Innate Spellcasting. The hag's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +10 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect magic, magic missile, entangle, Plant Growth
2/day each: plane shift, ray of enfeeblement, sleep, Blight, Transport via Plants
1/day each: Cloudkill, Insect Plague, Wall of Thorns, Eyebite, Finger of Death
Magic Resistance. The hag has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Thorn Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5-15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 4) magical slashing damage.
Noxious Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (4d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Change Shape. The hag magically polymorphs into a Small or Medium female humanoid, or back into her true form. Her statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies. While in these forms; creatures have disadvantage on saves against Visage of Desire.
Etherealness. The hag magically enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. To do so, the hag must have a heartstone in her possession.
Nightmare Haunting (1/Day). While on the Ethereal Plane, the hag magically touches a sleeping humanoid on the Material Plane. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the target prevents this contact, as does a magic circle. As long as the contact persists, the target has dreadful visions. If these visions last for at least 1 hour, the target gains no benefit from its rest, and its hit point maximum is reduced by 15 (1d10+5). If this effect reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and if the target was evil, its soul is trapped in the hag's soul bag. The reduction to the target's hit point maximum lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or similar magic.
Visage of Desire (1/Day). The hag projects a vision into the minds of creatures within 30 feet of it that aren't constructs or undead, showing each creature achieving whatever it most desires. An affected creature must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and become paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
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The hag can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The hag regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. |
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Description
The basis of the story of Alraune dates to the Middle Ages in Germany. The humanoid-shaped Mandrake root or Mandragora Officinarum was widely believed to be produced by the semen of hanged men under the gallows. Alchemists claimed that hanged men ejaculated after their necks were broken and that the earth absorbed their final "strengths." In some versions, it is blood instead of semen. The root itself was used in love philters and potions while its fruit was supposed to facilitate pregnancy. Witches who "made love" to the Mandrake root were said to produce offspring which had no feelings of real love and had no soul. Alarune is a prolific druid and wizard, and is also known by the moniker; the Mandrake Sorceress.
The name Alraune, which is the German word for Mandrake, comes from a 1911 book of the same name by German author Hanns Heinz Ewers, which uses the original legend as a basis for the book's plot.
An alraune relies on its supernaturally soothing odor to render enemies incapable of making hostile acts against it—even if the alraune attacks a foe, its calming scent can wipe away any thoughts of violence from its prey. At rest, an alraune appears to be merely a large thorny plant with a single enormous and brightly colored flower at its center. When an alraune attacks, its thorny vines lash out and its flower blooms, revealing an attractive, green-skinned humanoid form within. An alraune’s apparent gender can vary even from encounter to encounter, for the plant can reshape its humanoid portions as it desires to increase the likelihood of setting its victims at ease. Regardless of the plant’s apparent gender, it is itself asexual and reproduces (typically once or twice per decade) by budding a single offspring over the course of a spring season.
Despite their appearance, alraunes are quite mobile (capable of walking almost like a spider upon their numerous long roots and thorny vines). They hunt using their innate communion with nature, preferring humanoid flesh over all others. When an alraune needs prey, it uses its mind-affecting abilities to convince foes to dig their own graves and bury themselves—once a foe is helplessly buried in the soil, the alraune can feed from it via its flesh-burrowing roots, converting the victim’s blood and memories into the strange nutrients it so craves.
This creature was thought of by the magi of wonder and whimsy; Cameron the Clairvoyant. He loved to create, and was inspired by many things around him - people, places, things, concepts, nature, anime, pop culture - and loved to craft superior unique things for the Dungeons and Dragons community. Check out his homebrew creations in every category on D&DBeyond, and feel free to incorporate them into your homebrew campaigns. Cameron the Clairvoyant is a former player-character that reached level 20 and now functions as a NPC Archwizard, and has created numerous impactful magic items, weapons, subclasses, monsters, creatures, feats and spells. Seek him out in your next quest! He loves to take requests and interact with parties of player-adventurers.
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