Displacement - a bit wussy eh? Mirror image too...

[Scholar & Brutalman]

...Displacement...

I'm just really puzzled at the apparent power level of this spell. A high paragon spell to give me the protection that any 1st level halfling can get? Seems very weak to me.

We don't know how common the "force an enemy to reroll an attack" powers are; we only have these two examples. If they're the only two in the game, then it would be better described as a "a paragon level spell that gives an ability that otherwise only halflings can get." (Also, 16 isn't "high paragon". Pretty much middle paragon.)

Even if these sort of powers are relatively common, Displacement looked to me to be the best of the 16th level Wizard utility powers on that page. I'd rather have displacement every encounter as a minor action than flight or invisibility for 5 minutes daily.

As for Mirror Image, there's been a whole lot of discussion if its problems already.

 

[Gargazon]

Edit: What I said had already been said. D'oh.

 

[Dragonblade]

Displacement is powerful because its an immediate interrupt that effectively retroactively defines reality. I don't know if it should be 16th level though.

Its like saying, "You think you hit me monster? Ha! FOOLED YOU! You didn't notice, that I was really displaced that whole time!"

I agree that the Mirror Image thing is kind of lame if the monster would have missed anyway. I would probably houserule it so that the images are only dispelled if the monster otherwise would have hit but missed only due to the bonus provided by the images. Although this might make the spell a bit more powerful than intended.

Alternatively, instead of providing an AC bonus, just rule that whenever the monster attacks and hits, there is a 75% chance that he hit a duplicate and thus really missed you. On the second hit, there is a 66% percent chance that the monster hits a duplicate, then 50%, and then spell effect is gone.

 

[Gargazon]

First of all, that would make it better than the displacement power. Second, if that were the case, why the need for the +6 AC bonus? Very likely instead it would be just changing "misses" into "hits", which means the +6 still means something, makes it harder for the spell to be discharged, and gives diminishing returns just like the original spell.

Y'know, I bet they accidentally put 'misses' instead of 'hits' on that page. Cause if that were the case the power is actually good.

 

[Shroomy]

Mirror Image grants a +6 AC bonus to the wizard as a minor action. It seems to me that it is supposed to be used if the wizard finds himself at a disadvantage and needs stall for time, either to attack (standard action), flee (move action), or wait for the defender to help out.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Alternatively, instead of providing an AC bonus, just rule that whenever the monster attacks and hits, there is a 75% chance that he hit a duplicate and thus really missed you. On the second hit, there is a 66% percent chance that the monster hits a duplicate, then 50%, and then spell effect is gone.

Problem is, that is more powerful than the higher level lame displacement spell!

 

[Hypersmurf]

Then there is Mirror Image.

Mirror Image was one of the first things I noticed on that page.

The bizarreness of it to me is that it provides no help against attacks targeting non-AC defenses - Magic Missile vs Reflex, the +6 bonus to AC is of no benefit - but if those attacks miss, you lose an image. The Sleep spell misses your Will defense? Pop, lose an image.

-Hyp.

 

[Gargazon]

Problem is, that is more powerful than the higher level lame displacement spell!

Well, it would be. Mirror Image is a daily power. Displacement is an encounter power. They should not be of equal awesomeness.

 

[Gundark]

I agree that the Mirror Image thing is kind of lame if the monster would have missed anyway. I would probably houserule it so that the images are only dispelled if the monster otherwise would have hit but missed only due to the bonus provided by the images.

Nice Fix

 

[Falling Icicle]

Yeah, these spells really suck, especially compared to their 3e counterparts. It looks like that Wizards will not only have far fewer spells, but the spells they have will be far weaker. I fear that in their crusade to "balance" the wizard class, they have gone too far and nerfed it into oblivion.