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Zelkon
2012-11-25, 06:23 PM
What's the most creative wish you can think of? I just drew the Moon card in the Deck of Many Things, and I want to do something cool.

Anderlith
2012-11-25, 06:27 PM
Wish for the moon. Literally. Ownership of the moon & a house on it, & a way to get there. Be careful of the wording & getting everything covered in one wish. That way you don't end up being smashed to fine pink mist when the moon drops from orbit

Amidus Drexel
2012-11-25, 06:33 PM
Get something that's not too over-the-top (it might be a good idea to ask your DM what that is). Elaborate wishes typically end badly.

Excession
2012-11-25, 06:50 PM
Blessed +2 Gray Dragon Scale Mail. :smallwink:

There's a cookie for you if you get the reference.

Water_Bear
2012-11-25, 07:37 PM
Make a Wish for something which comes with it's own drawback, and a reasonable one, and is limited in scope; that way it has the best chance of working, and the game can move forward beyond it.

For example, wishing to be immortal is always going to be a pain; either the Wish will be twisted ("I wish to never have to age" *Turned to Stone*) or it will be an over-worded monster where if the DM doesn't figure out a loophole it makes the character unplayably powerful. But the Wish "I wish that I'll never die so long as I can find another willing to die in my place" does the same thing without being too powerful, and generates interesting RP opportunities ("The one who sacrifices themselves... is your wife!" Dum dum dum!).

So what does your character want, and what sorts of limitations would be fun from an RP perspective?

Zelkon
2012-11-25, 07:56 PM
Make a Wish for something which comes with it's own drawback, and a reasonable one, and is limited in scope; that way it has the best chance of working, and the game can move forward beyond it.

For example, wishing to be immortal is always going to be a pain; either the Wish will be twisted ("I wish to never have to age" *Turned to Stone*) or it will be an over-worded monster where if the DM doesn't figure out a loophole it makes the character unplayably powerful. But the Wish "I wish that I'll never die so long as I can find another willing to die in my place" does the same thing without being too powerful, and generates interesting RP opportunities ("The one who sacrifices themselves... is your wife!" Dum dum dum!).

So what does your character want, and what sorts of limitations would be fun from an RP perspective?

I have two wishes. I was thinking a wish that effected almost everyone in the most minor way.

LibraryOgre
2012-11-25, 08:03 PM
From a metacharacter standpoint, ask your DM how common stories about wishes being fouled up are. Can your character think of one or two variations of "monkey's paw" or "Funny, that was your FIRST wish" kinds of stories?

Why? Because if your character knows them, that means that wishes are likely to get messed around with if you're not careful.

Personally, I'd bank it. There will be a time when you need it. Alternatively, think about what your character wants. Why's he adventuring? What goal does he want to accomplish? Is it "fortune and glory"? To avenge a death? To become a God? Ask for what he wants.

TheCountAlucard
2012-11-25, 08:25 PM
Blessed +2 Gray Dragon Scale Mail. :smallwink:

There's a cookie for you if you get the reference.Nethack, but you might also wish that the GDSM is greased/fixed.

1337 b4k4
2012-11-25, 08:43 PM
Wish to bring Sir Osric back to life.

Zelkon
2012-11-25, 08:59 PM
From a metacharacter standpoint, ask your DM how common stories about wishes being fouled up are. Can your character think of one or two variations of "monkey's paw" or "Funny, that was your FIRST wish" kinds of stories?

Why? Because if your character knows them, that means that wishes are likely to get messed around with if you're not careful.

Personally, I'd bank it. There will be a time when you need it. Alternatively, think about what your character wants. Why's he adventuring? What goal does he want to accomplish? Is it "fortune and glory"? To avenge a death? To become a God? Ask for what he wants.

He wants divine knowledge, so being a god wouldn't hurt.

Acanous
2012-11-25, 09:00 PM
Wish for a Clone of yourself if you're worried about death.
Wish for an adult pet (Animal/magical beast/something else your handle animal would cover)
Pick something nice.
Wish for the ability to turn a pound of Lead into gold once per day as an Ex ability.

TheCountAlucard
2012-11-25, 09:16 PM
Folk tales make for fun inspiration. Wish to always have exactly as much money as you need, never more, never less. :smallwink:

EDIT: Or, if it's divine knowledge you're after, wish to speak with the gods.

Man on Fire
2012-11-25, 09:21 PM
Wish for happy ending. Just that and nothing more. GM will have to get creative.

Wish for Deck of Many Things to create a paradox.

