Shapechanger. The crone can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium female humanoid or back into its true form. While in humanoid form, its statistics, are the same. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Limited Magic Immunity. The crone is immune to spells of 3rd level or lower unless it wishes to be affected. It has advantage on saving throws against all other spells
and magical effects.
Magic Attacks. The crone's attacks are magical
Regeneration. The crone regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.
Uncanny Strength. The crone melee attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20. A creature taking damage from the attack suffers from a Lingering Injury (See. 272 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
Multiattack. The crone uses its Mistress of Hexes and makes two claw attacks.
Claw (Crone Form Only.) Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 5) slashing damage.
Mistress of Hexes. The crone magically forces a creature it can see within 60 feet of it to make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, it comes under one of the following effects, chosen by the DM:
- Boiling Blood. The blood of the target starts boiling in its veins. It becomes incapacitated with excruciating pain until the end of the Crone's next turn. At the beginning of the creature's turn, it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage and 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.
- Doomed. The target has disadvantage on attack rolls and has vulnerability to one type of damage of the crone's choice. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Leech. The target takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage at the beginning of its turn, and the crone regains hit points equal to that amount. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Twisted. The hex twists horribly the appearance of the target. the target is blinded and deafened, and its Charisma score becomes 1 until the curse is removed by a remove curse spell or similar magic.
Witch Sabbath (Recharge 6). The crone chooses what to summon and attempts a magical summoning. The crone can summon 1d4 sea hags, 1d2 green hags, or 1 night hag. A summoned creature appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of the crone, acts as an ally of its crone, and remains for 1 minute, its crone dies, or until the crone dismisses it as an action.
The crone can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The crone regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Claw. (Costs 1 Action). The cone makes one claw attack.
Mistress of Hexes. (Costs 2 Actions). The crone uses its Mistress of Hexes power.
Cast a Spell. (Costs 2 Actions). The crone cast a spell from its list of Innnate Spellcasting (if any), using a daily use as normal.
Description
Sister crones, hand in hand, terrors of the sea and land, thus
do go about, about: thrice to thine and thrice to mine, and
thrice again, to make up nine.”—Macveth, Act 1, Scene 3
Ancient Monstrosity. The isolated corners of our world harbor creatures older than humans, older than academies and mages, older even than elves and dwarves. The crones are such creatures. No one knows their true names, nor what breed of monstrosity they, in fact, are. Folk say they were four at first. The Mother, She-Who-Knows, the Lady of the Wood, came here from a faraway land and, since she suffered terribly from loneliness, she made daughters out of dirt and water.
Life-saving Parricide. A long, long time ago the Mother was sole ruler of all of land. Her daughters brought her the people's requests and served as her voice. Each spring,
sacrifices of grain, animals, and men were made to the Lady of the Wood on her special night. Yet as the years passed, the Lady of the Wood slipped deeper and deeper into madness. Her madness eventually spread over the land—men took to abandoning their homes and setting out into the bog, where they became food for beasts. Before long, the land was drowning in blood. The daughters saw their home nearing destruction and took it upon themselves to save it. When spring came once more, and with it the night sacrifices, they killed their mother and buried her into a bog. Her blood watered a mystical oak, and from then on the tree grew wholesome and hearty fruit for the people. As for the Lady's immortal soul, it refused to leave its beloved land, and so the daughters imprisoned it. To this day it lies trapped beneath the earth, where it thrashes
about in powerless rage.
Earthly Goddesses. Common folk refer to the crones as "The Ladies of the Wood", “Norns”, or simply "The Good Ladies." The crones act as the true sovereigns of their land, whose inhabitants they help survive through harsh times in return for unquestioning obedience. In foul times, when plague or famine steals the harvest, when the gods have abandoned them, when the mighty do not care for their fate, the folks turn to the Ladies for help.
Fiendish Appetite. In the more ghastly legends, crones are said to know over a dozen recipes for human soup. During their sabbath, crones truly feed on human flesh, cooking men and children in infernal pots spiced with root from the cursed trees growing in their lair. In whispered tales—for if they spoke too loudly the crones would hear it—villagers speak of the tribute demanded in the form of human ears. The ears hung from trees, allowing the crones, through the use of primeval magic, to hear all that happened in their land.
Elder Magic. Crones wield powerful magic, but one different from that of mages. They draw power from the elements and destiny and are bound to the land in which they live. The crones can hear everything that happens in their woods, predict the future, twist the threads of human lives and bring blessings as well as curses. The crones seem for all intents and purposes to be immortal. Magic elixirs keep them from aging and allow them to take the appearance of young women. These elixirs and their mystical ties to the land in which they live also give them supernatural strength and vitality.
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