Power Classes VII - Hedge Wizard

[Simon Collins]

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.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

New 20-level class

 

[GameWyrd]

Mongoose’s Power Classes are, I think, one of last year’s surprise hits. The books are tiny, too small really to be called books and I’m surprised they’re allowed to claim an ISBN. They’re booklets, 16 thin pages between a card stock cover and stapled together. They’re actually rather robust. The idea behind the power class is value for money. US$2.95 gets you a single new core class, a little crunch dressing in the form of new feats or equipment and nothing else. In other words, just what you need to use the class.

This Hedge Wizard class makes a good attempt at introducing Hedge Wizards to d20. The approach is to give the class unparalleled access to zero level spells, cantrips. A 9th level Hedge Wizard of this power class can cast an unlimited number of cantrips. A footnote says that at this level the Hedge Wizard can effectively spontaneously cast any cantrip that he knows. Wow. Nifty. The same 9th level Hedge Wizard can only cast 1 4th level spell, though. The class is about lots of low level spells and very few high level spells.

I just don’t see the Hedge Wizard as an out and about class very much. A wizard who travels around, adventures, quests and discovers interesting items and lore isn’t a "hedge wizard" any more, even if he started out that way.

The Hedge Wizard can summon a familiar. I’m glad the class inherits this ability. I really can’t imagine a Hedge Wizard without a toad, cat or some other spooky familiar. The ability to summon a familiar is one of the few class abilities that the Hedge Wizard enjoys. On the whole the Hedge Wizard isn’t too short of class abilities but it can go for four levels at a time before the next talent manifests.

I can’t really imagine a Hedge Wizard pouring over an arcane tome in order to cast their spells. Surely that’s the defining difference between Wizards and Hedge Wizards? This Hedge Wizard must use a spell book and begins the game with a spell book with a number of spells modified by Intelligence. Hmm. That’s a bit of a fiddle too; you can’t really have books of spells past down through the family without first coming up with a game explanation as to the variable number of spells. I think there are many workarounds to this problem and so it is not harsh enough to drag the class down into the depths of being unusable.

The Hedge Wizard does more right than it does wrong. I think it’ll also be a piece of cake to use this Hedge Wizard class as the Wizard class in a less heroic fantasy setting than vanilla d20. That’s another gold star for this power class book.

The booklet makes good use of its space. There are ten new zero or first level spells that are only available to the Hedge Wizard, some new feats and then a concluding paragraph on charms.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the Hedge Wizard is a poor version of the Wizard class (even though there’s no new Hedge Wizard spell list), the Hedge Wizard is better able to cast the most commonly used spells. I thought the Hedge Wizard would be an attempt too far by the power class series but I was wrong, this class is certainly worthwhile.

* This Power Classes: Hedge Wizard review was first posted at GameWyrd.

 

[trancejeremy]

This is the seventh in a line of mini-books from Mongoose, "Power Classes", each of which introduce a new core class (that is regular class, like fighter or wizard or cleric, not a prestige class). By mini-book, I mean basically like the various mini-modules from AEG and FFG - an 8 page regular sized book folded in half so it's 16 small or half pages. It's priced at $2.95.

Mongoose seems to be releasing these suckers in groups of 4. I had bought the first 4 power classes sight unseen, because my local game stores didn't carry them (and I really like core classes). However, they carried the second batch. At first I only bought the Explorer, but I eventually got the Hedge Wizard when I was there buying something else.

The Hedge Wizard, at least archetype wise, is essentially something of a backwoods or lesser Wizard. The class, as presented here, does a pretty good job of fitting that archetype.

Bascially, it's like a Wizard, only with a slightly better base attack bonus progression (like that of a Rogue or Cleric), 4 skill points per level, and a radically different spells per day list. Hedge Wizards can cast lots of lower level spells, especially cantrips, at the expense of higher level spells.

At 20th level, they can cast an unlimited number of cantrips and 19 1st level spells per day. 19! Conversely, though, they can't cast any 9th level spells, just 1 8th.

The 20th level Hedge Wizard can in total, cast 61 spells per day (plus unlimited cantrips) compared to a 20th Level Wizards 36 (plus 4 cantrips). Though with Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer, the Wizard can cast more lower level spells at the expense at higher ones. I really really don't want to do the math on the latter. But the end result is that I don't think the Hedge Wizard is too much out of line. Even though the BAB is a lot better than a standard wizard, it's not much out of line of what a Fighter/Wizard would be that could still cast 1 8th level spell

Besides the class itself there are also some new Hedge Wizard spells.

All in all, a good product.

 

[Krug]

The Hedge Wizard is Book 7 in Mongoose Publishing's Power Classes series. It's 16 pages in a mini-book format.

The Hedge Wizard is an interesting idea, though it's more of an NPC class. However, an experienced player can have quite a bit of fun with this class. The prime attraction of this class is it's affinity with cantrips; at 9th level, the hedge wizard can cast an unlimited number of them. He isn't as proficient with higher-level spells, but since hedge wizards are typically the magic suppliers of a village, they won't need all that high-powered stuff. The spell progression is different, and they have a more interesting skill selection.

The book is rounded up by some new cantrips and a few 1st level spells, as well as rules on crafting charms.

