 1s for fire damage for flames of phlegethos, or ignoring resistance to that damage type like elemental adept or the poisoner feat) then you could potentially raise your average damage for magic missile, even if only a small amount. That being said, this improvement would work regardless of if you are rolling once or multiple times
Not really trying to contradict you, just bringing it up because I recently played a Scribes wizard and doubled down on elemental adept (fire) and flames of phlegethos for bumping my spells' fire damage
The 10th level Evocation Wizard feature adds to the damage and so does Hexblades Curse. You can raise the damage of each missile by 11 through those two features.
According to Jeremy Crawford, you roll once, add one and multiply that by the number of missiles. Which means that there are several feats and features that can improve the damage, since they only effect one damage roll.
Correction. Features only, there are no feats that would improve your damage with magic missile.
Well yes, but actually no. IF (and this is a very specific "if") you play an Order of Scribes wizard, you could potentially change the magic missile's force damage to almost any of the other damage types when you cast it, which means if you have a feat that improves damage for one of those types (such as treating 1s as 2s for elemental adept, rerolling 1s for fire damage for flames of phlegethos, or ignoring resistance to that damage type like elemental adept or the poisoner feat) then you could potentially raise your average damage for magic missile, even if only a small amount. That being said, this improvement would work regardless of if you are rolling once or multiple times
Not really trying to contradict you, just bringing it up because I recently played a Scribes wizard and doubled down on elemental adept (fire) and flames of phlegethos for bumping my spells' fire damage
The 10th level Evocation Wizard feature adds to the damage and so does Hexblades Curse. You can raise the damage of each missile by 11 through those two features.
With no roll to hit and no save.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
According to Jeremy Crawford, you roll once, add one and multiply that by the number of missiles. Which means that there are several feats and features that can improve the damage, since they only effect one damage roll.
Correction. Features only, there are no feats that would improve your damage with magic missile.
Well yes, but actually no. IF (and this is a very specific "if") you play an Order of Scribes wizard, you could potentially change the magic missile's force damage to almost any of the other damage types when you cast it, which means if you have a feat that improves damage for one of those types (such as treating 1s as 2s for elemental adept, rerolling 1s for fire damage for flames of phlegethos, or ignoring resistance to that damage type like elemental adept or the poisoner feat) then you could potentially raise your average damage for magic missile, even if only a small amount. That being said, this improvement would work regardless of if you are rolling once or multiple times
Not really trying to contradict you, just bringing it up because I recently played a Scribes wizard and doubled down on elemental adept (fire) and flames of phlegethos for bumping my spells' fire damage
The 10th level Evocation Wizard feature adds to the damage and so does Hexblades Curse. You can raise the damage of each missile by 11 through those two features.
With no roll to hit and no save.
Now if only Artillerist Artificers had only gotten access to Magic Missile as an Artificer spell. Then you could also add 1d8 to the total
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Using DnD Beyond to roll the damage - I noticed it only rolls 1d4. So either you multiply that by 3 or divide it amongst your targets. Tripped up a couple of new players in my recent session.
Using DnD Beyond to roll the damage - I noticed it only rolls 1d4. So either you multiply that by 3 or divide it amongst your targets. Tripped up a couple of new players in my recent session.
That's pretty standard with multi-missile spells, such as Scorching Ray. DNDBeyond only automates the basic roll mechanics, and the player is expected to press the button as many times as needed, or use the dice roller to resolve secondary damage dice.
I think of magic missile as an AoE spell, just one with a weird damage rule.
If you fireball three targets, you roll damage once and use that number for all three targets. I've never come across anyone who rolls damage seperately for each target, apparantly "rolling lots of dice is fun" doesn't apply to handfuls of d6s. :-)
If you have a damage-adding feature like Empowered Evocation, that damage feature will apply to all three targets.
If you magic missile three targets, I think you should roll damage once and use the number for all three targets. Unlike fireball, however, you could have fired four missiles and had two of them hit one target. In that case, one target takes more damage than the other two. However, my experience has been that rolling one d4 for each missile is far more common than rolling once.
