Wish

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.

This discretionary power of the DM is necessary in order to maintain game balance. As wishing another creature dead would be grossly unfair, for example, your 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.

Commentary

Since it can theoretically have any effect, no spell is more difficult for the DM to adjudicate than wish. The DM can save himself a lot of headaches if he decides the limits of wish before his campaign begins. The DM is not obligated to discuss the ramifications of wishes with his players before a campaign begins. In fairness, however, he should be willing to give his players a general idea of his approach. While it is impossible to anticipate every conceivable use of a wish, there are a few key areas the DM should consider:

• How far can a wish move a character from one place to another? How many characters or creatures can be affected? Must the conjurer have first-hand knowledge of the destination?
• What types of items can a wish create? How much treasure? Are such creations permanent?
• How many creatures can a single wish bring back to life?
• How many creatures can a single wish destroy? Could a wish automatically destroy, for instance, a 20th-level wizard? How about a dragon? Are there alternatives to eliminating creatures other than wishing them dead?

Following are some guidelines for what wishes can accomplish. As always, the DM is free to alter these suggestions in any way he sees fit. Suggestions noted with an asterisk (*) typically require a penalty for the caster. The nature of the penalty is up to the DM; possibilities include 2d4 days of bed rest, a temporary loss of 1-4 Strength points, a permanent loss of 1 Constitution point, damage of 2d10 hit points, or any combination of these penalties.

• A wish can create a random amount of treasure for the caster. A good range is 1,000 - 10,000 gp (1d10 x 1,000). The treasure can include gold pieces, jewelry, gems, items, or any combination desired by the caster within the randomly determined monetary value. Magical items are excluded (they require a separate wish).
• A wish can heal damage for the caster, his companions, or any characters or creatures of the caster's choice. A good range is 45-70 hit points (5d6 + 40) healed. These recovered hit points can be spread among as many characters as the caster desires; for instance, if a wish heals 50 hit points, the caster could heal 20 hit points of his own damage and heal 10 hit points for three of his companions. If a 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 wish can restore life to any creature who was reduced to 0 hit points or less within the previous 24 hours. The wish restores the subject to exactly 1 hit point. Success is not automatic; the subject is required to make a resurrection survival check.
• * A wish can destroy any single creature of 10 HD or less, or any character of 10th level or less within the caster's visual range. The affected creature or character is allowed a saving throw vs. death magic; if the check is successful, the creature is unaffected. (Be careful with this--in many cases, it is a better idea to advance the spellcaster to a future time period in which the target creature no longer exists).
• A wish can Teleport Without Error the caster and up to a dozen companions to any location. The caster must have been to the location previously. The location can be in any plane of existence.
• * A wish can permanently add one point to any ability score of the caster or any person of the caster's choice, as long as the score is not raised above 16. It takes 10 wishes to permanently raise any ability score each point beyond 16. (For instance, it takes 20 wishes to raise a character's Strength from 16 to 18.)
• A wish can temporarily raise an ability to 18 for 1-6 hours.
• A wish can duplicate the effects of any other spell.

What can't a wish do? Aside from the restrictions above, a wish should never grant experience points or extra levels to a character. Nor should wishes be able to duplicate artifacts or create extremely potent magical items (a potion of invisibility might be acceptable, but a sword +4 might not). The DM retains the right to disallow any wish he believes is too potent. He can also bestow an interpretation of the wish that follows the literal instructions of the wizard, and not the wizard's intended meaning (greed and gross manipulation of the rules should not be rewarded).

Examples:

• If the wizard wishes for an entire castle of his own, the DM might have the castle appear in mid-air, then crash to the ground in a heap of rubble.
• If the wizard wishes "to never again suffer damage from bladed weapons," the DM might turn him into a stone statue.
• If the wizard wishes for a dragon to vanish, the dragon might pop out of sight, then abruptly reappear in another location, perhaps a few yards from the dragon's original position.
• If the wizard wishes for a fortune in gold, the DM might teleport this fortune from a king's private treasure vault. The king will then send his best men to arrest the thieving wizard.

The DM is responsible for determining the components, duration, casting time, and area of effect each time a wish is to be cast. The DM should first determine what effect the wizard intends to achieve with his wish, then decide the components, casting time, and so forth, basing his decisions on his limitations for wishes in his campaign. The elements should be logical and reasonable. Here are some guidelines:

Components: Wishes have only verbal components. Keep them simple. A short, spoken phrase is usually sufficient.

Duration: In most cases, the effects of a wish will be permanent. The DM should decide in advance if there are any exceptions.

Casting Time: If the wish mimics the function of another spell, use that spell's casting time as a guideline, perhaps making it a little longer if the wish effect is significantly more powerful than the mimicked spell. For instance, if a wish is used to teleport a party (as described above), note that the teleport without error spell has a casting time of 1. Since the wish has a more powerful effect, a casting time of 4 or 5 for a teleporting wish is appropriate. When in doubt, use the casting times for other 9th-level spells as guidelines, or use a casting time of 1 round.

Area of Effect: In most cases, common sense will determine the area of effect. For instance, if a wish is to be used to heal damage, the affected persons should be within sight of the caster.

The DM can be reasonably generous with areas of effect. If the caster wishes for 5,000 gp to be deposited in a chest 1,000 miles away, that is within reason. As an example of how all of these elements might be determined, imagine that the wizard wishes to teleport himself and his party to the wizard's home town. The DM determines the elements of the spell as follows:

Verbal Component: Speak the name of the desired location.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Casting Time: 1 round.

Area of Effect: All characters within a 20-yard radius of the caster.

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

School: Conjuration/Summoning
Level: 9
Rarity: Common

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