What exactly is a Hedge Wizard?

[Will]

One simple separation would be apprenticed/self-taught wizard is a hedge wizard, wizard taught by highly placed teacher or a school is a 'proper' wizard.

And, of course, the well-placed/well-schooled sort regards the others as stupid kneebiters.

 

[rounser]

One simple separation would be apprenticed/self-taught wizard is a hedge wizard, wizard taught by highly placed teacher or a school is a 'proper' wizard.

This suggests that it might see use as a derogatory term directed at sorcerors (self-taught innate ability) by wizards (schooled and trained).

 

[Mercule]

I think Hedge Wizard is to High Mage as Adept is to Wizard, for the most part.

In my campaign setting, I'm looking at adding a PC-worthy Hedge Wizard class. It would likely consist of knowing one, two, or three schools (balance needs investigation) of magic, a higher hit die than a Wizard (d6, probably), and a few more skill points (they don't devote themselves to magic the way a Wizard does, so they pick up a few other skills). Spell progression would probably use the Bard table for slots, but the Hedge Wizard would use a spell book.

 

[francisca]

Here's a literary example. In Mary Stewart's "The Crystal Cave" there was an old hermit living in a cave who befriended Merlin and awakened his magic powers. He could do minor magics, of which I can remember no particular examples right now, because I read the books 20 years ago.

I don't particularly mind my hedge wizards being a little druid-ish, but would keep them arcane spellcasters.

 

[Buttercup]

It is an historical term, that comes up related to the inquisition. As with most accusations of witch craft, it was a charge leveled against someone who was an outsider for some reason, and who thus could be an easy scapegoat.

In fantasy literature, Hedge Wizard has come to mean an untutored wizard, not unlike an adept. Sometimes they might have some psionic powers thrown in as well as minor druid-like abilities. I think with a bit of work, one could cobble together an interesting PC class out of it. I'd include a bit of healing, some earth, air, fire and water related spells, the ability to charm animals and possibly plants, and a bit of psionics. (I own the psionic's handbook but have never read it, so I have no clue how those rules work. Can you even give a character 'minor' psionic abilities? Or would you need to use scrying?) I don't think a hedge wizard should be literate by default.

 

[Buttercup]

This suggests that it might see use as a derogatory term directed at sorcerors (self-taught innate ability) by wizards (schooled and trained).

That's actually a good idea. Especially if you tinker with the spell list a bit. :wanders off to do just that:

 

[NewJeffCT]

i asked this question the thread on archetypes but wanted a thorough answer to my question. I see the Hedge wizard referred to a lot but I really don't know what it is. How is it different to a wizard, what is it's inspiration in literature, myth, etc. Was there a kit or something like that for it in 2e?

Something of a con-artist with little to no legitimate magical talent - as one person above said - the type that sells snake oil to villagers at 10 gp a bottle promising that it will cure all their ills or make somebody fall in love with them.

 

[Tsyr]

Mongoose Publishing's "Powerclass" book on Hedge Wizards rocks, by the way. It presents them in such a way that they are balanced as a PC class, but not uber-mages.

 

[Silveras]

Another way to think of it is this: Hedge Wizard is what the Hobbits of Hobbiton thought Gandalf was. A "wizard" who made fireworks and who liked to come to town, sit back, eat some cheese, and smoke a pipe. A little different than "regular folk", but not so odd that you'd be nervous living next door.

While the Adept class may give an idea of the Hedge Wizard, I don't think it really fits properly. Tha Adept's flavor is presented as being "the mixed arcane-divine caster from primitive societies"; any culture that has a strong Cleric or Druid tradition won't produce Adepts, too, based on that. For my own campaign world, I created the Hedge Mage and the Friar as NPC classes (scaled down versions of Wizard and Cleric, much as the Warrior is a scaled-down Fighter). I chose to call it Hedge Mage because I am aware of Mongoose's Hedge Wizard, and wanted to avoid confusion if I later decided to allow a PC-type version.

Trivia: Hedge Wizard saw use as a derogatory term in the Forgotten Realms comic line (c. 1986 ?). The Halruuan wizard captain blustered "What, do you think I am some unschooled hedge-wizard from the north ?"

 

[trilobite]

So what is a Hedge Knight then? I have heard that term used before but I don't remember where.