Has this come up in your game?
How does mirror image work vs. magic missle? Just roll your d20 and watch the missles all either hit you or an image? Can the caster specifically targer different images or are they too hard to indistinguish? i.e. randomness ensues.
Ask the caster if they're targeting one of the mirror images or all of them. If they're targeting each of them equally (three magic missiles, three mirror images), then one will hit the real target. If they're targeting a specific one, then make the roll per the spell description and that result applies to all missiles. If they're attacking multiple ones, but not enough to target them all, make the roll once per missile cast and apply that result.
and remember even if the magic missile hit a different mirror image, simultaneously, since you are targeting a different image, the "first" missile will have 25% chance (1/4) to hit the real one, if this one miss the real one, then the second missile got 33% (1/3) chance to hit the real one since you know that first missile hit a fake one. If the second missile also hit a fake one, then the 3rd missile will have 50% (1/2) to hit the real one since you know the first 2 were fake.
Quick question, if a fighter with great weapon master attack an illusion and make it disapear, does this count as "brought the target to 0 HP" to activate the extra attack using a bonus action?, since the target already had 0 HP so the fighter could "cleave" on an other target.
QwertyAzerty wrote:
QwertyAzerty wrote:
Something that may help: I'm fairly sure that in this edition for an action to be classified as an attack there must be an attack roll. In Mirror Image it specifies incoming attacks, and designates a new AC for any that end up targeting an image. So in this case I'm fairly sure that a Magic Missile would completely ignore the spell and do its damage to the target without popping any images for much the same reason as why you can't add Hex damage to each missile.
In Pathfinder forex magic missile beats mirror image and I believe this holds true in 5th ed too
TheNovaLord wrote:
Frozeman wrote:
QwertyAzerty wrote:
grendel111111 wrote:
Considering the Images constantly shift position, you can't target them directly, which would also be a potential waste as there is chance of all the missiles hitting the caster despite the images being active.
RulesJD wrote:
I think that it is probably more towards the intended interaction of magic missile and most other effects when using the phrase from magic missile that is unique to that spell: "Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range."
It isn't like fireball and other spells that state the target takes damage, and it isn't like chromatic orb and other spells that specify making an attack - but it does include terminology that is otherwise only used in the game to describe a possible result of an attack.
So I, at least, will be treating magic missile as being a ranged spell attack that does not need to be rolled because its results are never uncertain: it hits unless specifically countered, but it can not be a critical hit.
Frozeman wrote:
RulesJD wrote:
Nexus6 wrote:
Talgrath wrote:
Nexus6 wrote:
I have been ruling that Magic Missile bypasses Mirror Image since there is no attack roll to attribute the miss chance to.
Magic Missile isn't a spell attack, as is doesn't have an attack roll of any kind. Mirror Image provides the option of directing an attack that hits the caster to an image, so I don't see how it interacts with Magic Missile in any capacity.
Jenks wrote:
Greenstone.Walker wrote:
Everytime this thread returns to the top of the page, I get a headache thinking about it. Anyway, if accumulating votes counts for anything, I'm inclined to agree with MM not interacting with MI.
It's a stretch, but I think about MM as a spell which requires a saving throw (hits automatically without being considered an attack), but the target automatically fails the saving throw.
Nevvur wrote:
Macv12 wrote:
OoftaMeg wrote:
Magic Missile targets a creature that you can see. You cant see which of the objects is the actual creature as it is constrained visilibly by the illusion of extra targets. This affects the abilitly to determine the lucidity of the target. Without this you would be attempting to target non-creatures, illusions which, per the spell description, cannot be targeted.
A spell in and of itself does not think so this would negate the ability of the spell to seek regardless of illusion. The caster controls every part of a spell to set it in motion, if the pre requisites cannot be determined then the spell cannot be cast. Spells require certainty and mastery of control to be cast.
I would therefore argue that the two conditions of the target being a creature and the ability to visually determine the target through sight, together would cause the magic missile spell to be unable of targeting the mirrored opponent altogether.
The Mirror Images are like Schrodinger's Cat. The mirror image is simultaneously both an image and not an image until such time as something interacts with it and then its true nature is determined.
How can this be? Magic! So it can be targeted by Magic Missile and then one randomly determines whether the thing struck was an image or not.
I agree with guachi.
I am new to the forums but have been playing D&D for over 20 years. Here is my take on magic missile vs. mirror image in 5e:
Magic Missile: automatically hits (unless blocked by Shield or something similar) without an attack roll (no chance to crit) and all darts strike simultaneously.
Mirror Image: Each time a creature targets you with an attack, roll a D20 to determine whether the attack instead targets a duplicate. Each duplicate has AC = 10 + Dex Mod.
Magic missile circumvents AC (images or real) but the caster must be able to see the target(s). So the caster of magic missile chooses 3 seperate targets (images or real). Since the images are constantly shifting and all darts strike simultaneously, if the D20 roll succeeds for mirror image then an image is struck with all darts and is destroyed. Otherwise, the real target is struck with all darts (without destroying any images).
