The Hedge Mage

A tiefling man with purple skin and curling horns reaches out to trace runes carved into the wall of a tomb. As his fingers brush over them, the symbols glow with recognition.

A dragonborn man with golden scales clutches a jeweled necklace at his throat, causing his eyes to glow and a shield of crimson magic to materialize in front of him, perfectly timed to catch an arrow fired at his heart.

Holding her hand aloft, an elven woman smiles as her tattoos begin to glow, blue light begins to swirl around her hands, and she clenches her fist, causing a bolt of arcane energy to leap from her fingertips.

Hedge mages are people who scavenge the world for bits and pieces of spells and rituals that allow them to channel the weave. They are smart and resourceful, picking up small scraps of magic throughout their lives and bending them to their own will. Whether it is a somatic component overheard muttered by a town's cleric or a rune that glows as a guard opens a city gate, hedge mages are always looking for new tricks to copy and new spells to cast.

Self-Taught

A hedge mage is defined by their lack of traditional arcane training. Unlike wizards, who are taught how to wield and channel the weave through traditions of learning that are centuries old, hedge mages teach themselves whatever spells they know from pieces of incantations they overhear or scraps of spell books they steal. They often understand little of the nature of magic, only knowing that certain gestures, sounds, or runes allow them to harness power most mortal beings have little hope of ever commanding.

Hedge mages are fleet of foot and quick of mind, preferring to outrun and outsmart their enemies rather than face them in fair combat. Those who possess the will and wit necessary to pick the secrets of magic out of the mess of the world are cunning people, always thinking two steps ahead of their foes, and always making the most out of the limited resources at their disposal.

A Scavenger's Life

Most hedge mages possess only the small amount of magic and know only the handful of spells it takes for them to turn tricks in a bar or keep themselves hidden from the town guard. Others, however, make it their life's mission to uncover secrets of the arcane and claim the most powerful pieces of magic the world has to offer. These are the hedge mages that delve into tombs in search of ancient runes, steal spellbooks from the graves of long-dead wizards, and collect vast arsenals of magical items. For the most part, these are the hedge mages that seek a life of adventuring.

Hedge mages often fit nicely into groups of adventurers, with their skills in both arcane magic and treasure hunting coming in handy in the lairs of monsters and the depths of dungeons. Hedge mages typically appreciate the freedom that a life of adventuring has to offer, in addition to the opportunities it provides them to advance their craft.

Creating a Hedge Mage

When making a hedge mage, consider what your character's relationship to magic is. How did you first become a hedge mage? Did you stumble upon your first few spells accidentally, or did it take years of practice before you could cast your first cantrip? Are you envious of the formal training wizards receive, or do you laugh at their stuffy libraries and rigid traditions?

Consider why you want to pursue the secrets of the arcane. Are you driven by an unrelenting curiosity to learn the workings of the weave? Did you always dream of being a spellcaster, fantasizing about having a spellbook in your hand and magic flowing through your veins? Are you simply looking for power in whatever places you can find it?

Quick Build

You can make a hedge mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the urchin background. Third, choose the Firebolt and Prestidigitation cantrips, along with the 1st-level spells Disguise Self and Magic Missile.

Class Features

As a hedge mage, you gain the following class features:

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d8 per hedge mage level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per hedge mage level after 1st.

Proficiencies

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• Armor: Light armor
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Tools: Thieves' Tools
• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose three skills from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• (a) a burglar's pack or (b) dungeoneer's pack
• Leather armor and thieves' tools

Arcane Rudiment

At 1st level, you have discovered a ritual, a bit of spellcraft, or a magical item that grants insights into the working of the weave and informs how you find and cast magic. Choose from the list of arcane rudiments. Your arcane rudiment grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Scavenged Magic

The knowledge of magic and spellcraft you have gathered has given you the ability to cast spells.

For the purposes of multiclassing, choosing feats, etc. this feature is synonymous with the Pact Magic feature.

Cantrips

At first level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the shaman spell list. You learn additional hedge mage cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Hedge Mage table.

