magic missile vs mirror image.

[TimrehIX]

I always thought that magic missile had a chance of hitting a mirror image decoy. Last game i was told that MM always hits. Ok i can deal with that.

My new question is. Can I hit a decoy if i aim for it with my MM?

[alientude]

Mirror Image FAQ

Quote:

Mirror Image: Can I use magic missile to destroy one or more images from a mirror image spell?

No. Magic missile targets a creature and does not require an attack roll, so it bypasses all the images and always hits the real creature.

[Michael Sayre]

Also, if you knew which one was the decoy in order to target it, Mirror Image wouldn't really be working, would it?

[Taffer]

TimrehIX wrote:

I always thought that magic missile had a chance of hitting a mirror image decoy. Last game i was told that MM always hits. Ok i can deal with that.

My new question is. Can I hit a decoy if i aim for it with my MM?

I think this rather depends on which game you are playing.

In Dungeons & Dragons, the mirror image spell creates several duplicates in different squares around you...so if you aimed your magic missile at an image, it would zap the image out of existence.

In Pathfinder, mirror image works differently...several mirror image copies of the caster in the same square (I picture it like looking at those old 3-D comics without the glasses on). In this case, the magic missile automatically homes in on the actual caster (since magic missile doesn't require an attack roll).

===
Taffer

[Ganymede425]

I've always interpreted the unerring strike of a magic missile to be the ability to hit a target no matter how quick, obscured, or concealed the target is. Mechainically, I've seen it as the ability to automatically pass the attack roll, and to automatically pass the concealment miss chance.

To contrast, I never saw the magic missile as having an innate intuition to ferret out trickery or illusions. As such, I'd have a hard time seeing a magic missile sift through the mirror images to get to the real spellcaster. The spell still strikes unerringly, it just happens to strike a decoy.

But hey, that's just how I do things.

[Sapphire Onion]

Mirror image has specific rules text. You cannot destroy images with any spells or attacks that don't require an attack roll. For example none of the following destroy images:

Magic missile
chain lightning
area affect damage spells eg Fireball
splash damage