Wish spells

[Tzarevitch]

I disagree. If every efreeti wish was deliberately misinterpreted in such a vulgar way (even the more mundane ones) then that reputation would spread, and noone would bother to go after them for wishes. Which is a shame, as having the party hunt an efreet for a needed wish is a great story hook..

If a subdued efreet is compelled to grant wishes, then I see no reason why it should not be compelled to grant them properly.

Who is to say what "properly" is? There is a world of a difference between an efreet who is granting a wish, free and clear of all encumbrances because you have done something to help it and an efreet who has been captured and bound.

Tzarevitch

 

[Tzarevitch]

This is one of the reasons I got fed up with 2nd ed. If you managed to get a wish and you say "I wish I was smarter" should be a +1 inherent bonus to inteligence. A simple wish should not be twisted if it is in the power of the wish. It was reasoning like yours that made GMs the enemy of the players. When the players accomplish enough to get something as powerful as a wish they should not be punished unless they try to push their luck.

It entirely depends on how you are getting the wish. If you are busily capturing efreet to milk them for wishes, they will attempt to screw you as hard as they can on those wishes and they SHOULD. I played a sha'ir in an Al-Qadim game for 5 years. I received many a wish from genies of all types during that campaign. I made my career freeing the genies from their lamps and bottles and they responded with untwisted wishes. Those who tried to command the imprisoned genies instead found that the genies were spiteful and twisted every wish they could.

With regard to wish spells cast by a character however (or obtained from a ring or something), that is another story. I see no reason why such wishes should be twisted unless the character foolishly wishes for something that is really beyond the spell's scope since there is no intependent entity that is carrying out the wish.

Tzarevitch

 

[Bauglir]

Who is to say what "properly" is? There is a world of a difference between an efreet who is granting a wish, free and clear of all encumbrances because you have done something to help it and an efreet who has been captured and bound.

Tzarevitch

Evil creatures, as a general rule will see no reason to return favours. Even if you struck a deal with a lawful evil creature they would still try to rip you off as much as possible while still honouring the deal. It's in their nature. Hence making wishes through an efreet would be pointless if the specifics of the wish were up to the creature, as you would never get what you want.

As such I suggest an alternate way to view the situation: The efreet is a 'silent partner' in the wishing process. Its power is used to fuel the wish, but the wish is autonomous, and granted as if cast by the player themself.

Edit: Found it

 

[LokiDR]

It entirely depends on how you are getting the wish. If you are busily capturing efreet to milk them for wishes, they will attempt to screw you as hard as they can on those wishes and they SHOULD. I played a sha'ir in an Al-Qadim game for 5 years. I received many a wish from genies of all types during that campaign. I made my career freeing the genies from their lamps and bottles and they responded with untwisted wishes. Those who tried to command the imprisoned genies instead found that the genies were spiteful and twisted every wish they could.

No, no it doesn't. Nothing in the description of any creature descibes any ability the granting entity has to twist an otherwise normal wish. None. You are reading something that is not there. You are stuck in 2e and this is the 3/3.5 rules forum.

That said, this is a fine style for an arabian game or other setting with powerful enties granting wishes. If you want to re-write those creatures, more power to you. But that isn't what is in the game as a whole, that is your game.