Spell Slots

The Hedge Mage table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your hedge mage spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level or Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the hedge mage spell list. The Spells Known column of the Hedge Mage table shows when you learn more hedge mage spells of your choice from this feature. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the hedge mage spells you know from this feature and replace it with another spell from the hedge mage spell list. The new spell must also be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your hedge mage spells. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a hedge mage spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +
your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a hedge mage spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your hedge mage spells.

Arcane Invocations

Through your efforts to find and use fragments of magic you come across in your adventures, you have gained access to arcane invocations, runes, talismans, scrolls, or other pieces of spellcraft that provide you with additional magical abilities.

At 2nd level, you gain two arcane invocations of your choice. Your invocation options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain hedge mage levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations Known column of the Hedge Mage table.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could learn at that level.

If an arcane invocation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.

Cantrip Adept

Starting at 3rd level, your quick fingers and knack for spellcasting allow you to make the most of your most basic spells. On a turn when you take the Dash, Disengage, Help, or Use an Object action, you can cast a cantrip as a bonus action.

Additionally, at this level you have learned how to cast a wide array of cantrips. Choose three cantrips from any classes, including this one, to learn. The chosen cantrips count as hedge mage spells for you and are included in the number in the Cantrips Known column of the Hedge Mage table.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose a feat.

Fragment of Spellcraft

At 11th level, you discover a piece of magic called a Fragment of Spellcraft that allows you to call upon massive amounts of arcane energy. Choose one 6th-level spell from the hedge mage spell list as this fragment.

You can cast your fragment spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

At higher levels, you gain more hedge mage spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Fragment of Spellcraft when you finish a long rest.

Embody the Arcane

At 20th level, you have learned how to expertly manipulate the magic at your disposal. You can spend 1 minute inscribing symbols on your skin and muttering incantations. After this time, you regain all the expended spell slots from your Scavenged Magic feature. Once you regain spell slots with this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Runic Rudiment

Hedge mages with a runic rudiment first learned to cast magic through runes that they scavenged from ancient ruins and artifacts. As they journey forward, these hedge mages often try to collect larger amounts of runes and then begin to carve and invent their own. Whether they tattoo arcane symbols into their own skin, collect individual runestones, or carve sigils into weapons and armor, hedge mages of the arcane rudiment always have a spell ready for any scenario.

Runic Magic

You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Runic Rudiment Spells table. Each spell counts as a hedge mage spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of hedge mage spells you know. These spells can’t be replaced when you gain a level in this class.

Runic Rudiment Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	false life
3rd	magic weapon
5th	glyph of warding
7th	stoneskin
9th	wall of force

Copy Spell

Starting when you choose this rudiment at 1st level, you have learned how to copy the energy of a spell within a rune. Immediately after you see a creature witin 30 feet of you cast a spell, you can use your reaction to attempt to physically copy the casting of that spell. Make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC of 10 + the level of the spell cast. If you succeed on the Intelligence (Arcana) check, and the spell you are attempting to copy is of a level equal to or lower than the level of the spell slots granted by your Scavenged Magic feature, you temporarily learn the spell.

When you have a spell copied in this way, it counts as a hedge mage spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of hedge mage spells you know.

After you cast a spell you have copied with this feature, you release the magical energy inscribed in your rune and unlearn the spell. You can only have one spell learned in this way at a time. If you use this feature to learn a new spell while you already have a spell copied, it replaces the old spell.

Runekeeper

Starting at 6th level, your understanding of runes has made you excellent at discerning and detecting lingering magic. You learn the detect magic and identify spells, if you do not already know them. They count as hedge mage spells for you, but do not count against the number of hedge mage spells you know.

In addition, you have learned to cast spells simply by drawing or activating runes. When you cast a spell, you can replace any of its verbal components with somatic components.

Lingering Magic

By 10th level, your runic enchantments can give your spells increased longevity. When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can choose to double its duration.

Runic Armor

At 14th level, your entire body glows with the energy of your runic magic, fending off attacks. While you are concentrating on a spell, you gain a bonus to your armor class equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Otherworldly Rudiment

Hedge mages with an otherworldly rudiment have uncovered a piece of extraplanar magic that they use to empower and inspire the rest of their spellcraft. Whether they possess a godly artifact, the true name of a fey creature, a demonic sigil, or some other powerful symbol, hex, or relic from another world, these hedge mages collect strange and powerful spells from the furthest reaches of existence, often risking their lives and sanity in the process.

