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Legend
How do you treat hedge mages in your world?
Here's my (incomplete) treatment...
Hedge mages lose the ability to scribe scrolls, gaining the Brew Potion or Craft Charm item creation feat in its place. Hedge mages are limited to their own spell list, which draws on the cleric, druid, witch, and sorcerer/wizard spell lists plus adds several unique hedge mage spells. In addition, a hedge mage selects two specializations from the list of hedge mage traditions (its own table), adding these spells to their repetoire. These spell lists represent the spells which hedge mages begin with or learn on their own (or from their mentor) as they advance in levels, though a hedge mage can scribe any spell into their spellbook. With most NPC wizards, hedge mages suffer a -2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks.
Hedge Magic Paradigm: Hedge mages find it very difficult to learn complicated spells, and are completely unable to scribe 9th level spells into their spellbooks, though they can cast such spells from texts (see sidebar). They suffer a -4 penalty on all attempts to scribe non-hedge mage spells (though at the DM’s option this can be waved for witch spells). Anytime he attempts to cast a spell from the sorcerer/wizard or elementalist spell lists the hedge mage risks fatigue (if not outright persecution). The wizard makes a caster level check to (DC = 10+ the spell’s level+ modifiers).
Failing the check by more than 5……..the spell fails and the wizard is fatigued.
Failing by 5 or less…………………........…the spell fails.
Succeeding by 5 or less………...………...the spell succeeds and the wizard suffers fatigue.
Succeeding by more than 5……...………the wizard casts the spell (with no ill effect).
NOTE: IMC this mechanic is not unique to hedge mages, and every spellcaster is a specialist who suffers a similar fatigue-if-cast-outside-specialiazation rule.
Student of Hedge Magic: At each level he advances, the hedge mage scribes an additional spell (of a level he cast cast) from one of his traditions into his spellbook.
Magic in the Mundane: A hedge mage sees the magical and mundane worlds as one. A hedge mage can weave their spell into everyday actions, without any sign of casting a spell to an outside observer (unless they happen to be another hedge mage). The action must take at least one minute to perform. Short actions, like felling a small tree, cradling a baby, or telling story can be imbued with any 3rd level or lower spell the hedge mage has memorized. Long-term actions, like harvesting wood for the winter, nursing a child on behalf of its mother, or staying in a village as an entertainer for a month, can be imbued with any 6th level or lower spell the hedge mage has memorized. Such spells become indistinguishable to mundane actions unless another hedge mage is observing, in which case an opposed level check reveals what their fellow is up to.
For example, take a hedge mage trapped in service to a magical cobra. When the snake asks the hedge mage to feed it, the hedge mage can weave a venom into balm spell into feeding the snake. If the mage’s imprisonment lasts several weeks and he meets the snake’s other prisoners, the mage might weave a bit of magic into each meal he prepares for one of the prisoners, eventually duplicating the effects of a feign death spell. When the body is disposed of and the prisoner comes to, he can go get help in the village. The cobra is none the wiser and shocked to find the “dead” prisoner leading a group of armed peasants. The cobra is even more surprised to find that its lethal bite has no effect on the prisoner.
Skilled Spell Recovery: A wizard who begins as a 1st level hedge mage recovers spells during extended periods of low-intensity work, and not through rest. The wizard chooses one skill which is the skill the hedge mage has been taught by her family or mentor. When performing the action of the skill (e.g. working a loom, caring for the horses, chopping wood) for an hour, the hedge mage makes a skill check (DC 10). Each additional hour provides a +5 bonus to the check. The margin of success indicates the number of spells regained. When unable to perform the specific skill, but able to do something similar instead, the base DC is 14, and the mage only gets +2 to the check per extra hour spent. Wizards who come to hedge magic late in life do not gain this benefit.
For example, Sibrun, an 8th level hedge mage with a Craft skill of +13, works a pottery wheel to regain spells, her magic pouring into her out of the clay vessels she creates. She rolls a ‘6’ on her skill check after three hours (+10) at the potter’s wheel, for a total of 26. Thus, she exceeds the DC 10 by a margin of 16, allowing her to recover 16 spells of her choice. When away from her wheel, she regains spells more slowly.
