When to throw a Wish at the players? [DM]

[ToastyTobasco]

One thing I have been curious about is where and when people like to throw Wish items into the campaign. I know Wizards get Wish at really high levels but not everyone wants to play a super high campaign to get things like that.

[stoutstien]

I have given out a single wish item at Low levels. They horded it and never used it the entire campaign.

[JackPhoenix]

Whenever you (the GM) are ready for the consequences. That will change from GM to GM. A single Wish is rarely gamebreaking, it's having regular access to large number of them that can cause trouble.

[Pex]

When the players are mature enough not to try to Win D&D with it and the DM is mature enough not to screw over the PCs because of it.

[Sindal]

I gave my players a wish they had to spend before the session was done.

They were on a 'holiday' campaign at the time. Chilling at a magcial beach and doing the island's mystical challenges for the chance to win the wish.
(The paladin won. He wished that our ranger's dragon egg has a safe birth)

I'd say the time to give it is either:

"When it's not going to be used to solve a problem". Aka, where there isnt a random obstacle that can be wished away. This lets them make a wish that can be selfish or tell us more about thr kind of things they want. If this happens to be a super op magical item then so be it.

Or

When it's very clearly the solution to a problem and what they are questing for because all other avenues are exhausted. This gives the wish some weight and importance.

So either no stakes
Or all stakes.

Try to put them in a situation where it cant be hoarded. They will probably save it for a rainy day that never comes.

Remins them to word their wishes carefully. If they wish for something stupid, give them something stupid :p

Try to make it a group effort if possible.

"I wish for a million bucks!"
"A million stags appear."

[Drache64]

I placed an NPC in a maze the players were stuck in who promised to give them three wishes, but he was full of crap. The players made three wishes with him and he "fulfilled" every wish in a way that was completely unverifiable.

Player 1: I wish for a million gold pieces.
NPC: okay, I have put your name on the long lost treasure of an ancient King.
Player 1: where is it?
NPC: do you want to spend another wish to find out?

Player 2: no! we need to have a way to find our way out if this maze! I wish for a way to navigate this maze.
NPC: okay, waiting for you at the nearest town is a lock box in a bank with a map of this entire maze.
Player 2: no! We need the map here, I wish the map was here.
NPC: okay, wish granted, the map is now here somewhere in this maze.

The point is that if I can spin any wish to be useless, you can probably find a way to make any wish not game breaking.

[Sigreid]

When you know it wont trash your campaign or when it's ok if it does.