Limited Wish

The limited wish is a very potent but difficult spell. It will fulfill literally, but only partially or for a limited duration, the utterance of the spellcaster. Thus, the actuality of the past, present, or future might be altered (but possibly only for the wizard unless the wording of the spell is most carefully stated) in some limited manner. The use of a limited wish will not substantially change realities, nor will it bring wealth or experience merely by asking. The spell can, for example, restore some hit points (or all hit points for a limited duration) lost by the wizard. It can reduce opponent hit probabilities or damage, duration of some magical effect, cause a creature to be favorably disposed to the spellcaster, mimic a spell of 7th level or less, and so on (see the Wish spell). Greedy desires usually end in disaster for the wisher. Casting time is based on the time spent preparing the wording for the spell (clever players decide what they want to say before using the spell). Normally the casting time is one round (most of it being taken up by deciding what to say). Casting this spell ages the caster one year per 100 years of regular life span.

Commentary

As with wish, the DM should decide the limitations of limited wish before his wizards have an opportunity to use it, preferably before the campaign begins. Here are some suggestions for what a limited wish can accomplish. The DM is free to alter these suggestions as he sees fit.

• A limited wish can heal damage for the caster or any single character of the caster's choice. A good range is 20-35 hit points (5d4 + 15) of healing. If a limited wish is used to heal damage in this way, it cannot be used to restore life; that is, it cannot affect any creature who has been reduced to 0 hit points.
• A limited wish can temporarily restore life to any creature or person who was reduced to 0 hit points or less within the previous 24 hours. The limited wish restores the subject to exactly 1 hit point. Success is not automatic; the subject is required to make a resurrection survival check. However, the effect lasts for only a limited time (1-4 hours is a good range). At the end of this time, the creature reverts to the number of hit points he had before the limited wish was cast (0 hit points or less).
• A limited wish can inflict damage on any single character. A good range is 20-40 (5d4 + 15) hit points of damage. The victim can save vs. spell for half damage.
• A limited wish can duplicate the effects of any spell of 7th-level of less.
• A limited wish can change the outcome of any action the wizard took within the past 24 hours, as long as the change is reasonably minor. For instance, the wizard could wish to search the body of an opponent he defeated earlier that day, but he could not wish to single-handedly have fought and defeated an entire army. All of the general restrictions that apply to Wish also apply to limited wish. The suggestions regarding the selection of appropriate durations, casting times, and areas of effect also apply.

[Player's Handbook]
[Complete Wizard's Handbook]

School: Conjuration/Summoning, Invocation/Evocation
Level: 7
Rarity: Common

Range: Unlimited
Components: V
Duration: Special
Casting Time: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: Special