Mirrors and Rays?

[Covert Operator]

Is it it within RAW to bounce rays off of mirrors to hit foes?

If so, could you cast animate object on a mirror and use it to shoot around corners?

[Bronnwynn]

No.

[Gauss]

There is nothing within the rules to allow this.

[Claxon]

Nope

[lemeres]

you could get this effect with contageous flame.

It is basically like a scorching ray with a higher caster level limit (max of 5 rays), and it lasts for 3 rounds? How does a ray spell last for 3 rounds? A new ray launches from each of the creatures that you hit on the first round, giving you another ray to aim as you please (but using the hit creature as the origin point).

So having animated creatures you purely use as targets seems legitimate with that spell.

[My Self]

No, but yes.

There's almost no RAW support and it's PFS-illegal to do this. However, this very important rule applies:

PRD wrote:

The Most Important Rule

The rules presented are here to help you breathe life into your characters and the world they explore. While they are designed to make your game easy and exciting, you might find that some of them do not suit the style of play that your gaming group enjoys. Remember that these rules are yours. You can change them to fit your needs. Most Game Masters have a number of “house rules” that they use in their games. The Game Master and players should always discuss any rules changes to make sure that everyone understands how the game will be played. Although the Game Master is the final arbiter of the rules, the Pathfinder RPG is a shared experience, and all of the players should contribute their thoughts when the rules are in doubt.

So if your GM said yes, then yes. If he ruled that it was sufficiently clever and fun that it should be a house rule, then by all means, go ahead.

[lemeres]

My Self wrote:

No, but yes.

There's almost no RAW support and it's PFS-illegal to do this. However, this very important rule applies:

PRD wrote:

The Most Important Rule

The rules presented are here to help you breathe life into your characters and the world they explore. While they are designed to make your game easy and exciting, you might find that some of them do not suit the style of play that your gaming group enjoys. Remember that these rules are yours. You can change them to fit your needs. Most Game Masters have a number of “house rules” that they use in their games. The Game Master and players should always discuss any rules changes to make sure that everyone understands how the game will be played. Although the Game Master is the final arbiter of the rules, the Pathfinder RPG is a shared experience, and all of the players should contribute their thoughts when the rules are in doubt.

So if your GM said yes, then yes. If he ruled that it was sufficiently clever and fun that it should be a house rule, then by all means, go ahead.

Yes, house rulings are always an option.

But for the purposes of a rules forum discussion, it is generally more condusive to stick with the RAW and clear cases of RAI (whether they are clear is of course up for debate).

It serves as a baseline since we can't say much on what your GM houserules (or how he may theoritically houserule when you try something clever), but we all have access to the rules. So I generally view it as the required reading in lit class.

While this is personal opinion, I generally try to stay away unless something is clearly broke (such as how stygian slayers lost all their weapon proficiencies due to an error when they got replaced)