So next session my players are heading into a dark forest in search of the cause to why all the children within the nearby town are dissapearing (any one who has went looking for them has never returned). I have planned a spooky encounter through the forest with alot of cursed bobby traps and dark auras along the way. I was thinking there could be a hag at the end of this encounter who has been luring children into the woods for experimentation (I have not thought of why, any ideas are welcome), but I was wondering how the final battle will play out like strategies and tactics a hag would use. How can I make it a memorable fight that the players will enjoy? Thanks in advance :)
Seems like a Hag would probably be fond of necromancy and Illusion to get the job done. You could have her using Disguise Self before the encounter opens and have her ambush the party after they either uncover her guise or becomes prime positioning for unleashing undead minions (preferably the children and adventurers she killed) and other nasty illusions on them. Clearly she is eating them, far as experiments perhaps part of their bodies could be used as a youth regenerative spell. Sounds like it will be a fun session.
Yeah that seems like it could be fun to do, Want a horrorish feel to it as it is just after halloween and want that creepy vibe, so zombie children works well haha
Would probably help to know what level the players are.
And how spooky or terrifying or morally difficult you are looking to make this encounter.
Assuming they are high enough level to have access to dispel magic and remove curse, you could have the hag transforming the children into monstrosities that she then sends against them. After defeating one it reverts into its previous form. Maybe use some clues such as the monster is saying something childlike as it attacks the players "Lets play soldiers!" "Yummy Candy" "Mommy said she doesn't like you!". If they are clever, they may determine the truth before they actually kill the first creature. Or you could make it so they have a moment to save the victim after it transforms back. If they are too low to have these spells, you may have a mini-quest before the encounter to create a charm or ward that can weaken or break her magic, basically a wand of dispel magic which only works on these guys.
During the final encounter. The hag tries to stay away while letting her minions attack the players. (Maybe each turn she will transform another, maybe they are all already in vats of sludge and 1d4 transform at initiative 20 each round).
Having a fun reason that the Hag is luring children away would greatly inform the final encounter. As an example:
The Toy Box
The Hag is "turning" the children into creepy dolls. However she is doing it; whether it be through some dark transmutation or by transferring their life essence into weird sackcloth dolls she makes, the Hag has amassed a small army of these toy minions who do all the labor around her hut and defending her from intruders. When the party arrives, make a show of describing a small garden being tended to by small dirty dolls using toy-size tool or an open window into the kitchen where a cadre of dolls work to roll out dough and place food into a great over, occasionally having to pat out the cinders that burn them. The dolls may have crooked smiles sewn into their faces, but they look anything but happy as they slavishly work as the hag sits back in her chair, sewing a new doll for her collection. Somewhere, either in the attic, the basement, or maybe a caged closet nearby, the whimpers of children can be heard; the newest soon-to-be victims of the Hag's magic. Somewhere else nearby (maybe the kitchen), there is a barrel overstuffed with discarded children parts...dinner for the Hag that her doll minions slavishly prepare. If the party confronts the Hag, the must also contend with her dolls; a hoard of small creatures wielding kitchen knives and gardening tools.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
A single hag doesn't pose much of a threat to 6 level 10s. What kind of Hag are you thinking of, and were you making it a lone hag or a coven (3)? Hags also often have minions, so that is also a factor. If you're going for a more RP heavy quest where the actual combat challenge is secondary then I guess it's a moot point. I would play up the horror angle as others have said, using kids to present moral decisions etc..
I was going to use the hag stats for baba lysaga for Curse of Strahd campaign CR 11, i was thinking as minions possibly a slab she has gainned control off and also the dead remains of other adventuring parties who have went looking for the children
Technically, Baba Lysaga isn't a hag. Hags are creatures of the Feywild that resemble old women, but they are not human. Night hags are hags that migrated to Hades or Gehenna and have become fiends. If you go with an actual hag, then for a party of that level, you should probably try a coven. Be sure to read up in the Monster Manual on how the different types of hags operate. If this is set in a swamp, Green Hags would work best, though Night Hags would probably fit anywhere.
