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xyianth
2014-08-28, 01:38 AM
This is an adaptation of a homebrew class I once made for D&D 3.5. It is an unorthodox wizard that uses low-level spells at will(almost) as opposed to regular vancian casting. I plan to also post a collection of homebrew cantrips to go along with this class when I get around to it. This may need to be rebalanced a bit, I'm not sure where the balance point is between at-will low level spells and limited high level spells per long rest.


The Hedge Wizard
On the outskirts of civilization, far from the academies of magic exists a form of magic known as hedge wizardry. These charlatans mix superb deception and manipulation techniques with the tiniest spark of real magic to achieve their goals.



Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
Spell Level


1st
+2
Deceptive Wizardry
5
1
1st


2nd
+2
Guage the Audience
5
1
1st


3rd
+2
Spell Theatrics
5
2
1st


4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
5
2
1st


5th
+3
Stage Presence
6
3
1st


6th
+3
Spell Theatrics feature
6
3
1st


7th
+3

6
4
1st


8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
6
4
1st


9th
+4

7
5
2nd


10th
+4
Spell Theatrics feature
7
5
2nd


11th
+4

7
6
2nd


12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
7
6
2nd


13th
+5

8
7
2nd


14th
+5
Spell Theatrics feature
8
7
2nd


15th
+5

8
8
2nd


16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
8
8
2nd


17th
+6

9
9
3rd


18th
+6
Practiced Deception
9
9
3rd


19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
9
10
3rd


20th
+6
Spell Theatrics feature
9
10
3rd



Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per hedge wizard level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per hedge wizard level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: Light
Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: None

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion

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) an entertainer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
Leather armor

Deceptive Wizardry
At some point during your past, you studied wizardry or otherwise awoke magical talent within you. However you came to have the gift of magic, you did not continue to pursue it in a wizard’s academy nor did you spend the time and effort to cultivate its potency. Instead, you sought the means to make your magic seem more effective than it truly was. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the wizard spell list. See the subsection Hedge Wizardry for special rules regarding spellcasting for this class.


Cantrips
At 1st level, you know the prestidigitation cantrip and four other cantrips of your choice. Each of these cantrips can be selected from any class list. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Hedge Wizard table.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know a single 1st-level spell of your choice from the wizard spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Hedge Wizard table shows when you learn more wizard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level no higher than the level indicated under the Spell Level column of the Hedge Wizard table. For instance, when you reach 9th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the wizard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the wizard spell list, which also must be of a level no higher than the level indicated under the Spell Level column of the Hedge Wizard table.

Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your hedge wizard spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to deceive through sheer force of will. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a hedge wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your hedge wizard spells.

Hedge Wizardry
Your ability to cast spells is not automatic, as with other spellcasters. Fundamentally, all hedge wizardry is an act of deception. In truth, all of your spells of 1st level and higher are actually creative uses of the prestidigitation cantrip mixed with your personal form of deceptive theatrics. This has several effects on your ability to cast spells.
When casting a spell of 1st level or higher, you must succeed on a Deception check DC of 10+twice the spell’s level. If the check is successful, you cast the spell as normal. If you fail the check, you don’t cast the spell and the action is wasted.
If you are attempting to cast a 1st level spell as if using a 3rd level slot, the Deception DC would be 16 (10+2*3). If you then get a Deception result of 12, you can instead cast that 1st level spell as if using a 1st level slot without losing the action. A spell can not be cast as if using a lower level slot than is normally required by the spell in this fashion.
You never need to make a Deception check when casting a cantrip, regardless of which list it came from. Unlike higher level spells, you actually know and cast real cantrips.
You never expend slots when casting your spells. Since they are truly based on the prestidigitation cantrip, you can cast your hedge wizard spells at-will, as long as you continue to make successful Deception checks each casting.

Gauge the Audience
At 2nd level, you learn to read the reactions and mannerisms of those around you to better anticipate how effective your Deceptive Wizardry ability will be. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to perform a Deception check as if you were casting a spell using your Deceptive Wizardry feature. You can then substitute that check result for the required Deception check of your next spell cast during the same round.

