Both of them seem like reasonable wishes, and the PCs were relatively cautious, so I wouldn't hose them. Give them something appropriate to their level.
lower level: a +1 favorite weapon, a circlet of persuasion or +2 charisma headband
Mid-level: a +1 keen bane weapon against whatever he is most likely to be facing soon, a headband of +4 charisma with a +5 bonus to diplomacy and/or perform/oratory built in.
Either case, be sure to ladle on the legendary history of the items. Histories make them more fun, and you can have the genie vanish in a swirl of smoke and then return with the items, explaining that they've been in the treasury of his clan for ages and it's been so long since heroes capable of using them had shown up.
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"I want a magical weapon that doesnt hurt me and the right size for me to wield, and that can kill my enemies."
And the orator bard wished: "I'd like a ring or an amulet or some sort of similar item that would give me a great boon to my oratory proficiency without giving me any problems whatsover"
+1 dagger
The ring gives advice but has no mechanical effect. "project your voice more, shoulders back, use hand gestures to punctuate your points."
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1. A magic weapon which ages the enemy d4 years with every hit but otherwise does no damage. It can't ever hurt him (as requested) because it does no damage. It can kill his enemies when they hit their max age (eventually).
2. A ring which has the same effect as a megaphone. It is a great boon to his oratory because now EVERYBODY can hear him. Make it cursed so that its effect is always on (no charges or limit/day is a benefit, not a problem) and he can't take it off (so it can't ever be lost or stolen, again a benefit, not a problem).
Wow, wishes at level 5. Are you trying to screw them?
Give them something along the lines of what they wished for, no strings attached. They were pretty specific, and weren't greedy IMO.
I don't give out wishes very often, and most of the time, they have to figure out that a "favor" means a wish when they get one. I think that punishment for wishes is great when they try to overstep the bounds of what they should get, but I don't see where either of them did that.
EDIT:
The problem with wishes is that when the PCs ask for something reasonable (which I could argue both asked for), there is the problem for the GM that there is the power level to consider. I don't like the fact that it is tied to level, but in level based games you are faced with the issue of giving them something too powerful for their level. A number of suggestions that weren't punishing in this thread prior to my post are totally adequate IMO.
They JUST hit 5th level. First one asking was an alchemist.
A genie might be tricky but is unlikely to be malicious. I'd go with the +1 weapon and +2 Cha booster, unless that just seems boring. Throw in a little bit extra if you want.
Or have the genie give each of them a choice of two items, oneineachhand. Oneisjeweledanddecorated,the other batteredandworn, but the battered one has some higher quality, maybe a cold iron weapon or a headband that has an additional ability to cast a small spell once a day or so. " You chose... wisely."
Word of DMing advice: Unless you're purposely trying to be a dick DM, Wish shouldn't screw anybody over unless they're wishing for something beyond the power level of the spell. It's a 9th-level spell that (typically) costs 25,000gp to cast. Any time it's cast, it should give you roughly that much return- otherwise nobody would ever cast the spell because it would be useless. Only try to screw over your players if they're trying to use Wish to achieve something more powerful than the examples given in the spell's description. If a player wishes for a powerful weapon, give him a weapon of value up to 25,000gp. If he asks for "the most powerful weapon ever made", however, THEN feel free to screw him over (by teleporting him into the crypt of a super-powerful monster capable of killing the PC in one hit, who happens to be guarding a +10 vorpal sword).
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Here are their exact words they used in the request.
"I want a magical weapon that doesnt hurt me and the right size for me to wield, and that can kill my enemies."
Dick Move - 1 Viper Admixture bomb(that it no more)
Make Nice Move - +1 Seeking Blowgun
And the orator bard wished: "I'd like a ring or an amulet or some sort of similar item that would give me a great boon to my oratory proficiency without giving me any problems whatsover"
Dick Move - Necklace of Speech, +5 Perform (Orate), that never get tangled, caught up and whose clasp is easy to use
Make Nice Move - Headband of Chr +4 and +5 Perform (orate)
"I want a magical weapon that doesn't hurt me and the right size for me to wield, and that can kill my enemies."
+5 Longspear Of Paralysis:
Works as +5 longspear.
