Mirror Image - Clarification please.

[Scratched_back]

Hi all,

Just two questions about Mirror image. Novice questions as they may seem, I would appreciate constructive answers where possible.

Below from the SRD, emphasis mine.

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Illusion (Figment)
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal; see text
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)

Several illusory duplicates of you pop into being, making it difficult for enemies to know which target to attack. The figments stay near you and disappear when struck.

Mirror image creates 1d4 images plus one image per three caster levels (maximum eight images total). These figments separate from you and remain in a cluster, each within 5 feet of at least one other figment or you. You can move into and through a mirror image. When you and the mirror image separate, observers can’t use vision or hearing to tell which one is you and which the image. The figments may also move through each other. The figments mimic your actions, pretending to cast spells when you cast a spell, drink potions when you drink a potion, levitate when you levitate, and so on.

Enemies attempting to attack you or cast spells at you must select from among indistinguishable targets. Generally, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or a figment. Any successful attack against an image destroys it. An image’s AC is 10 + your size modifier + your Dex modifier. Figments seem to react normally to area spells (such as looking like they’re burned or dead after being hit by a fireball).

While moving, you can merge with and split off from figments so that enemies who have learned which image is real are again confounded.

An attacker must be able to see the images to be fooled. If you are invisible or an attacker shuts his or her eyes, the spell has no effect. (Being unable to see carries the same penalties as being blinded.)
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Ok, so I originally looked up the spell in the SRD to determine whether it would be possible to cast Mirror Image, then Invisibility and just have your figments still visible. I'm fairly sure now that that's not possible. The reason I believe that is the passage "The figments mimic your actions, pretending to cast spells when you cast a spell, drink potions when you drink a potion, levitate when you levitate, and so on." so it's not a huge leap of logic to assume they would also become invisible.

I then assumed that an extra penalty would also be incurred by anybody trying to attack a mage in this scenario, due to the first emboldened passage clearly indicating that the figments are audible. Then again, the second emboldened passage seems to contradict this.

Your thoughts on this would be interesting, I'm sure.

 

[MarkB]

If in doubt, go with the spell description. You are correct that the images will be invisible if you are. However, since the spell description says that the viewer must be able to see the images in order to be fooled, we must assume that the spell simply doesn't affect any of the senses of a person who cannot see its effects, and therefore characters who cannot see the images will not suffer penalties to their Listen checks to attempt to locate the caster by sound.

 

[TheGogmagog]

If in doubt, go with the spell description. You are correct that the images will be invisible if you are. However, since the spell description says that the viewer must be able to see the images in order to be fooled, we must assume that the spell simply doesn't affect any of the senses of a person who cannot see its effects, and therefore characters who cannot see the images will not suffer penalties to their Listen checks to attempt to locate the caster by sound.

Agreed, If you can see the images, you can't use listen to identify the caster. If you can't see the images the spell imposes no penalties. It is magic so it doesn't have to be a logical division on do they make sound or not.

It's a moot point with the common house ruling (suggested by FAQ) that the figments occupy the same 5' square. A listen check would only identify the square occupied, and not which image inside the square is making the noise. This eliminates issues of flanking with the images, who controls what squares the image fill (can the caster make them circle an opponent, or does the DM place them randomly?) and the issue how the caster shifts location with the images in other squares. It also eliminates the closed eyes to know the square the caster occupies, since that's able to be determined by looking at the images blurring within the 5' square.

I agree that the images become invisible as you do, and reapear as you do.