Spell Theatrics
At 3rd level, you choose to focus on a particular style of deception when performing your spells: Sympathetic, Coercive, or Dramatic, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your theatrics choice grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 20th level.

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.

Stage Presence
Starting at 5th level, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll of any spell you cast.

Practiced Deception
At 18th level, you have performed your spellcasting deceptions so much that they have become almost automatic. You can maintain concentration on two spells at the same time. Any effect that breaks your concentration, ends it for both spells.

Spell Theatrics
While all hedge wizards perform their spells through deception, each hedge wizard tends to adopt a different style of deception when performing their spells.


Sympathetic Deception
The art of sympathetic deception is designed to persuade those who witness your spells into believing that they are more effective than they truly are. Sympathetic hedge wizards tend to practice the arts of Persuasion and can instill confidence in their allies while convincing their foes of their misfortune.


Persuasive Redirect
At 3rd level, you can use your Persuasion skill to convince the target of your spell to feel more of an effect than they otherwise should. Whenever you cast a spell or cantrip and either miss your attack roll or the target successfully saves against the effect, you can attempt a Persuasion check DC 10+twice the spell’s level. If you succeed, the target of your spell or cantrip takes half the normal damage of a hit or failed save. Any non-damage based effects of the spell or cantrip are unaffected by this ability.

Negotiating Position
At 6th level, you can attempt a Persuasion check as a reaction when you are targeted by an attack or spell. If used against an attack, the DC is equal to the attack roll result. On success, the attacker must reroll the attack and use the second result. If used against a spell, the DC is equal to the spell’s save DC and you gain advantage on the saving throw if successful.

Improved Persuasive Redirect
At 10th level, you can use your Persuasive Redirect feature with greater impact. Whenever you exceed the check DC by 5 or more, the target takes the full normal damage of a hit or failed save. Any non-damage based effects of the spell or cantrip remain unaffected by this ability.

Instill Confidence
At 14th level, whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, all allies within 20’ gain advantage on their next attack roll or saving throw.

Master of Redirection
At 20th level, you can use your Persuasive Redirect feature with unparalleled impact. Whenever you exceed the check DC by 10 or more, the target takes the full normal effects of a hit or failed save. This includes non-damage based effects of the spell or cantrip. If the spell offers additional saves on subsequent rounds, this ability has no effect on those saves.


Coercive Deception
The art of coercive deception is designed to intimidate those who witness your spells into going along with your deception and accepting it as reality. Coercive hedge wizards tend to practice the arts of Intimidation and can instill fear in those they consider enemies. They can even coerce enemies into feeling the effects of spells that didn’t target them.


Coerce Victim
At 3rd level, you can use your Intimidation skill to convince a creature other than the target of your spell to feel the effects of a spell that they weren’t targeted by. Whenever you cast a spell or cantrip, you can attempt an Intimidation check DC 10+twice the spell’s level. If you succeed, you can target an additional creature in range of your spell or cantrip. Resolve the effects on all targets normally.

Hesitating Advance
At 6th level, you can attempt a Intimidation check as a reaction when an enemy moves toward you. The enemy must be within 10’ of you before you use this ability. The DC for this check is 10+the target’s Wisdom save modifier. On success, the enemy can not willingly move closer to you until its next turn.

Improved Coerce Victim
At 10th level, you can use your Coerce Victim feature with greater impact. Whenever you exceed the check DC by 5 or more, your additional target shares the defenses of your initial target. If your initial target fails the save, so does your additional target. If you hit the initial target with an attack roll, you also hit your additional target. Resolve the effects of a failed save or hit on the additional target independently. At your option, you can suppress this ability and resolve the defenses independently on each target as per the Coerce Victim feature.

Frightening Presence
At 14th level, whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, all enemies within 20’ must make a Wisdom save or become frightened for 1 round.

Master of Coercion
At 20th level, you can use your Coerce Victim feature with unparalleled impact. Whenever you exceed the check DC by 10 or more, your additional target shares the fate of your initial target. If your initial target takes 20 damage from the spell or cantrip, so does your additional target. If your initial target is left paralyzed by the spell or cantrip, so is your additional target. If the spell or cantrip allows additional saves on subsequent rounds, resolve those independently on each target. At your option, you can suppress this ability and resolve the effects independently on each target as per the Improved Coerce Victim feature.


