Use Project Image for Mirror Image?

chimeric

Project Image is an opcode, Mirror Image is a spell. I suggest that we change MI to use multiple PI effects on the caster for a bunch of phantom copies. At the cost of messing with Simulacrum, an 8th-level spell that will only come in 2/3 of the way into Shadows of Amn, earlier with Beamdog's expansion. We can put different effects in SIMULACR.SPL: remove the tell-tale glow, put the image's hit points at 1, disable its spells or give it fake spells with fake saves (real rolls for empty effects), possibly assign it a script to follow for the enemies' version or make it a green-circled but uncontrollable creature when cast by the party. It could also be scripted to wink out as soon as attacked by anyone, which is closer to the original meaning of the spell. Of course, they'll still expend an attack or waste a spell on these. Make them ILLUSIONARY, too, and give undead, slimes and constructs protection from that creature type. Dispel Illusions on the party side would become more helpful also. I've tested that ability against ILLUSIONARY critters, and a success roll makes them vanish away.

What isn't closer to the original is that these images will behave differently rather than mimic the caster's movements, but then, I don't remember this mimicking in fantasy where I've met instances of this magic. Thoth-Amon's red-cloaked mirror apes didn't, though it's not quite the same.... These reflections are just impossible to tell apart, but they don't move as one. Wouldn't be much good if they did, methinks. But what MIGHT be useful here and cool is to script them all to shout and respond to the shout identically - for example, all attacking suddenly or all casting suddenly. Throw in a few incestuous effects 124, Dimension Door with "Exchange Source and Target," throw in some more every following round, and the player himself won't know which one is real! He'll have to figure out the real caster by his different actions before another exchange teleport next round!

I only took away the stupid glow for now, but here what it looks like. Where is Waldo?

kjeron

Balance:

Mirror Image is already one of the best level 2 spells, and your only making it stronger, so if anything I would suggest adding this as a new spell of at least 5th level. Illusionary image spells normally only create a single independently acting image, with spell level determining the degree of realism. You are creating several, even if they are destroyed when hit, they are still capable spell bait.

Mechanics:

I would use the Mislead image type instead of Simulacrum, it has easier to deal with hard-coded features.

There is no reason to scrap Simulacrum, or any other image spell, you can use the opcode without affecting the default spell. I have an rough example/explanation for it here, just rename all the files and resource fields (except "MISLEAD", leave exactly as is).

Effects I would suggest adding the to Image (these would be added to SPWI607A.SPL in my example):

• Change Level(96): Param1=1, Param2=Set(1), Timing=1
  Set level to '1', since Maximum HP cannot be set below a creatures HD/Level.
  
• Maximum Hit Points(18): Param1=1, Param2=Set(1), Timing=1
  Set Maximum hit points to '1'.
  
• Change AI type(72): Param1=WIZARD_EYE(210), Param2=CLASS(3), Timing=1
  The wizard eye class has no action-bar, so no concern about using abilities, though it can still attack when selected in a group and be scripted to cast fake spells.
  
• Protection from Creature(101): Param1=SLIME(119), Param2=RACE(4), Timing=9
  Undetectable by Oozes/slimes/jellies.
  
• Critical Hit Bonus(301): Param1=-20, Param2=0, Special=0, Timing=9
  Remove Critical Hit chance.
  
• Critical Miss Bonus(362): Param1=20, Param2=2, Special=0, Timing=9
  Every attack is critical miss, leaves APR intact so it can make phantom attacks.
  
• Immunity to Effect(102): Param2=Critical Hit Effect(301), Timing=9
  Prevent further application (new values override)
  
• Immunity to Effect(102): Param2=Critical Miss Effect(362), Timing=9
  Prevent further application (new values override)
  
• Remove effects by resource(321): Resource="MISLEAD" / "PROJIMAG" / "SIMULACR"
  Remove color changes and APR reduction from image spell.
  
• Remove effects by opcode(337): Param1=-1, Param2=Set Image Type(237)
  Remove images hardcoded effects from the caster. (Mislead-Invisible, Project-Paused, Simulacrum-None)
  
• Remove effects by opcode(337): Param1=-1, Param2=Use EFF File(177)
  
• Remove effects by opcode(337): Param1=-1, Param2=Use EFF File while Item Type equipped(183)
  
• Remove effects by opcode(337): Param1=-1, Param2=Cast Spell on Condition(232)
  
• Remove effects by opcode(337): Param1=-1, Param2=Use EFF file on Condition(272)
  Remove opcodes used to generate passive 'aura' effects, while leaving any visuals in place(opcode 215).
  
• Minimum HP(208): Param1=1, Timing=9
  Prevent a normal death.
  
• Cast Spell on Condition(232): Resource="DESTSELF", Timing=9
  Remove creature if it is hit. Don't actually use "DESTSELF.spl", used a renamed copy.
  

Refining the destroy on hit:

• Patch all single-target, non-'hostile' spells of secondary types (1/2/3/6/7/12/13) to not affect the Wizard Eye class. (this also fits with Wizard Eyes description)
  
• Patch all single-target, 'hostile' spells to destroy these images by targeting the WIZARD_EYE class. This would also affect the normal Wizard Eye, but as its always invisible, it should not be too much of an issue.
  
