I wish for ...

[Archade]

Hey all,

So, my players in my heavily-warped version of SCAP travelled to the Elemental Plane of Fire, and came across an efreeti merchant willing to barter wishes.

In exchange for "the whisper of his wings", one of my players wished "to be a young adult copper dragon". He's already a half-copper dragon with 12 class levels (ECL 15).

So, what's the best way to handle this without being game breaking? The guy got a wish, so he should benefit in some way, but I'm not sure what isn't game-breaking, and could use some advice.

a) Permanently 'alternate form' him into a Juvenile Copper Dragon (medium, same HD as him roughly), but he doesn't get many effects of the new shape, and loses many benefits of the old - seems a little mean. I could twist his wording into saying how old are you now? Young adult? Good enough - have a smaller dragon size.

b) Tell him to rebuild his character as a young adult copper dragon - ECL 23ish, so he loses all 12 levels of classes, and doesn't advance for the rest of the campaign.

c) Polymorph him permanently.

d) Wild shape him permanently.

e) Something else?

As well, what would you make "the whisper of his wings"? Reduce his maneuverability? Give him a -10 to Move Silently from now on? Something else? I've got an idea of what I'd do, but I'm curious what other evil DMs out there would think of.

Thanks!

 

[frankthedm]

The guy got a wish, so he should benefit in some way...

Not when it is an Efreeti granting the wish.

That wish is FAR beyond the potency a wish can safely grant.

17HD and an unlisted ECL? One age les would be ecl+4, so an effective ECL of 22+ is greedy and begging to be screwed over.

A young copper would have nailed the the ECL perfectly for a 15th level character. The player got greedy and deserves the worst.



Whisper of his wings? That could be loss of flight or having his wing always sounding like a roaring wind.

 

[Sejs]

If Juvenile matches his current ECL, then that's what he should get. Just because he got a wish shouldn't mean he gets to instantly sprout several hit dice and a bucket of LA.

And even though it may work, he should get hosed in some way because frankly that's what Efreet do. Generally by hosed I'm talking about having the price be massive in a way he wasn't able to foresee. Not a mechanical penalty such as having his maneuverability lowered or his move silently reduced, we're talking something like the Efreet being able to summon him on command. 'Calling upon the whisper of his wings at his side' as it were.

Then start to twist that knife.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

we're talking something like the Efreet being able to summon him on command. 'Calling upon the whisper of his wings at his side' as it were.

That was the first thing that sprang into my mind!

Complete loss of his wings was #2.

Either way,or something else entirely- an efreeti-granted wish is meant to be twisted.

Viciously.

 

[Bad Paper]

In exchange for "the whisper of his wings"

I don't understand this. The PC offered this to the efreeti in exchange for the wish? Who came up with this term?

 

[frankthedm]

I don't understand this. The PC offered this to the efreeti in exchange for the wish? Who came up with this term?

I assumed the Efreeti made the offer.

 

[Sejs]

I don't understand this. The PC offered this to the efreeti in exchange for the wish? Who came up with this term?

*nod* Echo what Frank said.

Efreeti: Hey kid, wanna buy a wish?

Adventurer: Do I!

Efreeti: *cracks knuckles* Alright kid lay it on me, what do you wish for? Name the wish and I'll name the price. Small wish, small price. You get the picture.

Adventurer: OKay. *thinks* Um, I want to be a dragon! A young adult copper dragon!

Efreeti:

Efreeti: Oh. Pfft, that's not so bad. I mean you're already a half-dragon as it is so I hardly have to do any work. Alright, seeing as you're going light on me I'll return the favor. Let's see here, something easy.. something low-cost.. Aha, I've got it. I'll grant you your wish in exchange for the whisper of your wings. How's that sound?

Adventurer: Whisper of my wings? What does that mean?

Efreeti: Nothing tangible, but I've gotta ask for something in return you understand. There are rules to this sorta thing after all.

Adventurer: Wow, that's works for me then! Thanks a ton Mr Efreeti!

Efreeti: No problem at all, kid. I just like to make people happy. *grants wish, smiles, waves and plane shifts away*

Adventurer: Wow... what a nice guy.

 

[frankthedm]

Efreeti: Hey kid, wanna buy a wish?

If a character willfully pays the book price of a wish, 26,530 GP, the it's not unreasonable for a player to get a reasonable wish result [PHB wish options]. Not that the Efreeti will tell you have this option...

I'd even let a character pay this with melted lumps of gold since those can happen pretty easily in a dragon's hoardand th gold will melt soon anyway.

 

[Archade]

Well, the Efreeti is evil, but the heavy high price is going to be "the whisper of his wings". I've come up with something especially nefarious and long lasting.

My main question is how to handle his new form without being unbalanced. It's a done deal - he's going to end up a medium size copper dragon in shape. My question is how to handle the mechanics.

Please look at what I think my options are above, and let me know how you might handle it.

 

[Cedric]

I'd have made it a temporary change, maybe a week, a month tops.