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Topic: Wishfull thinking (Read 1743 times) |
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Sir Col
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #25 on: May 7th, 2004, 4:31am » |
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What a great thread, and I love that comic strip, towr! 
How would the Djinn handle a malevolent request? What if I was an evil Nihlist or worshipped a god of chaos?
"I wish for the every living creature to be permanently struck with confusion and to be bent on depravity and destruction."
How about saying to our magickal fiend, "I wish for you to renounce evil"?
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Three Hands
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #26 on: May 7th, 2004, 9:09am » |
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I guess that a malevolent request would be welcomed with open arms, since you're also going to be struck by the wish, and find out what the practical implications of your actions are. As for renouncing evil, again, he could probably renounce evil briefly, and then return to his normal self.
I'd probably end up with going for something like "I wish you'd just leave me alone". Granted, he's probably going to come up with some evil thing to have done to me, but at least I won't have directly caused my own misery...
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Three Hands
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #27 on: May 9th, 2004, 4:24am » |
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After talking to a couple of friends about this, we came up with the idea of wishing "I wish you would now become incapable of granting any further wishes for any being, and that you never regain that capability". Surely saving others from being tempted to make foolish wishes is a worthy use for your wish 
I can't spot any obvious loopholes in the wish, but let me know if you spot any...
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towr
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #28 on: May 9th, 2004, 5:45am » |
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on May 7th, 2004, 9:09am, Three Hands wrote:| I'd probably end up with going for something like "I wish you'd just leave me alone". Granted, he's probably going to come up with some evil thing to have done to me, but at least I won't have directly caused my own misery... |
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If you wish to be left alone, you might end up finding yourself on a desert island, or worse..
Most people don't like being alone.. (I suppose if you do like it he'd have to find some other way to mess with you)
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towr
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #29 on: May 9th, 2004, 5:48am » |
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on May 9th, 2004, 4:24am, Three Hands wrote:After talking to a couple of friends about this, we came up with the idea of wishing "I wish you would now become incapable of granting any further wishes for any being, and that you never regain that capability". Surely saving others from being tempted to make foolish wishes is a worthy use for your wish
I can't spot any obvious loopholes in the wish, but let me know if you spot any... |
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Perhaps there always has to be someone to grant those wishes, perhaps the Djinn never wanted to in the first place and was simply cursed to do so. Of course when you then wish he'll never be capable to do so again, someone else will have to get the job. And you're the most convenient target (that's also a popular ending when someone wishes for an unlimited number of wishes)
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Three Hands
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #30 on: May 9th, 2004, 4:06pm » |
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Ah, but that could then be even better, as you'd then have the power to mess with others who wished for silly things, and so have the fun that the Djinn was having before. Doesn't seem all that bad, really...
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towr
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #31 on: May 9th, 2004, 11:39pm » |
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Well, generally you wouldn't have much of a life. Usually Djinns are bound to an object and are only freed to grant a wish. And considering the horrible things you may have to inflict on people when they inevitably make a not so well thought through wish, it might not be that much fun..
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Three Hands
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #32 on: May 10th, 2004, 11:28am » |
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Mind you, I'm sure the job has a decent dental plan 
It probably depends on the constraints the Djinn was under when you made your wish, and also you could choose to interpret the wishes of others as you see fit, and so could avoid all sorts of nasty interpretations...
Then of course, you also get the joy of meeting someone who has attempted to think through this situation, and really make them suffer - surely a worthwhile thing to do 
Of course, this assumes that the djinn doesn't come up with some pent-up wishes to force you to grant...
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Noke Lieu
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #33 on: Aug 31st, 2004, 6:46pm » |
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Just dust this one off...
"I wish from THIS moment in time you don't have the power to grant wishes"
and watch the djinn's head hurt. 
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towr
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Re: Wishfull thinking
« Reply #34 on: Sep 1st, 2004, 12:58am » |
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Well, either that's impossible, or it doesn't change anything.
He can't retroactively stop existing if he's bound to follow the same timeline after all. And if he doesn't have to follow a timeline 'THIS moment' doesn't really exist to him.
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