Is Mirror Image broken?

[RigaMortus]

I have a couple questions regarding the Mirror Image spell. I don't think it makes sense (mechanically) as it is currently written.

Several illusory duplicates of you pop into being, making it difficult for enemies to know which target to attack. The figments stay near you and disappear when struck.
Mirror image creates 1d4 images plus one image per three caster levels (maximum eight images total). These figments separate from you and remain in a cluster, each within 5 feet of at least one other figment or you. You can move into and through a mirror image. When you and the mirror image separate, observers can’t use vision or hearing to tell which one is you and which the image. The figments may also move through each other. The figments mimic your actions, pretending to cast spells when you cast a spell, drink potions when you drink a potion, levitate when you levitate, and so on.
Enemies attempting to attack you or cast spells at you must select from among indistinguishable targets. Generally, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or a figment. Any successful attack against an image destroys it. An image’s AC is 10 + your size modifier + your Dex modifier. Figments seem to react normally to area spells (such as looking like they’re burned or dead after being hit by a fireball).
While moving, you can merge with and split off from figments so that enemies who have learned which image is real are again confounded.
An attacker must be able to see the images to be fooled. If you are invisible or an attacker shuts his or her eyes, the spell has no effect. (Being unable to see carries the same penalties as being blinded.)

Now I've always played that the images are in the same 5' square as the caster, but according to this, they each get their own 5' square. There are a couple flaws with this. First off, this doesn't mesh well with the fact that you have to roll randomly to see if you hit the real caster. Imagine a single file line of Mirror Images, all in their own 5' space, standing shoulder to shoulder. Let's say the caster is on the far left of the line. Normally when you attack someone, you either attack them (if you know where they are) or pick a square to attack if you don't know where they are (such as with Invisibility). Now if I target the far left square, where the caster REALLY is, I have to roll the miss chance to see if I hit an image instead. If I hit an image, the caster suddenly gets to "jump" (for free, and not on their turn) to one of the other "images"!? This doesn't make too much sense to me. If they were all within the same 5' square, this would work since you are always targetting the same square, the caster doesn't have to "move", you just end up popping an image.

The other reason this doesn't work is if the caster is surrounded. Say the caster is completely surrounded, he defensively casts Mirror Image. Where do the images go? All squares around the caster are occupied. Do they act as if they are knocked prone? I don't think so. This should effectively nullify the spell, right? At least you should obviously know who the real caster is. It's not the one that is in the same 5' square as you...

So those are my main issues with the spell. I think both of these issues can be fixed by rewording it so that all images appear in the SAME 5' square as the caster.

My other question is the whole Magic Missle vs. Mirror Image arguement.

My original thought was, Magic Missle could pop Mirror Images, for that is the way I've always played it since back in 2E. But by reading the description on Magic Missile, it seems like you can't even target the Mirror Images with Magic Missile.

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
A missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes its target, dealing 1d4+1 points of force damage.
The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can’t be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.
For every two caster levels beyond 1st, you gain an additional missile—two at 3rd level, three at 5th, four at 7th, and the maximum of five missiles at 9th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.

Since a Mirror Image isn't a creature, you can't really target them, can you? But it also says it strikes unerringly, so if you did fire a Magic Missile at someone with Mirror Image, it would hit the real target, or would it? Or does it mean that if you somehow could target the Mirror Image, it would strike the image unerringly? Well now I am not so sure Magic Missile can counter Mirror Image... Another way to look at it is this... Can you cast Hold Person on an undead? The target for Hold Person is "One humanoid creature". Undead aren't humanoid, so what happens when Hold Person is cast on one? Well iirc, the spell still goes off, it just doesn't have an effect. So using this logic, Magic Missle would still go off, it just wouldn't have an effect on the Mirror Images (the effect being damage). But you don't need to do damage to a Mirror Image to "pop" it, you just need to hit it, right? So perhaps Magic Missle CAN target Mirror Images...

Any thoughts?

 

[Mahali]

Roll randomly to hit. Assume all images are in the same spot as caster thus treating images as descriptive test.

Mechanically the spell gives you a one shot miss d4+1/3 lvl times that's randomly decided.

It fits the previous versions of MI, the intent of 3eds version, is fair, and easy to rule.

Some will say you can't cast MM at MI for the reason you stated. Doesn't seem in line with the intent of the spell and makes it kind of overpowered. To make it even simpler don't allow multiple images to be targeted by magic missiles. Call it "targeting the life force of the creature" It's magic, it knows to only try and strike the creature, if it gets an image instead poof, there goes one image. People argue incessantly instead of finding something that is balanced and works well for their group.

 

[AuraSeer]

According to the Sage, a creature-simulating spell does count as a creature for purposes of targeting spells. You can use magic missile to pop a bunch of images with one casting, the same way you can use it to damage a bigby's hand.

He's also said that popping an image with a melee attack does make you eligible to Cleave. That one is a little more arguable under the rules, but IMO it feels like the right call.

 

[Pielorinho]

I think the easiest way to play the "within five feet" rule is to say that they're considerably well within that limit, enough within that you can pretty much treat them as all being within the same square.

Daniel

 

[dcollins]

Imagine a single file line of Mirror Images...

There are some legitimate ambiguities with mirror image. However, I've found it works fine with a little DM adjudication.

Most of the thought-experiment problems with mirror image come from spreading the images out in a line. Don't allow that -- for example, a line is not a "cluster". Force them to be as compact as possible, don't allow caster placement of them, and effectively it's as though the caster just has larger "facing". The combat rules work pretty well after that point.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Having each image in their own space makes the spell clunky and difficult to reconcile.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

My original thought was, Magic Missle could pop Mirror Images, for that is the way I've always played it since back in 2E. But by reading the description on Magic Missile, it seems like you can't even target the Mirror Images with Magic Missile.

That's a pretty common interpretation, but I've always thought it was wrong, through all versions of D&D. I've never allowed any spell to specifically target images - you never know what you're going to hit when you're faced with Mirror Image. Sometimes you get lucky and hit the right one.

Keep in mind that the Images are constantly shifting, even within the combat round.

 

[Pielorinho]

That's a pretty common interpretation, but I've always thought it was wrong, through all versions of D&D. I've never allowed any spell to specifically target images - you never know what you're going to hit when you're faced with Mirror Image. Sometimes you get lucky and hit the right one.

If this is so, then I see a couple of possibilities:

1) When you try to target an image, you know it won't work. This is very beneficial to the caster: she just keeps trying to target an image until she finds one she CAN target, and then sends all her MM at that one.
2) When you try to target an image, you don't know it doesn't work until a missile doesn't go out. In that case, assuming that you do get lucky, you just lose a lot of missiles.

Personally, I don't see a good reason why MM COULDN'T target an illusory creature, so I allow it.

Daniel

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Personally, I don't see a good reason why MM COULDN'T target an illusory creature, so I allow it.

But if you can target the illusory creature, why couldn't you target the real one? That would mean that if you get lucky and hit the real wizard once, the rest of the party hits until the images shift. Or if the first of your iterative attacks hits the real wizard, the rest of your attacks will be against the real wizard.

My theory is the images are constantly shifting, so what was an image a split second ago, isn't necessarily any longer. Each and every time you try to target any image (whether the real wizard or not), the images reset. Therefore each and every attack has a random chance of hitting an image or hitting the wizard.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I'm reading the description again to make sure how it's changed in 3e, and it does seem to imply that someone could figure out the real wizard and then be able to point it out or attack it again... until the wizard's next move, at which point they all shift again. Never noticed that before.