Here's my (incomplete) treatment...
Hedge mages lose the ability to scribe scrolls, gaining the Brew Potion or Craft Charm item creation feat in its place. Hedge mages are limited to their own spell list, which draws on the cleric, druid, witch, and sorcerer/wizard spell lists plus adds several unique hedge mage spells. In addition, a hedge mage selects two specializations from the list of hedge mage traditions (its own table), adding these spells to their repetoire. These spell lists represent the spells which hedge mages begin with or learn on their own (or from their mentor) as they advance in levels, though a hedge mage can scribe any spell into their spellbook. With most NPC wizards, hedge mages suffer a -2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks.
Hedge Magic Paradigm: Hedge mages find it very difficult to learn complicated spells, and are completely unable to scribe 9th level spells into their spellbooks, though they can cast such spells from texts (see sidebar). They suffer a -4 penalty on all attempts to scribe non-hedge mage spells (though at the DM’s option this can be waved for witch spells). Anytime he attempts to cast a spell from the sorcerer/wizard or elementalist spell lists the hedge mage risks fatigue (if not outright persecution). The wizard makes a caster level check to (DC = 10+ the spell’s level+ modifiers).
Failing the check by more than 5……..the spell fails and the wizard is fatigued.
Failing by 5 or less…………………........…the spell fails.
Succeeding by 5 or less………...………...the spell succeeds and the wizard suffers fatigue.
Succeeding by more than 5……...………the wizard casts the spell (with no ill effect).
NOTE: IMC this mechanic is not unique to hedge mages, and every spellcaster is a specialist who suffers a similar fatigue-if-cast-outside-specialiazation rule.
Student of Hedge Magic: At each level he advances, the hedge mage scribes an additional spell (of a level he cast cast) from one of his traditions into his spellbook.
Magic in the Mundane: A hedge mage sees the magical and mundane worlds as one. A hedge mage can weave their spell into everyday actions, without any sign of casting a spell to an outside observer (unless they happen to be another hedge mage). The action must take at least one minute to perform. Short actions, like felling a small tree, cradling a baby, or telling story can be imbued with any 3rd level or lower spell the hedge mage has memorized. Long-term actions, like harvesting wood for the winter, nursing a child on behalf of its mother, or staying in a village as an entertainer for a month, can be imbued with any 6th level or lower spell the hedge mage has memorized. Such spells become indistinguishable to mundane actions unless another hedge mage is observing, in which case an opposed level check reveals what their fellow is up to.
For example, take a hedge mage trapped in service to a magical cobra. When the snake asks the hedge mage to feed it, the hedge mage can weave a venom into balm spell into feeding the snake. If the mage’s imprisonment lasts several weeks and he meets the snake’s other prisoners, the mage might weave a bit of magic into each meal he prepares for one of the prisoners, eventually duplicating the effects of a feign death spell. When the body is disposed of and the prisoner comes to, he can go get help in the village. The cobra is none the wiser and shocked to find the “dead” prisoner leading a group of armed peasants. The cobra is even more surprised to find that its lethal bite has no effect on the prisoner.
Skilled Spell Recovery: A wizard who begins as a 1st level hedge mage recovers spells during extended periods of low-intensity work, and not through rest. The wizard chooses one skill which is the skill the hedge mage has been taught by her family or mentor. When performing the action of the skill (e.g. working a loom, caring for the horses, chopping wood) for an hour, the hedge mage makes a skill check (DC 10). Each additional hour provides a +5 bonus to the check. The margin of success indicates the number of spells regained. When unable to perform the specific skill, but able to do something similar instead, the base DC is 14, and the mage only gets +2 to the check per extra hour spent. Wizards who come to hedge magic late in life do not gain this benefit.
For example, Sibrun, an 8th level hedge mage with a Craft skill of +13, works a pottery wheel to regain spells, her magic pouring into her out of the clay vessels she creates. She rolls a ‘6’ on her skill check after three hours (+10) at the potter’s wheel, for a total of 26. Thus, she exceeds the DC 10 by a margin of 16, allowing her to recover 16 spells of her choice. When away from her wheel, she regains spells more slowly.
