Lesser Wish question

[MidnightNova]

In ITL Expanded, Lesser Wishes were introduced. It states that a character between adventures can purchase one for 500 XP. Is this a hard limit? ie; Can you have more than one on tap, but only get one between adventures? Or is it the case that you can only have one available at any given time?

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by MidnightNova

In ITL Expanded, Lesser Wishes were introduced. It states that a character between adventures can purchase one for 500 XP. Is this a hard limit? ie; Can you have more than one on tap, but only get one between adventures? Or is it the case that you can only have one available at any given time?

It doesn't say, and I expect different GMs will have various rulings and interpretations and maybe other ideas about what you can and can't do with XP and wishes.

In original TFT, wishes that weren't used immediately were bound into magic items, which could usually be used by whoever held the item. One approach might be to assume these Lesser Wishes work the same way, though the new XP rule doesn't say how in the game world a character would get these wishes.

[TippetsTX]

I find it much simpler to re-characterize Lesser Wishes as something more meta-game like 'hero tokens' or 'boons'... less baggage since they don't need to be stored in an item (so they can't be lost or stolen) and you avoid the whole question of demon involvement.

Greater Wishes, on the other hand, should remain unchanged. Those should have in-game consequences.

[larsdangly]

My interpretation of the rules was that you could only 'hold' one lesser wish earned by XP at a time. But perhaps I over interpreted the intent.

By the way, I really like this addition. Lesser Wishes existed in the original edition of the game but were only accessible by magical means rather than XP expenditures. It was a great idea to provide non-wizards with the means of holding a quasi-magical get out of jail free card.

[MidnightNova]

Maybe treat it like a magic item of it's own under the Rule of Five? ie; You can have a single "lesser wish item slot" that can have up to 5 wishes?

It's probably academic since 500 XP isn't going to come about in a session anyways unless the GM is doing something unusual with awards.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by MidnightNova

It's probably academic since 500 XP isn't going to come about in a session anyways unless the GM is doing something unusual with awards.

Not in one shot, no, but the intent of all XP-based rewards is that your are saving up your points until you have enough to 'purchase' what you want (be it an attribute boost, new talent or lesser wish, etc.).

[Skarg]

My reaction is that I like it well enough IF it is used as intended / described, i.e.:

Originally Posted by ITL

to “purchase” a single Lesser Wish for 500 XP, and hold it for emergencies. This rule is specifically intended to help players keep their experienced characters alive, if they are willing to invest XP in the insurance.

But I personally would not want to allow all of the same options as a demon-bestowed Lesser Wish, specifically not a pre-specified roll for something difficult and not defensive, such as rolling a forced triple damage when aiming for the head in the dark at the king hundreds of yards away, or specifying an almost impossible roll of some other kind that should be a 6+ die roll but you specify a 6... (unless it's a roll to avoid a trap or something).

And I don't like the insta-complete healing option, either. Especially not if used deliberately and without any effort to have it have some in-world explanation. In a setting where the god you worship sometimes has bestowed miraculous healing, sure, but in the absence of a reason, I wouldn't want that.

On the other hand, the lesser uses (re-rolling a disastrous roll, or getting a limited yes/no intuition about something, or pulling off something clever that requires a bit of genius and good fortune), I think could work seamlessly in my GM style, and might likely even charge much less XP for.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by Skarg

But I personally would not want to allow all of the same options as a demon-bestowed Lesser Wish, specifically not a pre-specified roll for something difficult and not defensive, such as rolling a forced triple damage when aiming for the head in the dark at the king hundreds of yards away, or specifying an almost impossible roll of some other kind that should be a 6+ die roll but you specify a 6... (unless it's a roll to avoid a trap or something).

And I don't like the insta-complete healing option, either. Especially not if used deliberately and without any effort to have it have some in-world explanation. In a setting where the god you worship sometimes has bestowed miraculous healing, sure, but in the absence of a reason, I wouldn't want that.

Excellent points as well, Skarg, and though we may now be straying into houserule territory, in my own games I'm thinking about leaving the adjudication of Lesser Wishes (or 'hero tokens' as I use them) to the GM. Basically, the player would choose when to use their benefit, but the GM determines the specific form it will take so as to keep things from 'breaking character' so to speak.

[hcobb]

That same 500 XP would buy you 33 healing potions, so what sort of incident will leave your body intact enough for a Lesser Wish healing but is more than 33 points? (500 Gold == $5000 which is more than 33 times the $150 cost of a healing potion.)

[larsdangly]

Uhhhh....does not compute.