Can't remember ways to get wish.

[drakoonity]

I need everyone's help with this one, I remember I saw somewhere that you could get the wish spell earlier then when you would normally get it as a 9th level spell with the wizard. The only thing I can remember is that I think it involved polymorphing into a specific creature and through that creature you get it like once a day. I really can't remember how to do it, and it's going to drive me crazy unless I figure it out, any help will be appreciated.

[TrueJordan]

Get a scroll of shapechange
UMD it at whatever level you can.
Become a Zodar (MM II, I think)
Cast wish every round as a standard action.

Rinse and repeat as often as you enjoy books getting thrown at your head.

[Cloud]

You can also use the candle of invocation to gate in a creature that grants wishes (make sure one of your wishes is another candle of invocation).

[Grod_The_Giant]

There are also tricks to casting 9th level spells as low as first level. Something with Earth Spell, Versatile Spellcaster, and Heighten Spell, I think.

[Hamste]

Also a knowledge religion check and saying Panazu or something like that three times (you then use your alignment as a bargaining tool to get a wish)

[The Shadowmind]

Zodar is from Fiend Folio.

[Gemini476]

There are also tricks to casting 9th level spells as low as first level. Something with Earth Spell, Versatile Spellcaster, and Heighten Spell, I think.

You can get 9th level slots at level one with an Elven Generalist Domain Wizard with Versatile Spellcaster and some way to cast spells spontaneously (Uncanny Forethought?), althoughthe earliest I've managed to get to the CL 17 necessary to cast said spells is at level nine. You need a lot of feats.

[Graypairofsocks]

Get a scroll of shapechange
UMD it at whatever level you can.
Become a Zodar (MM II, I think)
Cast wish every round as a standard action.

Rinse and repeat as often as you enjoy books getting thrown at your head.

It's wish ability is once per year.

I forget if it is a Supernatural or Spell like ability.


You can get 9th level slots at level one with an Elven Generalist Domain Wizard with Versatile Spellcaster and some way to cast spells spontaneously (Uncanny Forethought?), althoughthe earliest I've managed to get to the CL 17 necessary to cast said spells is at level nine. You need a lot of feats.
This trick is a debatable one.

[TuggyNE]

It's wish ability is once per year.

And that would indeed be an obstacle, if only shapechange required you to assume the same instance of a given form each time. But it does not. There isn't even anything to prevent you from switching from Zodar to Zodar in consecutive rounds. Similarly, dragon form breath weapons have, in effect, no real recharge (or are, at any rate, usable at least once per round).

[Jack_Simth]

Lots of ways. Many of which have already been mentioned.

Cheap and very cheesy:
Candle of Invocation (Specific alignment): [Any Wish-granting Outsider]
(Greater) Planar Binding: [Any Wish-granting outsider]
Shapechange(Zodar)
Simulacrum/Ice Assassin: [Any Wish-granting creature]
Ur-Priest Capstone: Grab the spell-like ability off of any Wish-granting Outsider that has it as a spell-like.
Pazazu Pazazu Pazazu

Technically qualifies, but not what you're looking for: Savage Bard-5/Ur-Priest-8/Contemplative-1 (Grab the Envy domain). You can now cast Wish, yourself, at 14th level, if you've got a Wisdom modifier of at least +8 and the 5k XP to burn.

Expensive:
Purchase a suitable scroll, luckblade, ring of three Wishes, or similar.

A partial list of Wish-granting critters:
Solar
Glabrezou
Pit Fiend
Zodar (Fiend Folio)
Pazazu

[Gemini476]

This trick is a debatable one.

Not really? If you use Sanctum Spell rather than the other feats I mentioned, that is, since I forgot the exact feat needed when I wrote that post.

Elven Generalist:

The elf wizard may also prepare one additional spell of her highest spell level each day. Unlike the specialist wizard ability, this spell may be of any school.
Domain Wizard:

A domain wizard automatically adds each new domain spell to her list of known spells as soon as she becomes able to cast it. These spells do not count against her two new spells known per wizard level.
Sanctum Spell:

A sanctum spell has an effective spell level 1 higher than its normal level if cast in your sanctum [...] A sanctum spell uses a spell slot of the spell's normal level.

So you start with an extra 1st level slot from elf wizard. You can cast a sanctum spell from that slot, and hence the highest spell level you can cast is 2nd level. That means that the Elf Wizard slot moves up to 2nd level, and Domain Wizard gives you a 2nd level spell known.

The unwritten rule of only being able to cast spells that your CL allows you to cast is the only thing that stops you from instantly getting a 9th level slot and a 9th level spell known from your domain. After that you just need to write Wish into your spell book and get enough XP to cast it without dying. So level three.

Of course, if you need to get CL 17 before you cast it then it's more difficult, and I'm unsure what the lowest level necessary to get that is. I made a build that got it at level 9, IIRC, but yeah.

