Magic Missiles vs Mirror Image

[Oryan77]

I've always ruled that Magic Missiles cast at a guy with Mirror Image activated works just like an attack: roll to see if you hit the target or his images.

But can Magic Missiles target Illusions? If not, then would the missiles just hit the target & do damage without destroying an Image?

 

[Storyteller01]

Nothing in the spell description that says it can't, and I don't think an illusion counts as an inanimate object (it does move).

I don't see anything wrong with a previously prepared 2nd level spell confounding a 1st level combat spell.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

A mirror image is a figment.

Magic Missile can target only creatures.

A figment is not a creature.

Therefore, the spell does not work against mirror images - it is no different, really, then casting Hold Person on an ogre. The spell simply fails to work.

So, if you target three separate manifestations, the missiles targeted at the images fail to work, and the one targeted at the enemy caster will hit him. If you target the missiles all at a single target, and it's an image, then the spell fails entirely.

 

[Felix]

Oh dear. Here it comes...

I think the argument is that Magic Missile targets creatures, and the images created by Mirror Image are not creatures, they're figments.

Of course, it would be easy enough to [house] rule: Magic Missile can target as many images as there are missiles, and if a missile hits an image, that image disappears.

This would make MM an automatic Mirror Image counter, and I almost like this better than saying the missiles all strike the caster unerringly.

Of course, the third option is that the spell fizzles for each missile aimed at an image. This would make Mirror Image a wicked Magic Missile defense.

Depends on which you prefer.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I've always ruled that Magic Missiles cast at a guy with Mirror Image activated works just like an attack: roll to see if you hit the target or his images.

But can Magic Missiles target Illusions? If not, then would the missiles just hit the target & do damage without destroying an Image?

My reading (which disagrees with the FAQ) is to apply this:
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.

Magic Missile is "Target: Up to five creatures". A MI figment is not a creature. You cast the spell, select your targets, check to see whether the target you selected is real or fake... and if it's fake, the spell fails.

In practise, I rule that only the individual missiles aimed at non-creatures fail, but strictly, I think the whole casting should fail by the above wording.

-Hyp.

 

[Storyteller01]

Per the SRD, emphasis mine:

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...

Everyone's milage will vary, but I read this as Mirror Image being a designed exception to the rule.

 

[Felix]

Everyone's milage will vary, but I read this as Mirror Image being a designed exception to the rule.

The counterpoint would be that the attack was not successful because the spell did not go off for lack of valid targets. Ergo, no destroyed images.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Of course, it would be easy enough to [house] rule: Magic Missile can target as many images as there are missiles, and if a missile hits an image, that image disappears.

Even should one rule that a missile eliminates an image, one should never overrule the "indistinguishable" part of the mirror image spell. Thus, even in that case, more than one missile might hit the same image, or even the real target. You roll for each missile.

 

[Felix]

Even should one rule that a missile eliminates an image, one should never overrule the "indistinguishable" part of the mirror image spell. Thus, even in that case, more than one missile might hit the same image, or even the real target. You roll for each missile.

Well, two things can be indistinguishable, but you can still tell that there are two of them.

If there are 5 images (including the one real one), and you've got 3 missiles, I've no problem rolling a d5 for the first missile, a d4 for the second, and a d3 for the third. Sure, random, but even if you can't tell the difference twixt them, or which one is real, you can still tell that there are multiple individual targets.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Everyone's milage will vary, but I read this as Mirror Image being a designed exception to the rule.

I'm not sure I understand. I don't see how that quote says "A figment counts as a creature". To me, it just says "You can't tell whether the one you select is a creature or a figment while you're choosing"...

-Hyp.