Can the Wish spell overcome a rakshasa's limited magic immunity when used to duplicate the effect of a lower-level spell?

Question

Can the wish spell overcome a rakshasa's limited magic immunity when used to duplicate the effect of a lower-level spell?

I always wondered how the two interacted. What if I cast wish, duplicating the spell contagion (normally a 5th-level spell), at a rakshasa? The creature is immune to spells of 6th level or under, but does my spell count as a 9th-level spell because I used wish, or a 5th-level spell because the effect is that of contagion? Perhaps it counts as 9th for counterspell purposes, but 5th-level for immunity purposes?

If anyone has an answer, I would love to hear it.

Answer 1

Yes

The Wish spell's first line states:

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

By my interpretation, this line means that the duplicated spell, with all of the effect(s) contained therein, is itself an effect of the Wish spell. Since Wish is a 9th-level spell (which is greater than 6th level), the duplicated spell, as an effect of a 9th-level spell, will be able to affect the Rakshasa.

Answer 2

If you duplicate the spell at 6th or lower level, No.

This part of a wish spell does not create the effect, it duplicates a spell. As spells only do what they say, the only part of the spell that is not a direct duplicate are written into the wish spell description.

Wish
The basic use of this spell is to duplicate any other spell of 8th level or lower. You don't need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components. The spell simply takes effect.
PHB p.288

So the requirements, including costly components, are no longer required. Everything else about the spell (including range, valid targets, spell level, duration, school of magic, etc.) would be directly duplicated.

But you CAN avoid the limited magic immunity by casting a lower level spell at a higher level even if it's description does not include an "if cast at a higher level" see here. So unless you are specifically trying to reduce the effectiveness of a spell by limiting the level of the duplicated spell, you can cast it at a level above 6th.

Answer 3

I believe that is would because the spell Wish states "The basic use of this spell is to duplicate any other spell of 8th level or lower. You don’t need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components. The spell simply takes effect." Also, you are using a 9th level spell slot soit would be considered nineth level which would be a high enough level to not be affected by limmited magic immunity.