Can wish only be used three times in a wizards life?

[Dark Ass4ssin 1]

The last sentence of the wish spell states " Finally, there is a 33 percent chance that you are unable to cast wish ever again after you suffer this stress."

On that, unless you only use wish to duplicate other spells you can cast it 3 times in your life assuming you roll good.

If that is the case could you cheese out of it using the clone spell

[eastmabl]

33% doesn't stack, so there's not fixed limit. Each time you cast, you roll with the same odds (33%).

It is likely that you will not be able to cast the spell more than three times, but you could conceivably cast Wish an infinite number of times provided you can meet all the other requirements.

[Dark Ass4ssin 1]

Thanks for the tip, no idea where I decided that it started to stack

[squab]

Doesn't the stress only come into effect if you cast a spell after wish? If I remember correctly, you'll never suffer a penalty as long as wish is the last spell you cast before a long rest.

[DracoKnight]

Doesn't the stress only come into effect if you cast a spell after wish? If I remember correctly, you'll never suffer a penalty as long as wish is the last spell you cast before a long rest.

You only suffer stress if you use Wish to do something other than cast a lower level spell.

[Dark Ass4ssin 1]

doesn't the stress only come into effect if you cast a spell after wish? If i remember correctly, you'll never suffer a penalty as long as wish is the last spell you cast before a long rest.

i...wish!!!

[SharkForce]

The last sentence of the wish spell states " Finally, there is a 33 percent chance that you are unable to cast wish ever again after you suffer this stress."

On that, unless you only use wish to duplicate other spells you can cast it 3 times in your life assuming you roll good.

If that is the case could you cheese out of it using the clone spell

technically you can cheese your way out of it by using the simulacrum spell. but don't expect to sneak that one past your DM.

a much *better* way to sneak past it is to (temporarily) true polymorph your party members into something that can cast wish. this includes variant (noble) genies and variant archmages (why the archmage has 20 int and yet has prepared one of the worst level 9 spells is beyond me), so it still requires some DM cooperation though. by doing that, you can cast a wish spell and even if that person loses the ability to cast it any more, it isn't a huge drawback.

[Ralanr]

As long as you use wish for lower level spells or just not cast any spells after wish till a long rest then you'll be fine.

You might need a stretcher if you do though. Or the party barbarian might just drag you face first on the ground while reminiscing about how his wife did the same to him on his wedding night.

[PoeticDwarf]

The last sentence of the wish spell states " Finally, there is a 33 percent chance that you are unable to cast wish ever again after you suffer this stress."

On that, unless you only use wish to duplicate other spells you can cast it 3 times in your life assuming you roll good.

If that is the case could you cheese out of it using the clone spell
You can copy spells, without that chance.
And if you have a real wish, roll the d6, with 1 or 2 you can't use it again, but you wish comes true.

[rollingForInit]

technically you can cheese your way out of it by using the simulacrum spell. but don't expect to sneak that one past your DM.

a much *better* way to sneak past it is to (temporarily) true polymorph your party members into something that can cast wish. this includes variant (noble) genies and variant archmages (why the archmage has 20 int and yet has prepared one of the worst level 9 spells is beyond me), so it still requires some DM cooperation though. by doing that, you can cast a wish spell and even if that person loses the ability to cast it any more, it isn't a huge drawback.

Could you True Polymorph a person into another person with more class levels? Seems pretty odd ... Don't think I'd allow that.

[Daishain]

why the archmage has 20 int and yet has prepared one of the worst level 9 spells is beyond meIf you just ignore the uses that can backfire, Wish is probably the best level nine spell in the entire book. It is the ultimate swiss army knife for spellcasters, being able to duplicate ANY other lower level spell regardless of spell list.

That kind of versatility is a huge advantage and also lets you bypass other requirements, such as the material cost and casting time for Simulacrum.

The only case where I wouldn't pick up Wish is if I know the campaign is going to basically make another L9 spell an absolute requirement. Which is A. Rare, and B. probably indicative of a bad DM who doesn't like to allow creative thinking.

[Slipperychicken]

(why the archmage has 20 int and yet has prepared one of the worst level 9 spells is beyond me)

Because he knows that it's best not to break the game?

[rollingForInit]

The only case where I wouldn't pick up Wish is if I know the campaign is going to basically make another L9 spell an absolute requirement. Which is A. Rare, and B. probably indicative of a bad DM who doesn't like to allow creative thinking.

I'd keep Wish as the default spell prepared, then use some other spell if I think there's going to be a very specific situation that calls for another level 9 spell. If I know that tomorrow, we're gonna try to hold a tunnel from an invading army, a Prismatic Wall might be good. If I know we're going to stand on the walls of a keep that's attacked by a large number of enemies, Meteor Swarm might be a great choice. If I know there's someone I want to Imprison or permanently turn into a rat, well ...

Unless I'm doing a very specific character concept, like someone who really loves to use Shapechange, in which case flavour goes before mechanics.

[KorvinStarmast]

Could you True Polymorph a person into another person with more class levels? No, the spell description limits you to a creature of equivalent CR or Level in the "change creature to creature" subsection.

[SharkForce]

Could you True Polymorph a person into another person with more class levels? Seems pretty odd ... Don't think I'd allow that.


No, the spell description limits you to a creature of equivalent CR or Level in the "change creature to creature" subsection.

*shrug* lucky enough, archmages are a CR 12 creature. it's rules-legal. besides which, by the time you are true polymorphing your allies into anything, they should be level 17 just like you are, so they don't need more class levels, they just need the same number of class levels anyways.

that said, i don't like polymorph taking away or giving class features either. but it is the rules.


If you just ignore the uses that can backfire, Wish is probably the best level nine spell in the entire book. It is the ultimate swiss army knife for spellcasters, being able to duplicate ANY other lower level spell regardless of spell list.

That kind of versatility is a huge advantage and also lets you bypass other requirements, such as the material cost and casting time for Simulacrum.

The only case where I wouldn't pick up Wish is if I know the campaign is going to basically make another L9 spell an absolute requirement. Which is A. Rare, and B. probably indicative of a bad DM who doesn't like to allow creative thinking.

sure. but the archmage has prepared time stop. not wish. and time stop is one of the worst level 9 spells in the game, from any list.

and if astral projection (which might actually just be badly written rather than being a bad spell) and weird weren't around, i'd say it would be my choice for the absolute worst level 9 spell.

(to those who think it's because the archmage is trying not to break the game: there are plenty of perfectly good level 9 spells that don't break the game, but remain useful. foresight, prismatic wall, shapechange, these are spells that are useful, but not gamebreaking, but also actually serve a purpose.

as written, time stop doesn't let you do anything interesting. you can't stack self-buffs (concentration requirements). you can't stack AoE terrain modification. you can't even run very far away without it ending, and you could've just used the action you used for time stop to run away instead. likewise with buffing.

it just isn't a good spell.

[Morcleon]

If you want to take the slightly riskier but not DM-screw-over-able uses of Wish, you can prepare Wish, then make simulacrums of yourself, then order them to cast Wish for your desired result.