I am fixing empowered and maximized mirror image for Temple+. I wanted to get some thoughts about how to handle empower. Here is the spell description: https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mirrorImage.htm The description says there is a maximum of eight images. This could be applied before or after empowerment resulting in a final maximum or either 8 or 12. My thought is to go with 8 but I wanted to see what other people thought.
So it creates, "1d4 images plus one image per three caster levels (maximum eight images total)" and its the 1d4 that gets empowered? Yeah, I think up to 8 makes sense. Tricky one.
As usual, it's fertile grounds for rules lawyering... https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2qqsl?Can-you-empower-mirror-image IMO it should be 12. Aside from the arguments provided up there, to give it extra utility at higher levels (otherwise empower is pretty pointless past level 14).
They effectively make the point that it becomes 1.5 images per 3 CLs, but the argument for whether this trumps the cap can still go either way. I certainly wouldn't complain if it was 12, there is common sense to that, but I still think the cap is the cap.
Well, for my half-penny input. An Empowered Magic Missile does 1d4+1d2+1 foe 3-7 points. Empower just applies to the die roll, in this case 1d4, so an empowered mirror image would be 1d4+1d2+1/3 levels to a maximum of 8 for this level of a spell. Now, if you where to heighten it to raise the spell LEVEL the cap would theoretically be raised as per the rules for spell maximums and has anyone seen my mind?
@Sitra Achara Empowered magic missile does (d4+1) * 1.5 damage per missile. Empowered mirror image should likewise have its maximum number of images increased by 50%.
Why? Does an Empowered Magic Missile get more than the "maximum of five missiles at 9th level or higher"? Actually, Sitra's link shows that the x50% includes 'bonus numbers', so becomes '+1.5 / 3 levels'. They link to an official FAQ on the matter.
I have never relied on the FAQ for rules clarifications. Note that an Empowered fireball does a maximum of 90 damage (10d6 * 1.5, or the equivalent of 15d6) and an Empowered false life gives (d10 temporary HP + 1 temporary HP per CL (max +10) ) * 1.5 total temporary HP to a maximum of 30. Mirror image should also have an increased maximum (12 images).
People who do can ignore your opinions then. That's a better argument. Where are you getting this from? I mean, is that what currently happens in ToEE? EDIT: I am testing this in ToEE (where I have a pre-rolled Sorcerer with False Life for reasons I don't remember) - Sitra / Doug, some of these 'Temp HP' spells were bugged, did this one get changed in Temple+? 2nd EDIT: Ok, my testing suggests this is not true for Co8 ToEE (I got a 14 with a 12th level Sorcerer) but IS true for Temple+ (I got a 24 with a 7th lvl Wizard), I take it there was a fix implemented? So what were the criteria? Surely just follow the same logic for consistency?
Temple+ fixes empowered false life. It is not ambiguous how it should work. The max is for the bonus not the overall result. Mirror image aplies a max to the final number of images so it is confusing how empower should apply. I am now leaning toward going with 12 maximum images for empower.
I get the distinction, but there seems to be a consensus among these various spells that Empower overrides maximums (or increases them 1.5). If you go with 12 I doubt anyone will complain.
The cap of 8 images is not a "variable numberical effect", therefore not subject to an increase of 50% only the 1d4 is a variable numberical effect. An Empowered Mirror Image generates 1d4 x 1.5 images +1/3 caster levels to a max of 8 images. A 7th level caster (+2 images) would hit the cap of 8 if you roll a 4, for 6 additional images.
