How to twist a wish

[Matthew Morris]

Galnörag wrote:

Icyshadow wrote:

Glabrezus are too weak to have cults worshipping them.

Glabrezu's are CR 13, which probably puts them in the top 99.99 percentile of powerful creatures. Given that the average citizen is probably CR 0 - CR1, a not worshiping a Glabrezu who demands it would quickly bring an end to a large swath of people. Given that a tacky scifi writer can muster a religion predicated on dropping ghosts into a volcano, surely any Glabrezu would be more then able to manage a sycophantic following.

I thought there was an article in KQ, but I couldn't find it, about a Glabrezu who ran a rather successful cult granting one wish a year. Basically the cultists would fight/sabotage/manipulate each other in the hopes of proving themselves 'worthy' of that wish.

[Mapleswitch]

My understanding of wish is:
if it directly follows one of the described wishes in the book, there is no weird side effect.

if it is not one of the wish options in the core rule book, then the wish always goes not as intended or with side effects.

The wish sounds like a role-playing version of the +1 inherent bonus to constitution, which is one of the noted options in the core rules book.

[Kazaan]

Whenever said character tries to perform any aggressive action, there's a chance (somewhere in the range of 20-50%) that he suffers "rageitis". He gains the benefits of the Rage barbarian class power (increase str & con, up will save, reduce AC) but he will default to the highest order of attack he has available (ie, full attack if he can, normal attack if he's already used a move action) and indiscriminately attack anyone near him; friend or foe. He lacks the ability to "turn off" the rage and will continue to rage until he's burned out for the day or otherwise forcibly ended (ie. he's KO'ed).

[Bwang]

Our GM actually racked our wizard with this over the summer. She was after new spells and wished for a book of such. The GM turned to a bookshelf and handed her a book on Wiccan magic, including a few dozen charms and hexes. And they work about as well as they do in our world.

Follow up: After she fed the Linhorn, her new character is a Witch.

EDIT: only start writing a response AFTER you have read everyone else's!

"In the last session our party's CN rogue agreed to spare a Glabrezu demon's life if it granted him a wish. He wished for more constitution (+1). Now immediately following the wish being granted the rogue summarily executed the demon, (which most of the CG party members found no issue with)."

This last bit brings in the culpability of the rest of the party. Considering the inherent danger of such a wish and their acquiescence to the deal, I would gift them with the same disastrous effects, but not the benefit. Killing the demon is irrelevant.

As to whines about retroactively twisting the curse/wish, Its the GM's DUTY to read the monster's entry and really flesh out it's details. Otherwise, D&D becomes a grinding succession of die rolls against faceless monster...like 4ED!

[KHShadowrunner]

It's still revenge-crafting if you ask me.

Whatever the decision should be, discuss it OOC. It really does feel like it's a jab at the fact that the rogue did what he did.

And worse yet, if the wish REALLY WAS always going to be this punishing kind of deal ~ Everyone should tip their hat to the Rogue who knows that the demon deserved to die.

[Kazaan]

There's no rule that says you can't retcon events in your campaign:

Demon grants "Schrodinger's Wish" which is could be either desirable or twisted.

Rogue kills demon because demons are jerks.

Wish is revealed to have been twisted since the start (retcon).

Rogue anticipated this and acted out of preeminent vengeance (retcon).

[KHShadowrunner]

I didn't say it couldn't be done. I simply stated to take it OOC to ensure it doesn't turn into a punishment aspect.

Or don't, the reasons for twisting it are totally valid. That's simply not how I would have handled it.

[Ascalaphus]

Demon faced with rogue threatening to kill him. Demon quickly needs a Get Out Of Death scam. Demon doesn't trust rogue to keep his word, because demon wouldn't keep his word either. Rogue foolishly demands Wish for Constitution. Bingo!

The demon put a piece of his own life force in the rogue; rogue kills demon, but doesn't get all the life-force. Inside the rogue is a little nugget of demon hiding out.

So now for some reason the rogue keeps attracting all these cultists who want to give him everything he wants - sensual pleasures, sacrifices and so forth. People come to him and try to commit suicide, bleeding all over him. Eww. All that life-force is feeding the demon, accelerating its respawning.

[mousestalker]

Ascalaphus wrote:

Demon faced with rogue threatening to kill him. Demon quickly needs a Get Out Of Death scam. Demon doesn't trust rogue to keep his word, because demon wouldn't keep his word either. Rogue foolishly demands Wish for Constitution. Bingo!

The demon put a piece of his own life force in the rogue; rogue kills demon, but doesn't get all the life-force. Inside the rogue is a little nugget of demon hiding out.

So now for some reason the rogue keeps attracting all these cultists who want to give him everything he wants - sensual pleasures, sacrifices and so forth. People come to him and try to commit suicide, bleeding all over him. Eww. All that life-force is feeding the demon, accelerating its respawning.

To take this further, the heart of the rogue is now a magical artifact that grants evil persons a Wish once they gain control of it (via dissection, charm rogue, whatever). After the wish is granted, the 'artifact' explodes, damaging and possibly killing the rogue. Optionally, if the rogue somehow restores the demon to full life, then the wish goes away. But then he'd have a demon to think about. :)

[Ravingdork]

Mapleswitch wrote:

If it is not one of the wish options in the core rule book, then the wish always goes not as intended or with side effects.

That's a REALLY harsh way to go about it. Yet another great method for a GM to keep the illusion of control and trash any chance of player creativity in their games.

[Brambleman]

Ascalaphus wrote:

Demon faced with rogue threatening to kill him. Demon quickly needs a Get Out Of Death scam. Demon doesn't trust rogue to keep his word, because demon wouldn't keep his word either. Rogue foolishly demands Wish for Constitution. Bingo!

The demon put a piece of his own life force in the rogue; rogue kills demon, but doesn't get all the life-force. Inside the rogue is a little nugget of demon hiding out.

So now for some reason the rogue keeps attracting all these cultists who want to give him everything he wants - sensual pleasures, sacrifices and so forth. People come to him and try to commit suicide, bleeding all over him. Eww. All that life-force is feeding the demon, accelerating its respawning.

I like this one, good way to keep plots moving and not just cheat on the wish.

[Matthew Morris]

There may be no 'retcon' rule, but there's a reason for a retcon. "The player's rogue killed my demon and broke a deal! I want to punish him for that!" Isn't one of them.

[Dust Raven]

Mapleswitch wrote:

My understanding of wish is:

if it directly follows one of the described wishes in the book, there is no weird side effect.

if it is not one of the wish options in the core rule book, then the wish always goes not as intended or with side effects.

The wish sounds like a role-playing version of the +1 inherent bonus to constitution, which is one of the noted options in the core rules book.

Two things. First, the PC is not the one casting wish, the demon is. So, the demon decides what happens, not the PC. "I wish for +1 to my Con" (translated into in-game speak of "I wish for greater health and vitality!") and the demon conjures a small child, infused with a power of "vitality". Whoever eats the child gains +1 Con. Or the demon can just give the character +1 con; it's the demon's choice.

Second, if you wish for something the wish spell doesn't allow for, it just doesn't work, or the GM can try to stretch it, or have something unexpected happen. It's not an automatic screw you to the player or the character casting the spell. Generally speaking though, if you want a spell you cast to do something that spell doesn't do, you are casting the wrong spell.

[Sir Ophiuchus]

DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:

Make him as fat as Fat Neil!

I realise you're probably joking (and making an excellent reference in the bargain), but to clarify for the GM:

Do. Not. Do. This.