• Patch all area-effect damaging spells by adding:
  Immunity to Spell(206), Resource="DESTSELF", timing=0, duration=0.
  Again, don't actually use "DESTSELF.spl", but a renamed copy.
  

Flavor:

• I do not see why undead/constructs would be able to ignore the images - image spells are not mind-affecting. Oozes I would agree with, and any other naturally blind creature.
  
• As for the images moving exactly as the caster does, that is straight from PnP, another reason I would suggest adding this as a new, separate spell
  

chimeric said:

...and the player himself won't know which one is real! He'll have to figure out the real caster by his different actions before another exchange teleport next round!

While a nice idea, it wouldn't work.
Party members display tooltip HP as "Current/Max"
Images display tooltip HP as "Injured", "Near Death", "Badly Wounded", "Uninjured"

chimeric

I don't see how the images are not mind-affecting. They are hallucinations, like the rest of the stuff from the Illusion school, except phantasms. The PHB explanation of illusions is muddled, but even if illusions are semblances made of real energy (shouldn't that be Evocation?), undead are still widely immune to them. I don't see how MI could be excepted when, say, Phantasmal Force is included. I think the best all-around explanation for this school is "it's all in the (humanoid-like) mind." That's why undead, constructs and slimes, and most fiends, ignore illusions - they aren't blind, they just either don't have any minds to speak of or their minds are completely alien.

Your technical suggestions are mostly very good, thank you.

kjeron said:

While a nice idea, it wouldn't work.
Party members display tooltip HP as "Current/Max"
Images display tooltip HP as "Injured", "Near Death", "Badly Wounded", "Uninjured"

They would be "Uninjured" or nothing with just 1 hp maximum. But, of course, guessing would only come in against an AI-cast spell, the AI isn't going to guess about a party-cast MI. And all AI-controlled creatures display those generic labels, so there is no problem. I would only need to make images immune to area-of-effect damage spells like Fireball, Horrid Wilting and so on, or it would be too easy to do away with the lot of them with one blast. As for being clickbait, that's the point of the spell, isn't it? It creates copies that distract while the original does his villainy. Just because it's 2nd level doesn't mean it should be trivial. They just need really bad AC.

Repeating after the original - well, that's what it says in the PHB, but I don't see how that could work in practice. If all of them lunged with a sword, even at the same target, they would still stand at different angles, they would probably have to lean in more or less... Would they even reach? And I remember a more convincing description from Kevin Anderson's Gamearth trilogy. Those books are a sort of meta-D&D, and the Air Stone there could produce illusionary copies just as MI, it was probably taken from MI. The images did more or less the same thing as the caster, but not, I think, to the last detail, but as appropriate. Slashed, lunged, what not, so they really were confusing, whereas in these games we just pretend that they are. What I could try to do is script these clones to repeat after the caster when he starts casting something. That should be easy enough, if spells are patched with global spell state effects different for every school. All I would need for the images is a selection of fake spells with the right casting glows.

kjeron

Something I forgot about - helpless targets. They don't generate an attack roll, so no critical misses, and I don't know of any work around other than just not attacking them.

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chimeric

As implemented, Mislead is just crap, like Shadow Door... The AI with this spell - yes, of course I'm going to write the scripts for the images. No one will get to control them, not the player his either. A script is another thing to go inside SIMULACR or MISLEAD. They will look for signs of a spell being cast by the original and repeat with fakes of their own. If I can get the teleport to work, it should be confusing enough for the player. Enough for a bit of a challenge.

kjeron said:

Something I forgot about - helpless targets. They don't generate an attack roll, so no critical misses, and I don't know of any work around other than just not attacking them.

You lost me here.

kjeron

When the image attacks a helpless target, it will automatically hit. The critical miss effect I suggested cannot overcome this, nothing can, aside from not attacking such a target. You could have the image destroy itself if it strikes a helpless target, as everyone else would realize its a fake.

Mislead certainly isn't a crappy spell, it just a crappy image spell, but its not really used as such. It's more a Superior Invisibility spell than an image spell.

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kjeron

subtledoctor said:

Can't you simply set the images' APR to zero?

I was trying to propose a method that would allow it to attack, to help maintain the illusion of which is real/fake, but if they're going to be teleporting all over the place I guess it wouldn't matter.

Pokota

Maybe call it "Harry's Harrying Hallucination?"

chimeric

kjeron said:

subtledoctor said:

Can't you simply set the images' APR to zero?

I was trying to propose a method that would allow it to attack, to help maintain the illusion of which is real/fake, but if they're going to be teleporting all over the place I guess it wouldn't matter.

Only at the end of the round. In-between let them attack. I can script them not to touch helpless targets. Also we could substitute SetSequence(SEQ_ATTACK) for any real attack, though it wouldn't work so well with darts, sling bullets... Then again, absence of a projectile can be another clue for the player.