Dramatic Deception
The art of dramatic deception is designed to camouflage the true effects of your spells with complex and distracting performances. Dramatic hedge wizards tend to practice the arts of Performance and can modify the effects of their spells and cantrips to better suit the situation.


Complex Performance
At 3rd level, you can use your Performance skill to enhance the effect of a spell or cantrip as you cast it. Whenever you cast a spell or cantrip, you can attempt a Persuasion check to apply any one of the following effects to the spell or cantrip:

Distant spell - DC 10 - double the range of the spell or cantrip
Extend spell - DC 10 - double the duration of the spell or cantrip
Sculpt spell - DC 15 - a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier are not affected.

Method Acting
At 6th level, you can attempt a Performance check as a reaction when you are targeted by an attack or spell. If used against an attack, the DC is equal to the attack roll result. If used against a spell, the DC is equal to the spell’s save DC. On success, you can delay the effects of the attack or spell for 1 round. No attack or spell can be delayed for more than 1 round with this ability.

Improved Complex Performance
At 10th level, you can use your Complex Performance feature with greater impact. You can now apply any of the following additional effects, but you are still limited to only 1 effect per spell or cantrip.

Heightened spell - DC 15 - target has disadvantage on its save against your spell or cantrip
Empowered spell - DC 20 - reroll your Charisma modifier in damage dice and use new rolls
Widen spell - DC 20 - double the area of effect of the spell or cantrip

Bewildering Performance
At 14th level, whenever you cast a spell that requires its target to save to reduce or prevent its effect, you can choose to modify the ability required for the save randomly. Roll 1d6 to determine the new ability required:



1
Strength


2
Dexterity


3
Constitution


4
Intelligence


5
Wisdom


6
Charisma



Master of Showmanship
At 20th level, you can use your Complex Performance feature with unparalleled impact. You can now apply any of the following additional effects:

Maximize spell - DC 25 - the spell or cantrip does maximum damage
Any 2 - DC 25 - cantrip or spell gains benefit of any 2 effects other than Maximize spell


Hedge Wizard Spell List
The Hedge Wizard uses the full Wizard list. However, a Hedge Wizard can select cantrips from any list.


Please let me know if I should add any formatting to make this easier to read. Thanks in advance for reading.

DiBastet
2014-08-28, 10:14 PM
I like the concept, however I'm trying to keep my games at the lowest possible number of classes. That said I think this concept could fit as a great bard subclass. Would you mind making a bard subclass with the core concepts of this class for me to introduce in my game options?

xyianth
2014-08-28, 10:59 PM
I like the concept, however I'm trying to keep my games at the lowest possible number of classes. That said I think this concept could fit as a great bard subclass. Would you mind making a bard subclass with the core concepts of this class for me to introduce in my game options?

I can certainly try, I'll see if I can come up with something. Now that bards get full powered casting, I think I would have to lose the at-will aspect of the spells since having both would probably be too much.

Thanks for your interest.

Edit: How about this?

College of Deception
Bards of the College of Deception master the arts of deception and trickery to augment their natural abilities in surprising ways.

Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of Deception at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Deception skill and one additional skill of your choice from among the following: Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion. You also learn 3 additional cantrips from any list. If you don’t already know the prestidigitation cantrip, you must select it as one of your new ones. These cantrips are considered bard cantrips for you.

Inspired Lies
Also at 3rd level, as a reaction to a creature within 60 feet that you can see making an attack roll, ability check, or damage roll, you can spend a use of your Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and adding the number rolled to the creature’s roll. At the same time, you can attempt a Deception check whose DC is equal to the new roll result after adding your Bardic Inspiration die. If your check succeeds, you regain the use of your Bardic Inspiration as if you never spent it. If your check fails, the use remains spent, but the creature must use its original roll result, as if you had not used this ability. If you choose not to attempt the Deception check, the use of Bardic Inspiration is spent and the creature uses the new augmented roll result.