Overall I enjoyed this class. It's different enough from the normal sorcerer/wizard to make it interesting, and a fun role-playing challenge. I wouldn't bring him to the front line of a huge battle, but in a light-hearted campaign he'd definitely be an interesting option to play.

 

[John Cooper]

Power Classes VII - Hedge Wizard
Edited by Daniel Bishop and Paul Tucker (no author listed)
Mongoose Publishing product number MGP 1107
16 half-sized pages, $2.95

The 7th in the Mongoose series of new 20-level character classes, Hedge Wizard is an interesting take on the generally low-powered wizards you'd expect to find in a small village, selling charms and potions to the local peasants.

The cover, another joint effort by Nathan Webb (who provides the picture of the subject in question) and Scott Clark (who apparently provides the logo and background), depicts what could easily be mistaken for a simple peasant: his pants are tattered at the bottom edges, his apron is stained, and his simple cowled shirt/tunic has no sleeves. The hedge wizard is showing his age and infirmity, for he leans heavily on a cane and has prominent veins along his arms, hands, and feet. Clues to his profession can be found in the material components hanging from his belt and the familiar he carries in his hand. (As a bit of a pun, Nathan gives the hedge wizard a hedgehog familiar, even though that isn't one of the standard familiars listed inside the book. I don't mind - it's a clever pun, and there's nothing stopping a DM from coming up with appropriate hedgehog familiar stats if he's so inclined.)

The interior art consists of 4 black-and-white illustrations, 2 each by Nathan Webb and Eric Bergeron. Page 3 shows a "classic" hedge wizard pouring two pitchers of liquid into a wooden barrel; the contours of the barrel are a little off, but otherwise this is a fine piece by Nathan, with some nice shading. Page 6 is a bit weird, a close-up of a man's face and hands in a position of extreme outrage (I'm reminded of Admiral Kirk's scream of "Khaaaaaaaan!" from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). I can only assume this ties in to the gremlin spell on page 10, which causes the spell recipient to have a -4 circumstance penalty on his next skill check. The example given in the spell description says that a whole week's worth of armorsmithing could be affected; I'd guess this is what's being depicted here (also by Nathan, and one of his better pieces). Page 13 has Eric's depiction of a witchlike woman brewing something or other in her cauldron (she's about to drop in a mouse or rat); the most interesting thing here is her outfit, which is a tight-fitting, strapless, floor-length affair covered with horizontal ridges and going all "tendrilly" at the bottom (reminding me of Ursula's lower body from The Little Mermaid). Finally, on page 16 there's another female hedge wizard, this one with a pair of lips about three times too big for her face. To tell the truth, she kind of creeps me out. If that was the intention, then well done, Eric!

As for the class itself, I really like it. Granted, a hedge wizard is never going to be at the same power level as a wizard or a sorcerer (for one thing, he only gains access to 8th-level spells once he reaches 20th level, and even then he only gets one per day), but then he's not intended to be a powerhouse - he's the local village guy, concentrating on cantrips and lower-level spells. To help compensate for the minimized spellcasting, hedge wizards have d6 hit dice, a cleric's base attack bonus, and proficiency with light armor and all simple weapons plus one light or one-handed martial weapon. While the hedge wizard is more apt to be an NPC rather than a Player Character (the whole "staying in the local village" thing doesn't equate to being much more than an only occasional adventurer), I still think that the authors did a great job on the class. I especially like the fact that at 9th level a hedge wizard gets an unlimited supply of cantrips - he can pop one off every round if he wants to devote his actions to it. Overpowered? Heck, they're cantrips - 0-level spells! I think this equates to great flavor, and really separates the hedge wizard from other spellcasting classes, even the other NPC spellcasting class, the adept.

The authors provide hedge wizards with 10 new spells (appropriately enough, these are all 0-level and 1st level spells) and 4 new feats, plus create a new type of magic item appropriate to the class, the charm, which holds up to 10 copies of the same cantrip, usable once per day.

As for proofreading, the only things that came up in the 16 pages of the book (8 normal-sized pages, really, as the "Power Classes" series is half the size of a standard sheet of paper) was one instance of there being no spaces between the end of one sentence and the beginning of another, and one alphabetizing error ("Soothsaying" should come after "Social Invisibility"). Not bad at all.

One last thing worth mentioning: Hedge Wizard was written before 3.5 came out, so all of the terms are in 3.0 format. This isn't much of a problem at all, though; besides changing "Pick Pocket" to "Sleight of Hand," there isn't much that needs converting.

I can recommend Hedge Wizard for those DMs looking for an interesting character to place as the owner of a village potion shop or as an NPC spellcaster willing to help out the adventurers passing through his small town. A player looking for a slightly different arcane spellcaster might want to give the book a shot, too. Heck, at $2.95, it's a very small limb to crawl out onto. I give Hedge Wizard a strong "4 (Good)."

 

[Ian Sturrock]

[No message]

 

[Ian Sturrock]

No author listed -- that was one of mine, and one I'm very proud of.

 

[John Cooper]

As well you should be, Ian. Nice job! (Bummer about not getting credited for your work, though. What's up with that? You'd think "author" would be pretty high up on the list of things you wouldn't want to overlook on the credits page.)