I currently am using Hivemind for my site and want to experiment with a different template on a test site. Would I be able to use the same database that I use on my live site or would that screw things up?
The best thing is you use JoomlaPack to download/backup your current site, then install/restore it to your localhost or another temporary domain. If you use the same database directly to your live site, it will mess your current site