Otherworldly Magic

You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Otherworldly Rudiment Spells table. Each spell counts as a hedge mage spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of hedge mage spells you know. These spells can’t be replaced when you gain a level in this class.

Otherworldly Rudiment Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	arms of hadar
3rd	blindness/deafness
5th	vampiric touch
7th	banishment
9th	planar binding

Maddening Magic

Starting when you choose this rudiment at 1st level, you can summon a blast of nightmarish magic to shatter the minds of those near you. As an action, you can cause each creature within 10 feet of you that can see you to make a Charisma saving throw against your hedge mage spell save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws must roll a d100 and suffer an effect as shown on Short-Term Madness table below until the start of your next turn.

Short-Term Madness

d100 Roll	Short-Term Madness Effect
01-20	The creature retreats into its mind and becomes paralyzed. The effect ends if the creature takes any damage.
21-30	The creature becomes incapcacitated and spends the duration screaming, laughing, or weeping.
31-40	The creature becomes frightened and must use its action and movement each turn to flee from the source of its fear.
41-50	The creature begins babbling and is incapable of normal speech or spellcasting.
51-60	The creature must use its action each turn to attack the nearest creature.
61-70	The creature experiences vivid hallucinations and has disadvantage on ability checks.
71-75	The creature does whatever anyone tells it to do that isn't obviously self-destructive.
76-80	The creature goes prone as it experiences an overpowering urge to eat something strange such as dirt, slime, or offal.
81-90	The creature is stunned.
91-00	The creature falls unconscious.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Fortified Mind

Starting at 6th level, you have developed a resistance to mind-altering magic. Whenever you make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw against magic, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the saving throw.

Expanding Madness

By 10th level, you have learned to expand and shape the magic of your rudiment. Your Maddening Magic feature now affects creatures within 30 feet of you, and you can choose a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifer to not be affected.

Spells From Beyond

At 14th level, when you cast a damaging spell, you can change the spell's damage type to necrotic, pyschic, or radiant.

Chaotic Rudiment

Hedge mages with a chaotic rudiment deal with uncontrolled and unstable magic. Whether their spellcraft is unreliable because it is beyond their comprehension, beyond their power to control, created through a partially incomplete spell recipe, these hedge mages are never quite in command of the arcane energy they channel. They are gamblers of the highest order, always slightly unsure of what will happen when they finish casting their spells.

Chaotic Magic

You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Chaotic Rudiment Spells table. Each spell counts as a hedge mage spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of hedge mage spells you know. These spells can’t be replaced when you gain a level in this class.

Chaotic Rudiment Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	hellish rebuke
3rd	enhance ability
5th	fear
7th	confusion
9th	animate objects

Unstable Spellcraft

Starting when you choose this rudiment at 1st level, your magic is unstable and never quite within your control. Immediately after you expend a spell slot to cast a hedge mage spell, roll your Unstable Spellcraft dice, which are a d4 and a d6. Your spell gains an immediate effect based on the total of the two dice, as shown on the Unstable Spellcraft table.

When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of the larger of your two Unstable Spellcraft dice increases: at 6th level (d8), 10th level (d10), and 14th level (d12).

Channel Instability

Starting at 6th level, you can attempt to tap into your magic to aid you with skill checks. However, like most of your magic, these tricks don't always work the way you want them to.

When you make a skill check, you can choose to roll either one of your Unstable Spellcraft dice alongside the d20. If the Unstable Spellcraft die rolls an odd number, subtract its result from the skill check's total. If the Unstable Spellcraft die instead rolls an even number, add its result to the skill check's total.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifer. You regain any expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Bursting Magic

By 10th level, you have learned how to capitalize on the volatility of your magic. When you roll damage for a spell, if none of the spell's damage dice roll a 1 and one or more roll their maximum possible number, you can roll an additional damage die and add its result to the total.