Beads of Karma give you +4, Ioun Stones give you +1, Wild Mage 1 + Practiced Spellcaster is +1d6, Elder Giant Magic is +3...



Of course, it's way easier to just Planar Bind an Efreeti.

[Graypairofsocks]

Not really? If you use Sanctum Spell rather than the other feats I mentioned, that is, since I forgot the exact feat needed when I wrote that post.

Elven Generalist:


The elf wizard may also prepare one additional spell of her highest spell level each day. Unlike the specialist wizard ability, this spell may be of any school.
Domain Wizard:


A domain wizard automatically adds each new domain spell to her list of known spells as soon as she becomes able to cast it. These spells do not count against her two new spells known per wizard level.
Sanctum Spell:


A sanctum spell has an effective spell level 1 higher than its normal level if cast in your sanctum [...] A sanctum spell uses a spell slot of the spell's normal level.

So you start with an extra 1st level slot from elf wizard. You can cast a sanctum spell from that slot, and hence the highest spell level you can cast is 2nd level. That means that the Elf Wizard slot moves up to 2nd level, and Domain Wizard gives you a 2nd level spell known.
This way is still debatable:
Whether you can have both the Elf Wizard alternate class feature and Domain Wizard is contested because they both disallow you from being a specialist wizard although the precise text is different(I don't know if it would really matter for the Sanctum Spell method though).

Another point of contention is whether Sanctum Spell counts for purposes of Elf Wizard as it is only effectively of a higher level.
Also the Effective Spell Level of the spell modified by Sanctum Spell is determined when the spell is cast.

[Rubik]

This way is still debatable:
Whether you can have both the Elf Wizard alternate class feature and Domain Wizard is contested because they both disallow you from being a specialist wizard although the precise text is different(I don't know if it would really matter for the Sanctum Spell method though).Actually, one requires you to give up being a specialist wizard. The other only requires you to not be one. Those are two similar (but different) requirements, which just happen to coincide perfectly. It's like one requirement specifying that you must not be human, and another requiring you to be a dwarf. Nothing about one obviates the other.

[Graypairofsocks]

It is a matter of interpretation, but I think you are probably right.

And now for some reason I feel confused.

[Halbaradkenafin]

Just remember that the first thing you wish for is a fully charged Ring of Three Wishes (and always use one of those for another one) and your good to go.

Ultimate magus can get it pretty early with spontaneous divination to stack all your wizard levels with it.

[Gemini476]

It is a matter of interpretation, but I think you are probably right.

And now for some reason I feel confused.


Wizard Variant: Domain Wizard

A wizard who uses the arcane domain system (called a domain wizard) selects a specific arcane domain of spells, much like a cleric selects a pair of domains associated with his deity. A domain wizard cannot also be a specialist wizard; in exchange for the versatility given up by specializing in a domain instead of an entire school, the domain wizard casts her chosen spells with increased power.

Generalist Wizardry:A 1st-level elf wizard begins play
with one extra 1st-level spell in her spellbook. At each new
wizard level, she gains one extra spell of any spell level that
she can cast. This represents the additional elven insight and
experience with arcane magic.
The elf wizard may also prepare one additional spell of
her highest spell level each day. Unlike the specialist wizard
ability, this spell may be of any school.
This substitution feature replaces the standard wizard’s
ability to specialize in a school of magic.

Basically, Domain Wizard requires you to not be a specialist and Elf Wizard 1 takes away your ability to specialize in the first place.

The real issue is whether or not you can combine class variants with substitution levels or Alternate Class Features - this is also important in the case of Cloistered Clerics or Wolf Totem Barbarians or Stalwart Battle Sorcerers. The argument against combining them being possible is largely based on class variants not being their original class - a Thug Fighter is not a Fighter, basically, and thus would not qualify for Fighter-specific things.
I am not of that school of thought, but yeah.

[Necroticplague]

, althoughthe earliest I've managed to get to the CL 17 necessary to cast said spells is at level nine. You need a lot of feats.
Where does it say you need a CL of 17 to cast wish?

[Gemini476]

Where does it say you need a CL of 17 to cast wish?

Magic chapter of the PHB:

Caster Level

A spell’s power often depends on its caster level, which for most spellcasting characters is equal to your class level in the class you’re using to cast the spell.

You can cast a spell at a lower caster level than normal, but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question, and all level-dependent features must be based on the same caster level.
The problem with this is that it's an unwritten rule, like Attack Actions. How high does your Caster Level need to be to cast the spell? There's no concrete rules out there.

This is especially bad with things like the Wild Mage or Mage Slayer, who permanently lower your CL.

The assumption that many make is that the required CL is equal to the CL you would have when you first got access to that spell level in your class (so for 3rd level spells it's CL 5 for Wizards, CL 6 for Sorcerers, CL 3 for Ur-Priests, CL 7 for Bards, and so on and so forth.)
However, there are no rules that out-right say so. It's an unwritten rule that the writers simply assumed existed, like stating your actions in advance in BECMI.