Gildedragon
2012-11-25, 09:27 PM
For divine knowledge, wish for an item like the "Scrolls of Uncertain Provenance" (MIC 183), maybe with a higher bonus to knowledge checks, depending on what level you are at.

Water_Bear
2012-11-25, 09:31 PM
Wish for Deck of Many Things to create a paradox.

"I wish that you don't grant this wish."

Zelkon
2012-11-25, 09:48 PM
"I wish that you don't grant this wish."

I already wished for a deck of many things with only moon cards. He perverted it jokingly and gave me back the wishes.

1337 b4k4
2012-11-25, 09:53 PM
Wish for happy ending. Just that and nothing more. GM will have to get creative.

Or things will get really awkward...

Anderlith
2012-11-25, 10:53 PM
Wish to die when the world does. It may be a little evil to your DM to have your life tied to the campaign world, but you could always try

Excession
2012-11-25, 11:06 PM
Nethack, but you might also wish that the GDSM is greased/fixed.

I award you one blessed fortune cookie:

"They say that wiping its face is impossible for a floating eye."

Techsmart
2012-11-25, 11:13 PM
Wish for the moon. Literally. Ownership of the moon & a house on it, & a way to get there. Be careful of the wording & getting everything covered in one wish. That way you don't end up being smashed to fine pink mist when the moon drops from orbit

I could see this resulting in dm silliness
"I wish for the moon!"
"3 days remain..."

hmmm.... an interesting wish... I would wish for an orb that emits light in an unusual pattern that, when hung from a ceiling, casts otto's irresistable dance on everything in the room. It also gives everyone afros, regardless of age, gender, or species.

Gildedragon
2012-11-26, 12:36 AM
...an orb that emits light in an unusual pattern that, when hung from a ceiling, casts otto's irresistable dance on everything in the room. It also gives everyone afros, regardless of age, gender, or species.

And that ought to go into the "Useless but fun magic Items" thread...

Incorrect
2012-11-26, 05:18 AM
Wish for an unexpected friend :smallsmile:
The Gm will have to surprise you in a pleasant way.

Medic!
2012-11-26, 05:24 AM
Wish to bring Sir Osric back to life.

10 points for the reference!

I'm guilty of the same thing, using wishes to resurrect NPCs or benefit villages, etc (Going for story-wishes as opposed to using them to gain power)

My other favorite wish is getting Inherent Bonuses to your Ability Scores. Well within the scope of the Wish spell and perfectly safe, as opposed to the rest of the table spending 3 hours coming up with the "Perfectly Worded OP Wish."

Talking with your DM is a great idea before burning your Wishes too, to see what kind of things he/she is comfortable with. Wishing for an artifact, SLAs, Su or Ex abilities, magic items, money, etc. Rule 0.5 - don't try to pull one over on the DM, let him/her in on your plan to avoid surprises on both ends!

Zelkon
2012-11-26, 07:09 AM
EDIT: didn't even mean to post.

NichG
2012-11-26, 08:08 AM
Most creative wish? Hmm... Non-personal wishes can be very interesting, but you need a DM who is willing to jump on new plotlines and run with them. For example, "I wish for there to be a new kind of magic in the world", "I wish that each person would meet their soulmate at some point in their lives", "I wish that all people would be able to foresee the time and circumstances of their death.", "I wish for the birth of one who will eventually teach humanity how to stand side by side with the gods", "I wish all vampires would no longer need to consume blood", etc.

There are lots of potential consequences of those that could be fun to explore.

North_Ranger
2012-11-26, 09:18 AM
Wish to bring Sir Osric back to life.

Please place your fist against the computer screen, so I may give you respect knuckles.

Ooooohhh... wishes. Definitely not something I'd give my group. Hmmm... Maybe wish for an everlasting potion of cure critical wounds, off the top of my hat.

"Granted."

Hey, what's this balancing on my heOHMYGODCATCHIT!

*sound of breaking glass*

Goddammit...

Crazyfailure13
2012-11-26, 10:54 AM
wish for a lamp that that summons a friendly wish granting djinn.

Kelb_Panthera
2012-11-26, 11:01 AM
Either pick something from the safe-list or something completely cosmetic that can't affect the game. Anything else is just asking for trouble.

If you're still drawing from the deck, might I suggest you wish that the next unpleasant result from the deck be negated.

invinible
2012-11-26, 11:09 AM
I wish that Jupiter danced in the moonlight with 524288 chickens carrying broadswords each with a different beneficial enchantment.

Jay R
2012-11-26, 11:17 AM
"I wish that Decks of Many Things never exist in this world again."

They're game-breakers.

docnessuno
2012-11-26, 11:34 AM
Considering how your DM twisted the "moon card" wish, i'd wish either for the sun card (if you are low-level) or the Fates (proably the most powerful card in the whole deck).

