In the Neverwinter Nights video game series (I'm more familiar with NWN2 specifically, which was based on D&D 3.5e), there were two spells, "Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm" and "Isaac's Greater Missile Storm". They were both (as I understand it) basically bigger, better magic missile, but with random targeting within an area. I'll also point out that my knowledge of 3.5e is exclusively from NWN2.
I liked these spells, and want to "import" them into 5e, so I've attempted to homebrew them.
My goals are:
- I want Isaac's lesser missile storm to be better than an upcast magic missile, and for Isaac's greater missile storm to be better than an upcast Isaac's lesser missile storm, because otherwise, what's the point?
- I want these spells to be balanced against other options of their spell level (or at worst, for their spell level to be adjusted so that they are balanced, but ideally I'd prefer for their spell levels to remain and for them to be rebalanced to fit their spell levels, if they are currently unbalanced).
My concerns are:
- Because they work like magic missile, in that they don't require an attack roll or saving throw, but are higher levels spells that should be "better" than an upcast magic missile, and that they deal the rarely-resisted force damage, I don't want them to be massively overpowered, like an even better fireball, which is already a must-have for almost every caster;
- If they need to be rebalanced, I still want them to have the same "feel" as the spells I remember from NWN2, so I don't want the flavour or the fundamental mechanics (i.e. no attack roll or save, just like magic missile; random targeting, etc) to change if possible; I'd be more open to changes in damage, such as changing the number of missiles and what damage die they use.
Anyway, here's what I've come up with (available only to sorcerers and wizards):
Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm
4th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: InstantaneousYou fire 8 missiles of magical force that randomly target and hit any hostile creature within a 10-foot-radius sphere centred on a point you choose within range. Each missile randomly targets a hostile creature. The missiles all strike simultaneously. Each missile does 1d6 force damage.
If the target is immune to the magic missile spell, such as by being under the effect of the shield spell, then they are also immune to this spell. Furthermore, any hostile creature within the area that can cast shield is able to cast it in reaction to this spell as though they were targeted by magic missile.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the spell creates one more missile for each slot level above 4th.
Isaac's Greater Missile Storm
6th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: InstantaneousYou fire 14 missiles of magical force that randomly target and hit any hostile creature within a 20-foot-radius sphere centred on a point you choose within range. Each missile randomly targets a hostile creature. The missiles all strike simultaneously. Each missile does 1d6 force damage.
If the target is immune to the magic missile spell, such as by being under the effect of the shield spell, then they are also immune to this spell. Furthermore, any hostile creature within the area that can cast shield is able to cast it in reaction to this spell as though they were targeted by magic missile.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the spell creates two more missiles for each slot level above 6th.
Note that originally I had Isaac's greater missile storm deal 2d6 force damage per missile, as per NWN2, but thought that it might be a bit too strong, so reduced it to 1d6. If, somehow, it's now underpowered, my first preference for rebalancing it would be to put it back to 2d6, unless that results in it being overpowered.