While searching for the elusive hobbit patch for Nethack, I stumbled upon a link to this post on rec.games.roguelike.nethack.
Lets imagine that you are outside and find a smooth stick. You, just playing around, pick it up and say "Zap!" Next thing you know, you have a handful of dust and there is a booming voice from the sky saying "You wrest one last charge from the worn out wand! The wand of wishing crumbles to dust! For what do you wish?"
Griping aside that there's only one wish, for in life you take what is offered because usually that's all there is, what would I wish for?
I'd probably want a blessed tin of floating eye meat so I could acquire the telepathy intrinsic. Amulets can be stolen and helmets are way too anachronistic for 2006 so having intrinsic telepathy would be the best option.
The tin of floating eye meat is be the best. I could be the first to win James Randi's bounty for supernatural phenomena. Sadly I doubt he would have the cash to pay out but think of all the jobs in varying fields that one could acquire having telepathy. Of course would it mean that I would know everyone's thoughts when I began speaking with them? Would I be like Tam Elbrun in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Tin Man"? Would the telepathy only work while I was blinded by a blindfold, towel or other means? Is language an artificial construct and would I be able to read and understand the minds of anyone?
Of course numerous problems arise since I requested a blessed tin of floating eye meat which means that there is a deity. Intrinsic telepathy can be lost by angering one's deity. Somewhere, out there, is the Amulet of Yendor and someone needs to go after it. Yes, Virginia. There really is a demogorgon. Cockatrices, mind flayers and liches too!
Should such an outrageous event happen like this, I'd sincerely hope it comes without the baggage of quests, monsters and demons.
