The Wishing Imp

[Algaris]

I'm thinking of introducing The Wishing Imp into my campaign. What I am curious about is how you handled it and how would you cope with wishes that could potentially blow open the campaign such as:

• I wish I knew where the missing children we are searching for have been taken.
  
  I wish all the missing children we are searching for are returned / where never kidnapped in the first place.
  
  I wish I knew who the main villain behind all this is.

and so on.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

A wishing imp is a great sidetrek but it is also an adventure-slayer.

Here's some of the ways a DM could handle the wishes:

I wish I knew where the missing children we are searching for have been taken.

Could be transported there instantly - potentially without their weapons - potentially surrounded by deadly enemies, or trapped in a pit, or in a cage, or even in the stomach of a monster.

I wish all the missing children we are searching for are returned.

Each child is returned... piece by little piece.

I wish all the missing children we are searching for where never kidnapped in the first place.

Some other children are kidnapped instead.

I wish I knew who the main villain behind all this is.

The wisher is the next kidnapping victim.
Or, perhaps something usless like "The Gentlemen Caller"

[Jester of the FoS]

You can't predict every wish, sometimes it just breaks an adventure. That's the risk. DMing is an unpredictable activity and sometimes things go to heck.

You set-up the pieces, plan for the expected and sometimes it's just a wash. Sometimes, just sometimes, they just hand you the best situation ever...

[Ail]

That said, John Mangrum's campaign while the old Kargatane site existed became all about the Wishing Imp and is surely your best source for ideas on how to use it. Basically, try to twist every wish. In my view, the Wishing Imp will give many more nightmares to your players than to you, and it can be a campaign killer in the sense that it will become the main focus of the story. Why? Because there is the temptation of asking just one more wish to correct the harm that has been done; the hubris of players who think they CAN word it right with sufficient thought; and the fact that the Imp is nearly indestructible.

It is a good idea, but it may divert your players a lot.

Alex

[Algaris]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. John Mangrum's campaign made for some very interesting reading.

Out of curiosity has anybody else used the Imp in their campaign and what happened when you did.

[Ail]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. John Mangrum's campaign made for some very interesting reading.

Out of curiosity has anybody else used the Imp in their campaign and what happened when you did.

Not yet, I've thought about doing it, but not now. I fear I would lost control of the storyline and I need no new plot hooks. I have too many as it is.

Alex

[alhoon]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. John Mangrum's campaign made for some very interesting reading.

Out of curiosity has anybody else used the Imp in their campaign and what happened when you did.

I used a similar thing. A golden statuette handed to a PC by a marilith. The item could do mostly anything that could be done with the use of 3 limited wishes as far as it harmed someone or was an evil act, or an act with an evil twist.
The character was warned about the item and they still decided to use it. The character lost a couple of powerchecks and slid dangerously close to evil (From neutral with good tendecies he went to neutral with evil tendecies). Sometimes, he didn't care for the pain he caused in order to make his life easier/safer. Sometimes he fixed the damage later... in a way.

Example of a good use: They used the item to defeat something, I don't remember what. A beholder showed up turning first again their enemy. The two monsters weakened each other IIRC and the party won over them. No real harm done there.
Example of a bad use: I don't remember how, the character used the item in a way that killed about 50 people horribly, making their entrails slowly burst through their bellies etc. I think the wish was "I wish I could get into the castle without trouble" or something. Killing the guards was a way.