An invisible barrier of magical force appears and protects you. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from magic missile.
Based on how the shield spell is written, any magic missiles targeting the wizard would not do any damage. However any missiles that target the body guards would do damage.
With the first level MM, you get 3 missiles and can choose a target for each (or focus them all on the same person). If any target the wizard, his shield will protect him from damage. If any target either bodyguard, they will do damage.
On the subject of MM, I've always been iffy on the targeting rules for the spell. So with three missiles, it can hit three different targets per casting.
On the subject of MM, I've always been iffy on the targeting rules for the spell. So with three missiles, it can hit three different targets per casting.
It's even more than that: "Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range." so if you upcast it at level 9, you can hit up to 11 targets. :)
If my players ever reach high enough to cast that many darts. Still, that is a pretty cool upcasting benefit.
Do you roll for damage for each dart or a single roll for all darts? I saw JC respond to a similar question but always want to get other people's opinions on the subject matter.
Note that, in the past, one of the best uses of magic missile was also to get rid of mirror images in one fell swoop. :)
Is that so? That doesn't work in 5e.
My one-cent.
Reading the spell I can see how it could work if say firing three darts and the player choosing to redirect the attacks to a duplicate since any attack that hits a duplicate, auto-hit with MM, the duplicate is destroyed. While the caster does have an impact on who is targeted it is not a guarantee mowing down the duplicates but a decent strategy nonetheless.
On the subject of MM, I've always been iffy on the targeting rules for the spell. So with three missiles, it can hit three different targets per casting.
It's even more than that: "Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range." so if you upcast it at level 9, you can hit up to 11 targets. :)
If my players ever reach high enough to cast that many darts. Still, that is a pretty cool upcasting benefit.
Do you roll for damage for each dart or a single roll for all darts? I saw JC respond to a similar question but always want to get other people's opinions on the subject matter.
There’s about 100 long angry thread on how to roll damage for MM. Personally, I agree with lyxen that RAW is that you roll once and it applies to all missiles, but at my table, we roll for each dart individually, because rolling dice is fun. But give it time, and I imagine others will come on with arguments that RAW is rolling for each missile individually.
I think what’s best is just decide what’s fun for your table and stick with it — treat PC and enemies the same and that’s really what matters.
Reading the spell I can see how it could work if say firing three darts and the player choosing to redirect the attacks to a duplicate since any attack that hits a duplicate, auto-hit with MM, the duplicate is destroyed. While the caster does have an impact on who is targeted it is not a guarantee mowing down the duplicates but a decent strategy nonetheless.
The problem is that Mirror Image is very particular about only interacting with attacks (both for target redirection and for the images being destroyed), while Magic Missile's rules never describe it as an attack that automatically hits. The spell does say each dart hits a creature of your choice, but that doesn't necessarily imply they're using the word "hit" in the "successful attack" sense either. There's just enough ambiguity in the wording that you could make a weak argument for it, but not an open-and-shut case.
Personally I think it's in keeping with the spirit of both spells. If I remember my D&D history right Magic Missile originally required an attack roll; it functionally just shot a magic arrow ("force" wasn't a damage type back then so it was kind of implied the spell injured and killed you the same way as any other missile.) It only got its auto-hit property when one of the other TSR employees begged Gary Gygax for weeks, arguing that 1st level level magic users were so frail and had so little spells that if you missed your magic missile or failed to kill the target you were probably dead. Gary insisted that all offensive actions should have a chance of failure but ultimately caved.
Worth keeping in mind that Mirror Image also has weird interactions with grappling/shoving. It can redirect them since they're attacks, but the images don't get destroyed since there's no hit. I attribute that more to grappling/shoving having bad mechanics than Mirror Image being screwy though.
Mm knows the target and seeks it. Hence why it bypasses mirror image. Because missiles knows the real target. Same thing happens against displacer beast.
Second thing...
Shield is not overboard considering the number of stuff that do not work with AC. I often played a character with 30+ ac... Yet that character has died on more then 1 occasion. Mainly because dex saves are a thing.also... Shield uses spell slots... Wizards should be hoarding slots. Not spending them every turns and then sleeping every fights.
So yeah... Logically... Both make sense.
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On the subject of MM, I've always been iffy on the targeting rules for the spell. So with three missiles, it can hit three different targets per casting.
It's even more than that: "Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range." so if you upcast it at level 9, you can hit up to 11 targets. :)
If my players ever reach high enough to cast that many darts. Still, that is a pretty cool upcasting benefit.
Do you roll for damage for each dart or a single roll for all darts? I saw JC respond to a similar question but always want to get other people's opinions on the subject matter.
Get a Wand of Magic Missiles, use all 7 charges to get 9 bolts from one use.
Note that, in the past, one of the best uses of magic missile was also to get rid of mirror images in one fell swoop. :)
Is that so? That doesn't work in 5e.
My one-cent.
Reading the spell I can see how it could work if say firing three darts and the player choosing to redirect the attacks to a duplicate since any attack that hits a duplicate, auto-hit with MM, the duplicate is destroyed. While the caster does have an impact on who is targeted it is not a guarantee mowing down the duplicates but a decent strategy nonetheless.
We have not done it in 5e yet, and it honestly would not be a game breaking house rules, but the fact is that, in addition to what I wrote, MM only targets creatures and the images are not creatures.
Xanathar's covers this - you can cast any spell on invalid targets, the spell just doesn't work (and still expends a spell slot, if appropriate). So e.g. you can cast Magic Missile on three humanoid figures in the fog, without realizing that two are just scarecrows (the mundane object, not the creature) and the third is that werewolf stalking you. The missiles targeting objects deal no damage at all (and in fact don't even hit to begin with), while the missile hitting the werewolf does do damage.
