D&D 5E Mirror Image vs. Hold Person (and other non-targeting attacks)

[Uller]

Just like last time this was discussed...it's going to fall to the DM to rule and be consistent. Sage Advice gave us what the intention is for the rules (an "attack" requires and attack roll so MI works on spells that require an attack roll). But if your group wants to say that the definition of an attack given in the rules (if you are making an attack roll you are making an attack) does not exclude other kinds of things being attacks and allow it to include spells that target an individual and do something negative then just keep that consistent....it makes MI much more powerful as it will defeat things like Disintegrate and Finger of Death but it also means that you can use magic missile to remove several images (as DM I'd allow each missile to target a separate image and "pop" them). So...wizard casts magic missile to remove all the images followed by Rogue doing SA damage to the real enemy caster and then the Paladin smiting it, etc.

 

[jaelis]

Regarding casting a spell on an illusion etc: Xanathar’s has a rule, that the spell fails and the slot is wasted.

 

[sim-h]

That doesn't follow. That would imply that somebody who hit with an attack could ignore Mirror Image for subsequent attacks. This isn't the way that the spell works. Regardless of successful attacks, subsequent attacks still have a chance to hit an image.

Yes, I see on looking again that the spell description says the duplicates shift position all the time to prevent giving away which one is real - that makes things more sensible