TheCountAlucard
2012-11-26, 12:25 PM
wish for a lamp that that summons a friendly wish granting djinn.Preferably not one played by Robin Williams, though.

Arranis Thelmos
2012-11-26, 12:25 PM
Wish to bring Sir Osric back to life.

"You could have become a god! But you wasted it on a stupid NPC!"

Anyway, thanks for the reference. That made my day. :smallsmile:

I'd wish that I'd take on the traits of whatever I put on a DnD character sheet, only if I wanted it though.

Kelb_Panthera
2012-11-26, 02:18 PM
Preferably not one played by Robin Williams, though.

I don't know. That character was a bit of a dork, sure, but he was almost unfailingly helpful.

Of course, I'm a fan of Robin Williams so I may have a bit of bias there.

HunterColt22
2012-11-26, 02:20 PM
From a metacharacter standpoint, ask your DM how common stories about wishes being fouled up are. Can your character think of one or two variations of "monkey's paw" or "Funny, that was your FIRST wish" kinds of stories?

Why? Because if your character knows them, that means that wishes are likely to get messed around with if you're not careful.

Personally, I'd bank it. There will be a time when you need it. Alternatively, think about what your character wants. Why's he adventuring? What goal does he want to accomplish? Is it "fortune and glory"? To avenge a death? To become a God? Ask for what he wants.

This, all kinds of this. :smallannoyed: We had our game session last night and our party was retrieving a child from a Demon, who had a contract with our captains (we were playing our cohorts at this juncture.), somehow gets to make one of our players (she is relatively new to D&D but a wish from a demon that screams evil should be a clue not to take it), does so to complete the mission faster. All the demon does after he grants the wish is scream "Monkey's Paw!" At the party and disappear. In game character's are confused by what that means. Out of game I am wanting to just say to the player you poor poor fool. Later I do say this because they have no idea what that reference is too. I wept sadly to myself in the car ride home that night for the torture that character is going to have in the near future. :smallbiggrin:

Arranis Thelmos
2012-11-27, 09:51 AM
This, all kinds of this. :smallannoyed: We had our game session last night and our party was retrieving a child from a Demon, who had a contract with our captains (we were playing our cohorts at this juncture.), somehow gets to make one of our players (she is relatively new to D&D but a wish from a demon that screams evil should be a clue not to take it), does so to complete the mission faster. All the demon does after he grants the wish is scream "Monkey's Paw!" At the party and disappear. In game character's are confused by what that means. Out of game I am wanting to just say to the player you poor poor fool. Later I do say this because they have no idea what that reference is too. I wept sadly to myself in the car ride home that night for the torture that character is going to have in the near future. :smallbiggrin:

Please tell us what what happens to the poor fellow when they find out the hard way!

Grelna the Blue
2012-11-27, 11:53 AM
Most creative, I don't know. Most useful is highly campaign dependent. But one option to consider I did not see suggested is wishing for a permanent extra feat.

There are already items that grant feats. Of course, they usually take up slots. If such an item were made slotless it would cost double, but still usually be considerably less than the 25,000 gp limit a normal Wish can provide (in 3.5). But a feat that isn't dependent on an item at all and that cannot be stolen or sundered away from you--that sounds as if it could be Wish-worthy.

Blightedmarsh
2012-11-27, 12:18 PM
I wish that all characters baring the mark of the Mary-sue from now until the end of time will be given three warnings to mend their unholy ways. Failure to do so will inflict a life changing effect from the "Fate of wonder" chart in progressively severe ways until their final ironic doom.

HunterColt22
2012-11-27, 01:00 PM
Please tell us what what happens to the poor fellow when they find out the hard way!

Not even the best part of this whole debacle. First off the child was taken by the demon legitimately by the demon because it had a contract with the father (a druid) who signed it to get a wish that would make him more charismatic. So child, right after it is born, is whisked away, and because the dumb druid couldn't read the contract or cared to after it was made, signed away his right to it, along with it's mothers and anyone viewing the signing of the contract, rest of the party, could not do anything about it. Thus it fell to cohorts to get it back.

This isn't even the worst part of that situation, my cohort is a Knight/Paladin/Grey Guard, you can see where this is going probably :smallannoyed:. We get there, and he tries to give us wishes also, My character being the leader somewhat say bugger off... We make it through the dungeon to get him, and when we get there, he is by a portal with the child, mocking us, and obviously very cocky about his position. he then draws up another contract to null and void his previous one, since the child by birth is now half demon (stipulated by the first contract, and thus not able to be changed.)