But anyways, does the hag in question know adventurers are coming for her? What sort of minions does she have available? What sort of traps? If she isn't anticipating adventurers, I don't imagine she'd have any traps that would be deadly for a party of level 10s. As for minions, common hag minions include flesh golems, oni, werewolves, swarms, scarecrows (Baba Lysaga was the one who created all the scarecrows in Curse of Strahd). During the actual fight, if you're going with Baba Lysaga, try using Finger of Death on a party member who seems to have somewhat low health, as that will be a likely kill and give her a zombie. Heck, try using TWO Fingers of Death. Since Baba Lysaga can, presumably, switch to other wizard spells, try using Disintegrate on a party member with low Dexterity. Just the sheer amount of damage should scare them. Depending on whether or not the players get the jump on her, she could also buff herself up with spells like Blink, Mirror Image, Greater Invisibility, etc. Keep in mind the terrain also. If it's a swamp, there could be hidden hazards around the battlefield that she would know about and the players wouldn't. If it's in her hut, she could have a few Glyphs of Warding set up to deal with goody two shoes snoopers.
Hag? Turn it into a role playing encounter. auntie has made deals for the first borns with the villagers for various things, if the villagers want the kids back they have to give back what they got. Or maybe the villagers promised her something and betrayed her; she pulls out the contract they all signed and they all agreed to give up their kids. I like making hags on the just side, right but evil. Still precedence to kill her, but with some guilt there if they just slaughter her. Maybe she'll trade the kids back for something from the party.
There was a good table for what a hag wants in the curse of strahd AL guide.
I love the imagery in the set up in the Toy Box idea. And jerry247 definitely has the right idea. The best villans are tragically complicated.
Build up the sense of suspense and dread by lowering the lights and playing appropriate music. I enjoy the DMDJ which has a load of creepy sounds and weather. If you want to go for broke and are playing at your own house; have a friend who isnt playing in the campaign in a different room. When you have built enough suspence, text him to turn off the power at the fuse box in “X” minutes. I guarantee you’ll scar someone. No need to hide them either. The best surprises are hidden in plain sight.
If it makes sense, reveal the true intent of how horrible townspeople can be when they let fear drive thier actions and leave the ball in the PC’s court.
So next session my players are heading into a dark forest in search of the cause to why all the children within the nearby town are dissapearing (any one who has went looking for them has never returned). I have planned a spooky encounter through the forest with alot of cursed bobby traps and dark auras along the way. I was thinking there could be a hag at the end of this encounter who has been luring children into the woods for experimentation (I have not thought of why, any ideas are welcome), but I was wondering how the final battle will play out like strategies and tactics a hag would use. How can I make it a memorable fight that the players will enjoy? Thanks in advance :)
Seems like a Hag would probably be fond of necromancy and Illusion to get the job done. You could have her using Disguise Self before the encounter opens and have her ambush the party after they either uncover her guise or becomes prime positioning for unleashing undead minions (preferably the children and adventurers she killed) and other nasty illusions on them. Clearly she is eating them, far as experiments perhaps part of their bodies could be used as a youth regenerative spell. Sounds like it will be a fun session.
Yeah that seems like it could be fun to do, Want a horrorish feel to it as it is just after halloween and want that creepy vibe, so zombie children works well haha
Would probably help to know what level the players are.
And how spooky or terrifying or morally difficult you are looking to make this encounter.
Assuming they are high enough level to have access to dispel magic and remove curse, you could have the hag transforming the children into monstrosities that she then sends against them. After defeating one it reverts into its previous form. Maybe use some clues such as the monster is saying something childlike as it attacks the players "Lets play soldiers!" "Yummy Candy" "Mommy said she doesn't like you!". If they are clever, they may determine the truth before they actually kill the first creature. Or you could make it so they have a moment to save the victim after it transforms back. If they are too low to have these spells, you may have a mini-quest before the encounter to create a charm or ward that can weaken or break her magic, basically a wand of dispel magic which only works on these guys.
