Does SR protect your Mirror Images?

[Nail]

This came up last session: A dragon had a Mirror Image spell up. The party mage cast magic missile to "pop" all of the images. I ruled that SR applied. the players disagreed, but we "moved on".

Result: the wizard missed the SR roll, so no images were removed.

Were the PCs shafted?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Heh ... The real question is whether or not Magic Missile can even target an image.

Here's a hint: it targets creatures, and figments aren't creatures.

EDIT:

So, what should have happened is that the player declares which images he's targeting with the MM. You then roll randomly to determine whether or not any of them are targeting the actual dragon.

The one that targets the actual dragon is subject to SR.

 

[Rythannian]

Although the previous answer is correct, I have allowed players to "Pop" images.

When faced with SR, I allow the player to choose to Roll SR for each Missle (or one roll for the total.)

Most of the time they choose each Missle.

 

[dcollins]

SR only protects spells actually targeting or affecting the creature with the protection. If a missile hits a mirror image, then it's not really targeting the protected creature.

 

[Fieari]

Here's a nasty little question that just occured to me...

When you try to target a spell onto an invalid target, the spell fizzles.

If you split a magic missile up, and target SOME of the missiles onto invalid targets... does the entire spell fizzle?

Relevant text:

SPELL FAILURE
If you ever try to cast a spell in conditions where the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform, the casting fails and the spell is wasted.

Magic Missile
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

As the images aren't creatures, and you chose to target them, by the RAW it appears that the entire spell would fail...

I kinda like the idea. It certainly makes Mirror Image more powerful...

 

[two]

Mirror Image is already the most obscenely great 2nd level defensive spell ever; the interpretations proposed making it even more powerful (and immune to magic missile) push it way, way over the top.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Mirror Image is already the most obscenely great 2nd level defensive spell ever; the interpretations proposed making it even more powerful (and immune to magic missile) push it way, way over the top.

Well, MIs are certainly immune to magic missile, since it isn't a creature. I houserule Magic Missile so that each missile is considered a separate spell for several issues, so in this case, my houserule would prevent the whole spell from fizzling if some of the targets were invalid.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

If you split a magic missile up, and target SOME of the missiles onto invalid targets... does the entire spell fizzle?

I treat it similarly to a spell with multiple targets, all / some of whom are magic resistant.

The parts of the spell which target the invalid targets fizzle. The others are fine.

 

[Fieari]

Fair enough. Probably a good house rule. But it does look like the RAW goes the other way in this case. Okay.

 

[Scharlata]

[...]The parts of the spell which target the invalid targets fizzle. The others are fine.

Hi!

Don't know if I'm getting the FAQ right, but it states:

a) "For all intents and purposes, the figments from a foe's mirror image spell are your foes."
b) "All figments occupy the same square(s) as the caster of the spell."

Guided by item a), I allowed to "pop out" the MIs...

Kind regards