When readied against a charge, and the attack hits, the wielder is paralysed.
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"I'd like a ring or an amulet or some sort of similar item that would give me a great boon to my oratory proficiency without giving me any problems whatsover"
Monocle Of Oratory.
+10 Perform(Oratory). Makes everyone in the vicinity (except wielder) go blind when used.
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As others have said, however, the players haven't asked for anything ridiculous so just play things straight. It would appear that they're aware that they have to word things correctly so have the genie let them know that s/he's not going to twist their words and they should be more specific.
A wish should be a reward, not something to be feared.
No reason you can't do both!
The genie presents them with the worst dick stuff, laughs his big butt off at their expressions, then presents the reasonable stuff.
Edit: Now I've got a real keyboard an not tapping a phone --
I do like the idea of a choice, or tying this into a quest. The Genie could hand the guy, say, an arrow, and say "Do not think I cheated you, who came to my aid! No sour look you should give! For the arrow, made to kill spirits [+5 gnollbane arrow of slaying gnoll chieftains], is not the reward asked and given! No, it is but a means to an end, for a -proper- weapon, beyond even my means, I humbly say, is in the hand of the gnoll bandits found..."
a wooden sword that does 1d6 nonlethal damage but with the enchantment that on 20 and the critical confirmed with a natural 20 the ennemy has to fort save against 20 or die.
the bard would get a very easy to use, custom made gag. Well if his oratory stinks. Doesn't give any problems is impossible to make, so not speaking means often less problems.
This if the G..eenie is an evil, devious little man.
Now if you really want to grant them a wish:
- A nice weapon, perhaps vorpal scythe
- An amulet of intelligence giving a +2 luck bonus on int, skill: perform oratory.
just read your last post now, not devious then.
Time is a weapon that doesn't hurt, but it can kill. Let him have a supernatural attack: "melee touch attack: reduce ennemies maximal lifespan by 1 year and increase yours by 1".
Perhaps switch this with actually aging the ennemy.
a boon is a blessing by a god to its followers (wiki)
so if his deity is good then I would go with a ring of
Truespeech (Su) All angels can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to angel's Hit Dice). This ability is always active.
a neutral deity would perhaps go with an amulet that functions as
marvelous pigments but activated by perform oratory rather than craft (painting), 1000 cubic foot per week.
an evil deity might go for a cursed amulet and a ring:
the wearer of the amulet must obey every command (as the spell) the wearer of the ring gives unless he makes a save will 20. Only one command per round can be given.
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If they are wishing for magic items, they should be special and rare, whether you are warping their wishes or not.
An intelligent weapon with a will and agenda of its own, that also meets the requirements of the 1st wisher.
An amulet perhaps with a siren or nymph trapped inside of it that enhances the effects the 2nd wisher is asking for.
This way you get to RP the items they are wishing for, which can lead to conflicts, issues, and interesting RP down the line as a GM
AND
the players get their wishes granted and get really cool unique items.
As a final added bonus, you aren't being a jerk GM to your players and they aren't wrecking your game.
I gave a shield once to a paladin that had a CN djinn trapped inside of it. It could talk and create items, much like a regular djinn and could also answer knowledge checks a few times a week. The shield was so good, the paladin couldnt bear to part with it, but it did cause him problems from time to time, like insulting the king during a full dress ceremony and making it sound like the paladin did it. He also had to argue with it frequently and put up with its constant heckling when he made requests of it. All in all, lots of fun RPing came out of that one item for our group.
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I like the idea of the genie vanishes then returns with +3 equipment. Then somewhere down the line someone shows up and says "that's my ____ that was stolen." Then the PC get the fun of playing with their equipment but end up having to face the fact that the genie can't make anything and if they want to keep it they will have to defend it.
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Now, granted, an afrit (or a djinn in a nasty mood) would do something spiteful, a good djinn isn't so much devious as very much wanting to keep up appearances. You can hand the characters a +1 sword and a circlet of persuasion and go through a whole song and dance about how these are marvels of the ages, but when you come right down to it, they're dumpy items from the local magemart that a djinn would be embarrassed to be associated with.
