Magic Missile vs. Mirror Image

[GorTeX]

pg 62:

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.

the next page has an Q/A about touch spells hitting an image--the touch spell is discharged and the image goes away.

pg 56 has a long answer about Animated objects that includes letting MM damage animated objects as well.

 

[Hypersmurf]

pg 56 has a long answer about Animated objects that includes letting MM damage animated objects as well.

Animated objects are constructs, and therefore creatures. That answer doesn't contradict the rules.

... indeed, it makes that point within the text of the answer: "A magic missile spell normally cannot be aimed at an object. Because an animated object is a creature, however, it can affect the animated table in the example."

-Hyp.

 

[Whimsical]

I concur with Hypersmurf that by the rules magic missile will fail if even one missile targets an image.

And then I allow magic missiles to target and destroy images in my game.

Sometimes I consciencely fail to be the Lawful Good Rules Lawyer that I think I am.

 

[Fieari]

I concur with Hyp that if one figment is targeted, the spell fizzles. Unlike others in this thread, I also actually run it this way. Yeah, I'm mean, but players learn quickly to target only one at a time when finding mirror imaged mages, and hope to get lucky. That, or they pick other spells/tactics. It doesn't break the game.

 

[billd91]

I wish that Mirror Image created images that you could not specifically target..with attacks or magic. It'd be so much simpler if MI just created X images in your square that can not be distinquished. Anything that targets the caster would have to roll to see if the target was an image or not...ie. you could only target the caster, not an image. The DM would roll to see if you hit the real thing or not. A targeted spell (like Magic Missle or a Ray spell) would still seem to hit the target, and the only clue you'd get to what you hit was whether or not an image disappeared or not. It's be so much simpler that way..no having to decide what the AC of the image is...or how to distribute your attacks..or cleaving/whirlwinding the images (bs IMO), or even moving the images about the room (seprately).

But then, that makes MI better than displacement doesn't it.

<snip>

IMO, figments, tho not living, should be targetable as the thing they are figments of...but that's just my opinion..no real rules to back it up.

This is my general preference as well. You don't target the figments, you target the enemy wizard. Then the DM rolls to see if the real target ended up being one of the figments. But I can see how this is, in some ways, better than displacement. It's a longer duration, and it's sometimes better than a 50% miss chance.
But, the way it's written in the PH, if an attack gets lucky enough to hit the real target, it looks like everyone else can now identify the right target until the mirror image caster manages to get in another move action to mix up his images. Under that provision, it is somewhat worse than displacement.

 

[KarinsDad]

I concur with Hyp that if one figment is targeted, the spell fizzles. Unlike others in this thread, I also actually run it this way. Yeah, I'm mean, but players learn quickly to target only one at a time when finding mirror imaged mages, and hope to get lucky. That, or they pick other spells/tactics. It doesn't break the game.

Ditto.

And, not only does it not break the game, but it follows the rules.

 

[wildstarsreach]

The rule in the PHB that covers this is "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."

If you cast Charm Animal (Target: One animal) at a dog, the casting succeeds. If you cast Charm Animal (Target: One animal) at a druid wildshaped into a dog (Type: Humanoid (Human), say, not Animal), the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform, the casting fails and the spell is wasted.

Strictly, then, if you cast Magic Missile aiming your five missiles at four gargoyles and a statue of a gargoyle, you are targeting something that does not fit the description of "Up to five creatures"; rather, it is "Up to five creatures and one object". The characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform; strictly, the casting fails and the spell is wasted.

My personal ruling in the case of magic missile is that the casting succeeds, but the missile that was aimed at the statue fails, and that portion of the spell is wasted; instead of five darts of magical energy streaking from your fingertips, you only get four.

Similarly, if you aim one each of your five missiles at a group of five entities comprising a caster and four Mirror Image figments (where you don't know which is which), you are not attempting to target "Up to five creatures"; you are attempting to target "One creature and also four non-creatures". Strictly, the casting fails and the spell is wasted. In practice, I would personally rule that only a single missile manifests - the one that was targeted on a creature - while the other four fail and are wasted.

The FAQ declares that a spell which targets a creature can target an MI figment; I find no support for this position in the rules, however.

My vote, therefore, is 'other', even though I rule in play that "Magic Missiles targeted at an image fizzle', since I believe that by the rules, if the spell includes even a single image in its targeting lineup, the entire spell (not just the missile targeted at the figment) fails.

-Hyp.

I would disagree with you. With Magic missile you target the character. However, you don't target specific images. At the instant that they strike, let us say 4 images and 1 npc, each missile rolls which target that it hits. Theoretically, all 5 missiles could hit the same image or the caster. Images don't disappear until where they are going has bee determined.

 

[Nail]

I use rule 0 and let the images go to hell.

Me too.....

....even though that is contrary to the rules as written.

 

[IanB]

Target each missile randomly, if it hits an image, the image is popped. I do not allow individual targeting of mirror image images at all. (House rule but it simplifies things tremendously.)

To me the really messed up aspect of mirror image is how the images, as written, can get strewn all over the battlefield. In addition to being impossible to render on the battlemat, it creates weird situations where you can hit some images but not others, etc.

I don't know anyone who plays that part as written (although I'm sure now that I've said that, 3 people will chime in and say "we totally do it that way in our game, it isn't that complicated" and try to make me feel dumb. )

 

[Hypersmurf]

I would disagree with you. With Magic missile you target the character. However, you don't target specific images.

The attacker must select from among indistinguishable targets.

You can't target "the character" - you must select which, from among the indistinguishable targets, you wish to target.

-Hyp.