Mirror Image + Displacement

[Saeviomagy]

Hopefully the poor opponent hasnt been drinking it is a decent tactic for the fighter/mage (Gish as many would say) A character usually has more than 1 third level spell so I think that cut of the treasure still has a chance especially it is a reactive counterspell dispel magic ( so much for the AOE)

We're talking 5th level here. There's not a lot of gishness going on by then, never mind a gish with a 16 in his casting stat...

 

[kjenks]

If you use the version of Mirror Image from the Main 3.5e FAQ (all images in one square), adding Displacement on top of Mirror Image doesn't help at all against a creature who simply closes his eyes and swings.

If your enemy knows which square you're in, he can just close his eyes and get a 50% miss chance. This is probably a whole lot better than his chances of choosing the right image.

Of course, there are consequences to closing his eyes; see Gaze attack description in MM.

 

[Khristos]

I have seen a share of fighter mages with a 16 int and a small number who are fighter 1 wizard 5 so they are using lvl 3 spells at 6th lvl... not how I would build one but it is frequest as players seem to love that lvl 3 spell list

 

[Markn]

Dungeon Adventure Path

Thanks for the answers guys. I am actually running the AP from Dungeon and the party is 11th level and have just returned from the Abyss to Cauldron. The Adventure calls for an assassination attempt on the party by a cleric/rogue, sorceror and fighter/rogue. The author planned it out quite well, going so far as to give the spellcasters a lesser rod of silent spell each. Thus, as part of their tactics they cast silence on a pebble after they are done buffing themselves up. The sorceror uses his mirror image and displacement and has no worries of an area effect spell as 1) the battle is silenced and no caster in the party has any ability to get around this and 2) patrons of the bar would be killed. I went so far as to give them a few more buffs than what the author intended since the spells were on their memorized list. I'm not looking to kill the party or anything but it'll be fun to see the party run for their lives....

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

If you're spending your highest level spell on self-preservation, your party should be wondering just why it is that they give you a cut of the treasure.

Especially since the party tank will gladly let your cowardly Mirror Imaged wizard butt hide behind him if you would only cast Displacement on him. I make it a firm policy to keep the meatshield happy when I play a spellcaster.

A happy meatshield is a brave meatshield.

The combo is a nice trick for some special scircumstances, such as an assassination attempt, but there are lots of countertactics. Closing your eyes is the most obvious. Faeire Fire. Grappling. Peeling away images with Magic Missiles.

I would not give images the benefit of concealment. What is the heck is a concealed figment when the figment has no physical presence in the first place? Does not really make sense.

 

[dcollins]

Mirror Image (level 2) is a great candidate for a potion (as a Personal target spell).

From the SRD, "Magic Items: Creating Potions":

Spells with a range of personal cannot be made into potions.

 

[Longbow]

Thanks for the answers guys. I am actually running the AP from Dungeon and the party is 11th level and have just returned from the Abyss to Cauldron. The Adventure calls for an assassination attempt on the party by a cleric/rogue, sorceror and fighter/rogue. The author planned it out quite well, going so far as to give the spellcasters a lesser rod of silent spell each. Thus, as part of their tactics they cast silence on a pebble after they are done buffing themselves up. The sorceror uses his mirror image and displacement and has no worries of an area effect spell as 1) the battle is silenced and no caster in the party has any ability to get around this and 2) patrons of the bar would be killed. I went so far as to give them a few more buffs than what the author intended since the spells were on their memorized list. I'm not looking to kill the party or anything but it'll be fun to see the party run for their lives....

Be careful with that, I did the same. Result: TPK. That encounter is just too hard IMO.

 

[Markn]

Thanks

Be careful with that, I did the same. Result: TPK.

I would suspect a TPK is a strong possibility however there is nothing that says they can't run...hopefully they will be smart enough for an all out retreat. On the flip side, I have a very resourceful party and they might suprise me and overcome this encounter with only a body count of 1-2.

 

[KarinsDad]

Yes, Displacement and Mirror Image stacks / works together. The images benefit from the concealment. Source: v.3.5 Main D&D FAQ, page 33.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20030221a

If you use the version of Mirror Image from the Main 3.5e FAQ (all images in one square), adding Displacement on top of Mirror Image doesn't help at all against a creature who simply closes his eyes and swings.

Yes, the 3.5 FAQ has weird decisions on Mirror Image.

They decided that all visual spell effects (i.e. game mechanics) and not just the visual aspects of spells combine with regard to Mirror Image.

So, if you have Mirror Images up, they blur and have a miss chance if you have Blur up.

If you have Displacement up, they displace and have a miss chance.

So although the target of a Blur or Displacement spell is a single creature and magic that only targets a creature should not target another spell, WotC ruled that creature targeting magic applies to his Mirror Image images as well.

Displacement is REALLY strange with regard to this since what it effectively does is make the caster invisible (i.e. light does not reflect from his true position, rather it travels through his true position just like invisibility) and places a visible image of him nearby.

Hence, Displacement and Mirror Images should cause the images to go invisible at their "true location" (just like the caster is effectively invisible), just like with normal invisibility. The caster's true location is invisible, hence, all of his images should be invisible. IMO.

I think WotC dropped the ball on this one.

 

[Hypersmurf]

So although the target of a Blur or Displacement spell is a single creature and magic that only targets a creature should not target another spell...

Absolutely. Which is why Magic Missile doesn't work on Mirror Images in my game!

-Hyp.