Spell Theatrics
Starting at 6th level, you begin to augment your spells using a bit of Deception. Whenever you cast a spell, you can make a Deception check as part of the casting action. The DC for this check is equal to 10 + twice the spell’s level. If you succeed, you can apply one of the following additional effects to the spell:


Persuasive Redirect
You can use your Persuasion skill to convince the target of your spell to feel more of an effect than they otherwise should. Whenever you cast a spell or cantrip and either miss your attack roll or the target successfully saves against the effect, you can attempt a Persuasion check DC 10+twice the spell’s level. If you succeed, the target of your spell or cantrip takes half the normal damage of a hit or failed save. Any non-damage based effects of the spell or cantrip are unaffected by this ability.
If you exceed the check DC by 5 or more, the target takes the full normal damage of a hit or failed save. Any non-damage based effects of the spell or cantrip remain unaffected by this ability.
If you exceed the check DC by 10 or more, the target takes the full normal effects of a hit or failed save. This includes non-damage based effects of the spell or cantrip. If the spell offers additional saves on subsequent rounds, this ability has no effect on those saves.

Coerce Victim
You can use your Intimidation skill to convince a creature other than the target of your spell to feel the effects of a spell that they weren’t targeted by. Whenever you cast a spell or cantrip, you can attempt an Intimidation check DC 10+twice the spell’s level. If you succeed, you can target an additional creature in range of your spell or cantrip. Resolve the effects on the target normally.
If you exceed the check DC by 5 or more, your additional target shares the defenses of your initial target. If your initial target fails the save, so does your additional target. If you hit the initial target with an attack roll, you also hit your additional target. Resolve the effects of a failed save or hit on the additional target independently. At your option, you can suppress this ability and resolve the defenses independently on each target.
If you exceed the check DC by 10 or more, your additional target shares the fate of your initial target. If your initial target takes 20 damage from the spell or cantrip, so does your additional target. If your initial target is left paralyzed by the spell or cantrip, so is your additional target. If the spell or cantrip allows additional saves on subsequent rounds, resolve those independently on each target. At your option, you can suppress this ability and resolve the effects independently on each target.

Complex Performance
You can use your Performance skill to enhance the effect of a spell or cantrip as you cast it. Whenever you cast a spell or cantrip, you can attempt a Persuasion check to apply any one of the following effects to the spell or cantrip:

Distant spell - DC 10 - double the range of the spell or cantrip
Extend spell - DC 10 - double the duration of the spell or cantrip
Sculpt spell - DC 15 - a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier are not affected.
Heightened spell - DC 15 - target has disadvantage on its save against your spell or cantrip
Empowered spell - DC 20 - reroll your Charisma modifier in damage dice and use new rolls
Widen spell - DC 20 - double the area of effect of the spell or cantrip
Maximize spell - DC 25 - the spell or cantrip does maximum damage
Any 2 - DC 25 - cantrip or spell gains benefit of any 2 effects other than Maximize spell

True Deception
At 14th level, your ability to deceive is so potent that you can create entire spell effects out of nothing more than your prestidigitation cantrip. Whenever you use your Spell Theatrics feature, if you exceed the Deception check by 15 or more, you don’t expend the spell slot when casting the spell.

Some of the DCs might need to be upped, since Bards can select several skills to get double proficiency bonuses on.
I am purposely leaving the fluff a little on the light side as compared to the other Bard colleges, I figure you can fill that in with information that is relevant to your campaign world.

DiBastet
2014-09-10, 10:47 PM
Thank you, I love it. I'll be using it.

And sorry for taking so long to reply; RL concerns taking time from homebrew ones.

Arracor
2015-02-17, 11:11 PM
Focusing solely on the subclass version, as I quite like the concept of it and if I use this it'll be as a subclass for Bards.

First, a bit of confusion on my part. What is the purpose of Inspired Lies? And how does it apply to roleplay situations? I can't see it being used on, say, an enemy, with any regularity. Why would you want to increase their roll? There are niche situations for it that I can imagine, but nothing relatively common, to warrant being the subclass' Bardic Inspiration variant.

