Do Illusions show up in mirrors?

[Bad Paper]

It really depends on whether the viewer recognizes a surface as reflective, doesn't it?

For that reason, I'm going to say no to figments and phantasma, and yes to glamers, shadows, and patterns. I agree with the reflected-pattern-has-no-effect, but if you wanted to take a page from China Mieville, you could say that a doubly reflected pattern does have an effect.

I don't think figments should be reflected, because the viewer believes them to be real. Therefore, if they don't show up in the mirror, then it is the mirror that is magical!

 

[William drake]

NO


However, If I'm under the effect of an illusion, and I look into the mirror *looking back behind me at the fake demon made by the illusion* I'd still see it.


Illusions only effect those who are under it, so, they see it in any which way which, if it were really there, would be able to be seen.

 

[SiderisAnon]

1) Could a person with See Invisibility see the reflection of an Invisible person, and,

2) What about the reflection of a Vampire who had cast Mirror Image?

1) If the person can see things that are invisible, than they could see the things in the mirror as well. After all, the mirror is only reflecting what you would otherwise be able to see.

2) Oh, that makes my head hurt. Thank you. I think you've just given me a great scene with a BBEG. Now, I need to insert a vampire into the campaign.

In answer to that question, I would say that it would tweak the players' minds more if when looking in the mirror NONE of the images show up, therefore I would go with that answer. If I had to get technical on it, I would say that the Mirror Images are specifically illusions of the vampire and are supposed to be undetectable as being images, so they would fail to reflect just as the vampire did.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I like the fact that people have broken this into "those who fail to note it is an illusion" and "those who see through the illusion." In the mind of those that see the illusion as real, its reflection is real, too. In the mind of those who see through the illusion, well, now we talk about physics.

In order for something to appear, it must be able to deter light at some level. Air, for instance, does not appear in a mirror because it does not have enough of a substantial essence to affect the light as it goes to and from a mirror. My hand, however, is substantial enough to effect light bouncing between my eyes, the mirror, and my hand.

So, I would say that illusions which actually for a substantial essence would reflect. Simple illusions that are tricks of the mind and don't actually create something substantial would not reflect - except in the minds of those who don't know it isn't real.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Depends on the skill of the illusionist, I would say.

 

[seans23]

just ban mirrors from the game.

 

[phindar]

SiderisAnon: Thank you, I'm always happy to cause someone pain. My theory is there'd be one less vampiric image in the mirror. Hey, maybe that's how vampires fix their hair before going out. They cast Mirror Image and then check out the reflection of the images. And they can see how their hair looks from every conceivable angle. That actually clears a lot up for me.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't think figments should be reflected, because the viewer believes them to be real.

Figments aren't mind-affecting; undead can perceive them, for example. Put a figment of a wall in front of a zombie; the zombie sees a wall. Make a phantasm of a wall, and the zombie won't even notice it.

A figment doesn't have a target, it has an effect; it creates a visible image (for example). The range of a figment dictates how far from the caster that image can appear. Someone a mile away with decent eyes can see it, even if the range is only 30 feet.

Contrast this with a phantasm, which has a target, and creates an image in the mind of that target. The range of a phantasm dictates how far from the caster that target can be.

So I'd say that a figment is reflected, but someone who's made their save (and thus sees the figment as a transluscent outline) would see that transluscent outline reflected.

-Hyp.

 

[Bad Paper]

Figments aren't mind-affecting; undead can perceive them, for example. Put a figment of a wall in front of a zombie; the zombie sees a wall. Make a phantasm of a wall, and the zombie won't even notice it.

A figment doesn't have a target, it has an effect; it creates a visible image (for example). The range of a figment dictates how far from the caster that image can appear. Someone a mile away with decent eyes can see it, even if the range is only 30 feet.

Contrast this with a phantasm, which has a target, and creates an image in the mind of that target. The range of a phantasm dictates how far from the caster that target can be.

So I'd say that a figment is reflected, but someone who's made their save (and thus sees the figment as a transluscent outline) would see that transluscent outline reflected.

oh, hmm. I had always assumed that figments were kinda like shared phantasma, without the mind-affecting component. You are saying that they are more like light shows.

I figured the light-show aspect would put that effect more into Evocation than Illusion.

OK, so if figments are light shows, then yes, they are reflected.

A phantasm is only reflected if the viewer recognizes the mirrored surface as reflective.

 

[Someone]

oh, hmm. I had always assumed that figments were kinda like shared phantasma, without the mind-affecting component. You are saying that they are more like light shows.

As rules go, they are neither. In sci-fi movies, you may know the hologram is an hologram, but it doesn't go away or allows you to see through when you realize it. D&D illusions do.