So he says if we sign this contract he will let the child return to us, no strings attached, to grow up and then later in life when it can make a decision on it's own, it will choose to walk the path of light or dark. The group argues over this and if we should do it. The two big proponents of the argument are myself (Lawful Good mind you), and a Lawful Neutral Artificer (Using ratfolk race from Pathfinder.)

We argue, she yammers about free choice and how we should sign the contract so the child can get it, and how FREEDOM of choice is sacred and should never EVER BE TAKEN AWAY.. While I agree, I say at this point it doesn't matter because the child had no choice in being taken in the first place and that the demon took him for a reason, and is willing to give him back to us without his interference (per new contract), FOR A REASON. Eventually it escalates and my character just yells at her to leave if that is the case, and she goes on to a balcony. More convincing is tried by the demon to the rest of us (Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, and Chaotic Good) We are eventually ready to fight, and possibly risk our own lives and that of the town for the child, and to stop this demon from completing his plan to his liking and best interest. When suddenly the ratfolk screams "I'll take that wish." Immediately signs a contract drawn up for her only, giving up her first set of children to have my character sign the other contract to retrieve the child when my character under no circumstances was going to sign it due to beliefs, religion, and that demon has an ulterior motive, and what transpired in her history. She signs it, and time plays back to the opening point of the newer contract about the child, and my character signs as if no debate ever came up. Other post information comes about yadda yadda.

I now sit happily in my seat at the table waiting for the horrors about to fall on her head, and the chance for my character to say, when this calamity occurs, and then during or after the fall out if she ever finds out what the ratfolk did, she gets to "Blood ****** told you so. :smallamused: also fyi, you are my new shield. :smallamused:" Out of game we are all friends, and this just makes me laugh at the poor misfortune our newbie has as an introduction to the game, only her second or third month playing, with only about a session or two a week.

Arranis Thelmos
2012-11-27, 05:49 PM
Sweet mercy...this will be so hilarious! :smallamused:

Domriso
2012-11-28, 12:42 AM
One wish I've always wanted to make was to get a simple metal box. It is solid, cannot be opened, and is utterly ordinary, except for one thing: heat goes in, but doesn't come out.

Effectively, the box has heat energy pass into it as normal, but it never has heat pass out of it. Obvious things would be that it would be extremely cold (not absolute zero, but close, due to fun things physics does), it would suck all the heat out of the area, and it would, presumably, noticeably in weight, as the heat technically would increase its mass.

I rarely actually play in campaigns, even less so in high enough powered games to get a wish, but it's always intrigued me how the DM would handle this kind of wish.

nedz
2012-11-28, 12:47 AM
If you are playing with a Deck, then you should bank them.
Well you should save them in any case — for when you really need them.


Most creative, I don't know. Most useful is highly campaign dependent. But one option to consider I did not see suggested is wishing for a permanent extra feat.

Careful - or you will end up with Toughness, or Skill Focus in something not too useful, or worse.

Fable Wright
2012-11-28, 07:11 AM
Wishing for the Fates power would probably be the best use of the Wish.

Divination, as a spell-like ability once per day or week, may also be useful; it's not going to be as twisted, grants divine insight, and is generally handy to have around.

The best wish would probably be a Donut, with white frosting and sprinkles, no jelly, fresh from a Chicago Bakery.

Water_Bear
2012-11-28, 09:08 AM
Careful - or you will end up with Toughness, or Skill Focus in something not too useful, or worse.

PC: "I wish for a free Feat!"
DM: "It is done. Congrats on your new Focused Lexicon."
PC: *Reads Tome of Magic*
...
DM: "Ow ow, stop throwing dice at my head!"

nedz
2012-11-28, 10:27 AM
PC: "I wish for a free Feat!"
DM: "It is done. Congrats on your new Focused Lexicon."
PC: *Reads Tome of Magic*
...
DM: "Ow ow, stop throwing dice at my head!"

PC: "I wish for a free Feat!"
DM: "GRANTED! You now have the feat Corrupt Spell."
PC: *Reads Champions of Ruin* "But that feat is only available to Evil characters"
DM:
PC: "And I'm a Paladin"
DM: "Perhaps you ought to take a look at the Blackguard class"

Kelb_Panthera
2012-11-28, 11:26 AM
It's unfortunate, but twisted wishing is probably the single most tempting bit of the game for the D-bag DM in us all.

Might have something to do with the fact that nearly every culture in the world has a "careful what you wish for" expression accompanied by at least one cautionary tale.

Anderlith
2012-11-28, 12:18 PM
The best wish would probably be a Donut, with white frosting and sprinkles, no jelly, fresh from a Chicago Bakery.

