Wish limits


Rules Questions


Hi I have been having an argument with the GM about a players use of wish.
Would you say that wishing all your spells back is overpowered without penalties?


Heck yeah.

But if it doesn't involve you, don't worry about it too much.


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Like having all of your prepared spells that you spent that day be refreshed/reprepared/ready to go in the same day?

For a 9th-level spell slot and a 25,000gp material component, I don't think that's even close to overpowered. Not at all.


Why use Wish to cast a lower-level spell when you can have it give you a couple dozen spell slots of spells? It's unbalanced against what else Wish can do. The effect is more powerful than any ninth-level spell (granting multiple uses of ninth level spells), and it's not on Wish's okay'd list. Refreshing 6th and below, maybe.


Praeceps wrote:

Hi I have been having an argument with the GM about a players use of wish.

Would you say that wishing all your spells back is overpowered without penalties?

I'd say it is, even with the 25,000 gold cost, especially if that player optimized his spell selections.

Especially considering the Wish guidelines presented in the spell description.


QuidEst wrote:
Why use Wish to cast a lower-level spell when you can have it give you a couple dozen spell slots of spells? It's unbalanced against what else Wish can do. The effect is more powerful than any ninth-level spell (granting multiple uses of ninth level spells), and it's not on Wish's okay'd list. Refreshing 6th and below, maybe.

Even if it were stronger than any 9th level spell, if this is a spell that states that it's the mightest spell they can cast, it better back it up :D

But yeah, when Wish has effects that allows you to teleport anyone per caster level from literally anywhere to literally anywhere (like in the center of the sun), it's pretty hard to call that OP, considering the GP cost, too.


Ravingdork wrote:
For a 9th-level spell slot and a 25,000gp material component, I don't think that's even close to overpowered. Not at all.

If you get the 9th level spell slot back immediately, that shouldn't be considered as part of the cost.

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That would fall under "better be carefully worded" category in my game. Easiest way to grant with sloppy wording: caster falls asleep for 8 hours.

Fancy way to grant that screws the caster: All spells are restored, as if never cast. History is changed so that those spells were never cast, consequences extrapolated therefrom.

In any case, that effect is well outside the default power level of wish. Compare to wishing for a 5th level pearl of power.

Grand Lodge

Since that could constitute wishing for more wishes, there's no way. I was thinking along the same lines as QuidEst that an improved mnemonic enhancer, giving back some amount of up to 6th level spells, could be justifiable.

By comparison to a pearl of power, that's probably over-generous, but then you'd have the magic item, which is really a fifth level spell back each day for the foreseeable future. If you paid 25,000 gp for a really long scroll, it could have 15 6th level spells on it at 11th, not 17th, caster level, but that seems like a lot. A staff (of evocation) could have three-and-a-bit 6th level spells or five 4th level spells at your caster level. It looks as if it shouldn't be more than 20 levels of spells and maybe 6 total levels would be better.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Nah, I'd still have the wish slot spent afterwards. They also wouldn't get the material component back.

I don't think it steps on the lesser spell option's toes because this doesn't let you cast spells outside of your spell list. Its also not as spontaneous, since you will be stuck with the same spells you prepared that morning.


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My opinion - if you were a 1st or 2nd level caster using a wish ring, sure it's balanced. Nothing a few cheap pearls of power couldn't give you.

If you were a 20th level caster, it would be way overpowered and twist the wish would result. Better to ask for a fully charged wand or a "within cost" ring of wizardry or similar.


I don't see wishing to "Immediately receive all benefits of a full 8 hours of rest without actually having to rest" as necessarily being unreasonable. However, as noted above watch your phrasing carefully.


Eh well we are a 19th level group at the moment on our way to 20th and we are at the final parts of the campaign. A cleric, paladin and a sorcerer but we are quite powerful already with dead player characters being looted in the past.
I will suggest the 6th or lower and see what he says.


For what it's worth, put me down for the "not unbalancing" camp. It's a one-off and extremely short-lived power boost that costs a shedload of gold.

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