WISHES: How to Break a Campaign in One Action
Description
Every tabletop RPG player has had this thought at some point: "If I had one Wish, I could fix everything." And every Dungeon Master has had the immediate follow-up thought: "If you cast Wish, I'm fixing you." In this episode, the RPGBOT crew tackles the most powerful spell in the game—the one that can rewrite reality, end campaigns, summon divine attention, and turn a carefully planned epic into a rules argument that lasts longer than combat at level 17. Whether you're wishing for ultimate power, infinite gold, or just a snack because the barbarian is bored, we're here to explain how Wish actually works… and why your DM is already sweating.
Wish is the most powerful spell in tabletop roleplaying games—and one of the most dangerous. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we break down how Wish works across Dungeons & Dragons 3.5e, D&D 5e (2014 and 2024), Pathfinder 1e, and Pathfinder 2e, including its lore, mechanics, exploits, and why so many Game Masters fear it.
We explore how Wish can replicate spells, rewrite reality, override divine power, and derail entire campaigns if mishandled. The discussion covers infamous loopholes like simulacrum chains, genie-granted wishes, ritual casting in Pathfinder 2e, and why Wish is often the reason high-level campaigns fall apart. Finally, we offer practical GM advice for handling Wish without ruining your game—whether you want it as a campaign capstone, a narrative ritual, or a controlled tool of world-changing magic.
Show Notes
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts take an in-depth look at Wish, the iconic reality-altering spell that defines high-level play in Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Often called the most powerful spell ever printed, Wish allows characters to replicate spells, heal allies, undo actions, reshape the world, and even challenge the gods themselves—at a steep narrative and mechanical cost.
The episode begins with the lore of Wish, including its emergence after the fall of Netheril and its relationship to lost 10th-level magic. The hosts then compare how Wish functions mechanically across editions, from the expensive, tightly worded versions in D&D 3.5e and Pathfinder 1e, to the flexible but risky spellcasting in D&D 5e, and finally the radically redesigned Pathfinder 2e Wish ritual, which introduces casting time, interference, ritual checks, and failure states.
A major focus is why Wish is so controversial for Game Masters. The discussion covers campaign-breaking outcomes, narrative paradoxes, infamous exploits like infinite simulacrum armies, and why many tables restrict or ban the spell outright. The hosts also examine genie-granted wishes, highlighting how Pathfinder 2e adds unique wish interpretations based on genie type—ranging from diplomatic and literal to malicious and destabilizing.
The episode concludes with practical GM advice on how to handle Wish responsibly: limiting it to core effects, telegraphing consequences, using rituals instead of instant casting, and reframing Wish as a dramatic story event rather than an "I win" button.
Key Takeaways
- Wish is widely considered the most powerful spell in tabletop RPGs, capable of rewriting reality itself.
- Different systems handle Wish very differently, with Pathfinder 2e's ritual system offering the strongest structural safeguards.
- In D&D 5e, spell duplication is the safest use of Wish; creative uses risk permanent loss of the spell.
- Wish is a major reason many GMs avoid or limit high-level campaigns.
- Genie-granted wishes introduce flavorful but dangerous interpretations, especially in Pathfinder 2e.
- Successful use of Wish requires clear GM communication, narrative foreshadowing, and player trust.
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Meet the Hosts
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Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.
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Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.
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Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.
Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
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Tyler Kamstra
Ash Ely
Randall James
Producer Dan
United States
