D&D 5E dealing with a hag

[Plaguescarred]

Yes i would do this because it's stuff like this that make unique campaign stories! I would even hope she interact with me at some point so it's just not another gem of seeing like all others...

 

[Chaosmancer]

Why can't they take the eye and then kill the hag, provided that she is not surrounded by townsfolk she gets along with.

This is one thing that irritates me as a DM.

In Lore, the Hag character is scary powerful, she's a master of forces beyond our ken, capable at the very least of giving a contingent of the Lord's Men a heck of a lot of trouble.

But most of the Hags in the MM are lackluster, and kind of weak. They aren't powerful enough to give a Level 10 hero a moment's pause, they'll just mow through them.

I've homebrewed them quite a bit, essentially combining all the best aspects of all three hags into one, and then ignoring a lot of the spellcasting rules when it comes to their ritual magicks, but still, it seems like an odd choice that such an iconicly powerful being is... not in the current rules.

 

[I'm A Banana]

As an aside, does this seem like something a hag would actually do?

One way to think about this:

What does this hag want? What does she hope to gain from this, and why does she want to gain that? What's her motive?

Because whatever it is, it's probably bad in the long run for someone. It might not be the party. Maybe she just wants to know when they're meeting with the local guards so she can do nefarious things...

 

[pukunui]

I think her long-term goal is to corrupt the PCs. They're heroes with good hearts, and she wants to see them fall. It's also possible that she wants them to show her the way to the Amber Temple so she can plunder its secrets for herself.

 

[Dualazi]

Depends on the level of players in question. If I was low level, probably, since true sight is really powerful and the other options for it are limited. At high level no, because regenerate is probably close at hand and that stops me from owing anyone.

Personally I'd be on the fence about such an option being given to the players, i assume you've given it some thought, but as others have said, Hags are pretty weak. A situation that arises where the players detect and defeat her turns it into an easy win-win, and sort of reinforces the mindset of solving everything through violence.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Depends on the level of players in question. If I was low level, probably, since true sight is really powerful and the other options for it are limited. At high level no, because regenerate is probably close at hand and that stops me from owing anyone.

Personally I'd be on the fence about such an option being given to the players, i assume you've given it some thought, but as others have said, Hags are pretty weak. A situation that arises where the players detect and defeat her turns it into an easy win-win, and sort of reinforces the mindset of solving everything through violence.

Which is why I advocate for making them more powerful, instead of relying on them only at low-levels, letting them remain a potent force in high levels allows them to remain in their place instead of being subverted by other things.

 

[pukunui]

Exactly. This hag ain't no CR 3 schmuck.

 

[Thanerak]

Sure. In my experience all you need to get rid of a hag is a divorce and restraining order.

I'm not willing to trade an arm and a leg for an eye.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

The new dragon+ detail gives details on hags from volo along with 2 previews related to them. And a new type of hag. The Annis hag.