Im looking over the wish spell as both a player and a DM and I notice that there is a stipulation that the wish spell can simply fail. Under what circumstances would it fail? Im especially curious about it from an Adventurers league perspective as ive never played in that type of setting. Would the spell fail because of poor wording on the part of the player or simply because the DM decides they didnt like the outcome of the wish?
Yes. Any time the DM feels you are being abusive, they are free to decide the spell simply fails, and that's one of the kinder things they can do to you.
Is there an official answer somewhere on the internet from wizards of the coast about this? I understand that the DM basically has the power to do whatever they feel like within the gameworld but im more curious if there is an actual standard from the rule/loremasters themselves?
In general, a spell only ever does what it says, no more, no less. The text of the spell specifies that the spell can simply fail. So it does. There is no official Wizards of the Coast announcement on this that I can find. The Sage Advice Compendium offers no guidance on this matter. You are welcome to use search engines if you wish to find out for yourself. Perhaps you will have better luck than I did.
The spell can fail if the DM decides they wished for something impossible or beyond the scope of a level 9 spell (like killing a god or being crowned king of the world, etc).
I think AL limit's wish to only effects in its description or other instances that specifically call for it.
Im looking over the wish spell as both a player and a DM and I notice that there is a stipulation that the wish spell can simply fail. Under what circumstances would it fail? Im especially curious about it from an Adventurers league perspective as ive never played in that type of setting. Would the spell fail because of poor wording on the part of the player or simply because the DM decides they didnt like the outcome of the wish?
The bolded, basically. The language is there to ensure that the DM doesn't lose control of the campaign, and gives them an out if they don't want to screw over the players by "twisting" the wish. It would be up to the DM to determine where that line is. I would imagine, since i've never played AL but have heard about it a lot here, that the line is pretty low in those games, possibly to textual options (those in the spell description or in others) only.
My line as a DM is usually somewhere in the realm of "will it cause the game to end if the wish is granted, or cause me to have to really screw over the player making the wish to preserve the game?" So wishing the BBEG dead might not do it (hello lich-dom!) but wishing to become a god might. FtR, I don't think making the BBEG a lich/dracolich/death tyrant (final form dependant on original form) is screwing over the players, only upping the difficulty.
If you’re just looking at it from an AL perspective, isn’t it really a purely academic question? I thought AL only runs published adventures, and since they don’t get to the level where anyone is casting wish (maybe one does, I could be wrong here) it wouldn’t actually come up.
Though I could be wrong about how AL works. Sorry if that’s the case.
If you’re just looking at it from an AL perspective, isn’t it really a purely academic question? I thought AL only runs published adventures, and since they don’t get to the level where anyone is casting wish (maybe one does, I could be wrong here) it wouldn’t actually come up.
Though I could be wrong about how AL works. Sorry if that’s the case.
There are more adventures (including t4) in AL than in books. In fact AL might be where most t4 play occurs.
If you’re just looking at it from an AL perspective, isn’t it really a purely academic question? I thought AL only runs published adventures, and since they don’t get to the level where anyone is casting wish (maybe one does, I could be wrong here) it wouldn’t actually come up.
Though I could be wrong about how AL works. Sorry if that’s the case.
There are more adventures (including t4) in AL than in books. In fact AL might be where most t4 play occurs.
Im looking over the wish spell as both a player and a DM and I notice that there is a stipulation that the wish spell can simply fail. Under what circumstances would it fail?
Normally, it's because you wished for something the DM considers excessive, and he can't figure out a way of granting the wish that isn't excessive.
The wish spell is as powerful as the DM allows it to be. If you use it in a very power-gamy exploitative way, then I, as a DM, would force it to fail. But if you use it in an appropriate situation with a well role-played wish, I’d be far more likely to allow it to succeed.
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Im looking over the wish spell as both a player and a DM and I notice that there is a stipulation that the wish spell can simply fail. Under what circumstances would it fail? Im especially curious about it from an Adventurers league perspective as ive never played in that type of setting. Would the spell fail because of poor wording on the part of the player or simply because the DM decides they didnt like the outcome of the wish?
Yes. Any time the DM feels you are being abusive, they are free to decide the spell simply fails, and that's one of the kinder things they can do to you.
<Insert clever signature here>
Is there an official answer somewhere on the internet from wizards of the coast about this? I understand that the DM basically has the power to do whatever they feel like within the gameworld but im more curious if there is an actual standard from the rule/loremasters themselves?
In general, a spell only ever does what it says, no more, no less. The text of the spell specifies that the spell can simply fail. So it does. There is no official Wizards of the Coast announcement on this that I can find. The Sage Advice Compendium offers no guidance on this matter. You are welcome to use search engines if you wish to find out for yourself. Perhaps you will have better luck than I did.
<Insert clever signature here>
The spell can fail if the DM decides they wished for something impossible or beyond the scope of a level 9 spell (like killing a god or being crowned king of the world, etc).
I think AL limit's wish to only effects in its description or other instances that specifically call for it.
The bolded, basically. The language is there to ensure that the DM doesn't lose control of the campaign, and gives them an out if they don't want to screw over the players by "twisting" the wish. It would be up to the DM to determine where that line is. I would imagine, since i've never played AL but have heard about it a lot here, that the line is pretty low in those games, possibly to textual options (those in the spell description or in others) only.
My line as a DM is usually somewhere in the realm of "will it cause the game to end if the wish is granted, or cause me to have to really screw over the player making the wish to preserve the game?" So wishing the BBEG dead might not do it (hello lich-dom!) but wishing to become a god might. FtR, I don't think making the BBEG a lich/dracolich/death tyrant (final form dependant on original form) is screwing over the players, only upping the difficulty.
Thanks this seems to help I think I need to look further into the matter.
If you’re just looking at it from an AL perspective, isn’t it really a purely academic question? I thought AL only runs published adventures, and since they don’t get to the level where anyone is casting wish (maybe one does, I could be wrong here) it wouldn’t actually come up.Though I could be wrong about how AL works. Sorry if that’s the case.There are more adventures (including t4) in AL than in books. In fact AL might be where most t4 play occurs.
Thank you for the correction.
Normally, it's because you wished for something the DM considers excessive, and he can't figure out a way of granting the wish that isn't excessive.
The wish spell is as powerful as the DM allows it to be. If you use it in a very power-gamy exploitative way, then I, as a DM, would force it to fail. But if you use it in an appropriate situation with a well role-played wish, I’d be far more likely to allow it to succeed.