Alright, this is getting way more complicated than it needs to. Mirror Image creates three moving, swerving copies of the caster. When you cast the Magic Missile spell, you can choose to produce an extra missile (meaning you now produce 4), from there, just have the missiles target each of the four moving bodies. Yes, it expends a 2nd level spell slot, but it thwarts the spell entirely, just like any other 2nd level spell without an attack roll. And, now, there's absolutely no way for the original target to not be discovered, because one hits each clone and one hits the real one, disrupting the images in the process. Problem solved. Now everyone calm down and find something less silly to argue about. Any spell that ignores AC and can affect a square or more can circumvent the Mirror Image spell, as long as it deals damage no matter what.
Yes, you're making it way more complicated than it needs to be.
You cast Magic Missile and target the player, not the duplicates since they aren't creatures and you KNOW that.
Two possibilities:
1) Since they don't use an attack roll, they automatically hit the player.
2) They are counted as attacks, the player rolls well and they all go to the same Mirror Image.
Kangodo wrote:
Obviously, you can tell which are the mirror images, they are reversed just like in a mirror, so target the one thats not reversed. Easy peasy. 
Kangodo wrote:
i would allow the person to target any illusion they like with magic missile, and then if the DM and mirror image user didn't already know if they had been hit, I would roll randomly to discover which of the 3, 4, etc. images were the real one. This allows both choice and chance to interact.
If Mirror image stops you from being targeted by spells, then that makes it waaaaaaay stronger than it was probably intended to be. Instead of being nearly immune to like 1/4 of the spells in the game, it goes up to more like 3/4.
it would even trump Wish, as well as make it impossible for a party member to cast buffs on you or target you to give you inspiration dice or
cure wounds or even be aided with the Help action....what if they help the image of u by mistake... Seems much less complicated to treat it like other spells that dont require attack rolls...they arent attacks, although they might still be considered actions.
I would like to add this tweet to the discussion, with thanks to Drunemeton: https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/609818334419271680
Q: Thanks! A spell without a roll like Magic Missile or Burning Hands still isn't an attack (eg for Hex), right?
A: Correct. If there's no attack roll or an effect isn't called an attack, it's not an attack.
Conclusion from this tweet: Magic Missile does not count as an attack.
Consequence:
-You can only redirect attacks, so not Magic Missile.e
-The Mirror Images get destroyed when hit by an attack, which rules out Magic Missile.
-That means Magic Missile is an 'other damage and effects', and it ignores it.
Let me give two scenario's and a bit how you can explain this in "magic science!".
Scenario #1:
The Wizard casts three Magic Missiles on the Warlock with Mirror Image.
Result: None get redirected and the Warlock takes the full damage.
Why is this logical? These are homing missiles, they strike what you want them to strike and aren't fooled by Images.
Scenario #2:
The Wizard casts four Magic Missiles, one to each Mirror Image and another one on the Warlock.
Result: None get redirected and the Warlock takes damage from one missile. The Mirror Images take no damage and stay alive.
Why is this logical? You force them to fly to something that isn't there, the Magic Missiles outsmarted the Wizard and just disappear.
Kangodo wrote:
transcendantviewer wrote:
Ima go all RaW up on this thread:
Redirecting missiles with images:
- Mirror Image redirects only attacks.
- Magic Missile is NOT an attack
- Magic Missile is 100% not affected by Mirror Image
Destroying images with Magic Missile:
- Magic Missiles requires a "Creature" to target.
- Mirror Images are not "Creatures"
- You cannot target mirror images even if you wanted to.
In case you did target the images with Magic Missle (Which you can't):
- An attack that hits the image destroys it, any other effects are ignored.
- Magic Missile is still not an attack, so it is ignored.
Anyone is free to house rule the interaction to be different, but this would be and will always be a house rule which kinda limits how much you can argue about it.
I would personally advise to either simply use RaW or the following house rules (note that if you use the house rule you should really use ALL of them):
1. Magic Missiles can be redirected by Mirror Image.
2. Magic Missiles destroy Mirror Images.
3. You can choose to shoot a Missile at each target (if you have high enough spell slots). Doing so will pop each image and hit the real target too.
Note: Magic Missile is the only spell that should every be able to do point 3. Spells like Eldritch Blast and Scorching Ray do not hit the targets simultaneously meaning that you cannot be sure whether or not the targets switched places.
Both RaW as this house rule have the same result: Magic Missile is AMAZING against Mirror Image... Either you completely ignore it and blast the target or you spend a single 2-nd lvl spell slot to cancel out the entire effect and even hit the target once.
Yeah the interaction between Magic Missile and a number of other spells / game elements is very weird. It's officialy stated to not be an attack in the first place and has no attack roll. Anything require a hit, making an attack, making an attack roll, etc.. are totally unable to interact with Magic Missile. So based on this, Rikjuh is correct on all counts. Magic Missile simply ignores something like Mirror Image completely and Mirror Image would, if it was possible to target the images, completely ignore Magic Missile as well.
Noctaem wrote:
So I get that magic missile is not an attack and as such cannot destroy images. However, as I began to think about the target needing to be a creature, and as was stated above that the illusory doubles are not creatures, I began to have a problem. My problem is as follows: a dm could have an NPC cast programmed image of a creature (6th level spell) as an attempt to waste PC resources; but a wizard can immediately determine that it is not a creature because the wizard cannot target the illusion because it is not a creature, by this logic.
Imo, mirror image cannot target the illusory doubles NOT because they are illusions (and not creatures), but rather because there is only 1 creature/target (there just happen to be multiple images of that creature/target).
Quad_Hund wrote: