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Mirror Image (p260 PHB) Says:

Each time a creature targets you with an attack during the spell's duration, roll a d20 to determine whether the attack instead targets one of your duplicates....

....A duplicate can be destroyed only by an attack that hits it. It ignores all other damage and effects.

Power Word Spells (p266-267 PHB)say:

You utter a word of power that can compel one creature you can see within range...

...Otherwise, the spell has no effect.

I can see this going one of two ways.
Either Mirror image has priority and you roll to see if a reflection is targeted by the Power Word Spell in which case it has no effect.

OR

Power Word has priority and because you see the target even tho there are duplicates, the power word effect takes place and ignores mirror image.

Which is correct?

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Sam Lacrumb
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1 Answers1

10

Mirror Image and Power Word spells don't interact because Mirror Image requires you to be targeted by an attack and the Power Word spells aren't attacks.

Mirror Image states:

Each time a creature targets you with an attack...

From page 194 of the PHB:

If there's ever any question whether something you're doing counts as an attack, the rule is simple: if you're making an attack roll, you're making an attack.

The Power Word spells do not require an attack roll and thus aren't attacks, therefore Mirror Image doesn't come into play to stop the Power Word spells.

See also: Does Mirror Image affect spells that have no attack roll?

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Purple Monkey
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  • Right.. but how is casting a spell at someone with intent to kill.. not considered an attack? – Sam Lacrumb May 22 '20 at 11:19
  • @SamLacrumb The quote from the phb clarifies that: no attack roll means no attack – NotArch May 22 '20 at 11:53
  • Not really. what I interpret that quote to mean is that if there is an attack roll it is definitely an attack.
    Not if there is no attack roll it is not an attack.     – Sam Lacrumb May 22 '20 at 12:00
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    @SamLacrumb "Intent" isn't a game mechanic. See the questions linked in Someone_Evil's comment – Purple Monkey May 22 '20 at 12:09
  • Im not arguing that "intent" is a game mechanic. I am arguing that you are misinterpreting the quote on p194 of the phb.
    I think that quote is designed to stop people from trying to say something is not an attack when it actually is. Not trying to say that only things with attack rolls are attacks.     – Sam Lacrumb May 22 '20 at 13:36
  • @SamLacrumb The paragraph immediately preceding Purple Monkey's cited text states "3. Resolve the attack. You make the attack roll.", and the section immediately following the citation states "Attack Rolls When you make an attack, your attack role determines whether the attack hits or misses". Actions in Combat (PHB) outlines the actions a character can take in combat and lists Attack and Cast a spell separately. The spellcasting section (PHB) states that "Some spells require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether the spell effect hits the intended target." – Upper_Case May 22 '20 at 19:23
  • These favor Purple Monkey's position over yours. If you have a counterexample that clearly describes that any action targeting someone with the intent to hurt or kill them is defined as an attack, or a specific action that is explicitly defined as an attack, despite not involving an attack roll, that is not called an attack, that would give a lot of support to your position. If you're certain that Power Word Kill is an attack and are not open to suggestions that it isn't, then removing that portion of your question might help focus it on the information you're specifically after. – Upper_Case May 22 '20 at 20:02