Mirror image confusion

[Coredump]

I remember the 1E 2E version, where teh images kept swapping places with you...but reading 3E, they don't do that. But what *do* they do?

From SRD

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.

While moving, you can merge with and split off from figments so that enemies who have learned which image is real are again confounded.

So they mimic exactly... but you can move through them, and they can move through each other..but no mentioning of them moving on their own, except to mimic you...

Can anyone else make sense of this? Am I missing an errata or something?

 

[Thanee]

Well, they are around you and confuse the enemy who has to roll to see, which one gets hit.

However, they only really move when you move and only then change positions and shuffle around once again hiding your true self amongst them. So, once an opponent hits *you*, the opponent then knows where you are and can continue to hit you without a miss chance (this is probably true for other opponents fighting you as well). On your turn (or with your next move, if you want to play it hard), you can simply move the images and so it's once again unclear who you are and who are just images of yours.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Scharlata]

Am I missing an errata or something?

If it is of any help to you... Here a clarification from the FAQ:

• For all intents and purposes, the figments from a foe's mirror image spell are your foes.

• The use of the Cleave feat is valid.

• All figments occupy the same square(s) as the caster of the spell.

Kind regards

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The FAQ's last point, at least, is wrong, however. It's a simplification - one which many DMs may actually use - but it is not true according to the actual rules text of the spell.

 

[Scharlata]

The FAQ's last point, at least, is wrong, however. It's a simplification - one which many DMs may actually use - but it is not true according to the actual rules text of the spell.

That's just the point why the FAQ is used to clarify the rules.

Enjoy!

 

[dcollins]

This particular FAQ comment is fairly unique in that it admits to just throwing out the actual rule as inconvenient. From the FAQ:

Is there a way to decide which squares the figments
from a mirror image spell occupy? Or do the images
distribute themselves randomly? If it’s the latter, how does
the DM decide where they go?

Although the spell description says the images from a
mirror image spell always stay within 5 feet of either the user
or another image, it’s easiest to assume that all the images
occupy the same space the spell user occupies. Any attack that
can reach the user’s space can affect an image.

Personally, what I do is treat the caster and images as an appropriately large-faced creature on the map. Any attack on that area randomly determines if an image or the actual caster was hit. This seems to hew closer to the actual description of the spell.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

That's just the point why the FAQ is used to clarify the rules.

Enjoy!

Clarify <> Contradict.

 

[Scharlata]

Clarify <> Contradict.

OK, Patryn....

I'm out of THAT discussion.

Kind regards

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

OK, Patryn....

I'm out of THAT discussion.

Now I'm confused ... :\

 

[Coredump]

The FAQ also makes the spell no where near as useful.

Wizard has 4 images, you have a 20% chance of hitting the 'right' one.

*IF* all the images are in the same square, you know which square the wizard is in, you close your eyes, giving full concealment, negating the spell, and have a 50% chance of hitting. Plus, the wizard can now be surrounded.


And the FAQ also doesn't jibe with the "on your movement you can move through an image" part of the spell.