Second, I very much like the flavor of the 6th level abilities, but dear god some of them feel a little too potent. With a bit of skill minmaxing, someone can use them to always hit with spells even if they miss, or consistently affect 2 targets per single-target spell, or even consistently (and rather easily) apply metamagic to every spellcast..?! I think, perhaps, this ability needs to either have a limitation on how often it can be used, OR carry an inherent risk of failure.

xyianth
2015-02-18, 04:53 AM
Focusing solely on the subclass version, as I quite like the concept of it and if I use this it'll be as a subclass for Bards.

First, a bit of confusion on my part. What is the purpose of Inspired Lies? And how does it apply to roleplay situations? I can't see it being used on, say, an enemy, with any regularity. Why would you want to increase their roll? There are niche situations for it that I can imagine, but nothing relatively common, to warrant being the subclass' Bardic Inspiration variant.

Second, I very much like the flavor of the 6th level abilities, but dear god some of them feel a little too potent. With a bit of skill minmaxing, someone can use them to always hit with spells even if they miss, or consistently affect 2 targets per single-target spell, or even consistently (and rather easily) apply metamagic to every spellcast..?! I think, perhaps, this ability needs to either have a limitation on how often it can be used, OR carry an inherent risk of failure.

Inspired lies is really designed to be used on your allies instead of your enemies. Think of it as telling a white lie to boost their morale. The reason I left it as targeting creatures instead of allies is for those rare occasions that you want to boost an NPC's check. An example might be when you are sitting in a courtroom (or equivalent) and you want to boost the judge's insight roll to counter someone's attempt at deception. (or vice-versa, knowing how most adventurers interact with the law) Using it on an enemy would probably not be a good idea, unless you were in a fight with more than 2 sides and you wanted to influence the outcome of a fight between two different sets of enemies. (this could make bar brawls a lot more interesting)

As to the 6th level abilities potency, I agree with you. The DCs listed were created for the Hedge Wizard, which doesn't get any expertise and is limited to 3rd level spells by 20th. They need to be updated so that they are passable but not guaranteed even with 9th level casting and expertise. Since the concept of this whole college is that when you use these abilities to cast spells you are actually just using really elaborate uses of the prestidigitation cantrip, (an at-will spell) I didn't want to impose daily use restrictions. That said, the DCs should not be automatically passable for spells at any level.

With expertise in the relevant skill and a max charisma, the most you can get without help is +17 to a check. I think, if the DCs were changed to 15 + 4*spell level, the chance of failure would come out alright. 1st level spells still require at least a 2 on the check at levels 17-20 and 6th+ level spells would be completely impossible at all levels. If that is still too high for your taste, increase the DC formula until the math works out as you like it. (the range of values to consider is roughly +7 at 6th level to +17 at 17th level) The only way to really skew the success chance is to either burn inspiration uses from another bard (already a limited resource) or to multiclass into rogue for 11 levels to pick up reliable talent. Assuming you went arcane trickster, this would limit you to 6th level spell slots but you would have auto-success on spells up to 3rd level. For the metamagic DCs, I'd increase them all by 5-6 to account for the possibility of expertise. You may want to change each of them into a formula based on spell level instead, if only to prevent using any metamagic you want on high level spells.

The risk here is that expertise becomes required to make use of these abilities. Alternatively, you could lower/keep the DCs but make them all just charisma ability checks. This loses the distinction in exploiting different skills for different effects. Finally, you could alter the 6th level feature so you have to choose one of the three options at level 6, rather than getting all three.

Remember that each of those effects require you to succeed on a deception check as well as another skill check before they have any effect. This helps prevent using a familiar to gain easy advantage on the whole thing. (at best it could grant you advantage on one of the checks) If you wanted to min/max your chances for all three, you would be using all 4 of your expertise slots. (personally, I think this might be a feature instead of a bug, I'm personally tired of all the stealth + perception expertise bards/rogues in my games)

I'm glad you like it. If you end up using it, I'd love to hear any feedback you wish to provide.

aspekt
2015-02-18, 04:27 PM
Sadly, I'm not much when it comes to mechanical analysis. But I can say it is an intriguing concept.