Hedge Mage

Hedge Mage is a unique background available to characters of the Mages class. It is available to characters from all across Thedas, particularly those who grew up outside of the Chantry's reach.

In much of Thedas, mages are traditionally sent off to live out their lives cloistered in towers where they are instructed in the arcane arts by the Circle of Magi, in order to prevent them from posing a danger to others. However, many mages live in the shadows, beyond the reach of the Chantry and their Templars. Those without formal instruction in magic are derrogatorily called Hedge Mages by the Chantry. They tend to be largely self-taught, or learn by scrounging up any magical resources they can get a hold of. The less formal training a mage has, the more unreliable their magic tends to be. Hedge witches come from all around Thedas, and stem from many different traditions. The infamous Witches of the Wilds are powerful hedge mages.

Playing a Hedge Mage Character
''No matter how a mage has become apostate, the Chantry treats them alike: Templars begin a systematic hunt to bring the apostate to justice. In almost all cases, "justice" is execution. If there is some overriding reason the mage should live, the Rite of Tranquility is employed instead. Whether we of the Circle of Magi believe this system fair is irrelevant: It is what it is..''

"—From Patterns Within Form, by Halden, First Enchanter of Starkhaven, 8:80 Blessed."Growing up with the gift of magic but a lack of formal training, you have learned to rely on your ingenuity and resourcefulness to master the arcane. If you choose to play an hedge mage, modify your character as follows:


 * Take the Mage class.
 * Take the Magic (Primal) or Magic (Creation) focus
 * Take the Intuitive Casting talent at the Novice level (described below.)
 * Choose whether your character is a human, an elf, or Qunari (Tal-Vashoth).
 * You can speak and read the Trade Tongue.
 * Roll twice on the Hedge Mage table below for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the results together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

Intuitive Casting (Innate Talent)
This talent is only available to those of the Hedge Mage background. It can be leveled-up whenever you have the ability to take a new Talent.

Novice: You cast spells at a cost of -1 mana points,and regain bonus 1d4 mana on short rests (breathers). Whenever your spell fails and you roll doubles, the spell goes wild (roll on the Wild Magic Surge table). If you roll triples, roll twice.

Journeyman: Upon reaching Journeyman level in any talent for a school of magic, you can use Fast Casting for 3 SP instead of the usual 4. (If this extra spell fails, it is still subject to Wild Magic Surge.)

Master: Once per encounter, when a creature casts a spell on you, you can attempt to Wrest Control of the spell by expending an equivalent amount of mana and doing an opposed casting roll. Upon success, you take control of the spell and can direct it as you wish. However, upon failure, they retain control but you produce a Wild Magic Surge.