What if Genies are bankers, and wishes are loans

[Prak]

Basically, yeah. Mechanically, it's probably something more like they have a book which is a bunch of Planar-Binding-but-for-mortals scrolls set up such that each page or line only works for the individual whose name is written on it.

[Ancient History]

Then again, maybe there are reverse genies to balance things out.

[hyzmarca]

As for it being bad for gameplay, I'm thinking of it more in terms of writing a story than a tabletop RPG.

In that case, I'd suggest that Genies don't have the power to "grant wishes" at all. They just have a large network of contractees who can be called upon to get shit done.

Thus if you wish for a turkey sandwich, he isn't casting create food and prestidigitation. He's calling in favors from a Ranger, a farmer, a butcher, a baker, and a chef to hunt and kill a turkey, supply the best wheat possible, make the sandwich meat, make the bread, and put it all together in the most pleasing way possible.

From your point of view the genie pops off for a while and comes back with a very tasty sandwich.

[Ancient History]

Well, the basic issue is that the D&D wish spell is stupidly overpowered; it's the original "write your own power here" bit. Now granted it has its origins in mythology and folklore, but I think if we were redesigning D&D from the ground up we'd go another way.

[deaddmwalking]

As for it being bad for gameplay, I'm thinking of it more in terms of writing a story than a tabletop RPG.

In that case, I'd suggest that Genies don't have the power to "grant wishes" at all. They just have a large network of contractees who can be called upon to get shit done.

Thus if you wish for a turkey sandwich, he isn't casting create food and prestidigitation. He's calling in favors from a Ranger, a farmer, a butcher, a baker, and a chef to hunt and kill a turkey, supply the best wheat possible, make the sandwich meat, make the bread, and put it all together in the most pleasing way possible.

From your point of view the genie pops off for a while and comes back with a very tasty sandwich.

There was an interesting short story in an old Dragon magazine. Way before Harry Potter, but evoking similarities. In any case, a wizard wanted to find Aladdin's lamp. He shows up, uses his wand as a light, and Aladdin grabs it. The famous wand is nothing more than a 'lumioso' charm. Aladdin uses the wand to compel the service of the wizard, who uses his wizardry family to manually fulfill all of the 'wishes'. For example, he uses his silver tea service as 'treasure'. Interesting story but I haven't read it in years.