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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2010057" data-attributes="member: 9860">This is not a playtest review.Power Classes: Hedge Wizard is the 7th of Mongoose's 'Power Classes' series providing new 20-level classes in a short space.Hedge Wizard is a mono softcover product costing $2.95. It comprises 16 full-height, half-width pages (equivalent to eight A4 pages). The inside covers are used for credits, contents and OGL. Unfortunately, information from the back cover is repeated on the first page but margins, font size and white space are all within reasonable limits. The artwork, including the front cover showing a wizened old crock holding a hedgehog, is average. Writing style is serviceable. Editing missed one or two simple spelling errors that could have been caught by a spellchecker.The introductory information contains two statements I found immediately concerning - "To some, the hedge wizard might seem to be a poor substitute for the wizard or sorcerer" and later "Hedge Wizards rarely adventure". Both of these statements led me to have a suspicion that the hedge wizard would be weak compared to the core classes. However, when I fully read the class features and spell progression, I changed my mind pretty quickly.The hedge wizard has a BAB and save progression as a wizard, and gains bonus feats and learns spells like a wizard too - from a spellbook, with no limit on spells known. The hedge wizard does not gain new spell levels as fast as a standard wizard (lagging two levels behind in this regard) but makes up for this lack in an abundance of spells per day, particularly in cantrips (which can be cast without a spellbook from 2nd level, cast an unlimited number of times from 9th level onwards, and a limited number of which can be cast as if using the Quicken feat (without the normal level penalty) from 16th level). Generally, the spell progression results in the hedge wizard catching up with the wizard in terms of the number of spells she can cast per day of a particular level, within 5 levels. For example, a hedge wizard does not gain 4th level spells until 9th level (compared to 7th for a wizard), but by 12th level they are both casting the same number of 4th level spells. Also, whereas the wizard stops at maximum 4 basic spells per level, the hedge wizard keeps on gaining spells per day. In the example above, the hedge wizard gains five 4th-level spells by 16th level, and seven by 20th level. In the meantime she has also risen to gain nineteen 1st-level, twelve 2nd-level, eleven 3rd-level, five 5th-level, four 6th-level, two 7th-level spells, and one 8th-level spell (no 9th-level spells are available). The hedge wizard can also summon a familiar, gains 4 skill points, two cross-class skills as class skills (or even exclusive class with some caveats), can craft charms (see below) from 3rd level, and can reduce the arcane spell failure chance for wearing armour. They also gain proficiency with one martial weapon of their choice.Ten new spells ideal for hedge wizards are offered, mainly cantrips with a couple of 1st-level spells. For example, 'warding' provides a +2 to the saving throw against a spell that allows such, 'sour' spoils food, and 'fumble' causes the target to drop what it has in its hand. These are generally fairly good, although a couple have limited game use or replicate similar existing spell effects. Four new feats to do with potions, charms, and cantrips are also offered. Charms are minor magic items that cast a particular cantrip once a day, have 10 charges, and only last a month.Conclusion:The Hedge Wizard provides a class very similar to a wizard but with a significantly different spell progression, offering lesser potency in terms of power, but greater potential for adventuring since the hedge wizard can keep casting spells when a wizard would have run out. This may well provide greater interest for the player (when I play a wizard, I often seem to run out of spells at lower levels just when I need one most and have to twiddle my thumbs whilst the rest of the party clean up, or get pulverised). At the same time, I would recommend playtesting this class first to see if it works along with other core classes before allowing it wholesale into a campaign. I'm giving this the benefit of the doubt right now, but may come back after I've playtested it and amend the score if necessary.</blockquote>

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