D&D 5E Magic Missile vs. Mirror Image

[Arial Black]

No, he tweeted how he interpreted it. He's also tweeted a lot of other stuff, which never made it into eratta because it was a snap decision response which he called wrong.

In many tweets he has said that the reason that this thing is or is not an attack is because of 'attack roll' (or lack of same), the word 'hit' implying an attack roll, etc.

He is understanding the 5E rules with this in mind, not just in one corner case but consistently teaching us that this is how we can work it out for ourselves.

And yeah, he wrote the rules.

 

[Sage Genesis]

Most non-standard monster attacks, I think.

Such as? I did a quick browse through the MM but I must have missed them. Each and every attack seems clearly to be an attack.

 

[Arial Black]

The mirror image spell has no effect on magic missile, which doesn't involve an attack

He's saying a few things here:-

* magic missile does not involve an attack

* since MM clearly is an 'attack' in language terms, there must be a reason why it does not count as an 'attack' in game mechanics terms

* the PHB tells us that if we need to determine if something counts as an attack, if it has an attack roll then it is an attack

* the only way this makes sense is that if something does not have an attack roll then it is not an attack

* if that were not the case, then magic missile would count as an attack

* it doesn't, therefore the reason must be because 'not having an attack roll' means 'it does not count as an attack'

If you disagree, then show us how JC's tweet makes sense in a world where not having an attack roll tells us nothing about whether or not something counts as an attack.

 

[Yunru]

Such as? I did a quick browse through the MM but I must have missed them. Each and every attack seems clearly to be an attack.

You checked the non-standard yeah? Pretty sure the oler dragons multiattacks say it can make three attacks, one with it's claws, one with its bite and one with its breath weapon. Or something like that.

Re: JC writing the rules. No, no he did not. He is (one of) the lead designers. That's about as far as you can get from writing the rules while still being a designer. His job is oversight and delegation. He controls the direction not the minute details.

Also 'hitting' does require an attack roll. That doesn't mean anything in terms of whether something's an attack.

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[Arial Black]

Also 'hitting' does require an attack roll. That doesn't mean anything in terms of whether something's an attack.

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It means that it does count as an attack; even you don't disagree with that!

Sent from my house through the Internet.

 

[Sage Genesis]

You checked the non-standard yeah? Pretty sure the oler dragons multiattacks say it can make three attacks, one with it's claws, one with its bite and one with its breath weapon. Or something like that.

I think you might have misunderstood my question? Because Multiattack is not a correct answer.

Multiattack is an Action (capital A) which triggers several Attacks. It is not, itself, a type of attack. And even if it were an attack, it wouldn't count as a correct answer because it clearly involves attack rolls.

 

[Yunru]

I think you might have misunderstood my question? Because Multiattack is not a correct answer.

Multiattack is an Action (capital A) which triggers several Attacks. It is not, itself, a type of attack. And even if it were an attack, it wouldn't count as a correct answer because it clearly involves attack rolls.

It's an action, which makes you make several attacks yes. And among those attacks are actions without attack rolls.

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[Yunru]

It means that it does count as an attack; even you don't disagree with that!

Sent from my house through the Internet.

Yes, things that hit are attacks.

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[Sage Genesis]

It's an action, which makes you make several attacks yes. And among those attacks are actions without attack rolls

I have no idea what you're even saying at this point, nor how it's supposed to answer my question. So I'm just going to bow out now. This has been strange.

 

[Yunru]

I have no idea what you're even saying at this point, nor how it's supposed to answer my question. So I'm just going to bow out now. This has been strange.

Well then clear you didn't try very hard.
Multiattack states the creature makes several attacks, and then lists them. Some list abilities without attack rolls. And yet, it lists them as attacks.

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