The fact that "strikes unerringly" has been changed within the spell description to "accurate" is my point. I grant that you alluded to changing game mechanics, but that was one result of it that I didn't expect. It is a relatively minor change overall, but it immediately makes me ask what other spells have been altered to some degree.Cynical Cat wrote:No it isn't. I said at the beginning we wouldn't be going by game mechanics. You're referencing a game mechanic. A description of the spell would be a conjuring forth a series of accurate, low powered energy bolts. And that's what happens.
While I understand your point, and agree with you in the abstractness overall of the D&D HP system (and in how you've made damage more specific in this game as a result), this is largely irrelevant to the accuracy of Magic Missile bolts.Cynical Cat wrote:Given how abstract the D&D hitpoint system is, it isn't really that much of a change even if we were going by game mechanics. A damaging hit in D&D can translate into a bare near miss that burns through most of character's last bit of luck.
Am I to infer that Magic Missile bolts are now physical in nature, rather than raw force? You've mentioned that their effectiveness can be blunted by armor, or can miss entirely, which suggests that their nature has changed from raw force to having a physical nature. If this is the case, then that makes sense, but I'd still ask what other spells have been altered for forum gameplay reasons, so we could know in advance.Cynical Cat wrote:They can miss in all sorts of circumstances. Of course they usually hit. But dodging might mean they don't hit vitals or don't do much through armour. Standing still and letting them hit wherever is not advised.
As much as you're ripping on Comrade Tortoise for trying to make a Shield (which would ordinarily block Magic Missile bolts, when little else will) instead of physically dodging, his action was a result of the normal assumption that Magic Missile bolts don't miss. Since this was not adequately explained beforehand, perhaps you should allow him the chance to edit his post to show him attempt to physically dodge, rather than getting shot while trying to make mystical eymbols.