Pent-Up Magic

By the time you reach 14th level, you have learned to release the magic that builds inside you while you're focusing on a spell. While this released magic still isn't fully within your control, you've found that it's often very helpful. When you lose concentration on a spell, you can choose to roll on the Unstable Spellcraft table.

Unstable Spellcraft

Dice Total	Effect
2	Roll a number of d4s equal to your level. You take an amount of force damage equal to the total.
3	All creatures within 5 feet of you take 2d6 fire damage.
4	Make a Strength saving throw against your own spell save DC. If you fail, you are pushed 10 feet backwards.
5	Your spell creates a loud blast of sound that can be heard up to 100 feet away.
6	Magical energy crackles around you, causing your clothes and hair to billow dramatically.
7	You gain temporary hit points equal to your hedge mage level.
8	A glowing rune appears on your chest. Within the next minute, the next creature that hits you with a melee weapon attack takes 3d4 force damage.
9	You teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see.
10	You gain a flying speed of 60 feet until the end of your next turn.
11	You can immediately cast any hedge mage cantrip that you know.
12	For the next minute, you gain advantage on all Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws.
13	Your armor class increases by 5 until the start of your next turn.
14	You cast blink on yourself.
15	You recover all of your expended spell slots.
16	Without expending a spell slot, you can immediately cast any spell from the hedge mage spell list that is 7th level or lower and has a casting time of 1 action.

Hedge Mage Spell List

Arcane Invocations

Absorb Magic

Prerequisite: 5th level

As an action, you can touch one object or creature. Any spell of a level lower than the spell slots granted by your Scavenged Magic feature ends, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + the total level of spells you ended this way (minimum of 1).

Once you use this invocation, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Arcane Ambush

You have advantage on all spell attacks you make during your first turn of each combat.

Astral Leap

Prerequisite: 5th level

You can cast blink once, without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

Boots of the Magus

You gain +10 feet to your walking speed. You may select this invocation multiple times, gaining an additional +5 feet for each time you select it after the first.

Captured Magic

Prerequisite: 9th level, Runic Rudiment

You have learned how to capture a spell's energy, in addition to its memory, when you copy a spell. You can cast one spell you've learned through your Copy Spell feature without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can use this invocation again.

Disappearing Trick

Prerequisite: 9th level

You can cast invisibility on yourself at will as a 2nd-level spell, without expending a spell slot.

Enhanced Reactions

You can add your Intelligence modifier to initiative rolls.

Ethereal Form

Prerequisite: 12th level

You can cast freedom of movement once, without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

Evasive Magic

Prerequisite: 12th level

On a turn when you take the Dodge action, you can cast a cantrip as a bonus action.

Eyes of the Runekeeper

You can read all writing.

Flickering Fire

Prerequisite: Chaotic Rudiment

You can cast faerie fire once, without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.

Fragmented Form

Prerequisite: 5th level, Chaotic Rudiment

You can cast mirror image once, without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.

Hidden Magic

Prerequisite: 12th level

You can cast nondetection on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.

Improvised Ward

You can cast shield once, without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

Incantation of Tranquility

Prerequisite: 9th level

You can cast silence at will, without expending a spell slot.

Lingering Madness

Prerequisite: 9th level, Otherworldly Rudiment

Before you use your Maddening Magic feature, you can choose to concentrate on it, as if you were concentrating on a spell. If you do so, creatures that fail their saving throws are affected by Short-Term Madness for 1 minute instead of until the start of your next turn. A creature affected in this way must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the Short-Term Madness on itself on a success.

Magical Mist

You can cast fog cloud at will, without expending a spell slot.

Master of Illusions

Prerequisite: 12th level

You can cast major image at will as a 3rd-level spell, without expending a spell slot.

Occult Awareness

You gain proficiency in the Insight and Perception skills.

Open Mind

Prerequisite: 5th level, Otherworldly Rudiment

You can cast detect thoughts once, without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.

Otherworldly Abjuration

Prerequisite: Otherworldly Rudiment

You can cast protection from evil and good once, without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.

Punishing Bolts

Prerequisite: 15th level

When a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you and misses, you can use your reaction to cast a cantrip targeting that creature. The cantrip must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.