Do you let Magic Missiles destroy Mirror Images?

[Felix]

No.

If the actual caster was one of the targets, he gets hit with as many missiles as were targeted at him. If a figment is targeted, that individual missile, and any other missiles targeting figments, fizzles.

 

[Thanee]

I declare Mirror Image figments to be illusionary creatures.

Bye
Thanee

 

[evilbob]

No - a figment is not 'Up to five creatures'...

I would have never thought of that interpretation. However, the problem as I see it is that when you're targeting one of the images, you don't know that it's an image: you believe (or hope) that the image you are targeting is a creature (thus the nature of the illusion). So, does the spell you're casting know better than you and fissle and waste itself on casting, or does it simply not work (thus gaining you valuable knowledge without wasting a spell slot)? Either way I believe you're going to have to come up with a further interpretation of the rule.

Personally, I'm inclined to follow what I believe is the more intuitive approach: allow the MM caster to cast because he believes he's targeting it correctly, whether he is or not. It would then follow that the MM would unerringly strike the illusion, causing it to disappear.

 

[KarinsDad]

Personally, I'm inclined to follow what I believe is the more intuitive approach: allow the MM caster to cast because he believes he's targeting it correctly, whether he is or not. It would then follow that the MM would unerringly strike the illusion, causing it to disappear.

Player: "Honest Mr DM. I thought there was someone standing in the door, so I shot my Magic Missiles at him. Can I help it if it was just a trick of the light? Explain again why if it was an illusion of a person on the door, how it would hit the door and damage it and how if it was just my mind playing tricks on me, how the door is not damaged?"


Personally, I do not think that character beliefs should be used to adjudicate game mechanics.

 

[evilbob]

As a DM, I can say that when your players want to attack the darkness, you should just let them attack the darkness.

But in response to your post, I would say that you've given an entirely different situation there.

 

[Thanee]

I can see that you cannot target the images at all, which pretty much results in auto-detecting the character that is protected by Mirror Image, since it is the only viable target there.

This one? No.
That one? No!
Oh, maybe that one? Yeah.
Alright... that one then!

Or it works just like Displacement, that you target the character (plus figments) as a whole and the missiles just strike unerringly.

I certainly can't see how the missiles could *fizzle*.

Bye
Thanee

 

[evilbob]

I can see that you cannot target the images at all, which pretty much results in auto-detecting the character that is protected by Mirror Image, since it is the only viable target there.

While I agree with this posibility, to me that gives a 1st level spell too much power over a 2nd level spell, especially since I would think that you could change targets in that situation as basically a free action.

 

[starwed]

Yes, even though the RAW clearly don't allow you to target a figment with magic missile.

I consider it part of the magic of the mirror image spell. It seems to be the intent, too, judging from the FAQ. It's an iconic spell, so I don't mind special casing it. ^_^

 

[Hypersmurf]

I can see that you cannot target the images at all, which pretty much results in auto-detecting the character that is protected by Mirror Image, since it is the only viable target there.

This one? No.
That one? No!
Oh, maybe that one? Yeah.
Alright... that one then!

I don't agree.

Let's say there are three dogs, but only one of them is an Animal; the other two are Wildshaped druids (Humanoid).

You want to cast Hold Animal - Target: one animal - so as to affect the real dog.

You don't get to 'test' validity before casting. You pick one of the three dogs, and cast Hold Animal. If the one you pick is the real dog, the casting succeeds, and the dog rolls a Will save. If the one you pick is a druid, the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform, and the casting fails.

Similarly, if you're casting Magic Missile, and there are six wizards of which five are figments and one is a creature, you don't get to 'test' target validity until you get a success. You cast Magic Missile, and randomly determine whether the target you selected is a creature or a figment. If it's a creature, the casting succeeds, and he gets Missiled. If it's a figment, the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform, and the casting fails.

-Hyp.

 

[starwed]

If it's a figment, the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform, and the casting fails.

Out of curiosity, what happens when you target each wizard with one missile? I'd say that RAW, the whole spell fails, since the collection of targets chosen is invalid, but is that how you'd actually run it?