D&D 5E Casting Wish To Duplicate Homebrew Spells

[Maxperson]

Wish can be cast to duplicate any 8th level spell or lower.

Now say somebody wants to cast a low level spell with enhancements that don't appear when upcasting the spell.

Some might say that triggers the danger aspect of Wish.

Others might say that as long as the tweaked version of the spell is not beyond the capabilities of an 8th level spell, it is still a spell that can be duplicated by Wish.

If the DM doesn't allow any spell [IN THE CAMPAIGN WORLD, NOT JUST FOR THE PLAYERS] outside of what's printed specifically word-for-word in books, then it would probably be a no-go to make a homebrew spell duplicated by Wish, but would that really be the norm rather than the exception among DnD campaigns?

The text of Wish itself does not have a specific requirement of spells only from printed books, nor does it require the caster of Wish to know how to cast the duplicated spell.

Where do you stand on this subject?

I'm flexible. I think the intent is to allow things more powerful than spells to happen with a great risk. If a player wanted to write something in skywriting to inform the populace of something, that to me is less powerful than many spells and I'm not going to make them roll to lose the ability cast wish, even though it's outside of an actual spell.

With the above in mind, if the tweak to the spell isn't making it more powerful than other 8th level or lower spells, I'm going to be okay with it.

 

[jgsugden]

....But there's a reason it's split into 2 sections and being too flexible with the first essentially eliminates the second - and IMO that's a step too far.

You get this spell at 17th level. Advancing at this level goes faster than it does at earlier levels - so you can spend less time at 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th level combined than you might at 9th and 10th combined... and that is even if you go to 20th level. A lot of games end before 20th.
I've never been worried about these issues. I've never felt like it was a particularly hard line to draw between my #2 (things that could be an 8th level spell) and things that couldn't be spells. And I tend to favor allowing it to be an 8th level spell or below equivalent if there is a question.

PCs at this level should feel massively powerful. Worrying about whether something is particularly balanced undercuts that feel.

 

[Stalker0]

Yes they are powerful, but I think that something like a low level spell getting tweaked to have better range wouldn't be all that horrible to give at that point, especially when a 9th level spell slot is used for it. I feel that Wish being 9th level and not spammable like a cantrip does a lot to justify letting the player cut loose with their imagination up to a point.

I agree, which is why we have DMs.

If a player wanted to customize a 2nd level or something spell on teh fly, and it wasn't crazy, then I would probably allow it with Wish with no penalties. Same thing when I arbitrate the archer doing a crazy called shot or the barbarian inventing some neat "wrestling move". The point of the game is for the players to color outside the lines, with the DM keeping things in check.

Now does that mean my players have carte blanc to create whatever spell they want on the fly and I'm always going to approve its use with wish? Of course not, and if they try to abuse it, just like if they try to abuse anything else, they get shut down.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I'm flexible. I think the intent is to allow things more powerful than spells to happen with a great risk. If a player wanted to write something in skywriting to inform the populace of something, that to me is less powerful than many spells and I'm not going to make them roll to lose the ability cast wish, even though it's outside of an actual\ spell.

With the above in mind, if the tweak to the spell isn't making it more powerful than other 8th level or lower spells, I'm going to be okay with it.

Of course, no need to even consider a roll as there is a 2nd level spell in Xanathar's: Skywrite

 

[Maxperson]

Of course, no need to even consider a roll as there is a 2nd level spell in Xanathar's: Skywrite

Some of us don't have every spell memorized.