[RPG] Does a barbarian’s rage end if they attack an illusion of a creature

attackbarbariandnd-5eillusionrage

Here is the pertinent wording of the Rage feature:

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked
unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile
creature since your last turn or taken damage since then.

Bobby the Barbarian is enraged. He attacks a nearby goblin at the end of his turn. Unfortunately this goblin turns out to be a silent image created by Presto the Wizard. Assuming Bobby has attacked no other creature nor taken any damage since his last turn, does his rage end?

Best Answer

RAW, yes.

An illusion is not a creature. The rule is clear that Bobby must attack a hostile creature, or take damage, to maintain his rage.

Spirit of the Rule

If Bobby does not know that what he is attacking is an illusion, and not a hostile creature, then how is that any different, from Bobby's point of view, from actually attacking a hostile creature? If anything, learning that what he just attacked is not what he thought he was attacking ought to increase Bobby's rage. As a DM, I would rule that attacking an illusion that the barbarian believes is a hostile creature is sufficient to maintain the barbarian's rage.