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As the question asks (above): is the creature's type one of the 'requirements' when casting a wish spell? If so, a Wish spell would have greater flexibility &/or utility.

This may have been answered (generally-partially) here in Stack Exchange (?): a Wish 'requirement' is suggested to be anything that prevents you from casting a spell. If this question is judged as a repeat question, apologies in advance. That aside, if creature-type qualifies as something that prevents the casting of a Wish spell ('case in point'), it also counts as argument-precedent and is thus useful for this answer.

Examples of using non-stress Wish when a creature's species-type is a 'requirement':

  • Reincarnation & Cloning of non-humanoids becomes possible via basic Wish spells (such as the reincarnation of fae (like Pixies) or the cloning of a dragon)

  • 4th level Polymorph may be able to turn a creature into something other than a 'beast', not requiring the Wish spell to mimic the 9th level True Polymorph (True Poly is NOT 8th level or lower / would otherwise NOT work).

  • 'Heals' may work on certain undead otherwise prohibited - or even rapid repair of Simulacra. In this example a Simulacrum specifically states they need (expensive / time consuming) repairs to be fixed and heals do not work. If one uses a Wish to cast a heal spell it could work *but only if the creature's type (Simulacrum) is considered a 'requirement'.

Do note that these are three examples only / not an extensive list.

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If you change the spell language, it's not the spell

The standard use of wish states (PHB, 288):

The basic use of this spell is to duplicate any other spell of 8th level or lower.

Therefore by using wish to duplicate the casting of a spell of 8th level or lower, you will avoid stress.

However, if you change the spells, then you simply aren't casting that spell. You are no longer duplicating that spell, and instead you are now casting something different and special that isn't that original spell.

This means that there is stress. If you want to avoid the stress, just avoid going outside the normal wish guidelines.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I like this answer, and think it's correct, but I think its statement is a little too broad: after all, replicating the effects of the spell Planar Binding with Wish has shortened the casting time from an hour to 1 action, and removed the material and somatic components. Both these things could be seen to have "change[d] the spell". Since Wish states "You don’t need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components", I think it would be really helpful to say how we know that components and casting time are "requirements," but valid-target-type is something more. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gandalfmeansme
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 17:02
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Gandalfmeansme Those are components/requirements, not the spell language. Or, that's what I'm trying to say! \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Commented Apr 1, 2022 at 17:58

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