Lemma Soft Forums

for a secret project of mine I need to come up with lots of wishes that somebody might ask a Genie, I would appreciate it if you can help me with that.
imagine you are a commoner in the Disney's Aladdin story. one of the people in the background, living your own life in the Agrabah city and you find a Genie in the lamp. what would be your 3 wishes?

no limitation but the time period, you can't know anything that the people living in Agrabah didn't know. submit as many as you want.

I don't know much about the subject matter, but I believe they had a king?
I guess one might wish to become the king, or perhaps marry his daughter.

Imperf3kt wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:27 am I guess one might wish to become the king, or perhaps marry his daughter.

yes, in fact those two wishes are the focus of the cartoon.

Off the top of my head, I imagine a lot of people would wish for money, or specifically for their business to be successful so they can make money, for a sick relative's health to improve, for a second chance with an ex-partner who dumped them, or for a lifetime supply of their favourite food. Also if your genie can bring people back from the dead there would probably be a whole lot of that. Oh, and I would totally wish for my cat to have a longer lifespan.

keep in mind the limitations that the Genie mentioned in the cartoon still applies:
- can't wish for more wishes in any way. (including time travel)
- can't kill people
- can't bring people back to life
- and can't make anyone fall in love with you

in addition, the wishes must come from a commoner in old time of oil lamps and iron swords that doesn't have any idea what the future is like.

I would wish for mundanely magical, but useful things like a camel that won't ever get sick, or a neat dress that's always fashionable. Perhaps a well that never runs dry. A sword that sharpens itself? (That sounds like a bad wish about to ruin someone's day.)

Did they have taxes there? Surely everyone wishes they didn't have to pay taxes.

Kind of cheat. but a good wish - a golden fish ...

Also, one could wish:
- a flying carpet,
- a stallion,
- a slave (to go to market instead of a wisher),
- everlasting dinar,
- everlasting lavash/pita,
- jar of vine that never get empty,
- jewellery/moneychanger store,
- to be the most strong/brave/clever/dancer/chess player/kisser etc.,
- a cup of water (if the wish is made in the middle of the desert),
- to move to some place (oasis, dearest granny home, princess boudoir etc.)

Hmm... so you're dealing with a lot of poverty and huge class divides in the Aladdin story, especially when you're looking at the background characters. Also, a big gender divide because of the gender roles the society enforced. That might help narrow down some wishes. But, even still, they could be very basic, heart and value wishes as well. At a human level, people are still very concerned with their loved ones, their security, their value in life, and their future. But their perspectives will be limited by what they are exposed to. While a king may think the most richest meal he could have is some rare pheasant that's been hunted to near extinction, a peasant may think to have a full belly for a week straight is a gift straight from the divine. Perspective will probably be the key to everything.

So, some wishes with perspective in mind might be...
I wish to meet my soulmate (lovelorn assuming a soulmate is 'perfect.')
I wish my father's illness was cured (a teen/woman who is dependent on the father being healthy.)
I wish I wasn't bullied by the other children (an outsider child in the village.)
I wish to be the apprentice of the most prominent doctor in the land (a failure character looking to better self for fame but too limited to wish to be the best doctor.)
I wish to own the cleanest source of water that never dries up (very smart move for the desert, and could lead to everyone trying to murder this character.)
I wish the rent was paid this month (another character limited to immediate relief of problems instead of long term.)
I wish I was big and strong so no one would ever try to take from my family again (a young man after something bad happened to his family.)
I wish people listened to me the same way they do the men of the village (a girl/woman frustrated with her intelligence being ignored.)
I wish I was married to a wealthy merchant (a woman who realizes her status will only improve depending on who she marries.)
I wish I could melt through walls ( a thief.)
I wish my inlaws would stop judging my cooking (a frustrated wife.)

I have a guess once you figure out who your character is and what their pain is in life, you're going to know the things they'd wish for...

sake-bento wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:51 pm I would wish for mundanely magical

good ones, I'm going to add few of them to the game.

Imperf3kt wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:35 pm Did they have taxes there? Surely everyone wishes they didn't have to pay taxes.

yes, I think as far back as the early tribes of humans, there been people whom didn't want to work and demanded from others to provide for them, it is my opinion that's how shamans and later religions formed.

Alex wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:55 pm Kind of cheat. but a good wish - a golden fish ...

a number of good ones and fitting the story.

Sadiesins wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:28 am I have a guess once you figure out who your character is and what their pain is in life, you're going to know the things they'd wish for...

yes some of the wishes fit the character of my story and some of them gave me new ideas, I will keep the perspective in mind like you suggested.

thank you all, your input is a great help for me ^_^

I started thinking about "be careful what you wish for" type stories like Faust, Bedazzled, and Planescape Torment. Here's a list of some ideas:

-To be immortal
-To be rich
-To be famous
-To be intelligent
-To be married to someone
-To forget something painful
-To remember something they forgot (bonus points if it was asked straight after the wish listed above)
-To have supernatural powers
-Freedom
-A simple, pure life
-To be someone else (the leader of the country, etc)

Katy133 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:34 pm I started thinking about "be careful what you wish for" type stories like Faust, Bedazzled, and Planescape Torment.

Thanks for the wishes, and now I have few stories to study and see how they handle them ^_^

Everlasting glory is a fairly common one (e.g. your name to be remembered for all time due to your great heroic deeds)

Also perhaps to have a wonderful and unique experience (to see the ocean, to travel to a far off land, etc.)

Mutive wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2019 5:43 pm Everlasting glory is a fairly common one (e.g. your name to be remembered for all time due to your great heroic deeds)
Also perhaps to have a wonderful and unique experience (to see the ocean, to travel to a far off land, etc.)

Everlasting glory is a pretty good wish, though, the genie might tell you you can already travel without using a wish.

Kia wrote: ↑Fri Aug 02, 2019 1:09 pm

Mutive wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2019 5:43 pm Everlasting glory is a fairly common one (e.g. your name to be remembered for all time due to your great heroic deeds)
Also perhaps to have a wonderful and unique experience (to see the ocean, to travel to a far off land, etc.)

Everlasting glory is a pretty good wish, though, the genie might tell you you can already travel without using a wish.

It depends on where you want to travel. A trip to the stars might require a wish. So might a trip somewhere deadly or dangerous in a way that's comfortable and safe. Or even just having an experience that would be difficult or impossible to purchase. (e.g. "I want to have Disneyland to myself for a week with absolutely no one else there other than a trio of princesses who will fawn over me and operate the rides! All of whom must be played by A-list actresses who I think look like cartoons.")