Instead, give some djinni preamble with "Ah, worthy one, by my powers thy wish is granted! Behold the" and then go on with the following:
1. Impressive name of item
2. Impressive maker of item
3. Reasonably impressive quirky custom item.
For the alchemist, go with "Behold, the Belt of the Scorpion King! Crafted by the great alchemist and artificer Jabir Ibn Hayan himself!"
What is it? A gilded mail belt with scorpion clasps and an articulated metal scorpion tail dangling from the back. It is, from a mechanics standpoint, a +1 whip with the dancing and poison properties. From a coolness perspective, it's a metal scorpion tail that respond to the wearer's every whim. It's not fully prehensile so it can't be used as an extra hand, but it's an extra attack and won't poison the wearer because it has been so wonderfully crafted that it can't and from a mechanics standpoint won't because dancing weapons don't do that.
For the bard, go with "Behold, the Mechanical Magpie of Mahgrim the Merchant! Also from the workshop of the legendary Jabir Ibn Hayan!"
What is it? A mechanical magpie and a matching earring. The magpie is completely loyal to the earring's wearer, and the wearer can hear the magpie through the earring though no one else can, as with a Message spell. The magpie can go out to spy for the wearer or steal trinkets, but the most impressive thing it does is go and listen to the gossip of the marketplace, bringing this back to whisper tips to the earring's wearer so he'll know how to appeal to the locals. Mechanically, this translates to a +10 circumstance bonus to Perform Oratory checks due to knowing how to play to a particular audience.
The magpie is basically the Silver Raven from the Figurines of Wondrous Power with a few whistles and bells thrown on.
That said, both of these should feel unique enough that the djinn wouldn't be embarrassed handing them out and the characters, moreover, should be suitably impressed with them.
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The wishes are not game breaking, and are actually well worded. That said:
First: A Clove of Garlic- He will slay them with his breath.
Second. A sign that reads FREE BEER! So people stop to pay attention.
easy answers :
1. a cursed sword : it can't hardly kill him (-2 to damage) but can kill his enemies (it's still considered magic and then bypass DR /magic)
2. a medallion of thought projection ? or a heaband of charisma that changes the wearer's gender.
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How about not screwing them over, I mean the goal of running the game is to tell a good story not to be a dick to your friends.
I would set the limit to the normal material component cost of wish, so 25,000 g.p. But that should be creation cost, so a 50,000 g.p item.
So the game doesn't get to broken by deviating from wealth by level, and so that you can have some fun with them, mess with them by using most of that gold to make the items intelligent.
If you want mess with them make it so the sentience in the items are npc's they know and hopefully like. Now they have people's souls in the items they won't sell the items and hopefully when they can afford to revive the npc's they will, make it a quest to get the souls out of the items.
Design a specific magical item for each person. Have it scale with their level so that it becomes a "character" in its own way as the characters grow in power.
In fact, you could even have one of the items be intelligent and have the intelligence awaken as the character grows in power. You could even go as far as to have them BOTH be intelligent...sibling items created to work in unison with each other. Even though they'd be used by different people, they'd be in proximity to each other.
It could make for some interesting roleplay between you and the two players, especially as the items intelligence awakens and it begins to exert its own will. Imagine the first time a character does something and the item speaks to them, either out loud or telepathically. And the best thing would be that you'd be able to control how powerful it was at a given time. It'd be a lot more work for you, but it could a lot of fun.
Some of the most memorable items from the campaigns I've both DM'd and played in were items similar to this. Design it so that it's a 25k item but the item doesn't realize it's full value in effects/powers until it's near the appropriate wealth level.
TL;DR - create specific items that are currently level appropriate and grow in power as the characters do. Maybe even make them have intelligence that awakens as the characters reach appropriate levels.
I agree with the not screwing them over, especially at level 5..
Hwever, I would also give them exactly what they asked for.
The bard didn't ask for charisma, he asked for a boon in Oratory. Either a ring or an amulet, and one that won't give any trouble.
As such, I'd give him a ring with a +5 competence bonus to Perform (Oratory) -- which is what he asked for.
The halfling asked for a weapon that is sized correctly for him, won't hurt him but will kill his enemies -- so who are his enemies so far? That's the trick.
I would probably hand him a +2 Merciful <enemy>bane weapon.
