Magic Missile duration?

[jorjuela]

I'm wondering why Magic Missile is listed as having a one turn duration. Shouldn't it be instantaneous?

[harmyn]

A magic-user can cast Magic Missile and hold it for up to a turn. This allows him to walk around with the glowing arcane arrows floating next to him. Should he stumble into a room of orcs or meet up with a dark knight he could release the arrows with no fear of the spell being disrupted.

[austrodavicus]

Floating, glowing arcane arrows, nice touch harmyn. I just play it that the MU can hold off on using the spell for up to a turn, allowing him to use it whenever he likes in that time.

Welcome to the forum jorjuela.

[Blood axe]

Floating, glowing arcane arrows, nice touch harmyn. I just play it that the MU can hold off on using the spell for up to a turn, allowing him to use it whenever he likes in that time.

Welcome to the forum jorjuela.

Cool. That could be intimidating.

NPC- " Um, what are those things for?"
Points to several glowing arrows floating over the Wizards shoulder.

Wizard- "Oh, those? They are just there in case you choose not to cooperate....."

[jorjuela]

A magic-user can cast Magic Missile and hold it for up to a turn. This allows him to walk around with the glowing arcane arrows floating next to him. Should he stumble into a room of orcs or meet up with a dark knight he could release the arrows with no fear of the spell being disrupted.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies, and austrodavicus for your welcome. I imagined the mechanics of this spell to be something like this, but was never sure. Now I know. It feels right, narration wise.

[Lord Kilgore]

So if an MU who has cast but not "fired" a magic missile spell is hit by an attack, is the spell lost?

[Dyson Logos]

So if an MU who has cast but not "fired" a magic missile spell is hit by an attack, is the spell lost?

No, the spell has been cast, being hit doesn't stop charm person after it has been cast, nor does it stop magic missile.

[Professor P]

There were some discussions/debates about Magic Missile over at the Dragonsfoot Classic board recently that you might find interesting here and here.