Same would apply here - for example, a wizard with mirror image up could legally target their own mirror images with magic missile (since they'd know the images are not them), the spell would just do nothing at all except waste a spell slot upon being cast.
More important to Magic Missile is that for the purposes of Mirror Image, it acts like a spell that goes off of saves, not attacks - Mirror Image never protects you from, say, Toll the Dead, and likewise won't from Magic Missile, simply because Magic Missile doesn't involve targeting anything with an attack.
Say I cast Magic Missile at first level. The target is an enemy wizard and his 2 bodyguards. So I make each dart hit a different target.
In response the enemy wizard casts Shield. Does the shield stop all the missiles or only the missile cast at the enemy wizard?
Shield doesn't stop ANY of the missiles. You don't roll to hit for MM, they hit automatically, so shield would make no difference.
(edit: please see next answer from Trollga)
Ludo ergo sum!
Based on how the shield spell is written, any magic missiles targeting the wizard would not do any damage. However any missiles that target the body guards would do damage.
With the first level MM, you get 3 missiles and can choose a target for each (or focus them all on the same person).
If any target the wizard, his shield will protect him from damage.
If any target either bodyguard, they will do damage.
Wow. I learned something new today. Thanks Trollga :-)
Ludo ergo sum!
On the subject of MM, I've always been iffy on the targeting rules for the spell. So with three missiles, it can hit three different targets per casting.
If my players ever reach high enough to cast that many darts. Still, that is a pretty cool upcasting benefit.
Do you roll for damage for each dart or a single roll for all darts? I saw JC respond to a similar question but always want to get other people's opinions on the subject matter.
Is that so? That doesn't work in 5e.
My one-cent.
Reading the spell I can see how it could work if say firing three darts and the player choosing to redirect the attacks to a duplicate since any attack that hits a duplicate, auto-hit with MM, the duplicate is destroyed. While the caster does have an impact on who is targeted it is not a guarantee mowing down the duplicates but a decent strategy nonetheless.
There’s about 100 long angry thread on how to roll damage for MM. Personally, I agree with lyxen that RAW is that you roll once and it applies to all missiles, but at my table, we roll for each dart individually, because rolling dice is fun. But give it time, and I imagine others will come on with arguments that RAW is rolling for each missile individually.
I think what’s best is just decide what’s fun for your table and stick with it — treat PC and enemies the same and that’s really what matters.
The problem is that Mirror Image is very particular about only interacting with attacks (both for target redirection and for the images being destroyed), while Magic Missile's rules never describe it as an attack that automatically hits. The spell does say each dart hits a creature of your choice, but that doesn't necessarily imply they're using the word "hit" in the "successful attack" sense either. There's just enough ambiguity in the wording that you could make a weak argument for it, but not an open-and-shut case.
Personally I think it's in keeping with the spirit of both spells. If I remember my D&D history right Magic Missile originally required an attack roll; it functionally just shot a magic arrow ("force" wasn't a damage type back then so it was kind of implied the spell injured and killed you the same way as any other missile.) It only got its auto-hit property when one of the other TSR employees begged Gary Gygax for weeks, arguing that 1st level level magic users were so frail and had so little spells that if you missed your magic missile or failed to kill the target you were probably dead. Gary insisted that all offensive actions should have a chance of failure but ultimately caved.
Worth keeping in mind that Mirror Image also has weird interactions with grappling/shoving. It can redirect them since they're attacks, but the images don't get destroyed since there's no hit. I attribute that more to grappling/shoving having bad mechanics than Mirror Image being screwy though.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
First off..
Mm knows the target and seeks it. Hence why it bypasses mirror image. Because missiles knows the real target. Same thing happens against displacer beast.
Second thing...
Shield is not overboard considering the number of stuff that do not work with AC. I often played a character with 30+ ac... Yet that character has died on more then 1 occasion. Mainly because dex saves are a thing.also... Shield uses spell slots... Wizards should be hoarding slots. Not spending them every turns and then sleeping every fights.
So yeah... Logically... Both make sense.
DM of two gaming groups.
Likes to create stuff.
Check out my homebrew --> Monsters --> Magical Items --> Races --> Subclasses
If you like --> Upvote, If you wanna comment --> Comment
Play by Post Games
--> One Shot Adventure - House of Artwood (DM) (Completed)
Get a Wand of Magic Missiles, use all 7 charges to get 9 bolts from one use.
It doesn't stop any of the missiles - all of the missiles hit, and the one hitting the wizard deals no damage.
Xanathar's covers this - you can cast any spell on invalid targets, the spell just doesn't work (and still expends a spell slot, if appropriate). So e.g. you can cast Magic Missile on three humanoid figures in the fog, without realizing that two are just scarecrows (the mundane object, not the creature) and the third is that werewolf stalking you. The missiles targeting objects deal no damage at all (and in fact don't even hit to begin with), while the missile hitting the werewolf does do damage.
Same would apply here - for example, a wizard with mirror image up could legally target their own mirror images with magic missile (since they'd know the images are not them), the spell would just do nothing at all except waste a spell slot upon being cast.
More important to Magic Missile is that for the purposes of Mirror Image, it acts like a spell that goes off of saves, not attacks - Mirror Image never protects you from, say, Toll the Dead, and likewise won't from Magic Missile, simply because Magic Missile doesn't involve targeting anything with an attack.
Shoot...sorry but it does block it.