Limited Wish and XP Cost

[cats_claw]

I've posted this on other forums, MonteCook and Mortality.net...

The wording of Limited Wish in 3.5 is a little muddier than the 3.0 version.

Is there ALWAYS an XP cost of 300 or is there only a cost of 300 (or more) if the duplicated spell requires an XP cost? One of the players I am DMing in my campaign is pointing to the explicit statement in Wish that says that regardless it costs 5000XP. And since it is not as exact in the Limited Wish description, where it only mentions XP cost if a spell has an XP cost, then it must only cost XP when the spell duplicated has XP costs.

From 3.5 SRD - Wish:
... XP Cost: The minimum XP cost for casting wish is 5,000 XP. When a wish duplicates a spell that has an XP cost, you must pay 5,000 XP or that cost, whichever is more. When a wish creates or improves a magic item, you must pay twice the normal XP cost for crafting or improving the item, plus an additional 5,000 XP.

From 3.5 SRD - Limited Wish:
.... A duplicated spell allows saving throws and spell resistance as normal (but the save DC is for a 7th-level spell). When a limited wish duplicates a spell that has an XP cost, you must pay that cost or 300 XP, whichever is more. When a limited wish spell duplicates a spell with a material component that costs more than 1,000 gp, you must provide that component.
XP Cost: 300 XP or more (see above).

Thanks all for your comments.

catsclaw

 

[Otterscrubber]

It will always cost you a minimum of 300 xp to cast Limited Wish. If you are duplicating a spell that requires a higher xp component cost then you pay that instead of the 300xp.

 

[cats_claw]

It will always cost you a minimum of 300 xp to cast Limited Wish. If you are duplicating a spell that requires a higher xp component cost then you pay that instead of the 300xp.

Currently I am ruling that there IS a 300XP cost, but you can see where the SRD could have been clearer, like in the description of Wish.

catsclaw

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think the fact that the components are
Components: V, S, XP

and the final line (which you quoted) is

XP Cost: 300xp or more

make it clear that the intention is that there is always a 300xp cost, and it can be more in the cases identified in the text. The fact that it doesn't lead out in the same way that the wish spell does might seem to muddy the waters a little, but basically I think the intention remains clear.

Cheers

 

[daves26]

The problem though is that I have seen other spells that have XP listed as a component, yet XP is not a requirement of the spell. In certain applications of the spell, it does cost XP, but not in all cases, yet they still list XP as a component.

Also, under XP cost, it states 300XP or more (see above).

Generally when a spell states "see above", the above text clarifies the exact cost, and in this case the above text states "WHEN a limited wish duplicates a spell that has an XP cost, you must pay that cost or 300 XP, whichever is more." That insinuates that you do not have to pay the XP cost unless the duplicated spell has one.

 

[AuraSeer]

The XP cost is 300 or more. Not less, and not zero.

 

[cats_claw]

The problem though is that I have seen other spells that have XP listed as a component, yet XP is not a requirement of the spell. In certain applications of the spell, it does cost XP, but not in all cases, yet they still list XP as a component.

Which spells in the SRD show an XP value as a component, list the XP cost at the bottom of the spell description, yet in the body of the spell description show that there are times when there is not any XP?

For the Official 3.5 SRD go to: http://www.wizards.com/D20/article.asp?x=srd35

catsclaw

 

[Dr. Niles Crane]

It will always cost you a minimum of 300 xp to cast Limited Wish. If you are duplicating a spell that requires a higher xp component cost then you pay that instead of the 300xp.

I had the same question and found that answer was given in Sage Advice in Dragon #315 (page 118), although not nearly as succinctly as Otterscrubber's answer.

EDIT: Me no speell prutty sum dayz.

 

[Altalazar]

Ah-HA! I found a way around the EXP cost:

"I (limited) wish that, when I cast this spell, it doesn't cost me any XP."

Poof - the spell is cast - and it cost ZERO XP!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Ah-HA! I found a way around the EXP cost:

"I (limited) wish that, when I cast this spell, it doesn't cost me any XP."

Poof - the spell is cast - and it cost ZERO XP!

Just remember to buff up before casting using that wish... I'd recommend 'Protection from GM rulings'.