Magic Missile vs Mirror Image

[akbearfoot]

Saw this brought up in another thread and I didn't want to derail it.

What happens when someone casts Magic Missile against someone with Mirror Image? In our gaming group, we've always played that magic missiles ignore the mirror image spell. Since magic missile strikes it target unerringly, and requires no attack roll, and mirror image does not cancel out line of sight or line of effect.

I don't really want to type out all the options because I can think of like 10 different interpretations. So instead I'll ask a few technical questions. Magic missile a. targets only creatures, and b. explicitly can't cause damage to inanimate objects. AFAIK figment illusions are not considered creatures.

1. Do attacks that deal no damage count as 'successful attacks'? If yes, then how is it any different from, say, an illusory creature making attacks that count as 'successful attacks'?
2. Do you actually have to roll randomly to see if you accidentally target an image with magic missiles? If yes, then why wouldn't that just cause the Magic Missile spell to fizzle out as per normal spell failure rules? ie you can't cast a spell that targets the wrong type of creature/object.
3. Can a person just say 'I want to attack 5 different images'?

4. This brings into question touch spells too...Can you actually discharge a touch spell on an illusory figment, because there is nothing there to actually touch?


After re-reading all the info a few times, I am inclined to stick with our groups original interpretation. The strictest reading would seem to be that you simply get 1 chance to either hit the correct creature with all of your missiles, or you fizzle your spell without destroying any images.

 

[irdeggman]

From the FAQ

Are the multiple figments from a mirror image spell
legal targets for cleaving? That is, if you have the Cleave
feat and you hit an image and destroy it, can you then
attack another target within reach (such as another figment
from the spell or perhaps the spell user)? What about
Whirlwind Attack? Can you use this feat to attack all the
images around the spell user? What about spells that allow
multiple targets, such as magic missile? Can you aim magic
missiles at different images?


For all intents and purposes, the figments from a foe’s
mirror image spell are your foes. You aim your spells and your
attacks at the figments just as though they were real creatures.
Any spell you can aim at a creature you can aim at an image.
When you use a spell that allows you to select multiple
creatures as targets, such as magic missile, you can choose
multiple images as targets.

If you have the Cleave or Great Cleave feat, destroying an
image with a melee attack triggers the feat (and your cleaving
attack might well strike the spell user instead of another
image). Likewise, you can use Whirlwind Attack to strike at
any image you can reach. A Whirlwind Attack almost certainly
will allow you to strike once at the spell user.

What happens when an attacker accidentally uses a
touch spell against a figment from a mirror image spell?

You can hold the charge with a touch spell, right? So if you
touch an image (which really isn’t there), is the touch spell
discharged? Does the touch spell user get a chance to
disbelieve the image and avoid discharging the spell?

As noted in an earlier question, the figments from a mirror
image spell function just like creatures for the purpose of
aiming spells. If a foe using a touch spell touches an image, the
spell is harmlessly discharged (though the image is destroyed).
There is no chance to disbelieve a mirror image spell—if there
was, the spell would have a saving throw entry and the entry
would read “Will disbelief.”

 

[Marius Delphus]

You're overthinking it. The figments should be treated as real targets. This is one instance where I pretty much completely agree with the FAQ.

Enemies attempting to attack you or cast spells at you must select from among indistinguishable targets. Generally, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or a figment.

Magic missile is a great anti-mirror image spell -- just target one missile per image. Any figments hit disappear.

Any successful attack against an image destroys it. An image’s AC is 10 + your size modifier + your Dex modifier. Figments seem to react normally to area spells (such as looking like they’re burned or dead after being hit by a fireball).

If you strike the figment's AC or include it in the area of effect of an area spell, it's been successfully attacked. (Such a thing would discharge a touch spell.)

So to handle your numbered questions (applying the FAQ):

1. Yes. The difference is, a real creature making a successful attack causes a real effect. An illusionary creature making a successful attack causes only an illusionary effect. In the context of mirror image, an illusionary foe can't make the figments disappear, because it only appears to be something that's attacking.

2. Yes. The spell doesn't fizzle because the figments are valid targets (they appear to the caster to be creatures).

3. You can say that you target each "image" with one magic missile. The DM rolls randomly for each missile to see whether it targets a figment or the real creature.

4. Yes, you discharge a touch spell if you attack a figment you believe to be a real creature. Mirror image isn't subject to disbelief.

 

[TanisFrey]

In other words a Mirror Image are so real that you think they are real target, therefore, the magic missile spell works.

This could also be applied to other illusions that have AC and hit points, like shadow conjurations. Shadow conjurations can be killed per RAW, they have 20% of a the creature.

 

[Vegepygmy]

You're overthinking it. The figments should be treated as real targets. This is one instance where I pretty much completely agree with the FAQ.

I concur, FWIW.

 

[akbearfoot]

I guess that means someone a caster with mirror images is still totally screwed if they get hit by a Black Tentacles. Tentacle pops up for every image plus the caster.



Does that also mean that all the images provoke AoOs if the caster does? So someone with a huge dex and combat reflexes could wipe out a bunch of images if the caster provokes a single AoO?

 

[Empirate]

I guess that means someone a caster with mirror images is still totally screwed if they get hit by a Black Tentacles. Tentacle pops up for every image plus the caster.

I don't understand this part... AoE effects work different from targeted attacks. Since they don't directly target the MI spellcaster, they're not foiled by the images in any way. In fact, all images and the caster will look scorched when a Fireball goes down. Similarly for the Tentacles: Black Tentacles grapple the caster - all images seem to be grappled. Black Tentacles don't grapple the caster - all images seem to avoid being grappled as well.

 

[Dandu]

"The figments stay near you and disappear when struck."

I'm pretty sure being assaulted by tentacles counts as "being struck".

 

[TanisFrey]

Mirror image have AC but no listed hit points. A fireball does damage to every thing with hit points in its AOE.

The mirror image share the same space as the caster. If the caster draws AOO from some with combat reflexes, there should be one AOO. Because the opponent with Combat reflexes can react multiple people invoking AOO but 1 at a time. The Mirror images provoke multiple AOO at the SAME EXACT time.

The Fighter with cleave or great cleave can cut through mirror images fast. Cleave and Great cleave are the feats that in part designed to take advantage of a foe falling in combat. I would allow someone with cleave or great cleave when some fakes going down also.

 

[akbearfoot]

Seems strange to have to split such fine hairs...mirror images count as creatures sometimes, but only of you target them specifically...and things that cant deal damage to them can count as attacks, but things that CAN damage them dont count?

So magic missile which deals no damage to mirror images can target them and destroy them, but a black tentacles spell which affects all creatures in its area can tell the difference somehow so can't attack the images seperately?

That makes no sense.