Does SR protect your Mirror Images?

[KarinsDad]

What exactly is covered under "react beliveably" anyway? Are figments actually objects? Would they (for example) be oulined with a glitterdust or farie fire spell?

I would rule no.

The images emulate the exact visual (and potentially sound) state of the caster, not spells around the caster. Neither are the images physical objects.

WotC would rule yes since they already stated that spells like Blur and Displacement even give their effects to the images because those are visually caused effects.

But, in order to counter WotC's ruling on the images acquiring the magic of these types of spells, cast Faerie Fire on a Mirrored Imaged Displaced arcane caster and you will at least remove the Displaced aspect of his images and can pop them easier.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But, in order to counter WotC's ruling on the images acquiring the magic of these types of spells, cast Faerie Fire on a Mirrored Imaged Displaced arcane caster and you will at least remove the Displaced aspect of his images and can pop them easier.

There's an interesting exercise in tracking changes here, too.

In the first printing of the 3E PHB, the definition of figments stated that figments cannot 'illuminate darkness'. And yet, there were a couple of spells, like Continual Flame, that were defined as Illusion (Figment).

In the second printing of the 3E PHB, these spells were changed to Evocation (Light), removing the contradiction. And yet, in the same printing, the prohibition on figments illuminating darkness was also removed... which means that the old school of Illusion (Figment) would have been acceptable!

Using the first printing of the 3E PHB, however, meant that Faerie Fire was an interesting counter to Mirror Image, assuming the ambient light level was dim. Someone affected by Faerie Fire is limned with coloured flame, and sheds light as a candle. The Mirror Image of someone affected by Faerie Fire is limned with coloured flame, but since figments cannot illuminate darkness, they do not shed light as a candle.

So in dim conditions, when the wizard casts Mirror Image, you Faerie Fire him... and then attack the one apparent flaming wizard who is lighting up the space around him...

Unfortunately, now that the 'cannot illuminate darkness' prohibition has been removed from figments, the trick doesn't work.

-Hyp.

 

[Ovinomancer]

What about a fighter with great cleave or supreme cleave. Would destroying the image count as killing the image and thus allowing the fighter to take another whack at the mage?

I believe that figments are valid targets for cleave attempts, and that a MI'd mage within the reach of a (insert favorite melee monster or character build) with greater cleave is in for a very bad day.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I believe that figments are valid targets for cleave attempts

Why?

Benefit: If you deal a creature enough damage to make it drop

 

[Liquidsabre]

It's those pesky FAQ houserules for MI Patryn, that's why.

You aim your spells and your attacks at the figments just as though they were real creatures.

So Cleave would work fine and great cleave is an effective (3 feat) counter for MI. As I said though, I'm rather partial to these houserules and use them IMC. Works nicely and MI never overpowers it's placement as 2nd level spell.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Why?

Here's why...took me awhile to find it.

This also address MM and MI interactions. Short form: yes, MI are legal targets for MM.

Are the multiple figments from a mirror image spell
legal targets for cleaving? That is, if you have the Cleave
feat and you hit an image and destroy it, can you then
attack another target within reach (such as another figment
from the spell or perhaps the spell user)? What about
Whirlwind Attack? Can you use this feat to attack all the
images around the spell user? What about spells that allow
multiple targets, such as magic missile? Can you aim magic
missiles at different images?
For all intents and purposes, the figments from a foe’s
mirror image spell are your foes. You aim your spells and your
attacks at the figments just as though they were real creatures.
Any spell you can aim at a creature you can aim at an image.
When you use a spell that allows you to select multiple
creatures as targets, such as magic missile, you can choose
multiple images as targets.
If you have the Cleave or Great Cleave feat, destroying an
image with a melee attack triggers the feat (and your cleaving
attack might well strike the spell user instead of another
image). Likewise, you can use Whirlwind Attack to strike at
any image you can reach. A Whirlwind Attack almost certainly
will allow you to strike once at the spell user.

 

[KarinsDad]

Here's why...took me awhile to find it.

This also address MM and MI interactions. Short form: yes, MI are legal targets for MM.

Yup. Another house rule in a FAQ.

RAW does not support this however.


Plus, I found the last sentence a little amusing:

"A Whirlwind Attack almost certainly will allow you to strike once at the spell user."


This sentence is a little strange. If you go with the 3E FAQ Mirror Image house rule that all images are in the same 5 foot square, then a Whirlwind Attack will DEFINITELY allow you to strike once at the spell user. No "almost certainly" about it.

Hence, this sentence implies that the 3E FAQ Mirror Image house rule is not in effect and the RAW rule that all images must be within 5 feet of the caster and each other is in effect.

So, the 3.5 FAQ implies that the 3E FAQ is no longer valid with regard to the location of the images aspect of Mirror Image.


Btw, I've wondered if when using the RAW "each within 5 feet of at least one other figment or you" rule, whether just moving into a square with a figment was enough to allow you to know that the figment was fake.

This has come up in our game with respect to Invisible characters. Guess I'll start another thread on it.

 

[Shin Okada]

Careful. You're spiraling outta control, kid.

You can't target an invisible opponent with a magic missile because you can't see him.

This says nothing about whether magic missle is an attack.

I said "visibility". I didn't meant to say about total concealment (or invisibility). I meant to mention about usual (non total) concealment due to visibility.

 

[Felix]

Yup. Another house rule in a FAQ.

What, suprised?

This sentence is a little strange.

Why should it be? If the Mirror Images are the only things that you threaten and not the caster, for instance if they were in this formation:

I-I
c-I-X


Where X is the guy with Whirlwind Attack and c is the real caster, then WWA wouldn't hit the caster, would it? Nothing strange about that...

 

[Nail]

Btw, I've wondered if when using the RAW "each within 5 feet of at least one other figment or you" rule, whether just moving into a square with a figment was enough to allow you to know that the figment was fake.

This has come up in our game with respect to Invisible characters. Guess I'll start another thread on it.

I've never come up with an iron-clad answer for this. (sigh)