Wishing for Feats

[Fenlock]

Hi All

Sorry, i know this has been up before, but i need to know what the consensus is on this.

In the near future there is a chance that one om my players may aquire a Wish. Since he is playing a dwarf with 10 dex, who would like to be a DD, he might wish for the Dodge feat. By default i have no problem granting a feat for a wish when the character has the prereq's. Dodge in it self is a pretty lowkey feat (IMHO) but i am a bit wary about allowing something that could be misused.

So how do you deal with this? do you allow feats for wishes, whitout the prereq's?

thnx/Fenlock

 

[Berk]

I personally would only allow wish to work for feats that the character already meets all the prereqs for. And then again, I'm also the kind of DM that takes wishes as they are said, quite literally and they have to be said in character.

 

[Darkness]

Hi All

Sorry, i know this has been up before, but i need to know what the consensus is on this.

Yeah, there was one thread about it in July, for example. But it's a topic that's worthwile to discuss every once in a while, neh?

For the record, though, that old thread is here.

 

[Fenlock]

Thnx Darkness...

Reading the other thread was very helpfull.
I'll think i'll use the following rules for my campaign (given that i'll never allow them to cast wish or miracle themself)

use one wish to exchange a feat for another (given the character has the prereq).

use two wishes (in succession) to gain a new feat (given the character has the prereq). or exchange a feat for a new one that the character does not have.

use three wishes (in succession) to gain a new feat, that the character does not have the prereq's for.

/Fenlock

 

[Darkness]

Glad I could help.

And requiring multiple wishes for a new feat sounds like a good idea IMO...

 

[mkletch]

I'll run the risk of repeating myself, but you get a feat every three levels and an ability bump at every 4th. That would imply for me that feats are less 'special', less rare and more accessible than ability score increases. If a single wish will allow you to get an effect similar to the 4-levels ability bump, then it should certainly let you get a 3-levels feat.

I would not in any case allow a character to wish for a feat that he/she did not qualify for, and I would put a cap on the number of feats that could be gained with wishes (an arbitrary 3 sounds good).

-Fletch!

 

[bret]

I personally would only allow wish to work for feats that the character already meets all the prereqs for. And then again, I'm also the kind of DM that takes wishes as they are said, quite literally and they have to be said in character.

This amuses me.

It is sometimes hard to decide what is in character and what isn't.

Is it in character to talk about a +2 weapon? I would say so, since there is a definable difference in how long it takes to make a +1 vs. a +2 weapon.

Is it in character to ask for a boost in an attribute? This is one of the 'safe' wishes given in the PHB, but it is very heavily tied to the game mechanics and I have a much more difficult time seeing a way to do it.

What about if you use a different language? There are a lot more words for snow in some languages than others. Maybe Draconic has just the word to describe something that is in the players view a game mechanic.

As a player in such a game, I would probably throw it back in the GMs lap.

"OK, I've learned this spell. So exactly how has it historically been phrased to achieve each of the listed results given in the Players Handbook? Remember, I need the exact phrasing used and it can't contain any game mechanics."

Then again, I would be careful enough to think through and wishes and then ask the GM for spellcraft, Knowledge; Arcana and/or Knowledge: History rolls to find the best wording for a particular non-standard wish.

In other words, use the knowledge the character has (but the player doesn't) to solve the problem.

 

[dcollins]

Is it in character to talk about a +2 weapon? I would say so, since there is a definable difference in how long it takes to make a +1 vs. a +2 weapon.

I very much disagree. However, speaking of a "faint, moderate, or strongly enchanted item" (per detect magic, PH p. 193) would be in-character.

 

[med stud]

If magic weapons exist in five distinct varieties, I think it is in character for a scientific kind of wizard to label them accordingly. Maybe not exactly plus, but, for example, a wizard may be talking about a rank II weapon as differed from a rank I weapon.

 

[mzsylver]

If magic weapons exist in five distinct varieties, I think it is in character for a scientific kind of wizard to label them accordingly. Maybe not exactly plus, but, for example, a wizard may be talking about a rank II weapon as differed from a rank I weapon.

i often talk about them as "Circles of Power" - like this sword has the 3rd circle of power or a spell from the 9th circle of power.