By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging
encounters against Night Hag
Note: This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. Information on Hags in general can be found starting on page 176, the Night Hag specifically can be found in the Monster Manual page 178.
Hags in General
Resembling old and withered crones, Hags are creatures of the Feywild that have somehow made their way to the mortal realms. Hags are often responsible for the belief in evil witches that haunt the woods; a notable tale of a Hag that disguised her home to look as if it were made of candy and then used it as bait to capture and consume children comes to mind.
You can also check this article about a green hag created as villain for a mini campaign.
Side Note: There are two planes that reside next to and reflect within much of the prime material plane. These demiplanes have been called from time out of legend the Feywild and the Shadowfell. There is a common misconception that somehow these demiplanes are somehow linked to good and evil. This is simply not true, the motives of the denizens of these demiplanes are as varied as those of those residing in the prime material. The only truth that can be stated with any confidence is that “they just don’t think like us.”
(Not RAW) Some believe that the original Hags were agents sent by the Dark Queen of the Feywild to spy upon the prime material and to create havoc in preparation for an eventual invasion. If this is the case, most of the Hags seem to have either forgotten this purpose or were never told of it in the first place.
What is known is that Hags maintain contact with one another and share knowledge, while legend claims that what one Hag knows, they all know, it is more likely that they exchange gossip and information when the opportunity presents itself. It has been observed that Hags observe a strict code requiring at least semi-civil conduct towards one another. It is known that despite their contact and civil behavior, hags usually solitary. One rare occasion a three or more will gather into a grouping that called a coven. A coven is usually convened to accomplish some specific evil goal.
Whatever their origin, it is known that Hags currently propagate by stealing girl children from the wombs of young mothers (probably for a light snack) and then swapping them with their own spawn. After birth, the child grows normally until the age of thirteen whereupon the hag transforms into the spitting image of her hag mother, probably killing and consuming her foster family and guests in the process. The lifespan of a hag is unknown, while rumors of immortality are probably exaggerated, unless a Hag is slain, they will live long indeed. (NOT RAW) The Ancient Hag – Grandmother Tichwillow – was known to refer to elves as “sweet tasty younglings”.
As creatures of the Feywild, Hags are natural casters of magic and do their best to accumulate more magical power and knowledge and gain more and more power over time. To facilitate this end and in the interest of general malice and amusement, some hags have been known to make bargains with mortals.
The Night Hag in Specific
This variety of Hag has as much of HADES in her as the Feywild. Indeed they have experience in all of the evil planes and many of the elemental ones. These wicked creatures are the most powerful and most dangerous of the Hags. Almost the only redeeming quality of this breed is that they all seem to hate each other as much as everyone and everything else. This makes the possibility of a “Black Coven” composed entirely of Night Hags exceptionally unlikely.
This variety of Hag takes great and perverse pleasure in the corruption of mortals, the more virtuous before, the better. Sages suspect that these corrupted souls are then used as some form of currency in Hades. This has not been proven.
Night Hags have the power to become ethereal and, in that form, visit a mortal and invade their dreams. While there, the hag fills the mind with visions of doubts and fears, hoping to trick their victim into performing some evil act.
(Not RAW) While I hate mixing genre, the corruption of Anakin Skywalker by the dreams of the torture of his mother at the hands of the Sand people, resulting in Skywalker finding and massacring the Sand people is an dream in line with a Night Hag.
Step 1) Let’s Review what we know about the Night Hag.
Exceptionally strong, Extremely Tough, Smart and Strong Willed. Very Nimble and Tough of mind. All in all, formidable physically and mentally.
Skilled in Deception +7, Insight +6, Perception +6, and Stealth +6
Immune to Charm Spells
Resistant (Half-Damage) from Cold, Fire, and non-magical or non-silver weaponry.
Senses: Darkvision 120 feet; Passive Perception 16
Languages: Abyssal, Common, Infernal, Primordial
Step 2) Determine the probable Strategy.
A Night hag can, using her CHANGE SHAPE ability, pose as normal looking small or medium sized humanoid, such forms are often perceived as harmless and are often pleasing to the eye. Perhaps they might assume the guise of a kindly old grandmother, or a lost waif in the woods. Using her Stealth skill, she has probably observed her target long before she commits to an ‘ACT’. These observations will include using her DETECT MAGIC ability to learn as much about her foes as possible. After she learns what she needs to know, she will use her superior Deception, Insight and Persuasion skills, to weave a tale that you want to hear and will believe.
A Hag knows her territory well and has been known to adopt the dress and disguise herself to look like an actual grandmother or waif, lead pursuit towards the innocents, then use her Stealth skill to slip away at the last moment. Many a solitary grandmother or young girl lost in the woods has been slain out of hand, people fearing that they were a Hag in disguise. The Hag rejoicing in the murder of the innocent, and the leverage that the act will give her when it is revealed that the “good guys” slew an innocent, the resulting trauma placing their intended victim in the proper frame of mind for ‘Nightmares’.
While powerful in their ability to misdirect and corrupt, they are not exceptionally strong in combat, and will avoid direct confrontations whenever possible. To that end, it is common for a Hag to acquire one, two or even a tribe of minions to do her bidding and handle physical confrontations. These minions serve for a variety of reasons, the most common being fear, but a dark bargain is also quite possible.
Step 3) Determine Tactics
Unless forced to combat, the primary goal of any Hag in combat is escape, they have two primary means of doing this: First – they can PLANE SHIFT (Self Only) and simply leave; Second – they can enter the Ethereal Plane, though to do so they must have constructed an item known has a ‘Heart Stone”.
If her escape is somehow blocked, the Hag will utilize her minions to occupy and hold her attackers at bay while she takes a position behind cover. Utilizing her MAGIC MISSLE ability, she will attempt to disrupt and if possible, kill spellcasters and anyone enhancing her opponents. If she can determine the reason that her escape is blocked, she that person will become her primary target.
It is not uncommon for a Night Hag to possess magical items, potions, scrolls, etc. that they will use to good effect.
If the attackers have weak followers or have been significantly weakened, she will use her SLEEP spell to put the attackers to sleep (and to death).
Step 4) DM Tips and Observations
You will note that I have not dealt with Covens in this writing, the combination Coven is far more dangerous than the individual Hag and deserves its own article.