Hedge Wizards

[scottanderson]

There is a space in folklore for a wise man or woman who knows something of potions and lotions, first aid and surgery, herbs and metals, religion and curses, languages and relics, and what to do about the "simple" supernatural problems faced by regular people.

This person has some spell-like powers but no spells. Everything is subtle.

I think the way to handle this is to have two sets of abilities.

One system is granted powers, like the ability to find missing objects, to read spell scrolls, or to turn undead.

One would pick some set of abilities and then assign each one a level at which the character could perform the thing.

The other one is to be able to prepare spell-like powers in the form of apothecary concoctions. These would be perishable so they would need to be replenished every so often even if they were not expended - some per diem and some weekly, etc., depending on the kind.

In this case, each kind could be assigned a "spell level" before which the person could not learn it. But I don't think that the preparation should be Vancian in nature, but rather something akin to spell points. Call it Rx Points maybe?

There could be several disciplines and each one could have access to a few unique concoctions, to emulate specialist wizards and clerics.

---

This all seems more complicated than OD&D but not as complicated as 3 or 4e. It's in line with 5e complexity I think. Not outside the limits of OD&D.

Has anyone got any criticisms or suggestions?

[mao]

I've assumed that hedge wizards are the masters of cantrips

[scottanderson]

I don't thin k"hedge wizard" has a set definition. In 2e days, we assumed a hedge wizard was one who never made it past like level 3, and knew spells that common people would find useful rather than war spells. His nonweapon proficiencies were alchemy and weather sense and crap like that.

I'm recycling the name and concept, but not the game mechanics. Trying to find a character class of this taxonomy that would be fun to play.

[mao]

for such a simple concept, there are so many ways of interpreting

[hengest]

Sept 21, 2017 10:37:18 GMT -5 scottanderson said:

There is a space in folklore for a wise man or woman who knows something of potions and lotions, first aid and surgery, herbs and metals, religion and curses, languages and relics, and what to do about the "simple" supernatural problems faced by regular people.

This person has some spell-like powers but no spells. Everything is subtle.

I think the way to handle this is to have two sets of abilities.

One system is granted powers, like the ability to find missing objects, to read spell scrolls, or to turn undead.

One would pick some set of abilities and then assign each one a level at which the character could perform the thing.

The other one is to be able to prepare spell-like powers in the form of apothecary concoctions. These would be perishable so they would need to be replenished every so often even if they were not expended - some per diem and some weekly, etc., depending on the kind.

In this case, each kind could be assigned a "spell level" before which the person could not learn it. But I don't think that the preparation should be Vancian in nature, but rather something akin to spell points. Call it Rx Points maybe?

There could be several disciplines and each one could have access to a few unique concoctions, to emulate specialist wizards and clerics.

---

This all seems more complicated than OD&D but not as complicated as 3 or 4e. It's in line with 5e complexity I think. Not outside the limits of OD&D.

Has anyone got any criticisms or suggestions?

I dig it.  I don't think it's overly complicated as you describe it here.  And I like the idea quite a lot.  I had been thinking a touch in a direction like this, but what you have here is clearer and more usable.  

No criticisms.  Suggestions (I realize this post is several years old): keep it open and flexible-breathable even if you define it more, rather than letting it become a straitjacketed mini-wizard.  Perhaps have the player submit a set of real-world interests and have the ref then reply with a set of abilities / potions that can be used and in some way keyed to advancement.  

So the HW is more a homebody than an adventuring wizard, but also likely more attuned to his locale.  A HW as I am imagining him might be little more than a carrier of potions on a dungeon crawl, but in his home valley, a force to be reckoned with (because he can use his knowledge and other skills in concert with his limited magical abilities and crafts).

[restless]

I love the creation of NPCs that the players encounter but do not follow the rules for player characters.  That way, you can have clergy that can perform some miraculous rites, hedge wizards who can sell you a charm or a sage that can use an uncanny ability to divine the nature of items without them having been adventurers.

I look at the game as a game about adventurers, so the players are adventurers. Others in the world can "play" by different rules.  However, in playing the game you agreed to play as an adventurer, so it's not fair to complain, "if they can do that, why can't I?"   Well, you spend your life in different pursuits, your character can pursue those ends but only if it becomes an NPC.


As such, I really do like this idea.  It makes many things more accessible without having to have a bunch of characters being high levels or every potential location for adventure being looted because of the large proportion of people who had been adventurers and explorers in their prior careers.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Aug 11, 2021 13:43:16 GMT -5 restless said:

I love the creation of NPCs that the players encounter but do not follow the rules for player characters.  That way, you can have clergy that can perform some miraculous rites, hedge wizards who can sell you a charm or a sage that can use an uncanny ability to divine the nature of items without them having been adventurers.

I look at the game as a game about adventurers, so the players are adventurers. Others in the world can "play" by different rules.  However, in playing the game you agreed to play as an adventurer, so it's not fair to complain, "if they can do that, why can't I?"   Well, you spend your life in different pursuits, your character can pursue those ends but only if it becomes an NPC.

As such, I really do like this idea.  It makes many things more accessible without having to have a bunch of characters being high levels or every potential location for adventure being looted because of the large proportion of people who had been adventurers and explorers in their prior careers.

Awesome insight!

Have an Exalt!