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| Description |
Wondrous item, very rare When this 4-foot-tall mirror is viewed indirectly, its surface shows faint images of creatures. The mirror weighs 50 pounds, and it has AC 11, 10 hit points, and vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. It shatters and is destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points. If the mirror is hanging on a vertical surface and you are within 5 feet of it, you can use an action to speak its command word and activate it. It remains activated until you use an action to speak the command word again. Any creature other than you that sees its reflection in the activated mirror while within 30 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be trapped, along with anything it is wearing or carrying, in one of the mirror’s twelve extradimensional cells. This saving throw is made with advantage if the creature knows the mirror’s nature, and constructs succeed on the saving throw automatically. An extradimensional cell is an infinite expanse filled with thick fog that reduces visibility to 10 feet. Creatures trapped in the mirror’s cells don’t age, and they don’t need to eat, drink, or sleep. A creature trapped within a cell can escape using magic that permits planar travel. Otherwise, the creature is confined to the cell until freed. If the mirror traps a creature but its twelve extradimensional cells are already occupied, the mirror frees one trapped creature at random to accommodate the new prisoner. A freed creature appears in an unoccupied space within sight of the mirror but facing away from it. If the mirror is shattered, all creatures it contains are freed and appear in unoccupied spaces near it. While within 5 feet of the mirror, you can use an action to speak the name of one creature trapped in it or call out a particular cell by number. The creature named or contained in the named cell appears as an image on the mirror’s surface. You and the creature can then communicate normally. In a similar way, you can use an action to speak a second command word and free one creature trapped in the mirror. The freed creature appears, along with its possessions, in the unoccupied space nearest to the mirror and facing away from it. |
|---|---|
| Source | Dungeon Master’s Guide 🛒 |
| Rarity | Very Rare |
| Category | Wondrous Items |
| Full rules | open5e.com ↗ |
The Mirror of Life Trapping is one of the most fascinating and simultaneously dangerous magic items in Dungeons & Dragons. This 4-foot-tall mirror may appear like an ordinary wall mirror at first glance, but closer inspection reveals its true nature: looking at it indirectly, one can make out faint images of creatures – the prisoners in its twelve extradimensional cells.
Function and Activation
The mirror must hang on a vertical surface and can only be activated by its owner. With a command word, the harmless piece of furniture transforms into a deadly trap. Any creature (except the activator) that sees its reflection in the activated mirror while within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be trapped along with their equipment in one of the twelve cells.
Particularly insidious: creatures that know the mirror’s nature gain advantage on the saving throw, but few will get this opportunity. Constructs are immune to the trap – an important detail for Dungeon Masters employing mechanical guardians.
The Extradimensional Prisons
The mirror’s cells are endless, mist-shrouded spaces with only 10 feet of visibility. Prisoners don’t age, need no food, drink, or sleep – a kind of timeless limbo. Escape is only possible through powerful magic that enables travel between planes. This makes the mirror a perfect prison for powerful enemies or important NPCs.
The owner can communicate with prisoners by calling their names or stating a cell number. The creature’s image then appears on the mirror’s surface. With a second command word, prisoners can also be freed – they appear facing away from the mirror in the nearest unoccupied space.
Important Changes in the 2024 Edition
The new version brings some significant improvements: the mirror is now immune to poison and psychic damage, making it more resistant to certain attacks. The biggest change, however, is the warning about extradimensional spaces: placing the mirror in a Bag of Holding or Portable Hole destroys both items and opens a gate to the Astral Plane – a catastrophic effect that sucks all creatures within 10 feet into the Astral Plane.
Use at the Gaming Table
For Dungeon Masters, the Mirror of Life Trapping offers countless possibilities: as a trap in a dungeon, as a villain’s prison for important NPCs, or as a moral dilemma – what does the group do with captured enemies? The Dungeon Master’s Guide 🛒 contains further details about this fascinating item.
The twelve-cell limitation creates dramatic decisions: when the mirror is full and traps a new creature, a random prisoner is released. This can lead to unexpected twists when suddenly an old enemy or long-forgotten NPC reappears and influences events.
This article was created using AI, based on data from the 5e-database project (D&D 5e System Reference Document, licensed under CC BY 4.0).
