Displacement + Mirror Image

[lukelightning]

If you cast mage armor or shield on yourself? Why would a miss chance confer but armor would not?

You don't share mage armor etc. with the duplicates, but you share your appearance. Just as the spell specifically states that being invisible negates the spell (as the images are invisible as well), and that the images exactly match the caster. If you cast shapechange and turn into a dragon, the images all turn into dragons to match. If you cast blur, the images too are blurred, because they exactly duplicate you.

So if you are displaced, wouldn't the images be displaced as well? Yeah, it takes some mental gymnastics to get the concept of a displaced illusion...it's not really real, nor is it really where it is... but if displacement was just called "greater blur" and the special effect was like blur, rather than displaced, it would be much clearer.

 

[TheGogmagog]

Does anyone remember the infamous declaration that a caster could string a bunch of mirror images over a ravine, then attack the ones in the middle to pop them and see which side of the ravine he winds up on? (I can't remember who stated it - Hyp?)

I don't see that argument going far. With the RAW ruling that the images occupy separate squares, the images shift when the caster moves. The caster doesn't blink amongst the images, his location is always finitely defined. Once you know what square he occupies (like from an ally making a sucessfull attack after the mage completes his action) everyone can attack that square without miss chance, until the mage moves.

DC 20 listen check would also pinpoint the occupied square if the subject is in melee or casting. With the occupied square no miss chance.

Aside from not having to determe where the images are (or if the caster gets to place them), this is the major advantage of the FAQ suggestion to just have them occupy the same square.


To the OP, It seems Displacement and Blurr would affect the images also since they change your appearance.

 

[lukelightning]

DC 20 listen check would also pinpoint the occupied square if the subject is in melee or casting.

What's strange about the description of mirror image is "When you and the mirror image separate, observers can’t use vision or hearing to tell which one is you and which the image."

So for some reason, during the initial appearance of the spell, you can't tell by hearing. But it doesn't say the duplicates are purely visual either. They mimic your actions, including pretending to cast spells...would the mimicry include speech?
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[MarkB]

What's strange about the description of mirror image is "When you and the mirror image separate, observers can’t use vision or hearing to tell which one is you and which the image."

So for some reason, during the initial appearance of the spell, you can't tell by hearing. But it doesn't say the duplicates are purely visual either. They mimic your actions, including pretending to cast spells...would the mimicry include speech?
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It gets weirder. Characters who can't see the images are unaffected by the spell - so, if the images do make sounds, they're only audible when you've got your eyes open.