Magic Missile
Level 1 · Evocation
- Utility
A 1st-level spell in the evocation school, Magic Missile appears on the sorcerer and wizard lists. Cast time: Action. Range 120 feet, components V/S, duration instantaneous. Effect: You create three glowing darts of magical force. At higher levels: The spell creates one more dart for each spell slot level above 1.
Stat Block
- Level
- 1
- School
- Evocation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- 120 feet
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- Instantaneous
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Sorcerer, Wizard
- Material
- —
Description
You create three glowing darts of magical force. Each dart strikes a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 1d4 + 1 Force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several.
5e (2014) vs 2024 changes
This spell has both a 5e (2014) and 2024 Player's Handbook version. Doungim shows the current 2024 stat block above. Differences between editions typically affect components, range, or scaling — check both source books for the table.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
Magic Missile is Evocation by definition — three darts of magical force fly from the caster's hand and automatically hit, dealing 1d4+1 force damage each. No attack roll, no save, no concentration. The school is about channeled energy as direct effect; Magic Missile is the purest case at the lowest slot level.
Class Fit
- Sorcerer: Magic Missile is one of the few 1st-level Sorcerer spells that scales well with upcast: each additional spell level adds a dart. Empowered Spell metamagic pairs cleanly — reroll low damage rolls on each dart for an upcasted Magic Missile cast at slot 5 or higher.
- Wizard: Wizards add Magic Missile to the spellbook at level 1 and never remove it. The auto-hit feature makes the spell the Wizard's failsafe against opponents with high AC (where attack-roll spells miss) and against opponents with good saves (where save-targeting spells fail). Evocation Wizards specifically gain bonus damage on Magic Missile through Empowered Evocation at level 10.
Tactical play (Doungim editorial)
Cast Magic Missile against invisible, fast-moving, or extremely high-AC targets where Fire Bolt would miss most rounds. The auto-hit feature also bypasses spells like Mirror Image (the darts target the original; mirrors don't soak them). Watch for Shield — most enemy spellcasters react with Shield against Magic Missile, so don't waste an upcast slot when a +5 AC reaction is likely. Best slot level: 3 (five darts; pierces tier-2 mid-AC). Best target: enemy spellcaster at low HP.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Magic Missile
- What level spell is Magic Missile?
- Magic Missile is a level 1 spell from the Evocation school. The classes that can prepare it: Sorcerer, Wizard.
- What is the range of Magic Missile?
- From the caster's position, Magic Missile reaches 120 feet.
- What components and casting time does Magic Missile need?
- To cast Magic Missile: Magic Missile requires V, S with a standard Action.
- Can Magic Missile be upcast?
- Yes — The spell creates one more dart for each spell slot level above 1.