The Prodigal Sorcerer: Optimizing Magic Missile (5e Optimized Character Build)

This page is of questionable balance. Reason: Cannot take Agonizing Blast with Eldritch Adept unless you have at least one level of Warlock. Magic Missile is not affected by Spirit Shroud, because Magic Missile does not use attack rolls. If you quicken Eldritch Adept, you can't cast Magic Missile on the same turn. This build relies on breaking the rules; you cannot quicken EB if you cast magic missile as your action. You would have to quicken magic missile which increases its quicken cost and burn through SP faster. You can help D&D Wiki by better balancing the mechanics of this page. When the mechanics have been changed so that this template is no longer applicable please remove this template. If you do not understand balance please leave comments on this page's talk page before making any edits. Edit this Page | All pages needing balance

Build Concept

This character takes its name from a creature in Magic: the Gathering commonly nicknamed "Tim". Much like Tim, this build is capable of making a great number of magical attacks against our enemies while bypassing the conventional rules of combat. We do this by maximizing the damage we can do with the Magic Missile spell, giving us a very simple build concept that deals ery big damage while not relying on hit rolls or failed enemy saves.

Build Summary

Recomended Race Choice: Tortle - We are going to need to be close to our enemies with a less than impressive hit point total, so the Tortle's Natural Armor of 17 is going to be very, very helpful by letting us dump both Strength and Dexterity.

Recomended Stat Spread (Point Buy): Str 8, Dex 8, Con 15 (+1), Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 15 (+2)

- Level 1: Artificer 1 - A level of Artificer gives us proficiency with Shields without compromizing our spell slot progression.
- Level 2-20: Divine Soul Sorcerer 1-19 - This gives us the spells we need (Magic Missile and Spirit Shroud), Metamagic and late game flight. It's also important that we are a charisma caster.
-- Level 2: Magic Missile
-- Level 4: Quickened Spell
-- Level 5: Magic Initiate (Warlock) for Eldritch Blast to quicken.
-- Level 6: Spirit Shroud
-- Level 9: War Caster
-- Level 13: Fey Touched for Gift of Alacrity and Charisma 18
-- Level 15: Angelic Form
-- Level 17: Charisma 20
-- Level 20: Eldritch Adept (Agonizing Blast)

Alternate Paths

Instead of a Tortle, you could choose to play a Variant Human/Custom Lineage to get one of our feats earlier or a race with natural flight. Both these options will require you to invest into your AC, but it might be worth it to you.

Rather than the Divine Soul Sorcerer, any Wizard, any Bard (but preferable Lore Bard) or Arcana Domain Cleric all also give access to both Magic Missile and Spirit Shroud. Not getting Metamagic will hurt us by not allowing quickened Eldritch Blast however.

Damage Calculations

The plan of attack is to cast Spirit Shroud with our highest odd-leveled spell slot and cast Magic Missile with our highest remaining slots. This will make each missile deal 1d4+1+Xd8 damage, where the X is (level of Spirit Shroud spell slot-1)/2. I will give two clean examples below, followed by a split analysis of nova potential and sustained damage over six turns. The latter will assume that we use our bonus action to quicken Eldritch Blast.

- Example 1: (Character level 11) Spirit Shroud cast at level 5, Magic Missile cast at level 6 -> 8*(1d4+1+2d8) -> average 100 damage, maximum 168 damage ignoring AC and saves. 
- Example 2: (Character level 20) Spirit Shroud cast at level 9, Magic Missile cast at level 8 -> 10*(1d4+1+4d8) -> average 215 damage, maximum 370 damage ignoring AC and saves.

Nova Potential

- Level 6: Spirit Shroud cast at level 3, Magic Missile cast at level 3, Quickened Eldritch Blast -> 5*(1d4+1+1d8)+2*(1d10+1d8) -> average 58,9 damage against AC 10, average 53,65 damage against AC 15, maximum 91 damage.
- Level 9: Spirit Shroud cast at level 5, Magic Missile cast at level 4, Quickened Eldritch Blast -> 6*(1d4+1+2d8)+2*(1d10+2d8) -> average 103,93 damage against AC 10, average 94,79 damage against AC 16, maximum 178 damage.
- Level 13: Spirit Shroud cast at level 7, Magic Missile cast at level 6, Quickened Eldritch Blast -> 8*(1d4+1+3d8)+3*(1d10+3d8) -> average 192,86 damage against AC 10, average 177,90 damage against AC 17, maximum 334 damage.
- Level 17: Spirit Shroud cast at level 9, Magic Missile cast at level 8, Quickened Eldritch Blast -> 10*(1d4+1+4d8)+4*(1d10+4d8) -> average 308,77 damage against AC 10, average 274,09 damage against AC 18, maximum 538 damage.
- Level 20: Spirit Shroud cast at level 9, Magic Missile cast at level 8, Quickened Eldritch Blast w. Agonizing Blast -> 10*(1d4+1+4d8)+4*(1d10+4d8+5) -> average 327,77 damage against AC 10, average 287,09 damage against AC 19, maximum 558 damage.

Sustained Damage (six turns)

I assume that the character has used Font of Magic to transform one level 1 spell slot into a sixth sorcery point at level 6.

- Level 6: Spirit Shroud cast at level 3; Magic Missile cast at levels 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1; Quickened Eldritch Blast -> average 52,23 damage against AC 10, average 46,98 damage against AC 15.
- Level 9: Spirit Shroud cast at level 5; Magic Missile cast at levels 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3; Quickened Eldritch Blast -> average 97,68 damage against AC 10, average 88,54 damage against AC 16.
- Level 13: Spirit Shroud cast at level 7; Magic Missile cast at levels 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4; Quickened Eldritch Blast -> average 170,19 damage against AC 10, average 155,23 damage against AC 17.
- Level 17: Spirit Shroud cast at level 9; Magic Missile cast at levels 8, 7, 6, 5, 5, 4; Quickened Eldritch Blast -> average 262,18 damage against AC 10, average 237,51 damage against AC 18.
- Level 20: Spirit Shroud cast at level 9; Magic Missile cast at levels 8, 7, 7, 6, 6, 5; Quickened Eldritch Blast w. Agonizing Blast -> average 276,52 damage against AC 10, average 246,91 damage against AC 19.

Build Conclusions

As we can see, this build scales very well throughout the character's career and is competative at all levels starting early (level 1 excluded). It does require a good number of feats to function and requires a blaster who is comfortable to cast their spells from within 10 ft. of the enemy, thus we gun for the level 1 AC of 19. In return, the build only need two of our learned spells and thus gives the player a lot of room to customize the character and grab tools for both other combat situations as well as social and explorative utility. Hope you'll all have fun pinging everybody with little Timmy the Tortle!

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Optimized Character Builds