During the final encounter. The hag tries to stay away while letting her minions attack the players. (Maybe each turn she will transform another, maybe they are all already in vats of sludge and 1d4 transform at initiative 20 each round).
they are level 10 and there are 6 of them so they have a reasonably balanced team, the sludge idea seems like it could be fun for some intense moments
Having a fun reason that the Hag is luring children away would greatly inform the final encounter. As an example:
The Toy Box
The Hag is "turning" the children into creepy dolls. However she is doing it; whether it be through some dark transmutation or by transferring their life essence into weird sackcloth dolls she makes, the Hag has amassed a small army of these toy minions who do all the labor around her hut and defending her from intruders. When the party arrives, make a show of describing a small garden being tended to by small dirty dolls using toy-size tool or an open window into the kitchen where a cadre of dolls work to roll out dough and place food into a great over, occasionally having to pat out the cinders that burn them. The dolls may have crooked smiles sewn into their faces, but they look anything but happy as they slavishly work as the hag sits back in her chair, sewing a new doll for her collection. Somewhere, either in the attic, the basement, or maybe a caged closet nearby, the whimpers of children can be heard; the newest soon-to-be victims of the Hag's magic. Somewhere else nearby (maybe the kitchen), there is a barrel overstuffed with discarded children parts...dinner for the Hag that her doll minions slavishly prepare. If the party confronts the Hag, the must also contend with her dolls; a hoard of small creatures wielding kitchen knives and gardening tools.
A single hag doesn't pose much of a threat to 6 level 10s. What kind of Hag are you thinking of, and were you making it a lone hag or a coven (3)? Hags also often have minions, so that is also a factor. If you're going for a more RP heavy quest where the actual combat challenge is secondary then I guess it's a moot point. I would play up the horror angle as others have said, using kids to present moral decisions etc..
I was going to use the hag stats for baba lysaga for Curse of Strahd campaign CR 11, i was thinking as minions possibly a slab she has gainned control off and also the dead remains of other adventuring parties who have went looking for the children
Technically, Baba Lysaga isn't a hag. Hags are creatures of the Feywild that resemble old women, but they are not human. Night hags are hags that migrated to Hades or Gehenna and have become fiends. If you go with an actual hag, then for a party of that level, you should probably try a coven. Be sure to read up in the Monster Manual on how the different types of hags operate. If this is set in a swamp, Green Hags would work best, though Night Hags would probably fit anywhere.
But anyways, does the hag in question know adventurers are coming for her? What sort of minions does she have available? What sort of traps? If she isn't anticipating adventurers, I don't imagine she'd have any traps that would be deadly for a party of level 10s. As for minions, common hag minions include flesh golems, oni, werewolves, swarms, scarecrows (Baba Lysaga was the one who created all the scarecrows in Curse of Strahd). During the actual fight, if you're going with Baba Lysaga, try using Finger of Death on a party member who seems to have somewhat low health, as that will be a likely kill and give her a zombie. Heck, try using TWO Fingers of Death. Since Baba Lysaga can, presumably, switch to other wizard spells, try using Disintegrate on a party member with low Dexterity. Just the sheer amount of damage should scare them. Depending on whether or not the players get the jump on her, she could also buff herself up with spells like Blink, Mirror Image, Greater Invisibility, etc. Keep in mind the terrain also. If it's a swamp, there could be hidden hazards around the battlefield that she would know about and the players wouldn't. If it's in her hut, she could have a few Glyphs of Warding set up to deal with goody two shoes snoopers.
Hag? Turn it into a role playing encounter. auntie has made deals for the first borns with the villagers for various things, if the villagers want the kids back they have to give back what they got. Or maybe the villagers promised her something and betrayed her; she pulls out the contract they all signed and they all agreed to give up their kids. I like making hags on the just side, right but evil. Still precedence to kill her, but with some guilt there if they just slaughter her. Maybe she'll trade the kids back for something from the party.
There was a good table for what a hag wants in the curse of strahd AL guide.
I love the imagery in the set up in the Toy Box idea. And jerry247 definitely has the right idea. The best villans are tragically complicated.
Build up the sense of suspense and dread by lowering the lights and playing appropriate music. I enjoy the DMDJ which has a load of creepy sounds and weather. If you want to go for broke and are playing at your own house; have a friend who isnt playing in the campaign in a different room. When you have built enough suspence, text him to turn off the power at the fuse box in “X” minutes. I guarantee you’ll scar someone. No need to hide them either. The best surprises are hidden in plain sight.
If it makes sense, reveal the true intent of how horrible townspeople can be when they let fear drive thier actions and leave the ball in the PC’s court.
Let us know how it went and Good Luck!
I like the idea of the townfolks going on a 16th century style witch hunt. Good idea