Only if it lets you flee from a "weregoat" encounter ;)

nedz
2012-11-28, 12:58 PM
It's unfortunate, but twisted wishing is probably the single most tempting bit of the game for the D-bag DM in us all.

Might have something to do with the fact that nearly every culture in the world has a "careful what you wish for" expression accompanied by at least one cautionary tale.

Oh — I wouldn't grant pervert the wish as I described, and I suspect the OP's DM wouldn't — it's just a cautionary tale.

NichG
2012-11-28, 02:33 PM
A bit of an aside on the Corrupt Spell feat wish example: I had a really awful plane in one of my campaigns that could mess around with build details if you were exposed too long. A creature from that plane attacked people by forcibly giving them the Blessed of Tem-Et-Nu feat, which, unlike most feats, causes an interdimensional hippo to bite you if you ever fail to meet the prereqs.

Kelb_Panthera
2012-11-28, 09:55 PM
Oh — I wouldn't grant pervert the wish as I described, and I suspect the OP's DM wouldn't — it's just a cautionary tale.

I see what you did there. :smallamused:

But that's just one of my little ticks. I tend to be a bit distrustful of people I don't know. Blame it on my general lack of faith in humanity.

In my mind, any wish that's not both on the safe-list and being cast by the person making the wish is taking your life in your hands and then doing a "trust fall" toward a guy whose entire job in this game is to try and give you a tough time without actually killing you.

Between that and the general tendency to twist wishes because it -is- such a universal trope, my automatic reaction is "proceed with extreme caution, if you must proceed at all."

Acanous
2012-11-28, 10:13 PM
A bit of an aside on the Corrupt Spell feat wish example: I had a really awful plane in one of my campaigns that could mess around with build details if you were exposed too long. A creature from that plane attacked people by forcibly giving them the Blessed of Tem-Et-Nu feat, which, unlike most feats, causes an interdimensional hippo to bite you if you ever fail to meet the prereqs.

*Snerk*
That's actually pretty clever. If you could only make it a Panda, and have it attack anyone who did not partake of it's cheese...

Traab
2012-11-28, 10:23 PM
"I wish that once per day I could rewind time by 1 round, with full knowledge of what occured to make me rewind."

You could phrase it a bit differently to make it seem like a once per day chance to redo a roll you flubbed, so it doesnt seem all THAT powerful, just a mulligan once a day. But in reality it could be highly useful. You walk at the front of the party until you spring a trap/ambush/whatever. rewind and then take appropriate action.

Kelb_Panthera
2012-11-28, 10:29 PM
"I wish that once per day I could rewind time by 1 round, with full knowledge of what occured to make me rewind."

You could phrase it a bit differently to make it seem like a once per day chance to redo a roll you flubbed, so it doesnt seem all THAT powerful, just a mulligan once a day. But in reality it could be highly useful. You walk at the front of the party until you spring a trap/ambush/whatever. rewind and then take appropriate action.

So time regression as a psi-like once per day?

Traab
2012-11-28, 11:07 PM
So time regression as a psi-like once per day?

I suppose. And it being an apparent actual in game skill, I would think that makes it more likely to work since you arent creating something new, you are gaining a version of another classes ability. If its weaker than the actual in game skill, that just adds on even more likelihood of it not getting twisted or being considered too much.

Kelb_Panthera
2012-11-29, 01:59 AM
I suppose. And it being an apparent actual in game skill, I would think that makes it more likely to work since you arent creating something new, you are gaining a version of another classes ability. If its weaker than the actual in game skill, that just adds on even more likelihood of it not getting twisted or being considered too much.

While it is something that already exists, time regression, even once, is just outside the normal paramters for wish, being a 9th level nomad power. Once a day is probably a no-go.

The safe-list is a double edged sword. On one hand, it gives a list of effects that the DM is advised not to mess with, which theoretically makes them something you can "always" count on. On the other hand, the existence of a set of automatically safe wishes implies that anything outside this set is inherently unsafe.

Technically you can wish for anything you want, but the text for the spell not only puts a pretty low ceiling on what the spell can actually do, it actively encourages the DM to screw with anything outside the given parameters. Having a wish available is like having an RPG (the weapon). If you know what your doing and handle it carefully it'll blow one problem away, nearly guaranteed. If you horse around and make a bad move, you'll blow yourself to smithereens.*


*Some gun buffs may point out that the most modern rpg's and launcher grenades have a safety to prevent them from detonating until they've travelled a fair distance from the launch device. This is a recent innovation however and older, and currently more commonly used, models have no such safety device.