It seems to be that rolling once is more productive. Consider Empowered Evocation. If you roll one d4 then you add your INT bonus to that and use it for every target. If you roll many d4s then you only add your INT bonus to one of them and so only get the damage bonus on one target.
When you cast Magic Missile at three targets, you roll 1d4+1 one time and apply the same damage to each target.
When you cast Magic Missile at a single target, you roll 1d4+1 three times and apply the damage to the target.
Right?
its 1d4+1 once rules as written, no matter who you target and how many times, so if you target someone three times, and roll a 2, you do 2 damage, three times
When you cast Magic Missile at three targets, you roll 1d4+1 one time and apply the same damage to each target.
When you cast Magic Missile at a single target, you roll 1d4+1 three times and apply the damage to the target.
Right?
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
As I understand it, you roll damage separately for each missile, regardless of the targets.
According to Jeremy Crawford, you roll once, add one and multiply that by the number of missiles. Which means that there are several feats and features that can improve the damage, since they only effect one damage roll.
Strictly rules as written, yes, that’s correct. But it’s rarely going to be enough damage to matter too much, and the benefits and drawbacks of each method even out. (The single roll method does improve the use of some damage enhancing features, but it might feel wasted if you roll a 1.)
At my table if someone takes it I let them decide how they to roll it, and I’m happy with whatever they choose. The only thing I’d insist on is that they can’t change their mind after they’ve rolled that first d4. ;)
Correction. Features only, there are no feats that would improve your damage with magic missile.
I agree with the folks who say you're only supposed to roll one die no matter how many missiles. But at my table, we roll one for each missile. Because rolling dice is fun, and rolling more dice is more fun.
Well yes, but actually no. IF (and this is a very specific "if") you play an Order of Scribes wizard, you could potentially change the magic missile's force damage to almost any of the other damage types when you cast it, which means if you have a feat that improves damage for one of those types (such as treating 1s as 2s for elemental adept, rerolling 1s for fire damage for flames of phlegethos, or ignoring resistance to that damage type like elemental adept or the poisoner feat) then you could potentially raise your average damage for magic missile, even if only a small amount. That being said, this improvement would work regardless of if you are rolling once or multiple times
Not really trying to contradict you, just bringing it up because I recently played a Scribes wizard and doubled down on elemental adept (fire) and flames of phlegethos for bumping my spells' fire damage
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
The 10th level Evocation Wizard feature adds to the damage and so does Hexblades Curse. You can raise the damage of each missile by 11 through those two features.
With no roll to hit and no save.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Now if only Artillerist Artificers had only gotten access to Magic Missile as an Artificer spell. Then you could also add 1d8 to the total
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Seems legit
Using DnD Beyond to roll the damage - I noticed it only rolls 1d4. So either you multiply that by 3 or divide it amongst your targets. Tripped up a couple of new players in my recent session.
That's pretty standard with multi-missile spells, such as Scorching Ray. DNDBeyond only automates the basic roll mechanics, and the player is expected to press the button as many times as needed, or use the dice roller to resolve secondary damage dice.
I think of magic missile as an AoE spell, just one with a weird damage rule.
If you fireball three targets, you roll damage once and use that number for all three targets. I've never come across anyone who rolls damage seperately for each target, apparantly "rolling lots of dice is fun" doesn't apply to handfuls of d6s. :-)
If you have a damage-adding feature like Empowered Evocation, that damage feature will apply to all three targets.
If you magic missile three targets, I think you should roll damage once and use the number for all three targets. Unlike fireball, however, you could have fired four missiles and had two of them hit one target. In that case, one target takes more damage than the other two. However, my experience has been that rolling one d4 for each missile is far more common than rolling once.
It seems to be that rolling once is more productive. Consider Empowered Evocation. If you roll one d4 then you add your INT bonus to that and use it for every target. If you roll many d4s then you only add your INT bonus to one of them and so only get the damage bonus on one target.
its 1d4+1 once rules as written, no matter who you target and how many times, so if you target someone three times, and roll a 2, you do 2 damage, three times