If you break a Mirror of Opposition once it has created a duplicate, does the duplicate go away? And, if it does, how is this item possibly worth 92K?
If you break a Mirror of Opposition once it has created a duplicate, does the duplicate go away?
No. Note the item description says absolutely nothing about the duplicate disappearing when the mirror is broken. The duplicate remains until either the original character or the duplicate is defeated or destroyed.
If you break a Mirror of Opposition once it has created a duplicate, does the duplicate go away?No. Note the item description says absolutely nothing about the duplicate disappearing when the mirror is broken. The duplicate remains until either the original character or the duplicate is defeated or destroyed.
Do other items's effects remain when they are sundered?
If you break a Mirror of Opposition once it has created a duplicate, does the duplicate go away?No. Note the item description says absolutely nothing about the duplicate disappearing when the mirror is broken. The duplicate remains until either the original character or the duplicate is defeated or destroyed.
Is this how it was played in earlier editions? 'Cause I have to say that it's counter-intuitive that breaking the magic item does nothing to its effect.
Remember that the mirror, back in the AD&D 1e era, was primarily used as a component of a trap in dungeons. The PCs reveal the mirror, and get attacked by duplicates of themselves. It's not even remotely effective as a trap if a character can make the duplicate(s) go away by smashing the mirror. For 3.x, this is emphasized by its high GP price. Like you noticed, it wouldn't be remotely worth the cost if it were that easy to beat the duplicate.
(Yeah, under the 3.x "summoning spells end when their caster dies" rules, the effect surviving destruction is a bit counterintuitive for the item . . . and if you'd rather do it that way, there's nothing stopping you.)
"summoning spells end when their caster dies"
Really? I can't find that rule. The closest I can get is "When the spell that summoned a creature ends and the creature disappears, all the spells it has cast expire. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have..." (3.5 PHB 173). There's nothing about a summoning spell ending when the caster dies. Nor does any other category of spells end when their caster dies, to my knowledge. Which is fortunate, because I was going to cite those as examples! Consider them cited.
Perhaps it will help to think of the mirror of opposition as a strange hybrid of a Conjuration (calling) and (creation) effect (although the item radiates necromancy; just bear with me on this). A calling effect brings forth a creature, but then the magic is over. It can't be dispelled, as there's nothing actually binding it to this plane anymore. The being has been transported here and its presence is totally nonmagical. However, many Conjuration (calling) spells offer the creature a return option (which it is assumed they always take) when their task/objective (as determined by the spell) is completed (even if the caster is dead). Now, the mirror of opposition isn't bringing a duplicate from somewhere else; it's creating it on the spot (as the description and the required spell, clone, tell us), which is similar to a Conjuration (creation). The point is to illustrate that just because the duplicate is brought forth by the magic of the mirror doesn't mean that it is thereafter bound to it.
I hope that made some ammount of sense.
Does the fact that the source spell is Clone matter at all in how you'd interpret this?
Not really, actually. It seems to be more of a flavor element, or a requirement to "limit" production of this item to those with access to that spell, rather than anything which bears on the function of the mirror.
Really? I can't find that rule.
<blink>
Um. I'd have sworn . . .
Well, my bad.
Really? I can't find that rule.<blink>
Um. I'd have sworn . . .
Well, my bad.
No problem! I seem to remember having thought that for a while myself some years ago.