Arcane Tradition
Comments from the Finger: Have you ever read the word ‘missile’ so many times, you doubt it’s a real word? You’re about to!
This is one of my favorite prestige classes to come out of 3.5, both for its silliness, and its complete willingness to pay homage to a spell that has flown without making an attack roll into our hearts. It really embodies the far limit of how specialized a character can be, while still being a viable addition to a party.
School of Force Missile
Magic missile is a staple wizard spell, well-loved for its versatility and stopping power. Your fondness for it, however, borders on obsession. You focus your studies on this spell, exploring every rune of the spell’s secrets and pressing its power to the limits, resulting in new augmentations and variations on the spell.
Bonus Missile
Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, you learn the spell magic missile, if you do not know it already. Additionally, when you cast this spell, you fire 1 additional dart, as if the spell was cast using a higher level spell slot. The additional number of missiles increases by 1 at 6th level (2 additional missiles), 10th level (3 additional missiles), and 14th level (4 additional missiles).
Missile Magician
At 2nd level, you can cast magic missile a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, or half your wizard level, whichever is lower, without using a spell slot. You regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
If you choose magic missile for the Spell Mastery feature at 18th level, it is cast as if using a higher level spell slot (5 additional missiles.)
Shield of Missiles
By 6th level, as an action expending one casting of magic missile, you can cast your missiles around you in a tight orbit, providing a deadly aegis from your foes. For 1 minute, your armor class equals 10 + the number of missiles orbiting you, which begins as the number of missiles fired, to a maximum of 8. Whenever an enemy ends its turn adjacent to you, a single missile strikes it, dealing damage as normal and decreasing the number of missiles orbiting you, and also decreasing your bonus to armor class. After using this ability, you may not use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Energy Missile
By 10th level you have become intimately attuned to the energies that compose the spell magic missile and may alter them in significant ways. During casting, you may change the damage dealt by your magic missile to acid, cold, fire, or lightning.
Overpowering Missile
By 14th level, your missiles become especially potent. Your magic missile ignores resistance. If a creature is immune to your magic missile, or is under the effect of the shield spell, it is treated as only having resistance against it.
Additionally, your magic missile spell can deal maximum damage. After doing this, you cannot do so again until completing a long rest.
Changelog: 7/1/15: Missile Magician grants an extra missile with Spell Mastery.
Shield of Missiles has been retooled. It now grants a maximum of 18 AC, and is usable 1/short rest. Also, missiles in the shield now strike creatures at the end of their turn.
Overpowering Missile now ignores resistance and changes immunity to resistance.
7/13/15: Missile Magician now grants a maximum number of spells equal to half your wizard level.
Overpowering Missile now specifically refers to the spell shield.