Displacement vs Targeted Spells

[Demon Knight]

If a creature is under the effect of a Displacement spell (or wearing a cloak of Major Displacement), will targeted spells like charm person be subject to the 50% miss chance? If yes, why? If no, why not?

 

[Pax]

If the spell entails an attack roll, it will be subject to the chance to miss.

If it requires no attack roll, it will NOT be subject to the miss chance.

Why?

Because spells that don't require a to-hit roll, always hit their mark. It's just that simple.

 

[shilsen]

What Pax said.

 

[AuraSeer]

If a creature is under the effect of a Displacement spell (or wearing a cloak of Major Displacement), will targeted spells like charm person be subject to the 50% miss chance?

No, targeted spells are not subject to the miss chance. Note this wording in the Displacement description: "nlike actual full concealment, displacement does not prevent enemies from targeting him normally."

A targeted spell, such as Magic Missile, automatically hits the target with no roll required. The restrictions are that the caster must be able to see the target, and must have line of effect. Displacement affects neither of those, and so does not prevent targeted spells from working.

 

[hong]

Somehow, it just seems wrong to have magic missiles go right through displacement and mirror image....

 

[Hypersmurf]

Somehow, it just seems wrong to have magic missiles go right through displacement and mirror image....

I don't mind Displacement.

I treat Magic Missiles vs Mirror Image differently, though. Choose your target - if it's the right one, missile hits normally. If it's the wrong one, the missile fails, since the image isn't a creature.

Makes Magic Missile not the ultimate anti-MI spell it is under some interpretations.

-Hyp.

 

[RigaMortus]

But what if someone splits up the missiles so each one hits a different target? You'd be targetting the real one then, would the spell still fizzle?

 

[Hypersmurf]

The missiles aimed at a creature would work, the missiles aimed at non-creatures would fizzle.

If you have three missiles, and you aim two at an orc and one at a door, the one at the door isn't going to work. Magic Missiles can't target objects.

I don't see why figments should be any different.

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

The Sage has said that a "creature" includes any creature-simulating spell or effect. You can cast MM on an illusion, or a Bigby's Hand, or an animated object, or anything else that acts like a creature.

(Some people dislike this ruling because it agrees that second-level Mirror Image is beaten by first-level Magic Missile. I argue that if that is a real problem, it hints that MM may be overpowered for its level, or that MI is underpowered; I don't think we need to add special qualifiers to the targeting rules just to deal with this issue.)

 

[Demon Knight]

You guys are great! Thanks for the help