D&D 5E I need to increase my strength with a wish, what should i say?

[Agamon]

Seriously, though, I get tradition and old school and blah, blah, blah, but why is this only a problem with wish? Why doesn't the same DM rule that fireball does some heat damage to the poor PCs standing next to it, but, of course, not until after the PC casts it?

Like I mentioned above, this style of adjudication might be fine for a one-shot comedy game, but for a normal game, why not just talk to the DM about where the line is instead of guessing while he grins evilly at you? I remember playing this way when I was thirteen, but not since then.

Of course, if both player and DM want to go that route, then fine, but it shouldn't really be a topic for discussion otherwise.

 

[FrogReaver]

If you don't have wishes getting corrupts and failing then remove wish from the game? Fireball has explicit rules. So does wish. The dm is playing by the rules with both spells.

Seriously, though, I get tradition and old school and blah, blah, blah, but why is this only a problem with wish? Why doesn't the same DM rule that fireball does some heat damage to the poor PCs standing next to it, but, of course, not until after the PC casts it?

Like I mentioned above, this style of adjudication might be fine for a one-shot comedy game, but for a normal game, why not just talk to the DM about where the line is instead of guessing while he grins evilly at you? I remember playing this way when I was thirteen, but not since then.

Of course, if both player and DM want to go that route, then fine, but it shouldn't really be a topic for discussion otherwise.

 

[pukunui]

A wish is a once per day spell. If it can regularly give permanent buff effects without a downside then the dm is doing something wrong.

One downside is that there's a chance the caster might not be able to cast spells ever again, since wishing for a permanent stat boost falls outside of the "emulate a spell of 8th level or lower" safety zone. I can't see a high-level PC or NPC wizard wanting to risk that chance repeatedly just to give someone else a daily dose of magical steroids.


EDIT: [MENTION=184]Agamon[/MENTION]: The text for the wish spell more or less gives the DM permission to screw around with the results if the request is for something outside the "emulate a spell of 8th level or lower" umbrella. There is no spell in 5e that increases an ability score, even temporarily, so if that is what the player is wishing for, then the DM has every right to twist the result, as per the text of the spell.

 

[Oirelando]

Thank you all for the advice, and to all the people saying my dm is a jerk if he messes with my wish, i just want to say he loves roleplaying and this wish is being granted by a very chaotic being (idk what it actually is) so its not that the dm wants to ruin my game, but as per the creatures rules it certainly will mess with the wish if it gets the chance. I did talk with the dm and he promised not to do something totally random like turn me into a giant unless i say something that would make sense for becoming a giant.

 

[Agamon]

EDIT: [MENTION=184]Agamon[/MENTION]: The text for the wish spell more or less gives the DM permission to screw around with the results if the request is for something outside the "emulate a spell of 8th level or lower" umbrella. There is no spell in 5e that increases an ability score, even temporarily, so if that is what the player is wishing for, then the DM has every right to twist the result, as per the text of the spell.

Ah, good point. I guess if you're actually casting the spell, you could do it every day and something like this is needed. I never play that high of a level, so wishes are rare and I'd be a little more permissive than normal, I guess.

 

[Tony Vargas]

My dm is a totally fair person, but he does love ruining wishes if he spots a chance to. My current best idea is "i wish to be physically stronger" but i feel like that could increase my dextarity or constitution.

Or transform you to an inanimate steel statue.

"I wish for my Strength to be hire." "Er..no..I wish for my strength to be razed ... no, weight!"

Y'know, it's 5e, max STR is 20, you can get there w/o Wish.

If you're not strong to begin with, get the Gauntlets.

Seriously, though, I get tradition and old school and blah, blah, blah, but why is this only a problem with wish? Why doesn't the same DM rule that fireball does some heat damage to the poor PCs standing next to it, but, of course, not until after the PC casts it?

If you're running TotM, that's totally legit, too. Cut a fireball close, risk burning your friends.

 

[FrogReaver]

Thank you all for the advice, and to all the people saying my dm is a jerk if he messes with my wish, i just want to say he loves roleplaying and this wish is being granted by a very chaotic being (idk what it actually is) so its not that the dm wants to ruin my game, but as per the creatures rules it certainly will mess with the wish if it gets the chance. I did talk with the dm and he promised not to do something totally random like turn me into a giant unless i say something that would make sense for becoming a giant.

Barbarian begs to differ about max str being 20

 

[Jediking]

I did talk with the dm and he promised not to do something totally random like turn me into a giant unless i say something that would make sense for becoming a giant.

Good. Good luck and may you choose your words...wisely.


I was running LmoP and had my party of 4 going to ask a banshee a question, where she would answer any one question truthfully. They brainstormed some haphazard plan full of disguise kits and stealing fancy gifts to get to ask her one question each, so four questions. I liked the idea but told them as they approached her that she would answer one question from each of them truthfully.

The Druid walks up. Small talk. Then he slips in "So, see many strangers around here?"
"Just you. Thank you for your question." answers the banshee. Entire table groans as they now realize what the game is. One other guy also asked a question by mistake and was cajoled out of the room, but the other two were able to get through it and get some answers. But I had told them how we would do it and they thought it was fair, and they were some of the most intense but fun conversation I've had to roleplay.

Funny how communication and being on the same page can work.

 

[mlund]

The literary tradition around wishes generally revolve around the moral of a story. Wishes end badly when they are expressions of vices or foolishness. In a darker genre you'll see the genuine Cursed Wish like that granted by a fiend or the Monkey's Paw. Even in those situations, though, the audience sees obvious visual cues given to the tragic character who is too foolish to heed any warning. In fact, these stories are usually most effective because there's a companion of some sort that warns the wisher and goes unheeded.

If you pull the rug out from under someone without following the applicable trope / literary conceit you'll generally create cognitive dissonance.

So it is always best to either keep things simple or play the trope straight. Humble, selfless, or at least benign wishes provide genuine benefits. "Greedy," foolish, or Cursed wishes come with some sort of a warning and it persisted upon leave the subject with complications. In general, ruthless behavior should generate Cursed Wishes while heroic rewards and spoils should be played straight.

 

[Quickleaf]

My dm is a totally fair person, but he does love ruining wishes if he spots a chance to. My current best idea is "i wish to be physically stronger" but i feel like that could increase my dextarity or constitution.

Would it be that convoluted to say, "I wish my strength rivaled an adult minotaur."

If that somehow gets twisted into becoming a minotaur I'd call shenanigans.

"I wish my physical strength rivaled an adult minotaur" is a perfect wish.

I think that the best way to run wishes is to say "yes, and..." whenever possible. If I were DMing, I'd boost that PC's strength to 19, however the next time they run into minotaurs (or maybe some minotaurs seek them out), I'd introduce a minotaur rival to the PC...this would either be a mighty minotaur warrior who has heard of boasts of the PC being "stronger than a minotaur" and seeks to prove otherwise, or a decrepit venerable minotaur shaman who had his strength sapped because of the wish and seeks to steal it back from the PC.

Et voila! The player's wish is fulfilled and a story hook is created.