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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!down!tilt!chenr
From: chenr@tilt.FUN (The 1200 baud hacker)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: High level campaigns, checks and balances
Message-ID: <204@tilt.FUN>
Date: Wed, 7-Nov-84 23:27:24 EST
Article-I.D.: tilt.204
Posted: Wed Nov  7 23:27:24 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 9-Nov-84 06:47:18 EST
References: <133@ttidcc.UUCP>
Organization: Princeton University EECS Dept
Lines: 54

> One of our PC's is a female elven mage/thief.  A while ago our party did  a
> big  favor for a fairly powerful god for which we were all richly rewarded.
> Her reward was to become unlimited in level as a mage (she can increase  in
> levels  as  if  she  were  a  human).  During our last session, she finally
> managed to attain 18th level (spent a LOT of money on  books  and  wishes).
> At  this  level she can now throw her own wish spells.  Given the longevity
> of elvenkind, this means she can easily throw enough wishes to  reach  90th
> level  without  aging  to  death  first.  In effect, she can become a demi-
> goddess any time she wants to.  Talk  about  unbalance!  Now  we  know  why
> elven mages are usually limited to 12th level.
> 
> We ended play at that  point,  to  be  continued  next  week.  Consequences
> remain  to be seen as she's now considering her next course of action.  Our
> other elven mage, who is also unlimited as to level but hadn't  thought  of
> this  angle,  is  now very worried.  He's the only logical consort for her,
> but she doesn't like his personality and is considering changing  it.  This
> should get interesting ...

Hmmm, this shoudn't be a problem.  For the DM, that is.  First of all, I
and most DM's I know don't usually allow wishes to give you a "gift" level.
I usually make wishes phrased like "I wish I were one level higher" lead
to a situation in which the PC has the opportunity go up a level, if she
survives it.  An example would be a messenger of some deity appearing and
telling the PC that she has been selected to some particular task for the
church and as an aid, she will be able to function one level higher than
she is currently until the task is done.  Then, she gets geased to perform
said task, which will be tough enough so that if survives, she'll go up a
level.  Naturally, the party will probably, out of party loyalty, try
to help her out, bitching in the process if anything bad happens.  This
approach is really good for stimulating peer pressure against such wishes.

A friend of mine makes the PC somehow pay for the additional level in money
or magic, etc.  Either way, the idea is to grant her the level but make her
regret having made the wish in the first place.

Now as for trying to change someone else's personality, that, I think, is
grounds for an A1-royal hosing.  First of all, just making the wish is
going to do something to her alignment "pointer".  At the very least,
move it 1/2 way of an alignment towards the evil side.  (I'd say a full
shift, myself, from good to neutral, and neutral to evil.)  Second, there's
the question of backlash.  An ordinary wish many times can leave you
sick for days, etc.  How is one like this going to affect her sanity, powers,
health?  Will changing somebody else's personality have an affect on their
sanity/personality?  Will it somehow corrupt him because deep down in the
depths of his soul, he knows he's been changed?  Will his god get peeved
since she's screwed with one his potentially very powerful worshippers?
Depending on the circumstances of the campaign, some or all of the above
might apply.

A wish is powerful, but not that powerful.  Don't let it hold a campaign
hostage.

	Ray Chen
	princeton!tilt!chenr