Magic Missile

Level 1 Evocation spell available to Sorcerers and Wizards. Three darts of Force that always hit, with no attack roll and no save. The most reliable damage a Level 1 slot can buy.

Spell description: Create three darts of magical force, each dealing 1d4 + 1 Force damage to its target. The darts always hit their target and can each be targeted individually.

Spell properties

• Damage: 1d4 + 1 Force per dart (three darts)
• Damage type: Force
• Range: 18m (60ft)
• Attack type: Ranged (always hits)
• Cost: Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Casting Magic Missile at a higher level creates one additional dart for each spell slot level above the 1st, each dealing 1d4 + 1 Force.

How to obtain Magic Missile

• Sorcerer, Wizard at Class level 1
• Arcane Trickster (Rogue) and Eldritch Knight (Fighter) at Class level 3
• College of Lore (Bard) at Class level 6 via Magical Secrets
• Bard at Class level 10 via Magical Secrets
• Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Sorcerer, Magic Initiate: Wizard
• Source items: Psychic Spark, Ne’er Misser

When to cast Magic Missile

The darts always hit. No attack roll, no save, no Armour Class check. That guaranteed damage makes Magic Missile the most reliable way to finish a low-health target, pop a Concentration check, or drop something you cannot afford to miss.

It becomes properly nasty with items. The Ne’er Misser and Spellmight-style gear add flat damage to every dart, and because you can fire three, four, or more darts, that bonus multiplies. A Sorcerer stacking those turns a Level 1 spell into a scaling nuke.