Wish (Wizard Spell)

The wish spell is a more potent version of a limited wish. If it is used to alter reality with respect to damage sustained by a party, to bring a dead creature to life, or to escape from a difficult situation by lifting the spellcaster (and his party) from one place to another, it will not cause the wizard any disability. Other forms of wishes, however, cause the spellcaster to weaken (-3 on Strength) and require 2d4 days of bed rest due to the stresses the wish places upon time, space, and his body. Regardless of what is wished for, the exact terminology of the wish spell is likely to be carried out. Casting a wish spell ages the caster five years.
Discretionary power of the DM is necessary in order to maintain game balance. For example, wishing another creature dead is grossly unfair; the DM might well advance the spellcaster to a future period in which the creature is no longer alive, effectively putting the wishing character out of the campaign.
==High-Level Campaigns Book Notes==
Wish: Most uses of this spell lower the caster's Strength/Stamina score by three points and force the caster to take to his bed for 2d4 days. Lost Strength/Stamina returns at the end of the rest period. If the caster's Strength score falls to 0 or less, he loses consciousness until he has rested.
A wish essentially allows the user to change reality to suit his tastes. The alteration, however, can have unintended consequences, especially if the wish is poorly worded or the caster gets greedy. Generally, the more local and personal the effect, the less chance there is for complications. Adjudicating this spell is tricky, as the DM must be sure to give the players results that reflect the power of the wish, but not so much that the players come to rely on wishes to solve all their problems. A wish can always duplicate any spell of 9th level or less.
To avoid the bed rest and Strength/Stamina loss associated with a wish spell, the caster must effect a change that does not leave him better off than before the events that preceded the wish. For example, if the wizard's party was defeated by a powerful monster, the caster could wish that they had never met the creature. This change in reality brings his companions back to life as if the encounter had never occurred. The caster ages five years, but he does not have to rest for 2d4 days from the wish since he is not in a better position than before the events occurred.
If the caster wished for his party to return but the monster to remain dead, he would be subject to the debilitative effects, since the creature being dead is considered an advantage that the spellcaster did not have before the events occurred. Any time a wish creates an advantage for the caster the loss of Strength and the 2d4 days of bed rest occurs.
The effective power of a wish is based upon the availability of money and magical items in your campaign world. If these are in abundance, the power of the wish is enhanced. Likewise, in a world where money and magical items are scarce, the power of a wish is reduced. As DM, you need to determine the relative power of a wish in your world. Here are a few guidelines for a world that has a moderate amount of wealth and magical items:
A wish can produce a magical item but not an artifact. To avoid suffering bed rest and Strength loss, the caster should place a limit on the length of time the item is kept, typically about one hour. The item isn't actually created, it's just borrowed and goes back where it came from when the duration expires. If the item is particularly rare or valuable, or has been borrowed before, the true owner might resent the loan.
A wish can bring the user wealth. The DM should decide how much a character can wish for without trouble. The amount gained should be significant but not so great as to disrupt the game. For most campaigns, a random amount of 5,000 to 40,000 gp (5d8x1,000) shouldn't cause problems.
A wish can change a character's race permanently, allowing an elf to become a human and advance without level limitations. Alternatively, that same elf could wish to advance in level like a human, but he could at most gain one level per wish. Each time he wanted to advance in level, he would have to cast another wish to allow it to occur.
A wish can usually negate or change events that the user finds undesirable—this is why wishes are part of the AD&D game. A wish used to alter a campaign's history should be immediate—made on the spot or very soon after the event to be altered took place. Wishes that allow player characters a second chance to achieve a goal after an unlucky failure or disastrous mistake should be allowed, as long as the terms of the wish don't guarantee success.
When assigning consequences to poorly worded or inappropriate wishes, it is best to follow two guidelines: First, the errant wish should follow the player's wording to the letter. Second, the result should follow the path of least resistance; that is, the result should involve the simplest and least complex warping of reality. For example, a greedy character who tries to wish for a staff of the magi might very well find himself standing naked and alone, staff in hand, in front of the staff's former owner (perhaps a dragon or lich). Escaping from the former owner and returning home is the character's problem.
As with limited wish, the unnatural aging caused by the spell is dependent upon the race of the caster; five years for a human, 10 years for a halfling or half-elf, 15 years for a dwarf, 20 years for a gnome, and 25 years for an elf. The aging requires a system shock roll, and failure results in death for the caster.
Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master Guide discusses the effects of wishes on ability scores, and additional information can also be found in The Complete Wizard's Handbook.
Category:Wizard Spells
Category:Spells from Players Handbook
Category:Spells
Category:Spells from Wizard's Spell Compendium