Summary

  • Key Takeaways:
  • Wish spell in D&D is powerful, can grant anything, but DM discretion is key.
  • Be prepared and set limitations for Wish spell to avoid derailing campaign.
  • Use the source of the spell, give partial successes, and add unexpected twists.

The Wish spell in Dungeons & Dragons is often considered the most powerful ninth-level spell in the game due to its versatility and potential. The most common use is that it can replicate any eighth-level spell without the caster needing to meet the requirements, but the stories surrounding the spell often look at the other uses.

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The real power of the Wish spell is that it can, potentially, grant a player anything they Wish for, as long as the DM allows it. If you are considering adding this highly volatile spell into your campaign, consider these tips to avoid derailing everything your campaign was aiming for.

6 Consider How Wishes Work In Your Campaign

Only Allow The Spell If You Feel Prepared For It

As a Dungeon Master, you get to decide if the Wish spell even exists in your setting, let alone if players are able to find it. If you are determined to include the spell in your campaign, it is helpful to understand how you want the spell to work when cast.

The spell’s description already mentions possible limitations, but they are all relegated to the DM’s discretion. If you want your players to be extra careful in their wording, or if you’re a more forgiving DM that is willing to hear the concept of the Wish instead of the literal spoken word, then your players should know, so they can express themselves in a way that is functional for the whole group.

5 Remember That Wishes Can Fail

But You Shouldn’t Have Them Waste The Spell

Bone Devil art via Wizards of the Coast

Something to remember with the Wish spell is that whenever it is used in a way that causes stress, there is a chance it may fail. Usually, Wishes that involve things like “I Wish to be the god of the universe” fall outside the realm of what the spell can do, and they instantly fail.

However, using a ninth level spell for it to simply flop is never a good feeling, so if you know there isn’t a way for the Wish to work, let your player know so they can change their Wish. It might not be the most immersive of conversations, but it can lead to an outcome where everyone can have fun.

4 Use The Source Of The Spell

It Isn’t Always Cast By A Player

Deck of Many Things art by Wizards of the Coast

There are a lot of ways to acquire the Wish spell, not only through things like learning it by leveling up a wizard. Certain powerful entities can grant a Wish to the players, while objects like the Ring of Three Wishes, or the Moon Card from the Deck of Many Things, have the spell embedded in them.

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All these different sources already tell a story of how the Wish might work and the caveats you might need to consider when wishing for something. If a god gifted the Wish to their Priest, they might not allow the Wish to be used against their tenants, no matter how mundane the Wish might even be.

3 Ask For Time To Think

The Spell Is Too Mighty For A Single Session

Jared warns Basil of the decks many dangers by Claudio Pozas

Sometimes, the players might ask for something simple out of the Wish spell, letting you grant what they ask for and think about the consequences (positive or negative) at a later date. But if they ask for something too immediately world-breaking, you might need time to think of a proper outcome.

Whenever you think you need time, it is always better to ask for it rather than stalling, since the most convoluted wishes are made outside of combat. If the players are asking for something that changes how your campaign works on a fundamental level, and you still want to allow the Wish to go through, having some extra time to put everything together will end up in a better campaign for everyone involved.

2 Give Partial Successes

It Is Better Than A Complete Failure

Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook 2024 by Tyler Jacobson, Wizards of the Coast

When a party is being harassed by a particularly fearsome BBEG, using the Wish spell to get rid of them is the most logical thing to do. Of course, you might not want them to do that, but instead of saying “no” to what they tried to do, think of a way to allow their Wish to go through without ending the campaign right then and there.

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It really depends on the specific wish, but if they wish for the Evil King to die, maybe the King comes back as a Lich or a Vampire. This, in turn, can have unexpected positive outcomes, like an order of paladins finally seeing the King for who he is and joining the party’s cause.

1 Give Wishes A Twist

And Don’t Make Them All Bad

Acererak by Tyler Jacobson

Whether to gain wealth or revive a lost one, players seek out the Wish spell because of its fun potential. Players make wishes in expectation of an unexpected outcome, either through the Wish itself or by some other consequence tangentially related to the Wish.

This is why it is good practice to always add something unexpected to the Wish, even if it is just for fun. The advised rule of thumb is that small or selfless wishes should have some unexpected positive twist, while greedy or overtly selfish wishes should have some form of consequence, either harmful or power-draining.

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