Fighting a Gazer using a Mirror

[Quidam]

From the SRD: Looking at the creature’s image (such as in a mirror or as part of an illusion) does not subject the viewer to a gaze attack.


Now, if you're using a hand-mirror to fight a gazer, do you take any penalty to your attack?

If so, I'm wondering- is there any effective way to use a mirror to fight a creature with a gaze attack?

If not, why not?

 

[andargor]

From the SRD: Looking at the creature’s image (such as in a mirror or as part of an illusion) does not subject the viewer to a gaze attack.


Now, if you're using a hand-mirror to fight a gazer, do you take any penalty to your attack?

If so, I'm wondering- is there any effective way to use a mirror to fight a creature with a gaze attack?

If not, why not?

I would say that if you use a mirror, then the target has concealment with respect to you. Perhaps 20% miss chance, but you could judge 50% (as if invisible) except that you know which square it is in.

Andargor

 

[Hypersmurf]

Normally, to avoid a Gaze Attack, you can avert your eyes (20% Miss Chance, and 20% chance of avoiding the gaze) or close them (50% Miss Chance, 100% chance of avoiding the gaze).

It seems reasonable to me that with a mirror, you get the lesser penalty (20% Miss Chance), but the greater benefit (100% avoidance). And as Andargor suggests, I'd treat it as concealment - so no sneak attacks, and Blind Fight would let you reroll.

-Hyp.

 

[Legildur]

Normally, to avoid a Gaze Attack, you can avert your eyes (20% Miss Chance, and 20% chance of avoiding the gaze) or close them (50% Miss Chance, 100% chance of avoiding the gaze).

Avert = 50% chance to avoid gaze and 20% miss chance from Concealment (MM p309 and DMG p294)

DMG p294 (my emphasis):

An opponent can avert his eyes from the creature's face, looking at the creature's body, watching its shadow, or tracking the creature in a reflective surface.

 

[Hypersmurf]

That's what I get for not looking it up

I was confusing the effect of concelament due to poor visibility (20% miss chance, 20% avoidance) with averting the eyes (20% miss chance, 50% avoidance).

I wonder what the difference between 'tracking the creature in a reflective surface' and 'looking at the creature's image in a mirror' is?

-Hyp.