Hags are a type of creature in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy role-playing game. They are usually depicted as ugly, old, and evil women who have supernatural powers and practice dark magic. Hags often live in isolated places, such as swamps, forests, or mountains, and prey on unsuspecting travelers or nearby villagers. Hags are also known for their ability to change their appearance and deceive others, either to lure them into a trap or to infiltrate a society.
There are different types of hags in the world of D&D, each with their own characteristics and abilities. Some of the most common ones are:
Annis Hag. These hags have blue-black skin, iron claws, and a muscular build. They are the strongest and most brutal of all hags, and enjoy crushing bones and tearing flesh. They can grow or shrink in size and create a cloud of darkness around them.
Bheur Hag. These hags have white skin, blue hair, and icy eyes. They live in cold and snowy regions, and have mastery over winter magic. They can create blizzards, freeze their enemies with their breath, or summon ice creatures to aid them.
Crone of Chaos. These hags have mottled skin, ragged hair, and tattooed faces. They are devoted to Talona, the goddess of poison and disease, and spread her plagues and curses wherever they go. They can create and use various types of venom, contagion, and rot, and inflict their victims with painful symptoms. They often form covens with other hags or cultists of Talona, and use their Chaotic Flare feature to unleash random effects on themselves or their enemies.
Green Hag. These hags have green skin, long hair, and sharp teeth. They are cunning and manipulative, and enjoy corrupting and destroying the lives of others. They can turn invisible at will and create illusions to trick their enemies.
Night Hag. These hags have dark skin, horns, and glowing red eyes. They are the most evil and powerful of all hags, and have a connection to the lower planes of existence. They can enter the dreams of sleeping creatures and torment them with nightmares, or even steal their souls.
Sea Hag. These hags have pale skin, seaweed hair, and fish-like features. They live in the depths of the ocean or near the coast, and can breathe both air and water. They can cause fear with their horrific gaze and drown their victims with their claws.
Hags often form covens with other hags of the same or different type. A coven of three hags can share their spells and abilities, making them more dangerous than a single hag. Hags also have a twisted way of reproducing: they can transform a female child into a hag by eating her and giving birth to her again. The child will grow up as a normal human until she reaches puberty, when she will turn into a hag like her mother.
Hags are among the most feared and hated creatures in the world of D&D. They are enemies of both good and evil beings, as they only care about their own selfish desires. Adventurers who encounter a hag should be wary of her tricks and prepare for a deadly fight.
Hags are a type of creature in the world of D&D that resemble old, ugly, and evil women. They have supernatural powers, magic resistance, and iron-like claws. They can also change their appearance to deceive and lure their victims, often posing as young or helpless females. Hags live in isolated places and prey on travelers or villagers, using their dark magic and strength to kill them. Hags are arrogant and disdainful of humanoids, and can be exposed by their speech. There are different types of hags, each with their own characteristics and abilities.
Hag Eye: A Magical Spy Device
A hag eye is a special type of gem that hags use to monitor their enemies or allies. It is made from the real eye of a victim that a coven of hags has killed. The eye is magically preserved and embedded in a low-value gem, such as a pearl or a quartz. The gem looks ordinary, but if viewed with a gem of true seeing, the eye can be seen inside it.
A hag eye is linked to the coven that created it, and all three members of the coven can see whatever the hag eye sees. The hag eye can be pointed in any direction, and has a range of sight of 120 feet. The hag eye can also hear sounds within 30 feet of it. The hag eye does not have darkvision or any other special senses.
A hag eye can be worn as a pendant, a brooch, a ring, or any other type of jewelry. Hags often give their hag eyes to their servants or spies, who are usually polymorphed ogres or other creatures. Sometimes, hags also give their hag eyes as gifts to unsuspecting victims, whom they want to observe or manipulate.
A hag eye can be detected by detect magic or identify spells, which reveal its nature and its connection to the coven. A hag eye can be destroyed by dealing at least 10 points of damage to it, or by using dispel magic or similar effects. Destroying a hag eye inflicts 1d10 points of psychic damage to each member of the coven, and one of them is blinded for 24 hours.
Known Hags: Examples from Filmography, Literature and Videogames
Hags are a common trope in various forms of media, often inspired by folklore and mythology. Here are some examples of known hags from filmography, literature and videogames:
- Baba Yaga: A hag from Slavic folklore who lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs and flies around in a mortar. She is often depicted as a fearsome and ambiguous figure who can help or hinder those who seek her out. She appears in various films, books, and games, such as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, The Bear and the Nightingale, and Rise of the Tomb Raider.
- Granny Rags: A hag from the videogame Dishonored who was once a famous aristocrat and adventurer, but became corrupted by the Outsider, a mysterious supernatural entity. She is now a blind and insane witch who lives in the sewers and practices dark magic. She can be encountered as an ally or an enemy by the player, depending on their choices.
- The Grand High Witch: A hag from the novel The Witches by Roald Dahl, and its film adaptations. She is the leader of all the witches in the world, who disguise themselves as ordinary women and plot to exterminate children. She has a hideous appearance that she conceals with a mask and a wig, and can turn children into mice with a magic formula.
- The Weird Sisters: A trio of hags from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, who prophesy Macbeth’s rise and fall as king of Scotland. They are also known as the Three Witches or the Wayward Sisters, and are associated with evil and chaos. They appear in various adaptations and references of Macbeth, such as Throne of Blood, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Simpsons.
- Sea Hag: A hag from the comic strip Popeye by E. C. Segar, and its spin-offs. She is the last of her kind, a race of ancient seafaring witches who can control sea creatures. She is obsessed with Popeye and tries to capture him or sabotage his relationship with Olive Oyl. She has a pet vulture named Bernard and a magic flute that can summon storms.
- Ravel Puzzlewell: A night hag from the game Planescape: Torment, who made the protagonist immortal and posed him a riddle: “What can change the nature of a man?” She is imprisoned in a maze by the Lady of Pain, the ruler of Sigil, for trying to unravel the fabric of reality. She is also based on the English folklore of Jenny Greenteeth, a water hag who drowned children and travelers.
- Meg Mucklebones: A swamp hag from the movie Legend, who tried to eat the hero Jack, but was tricked by his flattery and beheaded. She is also based on the English folklore of Jenny Greenteeth, a water hag who drowned children and travelers.