Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sdcsvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!mr-frog
From: mr-frog@sdcsvax.UUCP (Dave Pare)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: using wishes to permanent spells
Message-ID: <939@sdcsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Jun-84 04:00:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.939
Posted: Fri Jun 29 04:00:21 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Jul-84 08:23:12 EDT
References: <915@sdcsvax.UUCP>, <1215@qubix.UUCP>
Organization: EECS Dept. U.C. San Diego
Lines: 47

:
>Its the standard (A)D&D bullsh*t again, dave.   In the system
>wishes are the ultimate spells, able to accomplish anything.

Come come, Mr. Maurer.  Where did I say that?  How did you get
that from anything I've ever said?  Of course wishes have
limits -- it's just that they are certainly able to duplicate any
spell of 9th or less quite easily since the mage is taken out for 1d8 days
after casting it (or putting it in a ring as part of an enchantment).

How come you just don't come out and cuss?  I mean, "bullshit" is
so much more refreshing than your tame "bullsh*t".  It's a bit less
hypocritical too.

Anyhow, I wander off the subject.  Do you really think that a
Full Wish (in AD&D, or D&D) shouldn't be able to duplicate the
effects of other spells if the wording is right?

>"I wish that joe dies" is NOT "Please put me in suspended animation
>until a time when joe is dead", no matter how much that BS artist
>says it is.

I'll certainly agree with you there.  As a DM, I handle wishes by
using a "path of least resistance" method.  That is, if the
interpretation of the wish can be done by a lesser powered magic,
then that is the way it happens.  For instance, "I wish joe dies"
would probably kill joe, unless placing the mage into suspended
animation proves easier (such a chance usually approaches nil).
After all, "kill-w-no-save" uses (in the general case) less power
than a "conditional-suspended-animation-for-many-years".

Unfortunately, Mr. Gygax (who has made some pretty bad rulings)
is essentially saying "I'll crock the wish if I don't like
it's effects".  Something silly, or something that had screwy
effects can have almost an unlimited source of "power" in his
world.  Of course, any attempt to research a spell to duplicate
this effect would be laughed out of any reasonable game.  That
kind of stuff gives D&D a real bad name.

This doesn't mean everybody who plays D&D has to dogmatically
follow Mr. Gygax.  I don't appreciate that implication, Mr. Maurer!


Dave Pare

[ucbvax | dcdwest]!sdcsvax!mr-frog