General Question about Mirror Image Spell

[Larry_OHF]

If a mage casts Mirror Image...and has some still on the field after the battle has taken some away...if he casts the spell a second time will that negate the remaining images of the previous spell or will it add to the ones that are left?

This is a general question and not related to any particular CRPG.
I do not have a game loaded on my PC that I could test it out in.

Please advise.

If there is a difference of opinion, I will take the higher vote.

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

I would certainly say the others would be wiped, as this is what happens in BG.

[Bungleau]

I would expect that it would continue as a second spell, resulting in multiple mirror images.

[Morgeruat]

I as well would say that it stacks, but be wary of the original duration, once that's up, the first images (if not already gone) would go.

btw the images would wink out in random order from attacks, not first spell first, then the images from the second spell.

[ 02-02-2005, 09:33 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

[VulcanRider]

Originally posted by Morgeruat: I as well would say that it stacks, but be wary of the original duration, once that's up, the first images (if not already gone) would go. btw the images would wink out in random order from attacks, not first spell first, then the images from the second spell.

My thoughts exactly...

[Marty4]

I would say that it replaces the old spell, though I don't remember a situation. If you could stack mirror images, think of the abuse! Would your mage ever be hit again?

[Q'alooaith]

there's always a chance that the mage himself will be hit, and area of effect spell's hit all of the copys at once, effectively disspelling them all and causing harm to the mage..

BG1, you have to take out all the images before you can hit the mage, BG2 you can hit the mage even if he has images left..

I think BG1 it replaces, and BG2 it stop's further casting of the same spell intill the images of the first are gone..

Dunno what your asking though.

[Cerek]

Very interesting question, Larry. In ALL of my years of PnP, I can honostly say this is one situation that NEVER came up in a game. I had some players argue about their mage being hit while the M.I. was still in effect, but I never had one actually try to "stack" the spells.

My initial gut reaction as a DM was that it would cancel the first spell and still only give you the normal allotted number of images, but I agree with Morgeruat and VulcanRider. The second spell would add extra images in addition to those left over from the first.

The images would be "eliminated" in random order if they took damage, but the ones left over from the first spell would also "blink out" once the duration was up.

[Larry_OHF]

Thanks alot fellas! I got what I needed out of this post.

[Nerull]

Actually, if you base it on what was given as an example for charm person in the rule books (I'd have to unpack the things to find the page number, since I'm moving around rooms in the house right now), the second spell does replace the first. They use charm person as the example, but state that if someone is affected by a spell with a duration, and someone casts an identical spell on that person, then the second spell replaces the first. And it makes sense, otherwise you have players filling all of their second level slots with mirror image, and creating an army of images.