It can't hurt him (it's nonlethal) while the magic is active, *but*, it *will* hurt and kill his enemies.
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Give them what they asked for, even cool powerful items.
Something like a circlet of persuasion and a +3 weapon...
...that also happen to be the local ruler's crown and personal weapon (both of which everyone will readily recognize). How these two schmucks managed to steal them from the king whilst under heavy guard would be the talk of the kingdom for years to come (and a mystery that all the king's men would be determined to solve as their reputation/lives may be on the line for the breach of national security).
Perhaps the PCs still have access to the genie when the king and/or his men catch up with them. If so, they may confess that their wishes went awry and that the results were unintentional. Their lives could be spared in return for handing over the genie, and his power, which only makes for more adventures as his granted wishes begin to screw with EVERYONE on a more nation-wide level (possibly creating a power struggle where there once was none).
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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My two C-bills,
Where do the wished for items come from? i.e. are they just created "*poof* here's your shiny +3 long sword!" or are they retrieved from somewhere? (KAM's example above).
If the later, then yes, the items' awesome backstory should help 'hide' any mechanical deficiencies in the players' minds.
Which sounds better? A "+2 keen adamantine great axe" or "Continuation of Diplomacy, the great, nigh indestructable axe of the last great orc warlord, so sharp as to split lengthwise a single hair cast upon is razor edge"
Heck, under my 'conservation of magic' paradigm, grabbing an item from somewhere is easier than creation* plus it gives me as a GM more plot options. What happens when it is known that Continuation of Diplomacy has been found? What happens when the bard's 'doodad of perform +10' is credited for his performance skill, and not himself?
Either way, if the PCs delt honestly with the Genie, then let them have their victory.
*
Owner - Johnny Scott Comics and Games
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So two guys just made wishes to a genie they found. I ALMOST got one to wish to know the rules of the wishes, but he caught on after he asked the rules and I said "Do you wish to know?" very casually :) I'm looking for creative responses to these wishes like tricky Djinn would come up with.
Here are their exact words they used in the request.
"I want a magical weapon that doesnt hurt me and the right size for me to wield, and that can kill my enemies."
And the orator bard wished: "I'd like a ring or an amulet or some sort of similar item that would give me a great boon to my oratory proficiency without giving me any problems whatsover"
1. Give them a weapon that grants him immunity to fire and that drops a Fireball (Caster Level Your Choice) centered on him every time he hits. It won't hurt him, is the right size for him to wield, and can kill his enemies (Friends, too...)
2. Give him a bullhorn he can wear on his wrist.
Wow lots of good ideas here. I guess devious was perhaps the wrong word, I'm just looking for creative and original options that would give my players something "different" and memorable, maybe not quite what they were expecting, but interesting.
The final player texted me after the game, after some indecision, asking for perhaps some sort of spiky armor.
Ok different spin than I thought from the title.
Since you are giving wishes at a pretty low level, I would make them either charged or very specific so they are less likely to break your game.
+2 icy burst crystal heavy pick, but each critical hit uses up 1 of 10 charges. sword shatters when charges used up.
or
+2 rapier of minitaur priest bane. Pick something that is relatively uncommon but that you know they are going to encounter fairly soon. That way it won't be completely useless.
+8 Headband of awsome charisma, 8 hours per charge used and only 5 charges.
or
+5 amulet of public accolades, +5 to performance/oratatory skill checks used infront of an audience of at least 10 non-combat situations only.
I would Nethack it up in here.
Houchou(Minor Artifact)
This is a small +1 Axiomatic platinum spoon. It is thrown at a target, and if it hits, it instakills the victim. There is no defense against Houchou, but if it hits a target, the tool itself is always destroyed in the process.
For the bard, a microphone cord necklace. Maybe be nice and have it enchanted to give him a +2 on Perform(Oratory) checks.
You shouldn't be too evil with your wishes unless the wish-giver is clearly evil. Give them what they want, try to make it awesome but not overpowered. Even better, just don't give em wishes at level 5!
I removed a post. PG-13, please.
Personally I would grant a +1 weapon and a ring that gives a +5 competence bonus on perform(oratory).
They didn't reach for the stars, and were rather tame -- I see no reason to simply screw with them over some very sensible wishes.