So I'm at a huge predicament, currently I'm prepping a game that has been building up to a hag coven over the previous sessions. The hags themselves are a coven of dusk hags that have been kidnapping people to feast on their dreams and the party have just interacted with a dragon who is slowly turning into a frog due to their magic, a little weird but I thought it would be funny at the time. My issue is that I have no idea what to do for their lair in regards to where it is, what's inside and how on earth a group of level 6 adventurers are going to take on 3 CR 6 hags. I feel like I've backed myself into a corner here but I think some ideas would be appreciated, ideas?
If they feast on dreams, their lair might be where people would sleep. An Inn, or under a residential area in the town might be a place to start. As for contents if the lair, hag magic is weird. Carrionettes on a shelf, or strewn about the area, Boneless in a trunk or stretched on a rack to "dry", maybe a mirror that allows the hag to scry on targets and travel(teleport) to and from their sleeping form to attack and feed. Just be weird and creepy with their abilities. The entrance to the lair might only be available at a specific hour of the day, or when the sun strikes a particular spot on a building.
As for the encounter, the coven will most likely not allow the party to sneak up on them. The Nightmare Touch ability almost guarantees that the party will be down some hit points by the time they make physical contact, as the coven will likely try to wear down anyone trying to oppose them. You may need to provide them a method to hide from the coven and to stave off the effects of a dropping hp max. The party might need to find a way to single out a member of the coven to split them in order to make the encounter survivable. Be open to their solutions.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
I would second Kaavel's suggestion of splitting them up in one way or another. Perhaps some of them can be lured from the lair, or are encountered before reaching it, to give them a taste. Depending on the overall style of the campaign, a lair for these could be a very dark and horrid place.
In fact the idea of an inn, with the hags living in the walls and in a lair down below would be super creepy :)
The alternative if you want "rid" of the hags at this stage/level, instead of killing them, they might have a portal for them to escape through that the characters can destroy. That way, the area becomes safe from their incursions - but your never know if they might come back looking for those pesky adventurers that ruined it for them......
A good example is in Baldurs gate 3. The game isn't out of early access yet so ill spoiler it
The hag in that game has a magic illusory door that can only be accessed if you wear a cursed mask that attempts to mind control you or you see through the illusion
There's also famous ones like baba yagas walking hut but the idea is there should be some kind of magical trick to it.
Here are some of my ideas:
A dream copy of another location where you have to fall asleep in a certain spot to enter the hag lair. Perhaps a magic circle in the woods or a haunted house
a house in the reflection of a lake so you need you rise up in the lake on the opposite side
Inside a maze or forest that you have to navigate with your eyes closed to find
As for how to deal with the hags, that's partially up to your players to decide but i'd suggest preparing some non combat solution and some ways for them to get some information or advantage.
Maybe there is a fourth hag or witch who left the coven and will offer information
Maybe a local has made a deal with them before
Maybe some one can make a charm that can protect from their magic
Maybe there is some artifact that can be stolen to weaken them
Maybe there is something they can be given that basically gets a wish from them
There are loads of options but 3 hags with coven magic will likely be too much for a direct fight at level 6.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
So I'm at a huge predicament, currently I'm prepping a game that has been building up to a hag coven over the previous sessions. The hags themselves are a coven of dusk hags that have been kidnapping people to feast on their dreams and the party have just interacted with a dragon who is slowly turning into a frog due to their magic, a little weird but I thought it would be funny at the time. My issue is that I have no idea what to do for their lair in regards to where it is, what's inside and how on earth a group of level 6 adventurers are going to take on 3 CR 6 hags. I feel like I've backed myself into a corner here but I think some ideas would be appreciated, ideas?
Gremblin man
If they feast on dreams, their lair might be where people would sleep. An Inn, or under a residential area in the town might be a place to start. As for contents if the lair, hag magic is weird. Carrionettes on a shelf, or strewn about the area, Boneless in a trunk or stretched on a rack to "dry", maybe a mirror that allows the hag to scry on targets and travel(teleport) to and from their sleeping form to attack and feed. Just be weird and creepy with their abilities. The entrance to the lair might only be available at a specific hour of the day, or when the sun strikes a particular spot on a building.
As for the encounter, the coven will most likely not allow the party to sneak up on them. The Nightmare Touch ability almost guarantees that the party will be down some hit points by the time they make physical contact, as the coven will likely try to wear down anyone trying to oppose them. You may need to provide them a method to hide from the coven and to stave off the effects of a dropping hp max. The party might need to find a way to single out a member of the coven to split them in order to make the encounter survivable. Be open to their solutions.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
I would second Kaavel's suggestion of splitting them up in one way or another. Perhaps some of them can be lured from the lair, or are encountered before reaching it, to give them a taste. Depending on the overall style of the campaign, a lair for these could be a very dark and horrid place.
In fact the idea of an inn, with the hags living in the walls and in a lair down below would be super creepy :)
The alternative if you want "rid" of the hags at this stage/level, instead of killing them, they might have a portal for them to escape through that the characters can destroy. That way, the area becomes safe from their incursions - but your never know if they might come back looking for those pesky adventurers that ruined it for them......
Hags can have pretty wild and magical lairs.
A good example is in Baldurs gate 3. The game isn't out of early access yet so ill spoiler it
The hag in that game has a magic illusory door that can only be accessed if you wear a cursed mask that attempts to mind control you or you see through the illusion
There's also famous ones like baba yagas walking hut but the idea is there should be some kind of magical trick to it.
Here are some of my ideas:
As for how to deal with the hags, that's partially up to your players to decide but i'd suggest preparing some non combat solution and some ways for them to get some information or advantage.
There are loads of options but 3 hags with coven magic will likely be too much for a direct fight at level 6.