So Wish wasn't abolished, after all...

[DandD]

The Pit Fiend entry has it there that he can grant a Wish to a mortal once every 99 years, by performing a dark ritual. So yeah, Wish is still in the game, unfortunately. And here I thought they would do away with stupid things like that. Doesn't matter that Wish isn't a spell anymore, but a ritual, Wish is still Wish, and brings with it the same faults as it has before. I rather have it that a being who 'grants' a "wish" has to do it with his own phenomenal powers, and not some awkward special magical outside-thingy which strangely enough only works for mortals, and which the "Wish-Givers" never seem to use for themselves. After all, Genies in the most famous fiction of Wish-Granting fairy-tales, that of Aladdin and his magical lamp, were rather all-powerful spirits who could and would do anything.

How do you feel about this? What are your opinions? Is it a yay or nay? Am I (hopefully) wrong?

 

[Sir Brennen]

Who says this ritual is available to mortals?

 

[Andor]

Uh... When did Wish ever get nominated for the axe? It's one of the great classics both of D&D and of fantasy in general.

 

[Hjorimir]

I like the pit fiend wish. If he could and do anything (as you mention) he'd be untouchable as an opponent. I think the genies portrayed in such stories are not meant to be approachable as an enemy. It was only though clever thinking that men could defeat genies by outwitting them.

Perhaps the pit fiend can call on the big A once every 99 years to empower the wish; Asmodeous probably doesn't want to be bothered too often.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Perhaps the pit fiend can call on the big A once every 99 years to empower the wish; Asmodeous probably doesn't want to be bothered too often.

It's all the damn paperwork.

 

[DandD]

If he could and do anything (as you mention) he'd be untouchable as an opponent.

Which is why it would be best if he can't grant Wishes at all, or if he says that he will grant a "Wish", it will only be with what the Pit Fiend could do himself normaly.

I think the genies portrayed in such stories are not meant to be approachable as an enemy. It was only though clever thinking that men could defeat genies by outwitting them.

Normally, I would concur. But we're talking about D&D, a game specifically meant to kill monsters, demons, and if necessary, gods, as admitted by the game designers. Of course, the Genie in Aladdin is just a plot-device, not a monstrous enemy that the little thief has to fight in a battle to death. There are other stories of beings who grant wishes, not because they have some kind of wonky spell, or a limited use of a thinga-majob, but because they really are that powerful.

Perhaps the pit fiend can call on the big A once every 99 years to empower the wish; Asmodeous probably doesn't want to be bothered too often.

Well, that would be actually okay, if the "Wish ritual" was rather a phone-call to the deific being Asmodeus.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

It's all the damn paperwork.

ROFL!!

 

[Relique du Madde]

Perhaps the pit fiend can call on the big A once every 99 years to empower the wish; Asmodeous probably doesn't want to be bothered too often.

Honestly, I 'd take anything Asmodeous saids about a devil's ability to grant wishes with a grain of salt. After all, if people knew that devils had an unlimited supply of wishes they could dish out, the entire multiverse would be filled with pun puns.

 

[Voss]

Its actually not a bad thing for the devils to convince people of. They want out of the Hells, right? So... get conjured up, eat the idiot mortal, roam free.

 

[Hammerhead]

Its actually not a bad thing for the devils to convince people of. They want out of the Hells, right? So... get conjured up, eat the idiot mortal, roam free.

Yeah, that's pretty tough. More like fail to break free from the magic circle/d-anchor, lose the Charisma check against the mortal, then follow him around like a murderous puppy for a week. On the off-chance you are able to get free, the mortal and his friends kill you for real.

Note that the text says wish, not Wish. Which leads me to believe it's just flavor/plot device, not a written spell.