D&D 5E New Spell: Greater Mirror Image

[Hawk Diesel]

This just kinda hit me and seemed like a cool visual for a spell. Let me know what you think. I put it at 5th level, though I wonder if that is the sweet spot for this spell. I'm thinking 4th level could work, but seems not powerful enough for 6th level. Also, this is a first draft, so the wording may be clunky/could use some streamlining. Anyways, without further adieu:

Greater Mirror Image
5th-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute

Four illusory duplicates of yourself appear in your space. Until the spell ends, you are constantly teleporting between all four images of you, seamlessly swapping places. Unlike in Mirror Image, each apparent duplicate can move independently. As a move action, you can move any or all of the duplicates up to your normal movement speed. The duplicates can move in any direction, but all duplicates must be within 100 feet of the caster or else they vanish from existence. The caster is able to perceive or act through any of the existing duplicates. For the duration of the spell, if the caster is targeted by an attack, spell, or effect, the caster can use their reaction to swap places with one of the illusory duplicates, destroying the duplicate but leaving the caster unscathed. The spell ends when all four duplicates have been destroyed.

Unlike Mirror Image, this spell continues to function as normal even against a creature that cannot see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blind sight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with true sight. This is because even if the creature is not affected by the illusion, the caster is able to teleport out of danger and sacrifice a duplicate as a reaction, so long as at least one duplicate remains.

 

[Caliban]

Also known as "Shadow Clone Jutsu"

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

This spell reminds me of how I explain Displacer Beasts: they are present/not-present in more than one location until a hit collapses their waveform. Until then, successfully striking a Displacer Beast requires hitting BOTH locations at once, hence disadvantage.

In other words, they are Schrodinger's Cats.

RE: the spell, the power level of the spell seems reasonable, but there is a game-logic issue: part of the spell says the caster is "constantly teleporting", but other parts of the spell imply that the caster has a fixed location at all times and that the duplicates are moving independently. (Otherwise, why would the caster "swap places"?) Also, there are no "move actions" in 5E; it seems likely that you intend that both the caster and all the duplicates can move at the same time.

So, overall, I'd suggest rewriting the fluff of the spell: the caster is actually present and acting/acted upon simultaneously in all five locations at once. As a reaction, he can cease to exist in a location before a hostile effect takes effect. The spell ends when he collapses back down to one location. That preserves all the important game aspects of the spell that I think you want, without introducing problems in fluff or logical consistency.

I'd leave it at 5th level. It's a great candidate for Contingency.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

Yea, I was definitely thinking Schrodinger's Cat as I wrote this. I'll definitely work to get the "game-logic" more consistent. As for the move action, there is a move action in 5e. Whenever you move, you are using a move action. But with this spell, you can also control the movement of each duplicate as part of your move. That's what I was getting at. So it seems like each duplicate acts independently. Some may not move, while others move in different directions, and of the ones that do move one may only use 15' of movement while another uses a full 30'. Perhaps there is a better way of writing that to get across and make it more compatible with current 5e language, but that is my goal for the spell.

 

[Gadget]

I think you might want to clarify "The caster is able to perceive or act through any of the existing duplicates." Is this referring strictly to the teleport between duplicates ability, or do you intend the spell to function like Mislead, also a 5th level Illusion spell? If so, it kind of makes that spell redundant and lacks the language about being blind/deaf to your surroundings when sensing through a duplicate. Also, if you are moving, you can't have your duplicates move with you because it requires a move action to have them move as well?

 

[Ganymede81]

As opposed to being an improved version of Mirror Image, this seems much more like an improved version of the Trickery Cleric's capstone Improved Duplicity.

Take a peek at that ability and make sure you're not stepping on any toes.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I think you might want to clarify "The caster is able to perceive or act through any of the existing duplicates." Is this referring strictly to the teleport between duplicates ability, or do you intend the spell to function like Mislead, also a 5th level Illusion spell? If so, it kind of makes that spell redundant and lacks the language about being blind/deaf to your surroundings when sensing through a duplicate. Also, if you are moving, you can't have your duplicates move with you because it requires a move action to have them move as well?

Thanks, I forgot about Mislead. Personally, I don't know if Mislead is appropriate as a 5th level spell. It combines invisibility with major image, with a bit of perception utility added in. I don't know if a 2nd level spell + a 3rd level spell necessarily equals a 5th level spell. I might personally put Mislead as a 4th level spell, which would make more sense for Greater Mirror Image to exist as a 5th level spell. But, if you accept that Mislead is appropriate as a 5th level spell, then certainly the minimum level for Greater Mirror Image would have to be 6th level.

 

[jaelis]

I feel like this spell would really slow down combat, between the caster deciding where all the images were going and the opponents deciding where to attack.

As for mislead, it's quite a nice exploration spell too... the perception utility is basically arcane eye (4th level).

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Yea, I was definitely thinking Schrodinger's Cat as I wrote this. I'll definitely work to get the "game-logic" more consistent. As for the move action, there is a move action in 5e. Whenever you move, you are using a move action. But with this spell, you can also control the movement of each duplicate as part of your move. That's what I was getting at. So it seems like each duplicate acts independently. Some may not move, while others move in different directions, and of the ones that do move one may only use 15' of movement while another uses a full 30'. Perhaps there is a better way of writing that to get across and make it more compatible with current 5e language, but that is my goal for the spell.

Yeah, the current wording implies that the duplicates move in lieu of your own movement, not in addition to it, which I think is not what you want.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I think you might want to clarify "The caster is able to perceive or act through any of the existing duplicates." Is this referring strictly to the teleport between duplicates ability, or do you intend the spell to function like Mislead, also a 5th level Illusion spell? If so, it kind of makes that spell redundant and lacks the language about being blind/deaf to your surroundings when sensing through a duplicate. Also, if you are moving, you can't have your duplicates move with you because it requires a move action to have them move as well?

Mislead is quite different because it makes you invisible. If Greater Mirror Image is a shell game, Mislead is a substitution where you palm the real caster while throwing out a decoy. The use cases are distinct.