My God, It's Full of Clones

[James McMurray]

And you'll have to ban PCs from crafting one.

Like I said, use it as intended, don't use it at all, or expect feces to hit the fan. The first requires willing players, the second requires a ban by the DM, and the third requires a game that doesn't mind going to hell in a handbasket.

 

[pawsplay]

But, won't the duplicate that appears in the front of the mirror of opposition automatically reflect on the mirror? The second duplicate would have your own alingment and will try to kill the first duplicate. Up to other two duplicates should also appear (since the mirror thankfully has a daily limit) and duplicate D will try to kill duplicate C, who in turn is trying to kill B, who's trying to kill duplicate A, in turn trying to make you kick the bucket.

Only if they look. Presumably, they appear facing the same direction as the reflection.

 

[Someone]

I'll have to try sometime to put two mirrors of opposition facing each other, then.

 

[werk]

Player: I take down the mirror.
DM: No, you don't.

Like that? Or were you thinking more in a "rocks fall, everyone dies" kind of vein?

I'm more of a "hunh? it quit working...weird" kinda DM. I'd let it work, in whatever grandiose design, and then I'd put a stop to it.

If the PCs cry foul, I'd just explain that the god of magic in that campaign thought that their use of the item was an abuse and that she'll be monitoring their activies for a while now that she's on to them. If they are skilled enough to figure out what happened. As far as purchasing or making one on their own, I'd duely warn them, no worries.

They get to do their trick one time, I get plot hooks open enough to drive a truck through...win/win.

 

[amethal]

There was an intelligent Mirror of Opposition in a "critical threat" article in an issue of Dungeon.

The sheer genius of the idea has put me off ever submitting anything myself

 

[heirodule]

I'm more of a "hunh? it quit working...weird" kinda DM. I'd let it work, in whatever grandiose design, and then I'd put a stop to it.

If the PCs cry foul, I'd just explain that the god of magic in that campaign thought that their use of the item was an abuse and that she'll be monitoring their activies for a while now that she's on to them.

Sounds like a job for an Inevitable.

 

[Nazhkandrias]

Just for fun, imagine this <apocalyptic> scenario.
_________________________________________________________
Mirror of Grey Goo
This item resembles a normal mirror about 4 feet long and 3 feet wide. It can be hung or placed on a surface and then activated by speaking a command word. The same command word deactivates the mirror. If a creature sees its reflection in the mirror’s surface, an exact duplicate of that creature comes into being. This opposite immediately attacks the original. The duplicate has all the possessions and powers of its original (including magic). This mirror is indestructable.
_________________________________________________________
Notice any small changes? That's right, no daily limit, duplicates don't disappear, and it's indestructable. It just works when something is reflected, that's all. As many times as it can. And you can't get rid of it. Then, simply utter the command word... "Eric Drexler".

This would actually result in the IMMEDIATE destruction of the known D&D multiverse. Copies would multiply so rapidly (instantly, in fact, or at least at the speed of light, which is how long it would take for the image to reach the mirror) that they would never stop. In fact, an entire adventure could be based around this. The PCs have to rush to stop some madman from saying the command word to the mirror, or else...

BOOM.

We are left with the aftermath of what can only be described as the Scenario after which this mirror is named. Resources (most notably physical space) would be consumed so rapidly that nothing would survive, and the bodies would be so compacted that they would quickly expand to fill the entire multiverse, or become so dense that they turn into a black hole.

Regardless, everything would be covered in fleshy, red (not Grey, but close enough) goo, due to the bodies being so compressed that they would literally be crushed and popped by their ever-multiplying neighbors. Oh, and the entire multiverse would be annihiliated, being replaced by a fleshy, ever-growing, throbbing mass of splattered remains. That too.

Just an appetizing doomsday scenario for your enjoyment.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

I find this statement a little hard to understand. What is to prevent someone from plucking this "plot device" off the wall and taking it with them?

The DM saying . . .

The Mirror of Opposition is a device that only works in the place/orientation in which it is constructed. It cannot be moved or it loses its magic. Problem solved.

Or it only has four charges . . . ever, not per day.

Or it must be set in a stationary position for 24 hours in order to "charge up" for usage.

Or any number of other ways to prevent it from being used as a portable hand cannon/wealth generator.

And don't tell me that's "against the RAW." Who cares? If it breaks the game it's stupid.

As to the goblin with a ring of three wishes noted above . . . WTF? What player would want to do that?

I have unlimited wishes . . . whee! . . . Hey, this game is boring. Everything is too easy to beat. Huh?

 

[Kunimatyu]

Perhaps destroying the duplicate should automatically crack the mirror, and only one duplicate can be existance at any one time?

 

[jensun]

And don't tell me that's "against the RAW." Who cares? If it breaks the game it's stupid.

If it breaks the game then dont use it. Dont just stick it in and then include a bunch of restrictions solely designed so that you can blow raspberries at your players.

As to the goblin with a ring of three wishes noted above . . . WTF? What player would want to do that?

Ask yourself instead what character would do that. Well, any decent level Wizard with a reasonable Int, which is to say, all of them.

Its like, free Wishes. What character isnt going to use it if it is available.

Just because *some* players wouldnt do something doesnt mean that they arent broken or that *all* players wont use them.

Take the Astral Projection example. As written it totally breaks any sort of attempt at a game which trys to abide by the WBL suggestions. As such it needs to be changed. Just because your players wont do it doesnt make it a workable spell.