Is a touch spell discharged if you strike a mirror image?

[Voadam]

Ok. But I saw no argument for that in the defenition of figments.

Figments create a sensation. Such as light or sound. Take a visual figment. I think of them as a hologram, just light, no substance. A hologram/figment of a globe hangs in the middle of the room. Is it something that is there? Yes.

You stick your hand in it. Your hand can go in it without resistance and without feeling anything. So standing there with your hand in the hologram/figment are you now touching the hologram or figment? I would say yes. That is my argument bassed on the definition of figments.

 

[Bonedagger]

From the srd:

Touch Spells and Holding the Charge: If the character doesn't discharge a touch spell on the round the character casts the spell, the character can hold the discharge of the spell (hold the charge) indefinitely.

The character can make touch attacks round after round. The character can touch one friend (or the character can touch his or her self) as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. If the character touches anything with the character's hand while holding a charge, the spell discharges. If the character casts another spell, the touch spell dissipates.

Discharge: A few spells last for a set duration or until triggered or discharged.

(D): If the Duration line ends with "(D)," the character can dismiss the spell at will. The character must be within range of the spell's effect and must speak words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell's verbal component. If the spell has no verbal component, the character dismisses the spell with a gesture.
Dismissing a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A spell that depends on concentration is dismissible by its very nature, and dismissing it does not require an action (since all the character has to do to end the spell is to stop concentrating).

I read this as touch spells last until discharged and are only dismissible at will if they have a (D) in their duration line. Touching anything and casting another spell also discharge the spell as specifically stated above.

Don't forget. Dismissing and discharging are two different things. It is the discharging that is important here.

 

[Voadam]

for reference

from the srd:

INCORPOREALITY
Incorporeal creatures can only be harmed by other incorporeal creatures, by +1 or better weapons, or by spells, spell-like effects, or supernatural effects. They are immune to all nonmagical attack forms. They are not burned by normal fires, affected by natural cold, or harmed by mundane acids.
Even when struck by magic or magic weapons, an incorporeal creature has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source-except for a force effect
Incorporeal creatures move in any direction (including up or down) at will. They do not need to walk on the ground.
Incorporeal creatures can pass through solid objects at will, although they cannot see when their eyes are within solid matter.
Incorporeal creatures are inaudible unless they decide to make noise.
The physical attacks of incorporeal creatures ignore material armor, even magic armor, unless it is made of force or has the ghost touch ability.
Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air.
Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or suffer falling damage.
Corporeal creatures cannot trip or grapple incorporeal creatures.
Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are triggered by weight.
Incorporeal creatures do not leave footprints, have no scent, and make no noise unless they manifest, and even then they only make noise intentionally.

 

[Bonedagger]

Figments create a sensation. Such as light or sound. Take a visual figment. I think of them as a hologram, just light, no substance. A hologram/figment of a globe hangs in the middle of the room. Is it something that is there? Yes.

You stick your hand in it. Your hand can go in it without resistance and without feeling anything. So standing there with your hand in the hologram/figment are you now touching the hologram or figment? I would say yes. That is my argument bassed on the definition of figments.

Figment = In your imagination. Not even light appears at the actual location. Unlike glamer all the mental impressions recived by different persons are the same. It is not a hologram. That would be creation of actual light by the way and would more likely fall into the category of conjuration (Conjuring some form of energy).

 

[Henrix]

However, if you "hold the charge" and start _touching_ yourself, does the spell go off?

And here I thought people doing it with plastic bags over their heads were kinky...

Chill Touch isn't any good, though.

 

[Voadam]

Figment = In your imagination. Not even light appears at the actual location. Unlike glamer all the mental impressions recived by different persons are the same. It is not a hologram. That would be creation of actual light by the way and would more likely fall into the category of conjuration (Conjuring some form of energy).

Figments are not only in your mind, creatures immune to mind-affecting effects still sense figments. A tape recorder would still record a figment sound, a camera would photograph a figment (in the dragonstar setting for instance where they coexist).

I think you are thinking of patterns and phantasms.

Pattern: Like a figment, a pattern spell creates an image that others can see, but a pattern also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. All patterns are mind-affecting spells.

Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that usually only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This impression is totally in the minds of the subjects. It is a personalized mental impression. (It's all in their heads and not a fake picture or something that they actually see.) Third parties viewing or studying the scene don't notice the phantasm at all. All phantasms are mind-affecting spells.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

Figment = In your imagination.

No - Phantasms are exclusively "in the mind"

Patterns are a "mix" of the two IIRC.

It is not a hologram

Actually - that IS a fairly accurate synonym to ascribe to visual figments.

 

[Ilen]

What is the problem with not being able to discharge touch spells at will? I mean if you are in combat you simply cast another spell, if you are out of combat your touch the ground, the ground being something receives the spell, and *poof* you can now shake hands with party members again.

Or am I missing something?

 

[kreynolds]

Do you realize that the word "discharge" is in this thread well over 15 times? Sounds like the STD chapter of a frickin' sex ed class in here.

What is the problem with not being able to discharge touch spells at will? I mean if you are in combat you simply cast another spell, if you are out of combat your touch the ground, the ground being something receives the spell, and *poof* you can now shake hands with party members again.

Or am I missing something?

You're not missing anything. The main argument is whether or not a touch spell gets, oh crap, here it comes again, discharged when you touch an illusion. This whole thing about dismissing touch spells is just the result of these guys getting so caught up in each other's arguments that they're now arguing for the sake of proving that their arguments are arguably worthy to argue over.

 

[Ilen]

Not counting this post there are:

37 instances of the word discharge and 26 instances of the word discharged.