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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wuyanei" data-source="post: 2694310" data-attributes="member: 28913">Well, yes. But +5 to ability score only gives you +2 ability modifier on that ability (or +3 if you have a odd ability score). +5 CL gives you +5 to caster level checks, not to mention +5d6 damage to direct damage spells, +5 rounds (or minutes, or hours) to spell duration, +10HD to creatures summoned with gate, etc. etc., so I believe +1 CL is quite a bit better than +1 to one ability score.I would allow the net effect (of CL +1), but not the meta-game mechanism. It can be done, but not that way. Items, permanent 'spells', swapping previous non-caster class levels, rewards for a daily human sacrifice etc. are all possible alternate methods to achieve the effect of +1 CL. The same thing goes to raising CL up to HD.I believe that if a 'character' wants something that makes even a modicum of sense in-game, the DM should let him have a fair chance of getting it. However, the characters have no concept of meta-game terms such as 'innate bonus', 'BAB', 'character class', 'base save bonus', 'spell-like ability', 'supernatural ability', etc. The characters work in-game towards aquiring what they want. HOW they actually GET what they want, and how to translate what they get into the meta-game terms of 'gp', 'XP', 'feats', 'bonuses' 'penalties', 'skill ranks' or 'ability scores', is the province of the DM. To a character, an unobtrusive tattoo that grants +1 CL should really be just as good as an 'innate' +1 CL bonus. Therefore, if the 'player', using meta-game knowledge, keeps demanding for a 'more-valuable' innate bonus instead of a 'less valuable' tattoo-item, I probably would not put too much weight to his words.The 'item' does not have to be a real item. For example, as with Samson and his hair, the power that grants the wish could make a semi-random stipulation that the character must obey. For Samson the grant is 'Gain +10 enhancement bonus to Str unless you cuts your hair.' For the player, the 'item' could be some similar requirement, that I might later use as a plot hook or simply use to take away the bonus if it gets too much out of hand.This applies to both '+1 CL' and 'raise CL to HD'. I suppose I am just one of the 'old-style' DMs, in that I still tend to see granted wishes (and granted miracles -- as opposed to wishes or miracles that characters cast themselves) as something of a reality-twisting plot device. If a granted 'powerful wish' does not somehow advance, or at least add to, the plot, I don't think that it is a very-well granted wish.Err... do you mean "Ftr 4 / Sor 16" ?  16th level wizards already have 8th level spell-slots...If I were the DM, I would allow you to add 4 effective caster levels with a single wish -- but in a way that can be reversed if neccessary. Four wish spells just to duplicate Practiced Spellcaster is a bit too much, IMHO. OTOH, if you were a "Ftr 16 / Sor 4" character that, for some reason, wanted to raise your effective caster level to CL 20 -- THEN I would require you to use four wish spells cast in quick succession.  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" /> All of the above is just how I would rule it. There really isn't a single 'correct' method, as others who argue differently have shown. Whatever works best for you and your group, just go ahead and do it. Take what ever is useful from what I've said, and feel free to ignore the rest.The only real rule is Rule -1: 'Just have fun!'Happy gaming!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Yanei Wu</blockquote>

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