Targetted Spells vs Creature-Simulating Effects

[Hypersmurf]

Some time in the past few months, in a Mirror Image thread prior to the current one, a ruling was brought up that illusions and other effects that simulate creatures may be targetted as normal by spells that affect creatures.

Magic Missile, of course, is the most common example, but not the only one.

There is a specific note in the FAQ about targetting the figments of a Mirror Image, but my memory suggests that this particular ruling was more generalised.

Was it from Sage Advice somewhere?

Anyone remember?

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

Maybe you're thinking of this, a Sage email that I've posted before. My text is plain, his responses in bold:

I have a question about the Cleave feat. Does it only work on animate enemies? Does it have its effect when I break an inanimate objects, or destroy a spell effect (e.g. Bigby's Interposing Hand)?

An inanimate object is not a "foe" and breaking such an object doesn't trigger a cleave. A creature-simulating, or creature-like spell like mirror image or Bigby's hand is a "foe."

Say I attack a wizard who has Mirror Image active. If I disrupt one of his images, does my Cleave feat allow a second attack?

See previous answer.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Maybe you're thinking of this, a Sage email that I've posted before.

No, that's not what I'm thinking of... but the phrasing of "creature-simulating, or creature-like spell" certainly figured, so I'm fairly confident it was a Sage response (just a different one ) that was quoted.

-Hyp.

 

[IceBear]

I think it's this one from the FAQ (that I just posted in the other thread):

If I get hit by a fireball spell while I’m using a mirror
image spell, do all my images disappear? The spell as
written in the book seems to imply that they survive but it
would seem to me that any area effect damage should wipe
them all out.

Area spells don’t destroy the figments created by the mirror
image spell, but targeted spells do. To determine if a spell is
“targeted,” look at the information that proceeds each spell
description. If there is a Target or Targets entry, the spell is
targeted. A spell also is “targeted” if it has an Effect entry and
the effect is a ray or something else that requires a melee or
ranged attack to strike a foe, such as the missile created by the
Melf’s acid arrow spell or the beam of fire from a flame blade
spell.

This states that targetted spells can destroy mirror images. How can that happen unless you target the mirror image with the spell?

IceBear

 

[Hypersmurf]

That's the specific one, but it only applies to Mirror Image.

The one I'm thinking of actually stated the premise that that ruling was based on - that illusions of creatures count as creatures.

-Hyp.

 

[IceBear]

I've never seen it, but if it applies to figments from Mirror Image I can see how others extrapolated it to your question, especially with the cleave ruling as well.

IceBear