3.5 Dealing with some hags

[Chester]

First, get those "mom" and "ex-girlfriend" jokes out of your system. go ahead. I'll wait.

Good! Now that that's done . . . welcome back!

Party consists of Level 6 Rogue/Bard/Unseen Seer, Duskblade, Dread Necromancer, and Ranger.

So, the level 6 party is heading out for some recon work involving a covey of hags. (Background in spoiler text below)

The party was originally sent by an eccentric wizard to retrieve a "borrowed" book from a sorcerer in return for some cool items. The party questioned nothing.

As it turns out, this "Sorcerer" is really a juvenile blue dragon. This dragon agreed to return this book in exchange for retrieving a scroll case from a covey of hags. What those hags are doing in the desert is not yet known to the party, but that's beside the point.

So, this dragon, who resides atop a cliff, told the party that if they didn't agree to retrieve these scrolls, he wouldn't allow them to take the stairs down (i.e. bullrush them off a cliff). He also said that he'd give the party a gift if they chose to bring him the heads of the hags as well.

Initially, since the party has been clamoring for a real challenge, I figured that they'd face the three hags at once; however, now I wonder if that's too much for them. If I use the hags correctly, the group is in for one hell of a battle.

Would you recommend having them face the hags one at a time? Or perhaps face the Annis and Green Hag together, then the Sea Hag solo?

[Fouredged Sword]

Well by RAW CR, the three of them together are a CR 8 encounter. Your group is level 6, so that is a very hard, but not impossible encounter.

I would let the party decide when and how to engage the hags. Have the hags exist in a location, doing a task. Ask yourself WHY are there hags (a marsh creature) in the middle of the desert, and how are they using their coven spells to manipulate the area.

If the party charges in blindly there are in for a tough fight. If they tread carefully, they can get a much easier time of it and feel more accomplished due to their clever thinking.

[Fable Wright]

Personally, I'd have them fight the sea hag first, as it inflicts long-duration debuffs that could affect the party while they face the Annis and Green hags. Also, if you do have the Hags fighting the party together, I recommend not having the Hags use their covey abilities in combat. Forcecaging the meatshield of a level 6 party would end the encounter fast.

[Chester]

If the party charges in blindly there are in for a tough fight.

Oh, they're charging in blindly. One member uttered, "They're only hags. We'll win this one easy."


Personally, I'd have them fight the sea hag first, as it inflicts long-duration debuffs that could affect the party while they face the Annis and Green hags. Also, if you do have the Hags fighting the party together, I recommend not having the Hags use their covey abilities in combat. Forcecaging the meatshield of a level 6 party would end the encounter fast.

That's what I'm afraid of. Maybe a Sea Hag encounter will put them in their place!

[Pokonic]

That's what I'm afraid of. Maybe a Sea Hag encounter will put them in their place!

Depending on how the Sea Hag's around in the desert, I would scatter a few weakish minions around as well, with a decent rest period between fighting the Annis and Green hag. If the battle with the Sea Hag takes place in, say, a oasis, consider throwing in a Scrag that the Hag would use as a meat shield.

After the troll is dead and the hag is presumably hurt and probably out of it's better spells, fighting it alongside the other two hags will not be as much of an issue. It will still be pretty hard, but not as hard as it would be.

[John Longarrow]

Four ideas, in increasing levels of "Messing with the party"...
1) Replace the three hags with effigy creatures. Put them all in either leather or Masterwork studded leather along with "Cutesy face" masks and wigs. As melee-centric constructs these will be tough to take down and won't be affected by a lot of tricks that would work on Hags.

2) Have the Hags in a large depression (old oasis) that they have turned into a swamp. Toss in some nasty swamp animals (snakes, crocodiles, ect...) that the players need to deal with prior to facing the hags.

3) The hags have set up base in a cave at the bottom of a river valley. Let them have some giant friends around (ogres) that the players get to run into first. This gives the hags plenty of time to work on the party from a distance.

4) If this party is anything like other groups I've seen, enroute to where the "Hags" are supposed to be, let them encounter a trade caravan. During the evening, the caravan sets up a large tent where several beautiful women dance for the men in the caravan. Players find them as they are setting up for the night. Once the girls start dancing, they choose the two "Meat shields" in the party to take to the side for some kissing action (CHARM). Either the party figures out what's going on and the fight starts with the hags and their charmed caravan or the fighters get added to the girls stable when they head off in the morning...

[Chester]

Depending on how the Sea Hag's around in the desert, I would scatter a few weakish minions around as well, with a decent rest period between fighting the Annis and Green hag. If the battle with the Sea Hag takes place in, say, a oasis, consider throwing in a Scrag that the Hag would use as a meat shield.


Yeah, there's an underground brackish pond in their lair, I'm thinking the Scrag is a good idea while the sight of the Sea Hag completely weakens some of the party!



3) The hags have set up base in a cave at the bottom of a river valley. Let them have some giant friends around (ogres) that the players get to run into first. This gives the hags plenty of time to work on the party from a distance.


Since we're using the Greek Pantheon as our religious system, I like the idea of Minotaurs instead of ogres, especially underground. Thanks!

[John Longarrow]

Just wondering, which type(s) of hags are you planning to use? Desert Hags (Stormwrack) would fit the terrain.

If you are going Hellenic for your monsters, Harpies instead of big bruiser? They fly and can use bows...

[Inevitability]

Just wondering, which type(s) of hags are you planning to use? Desert Hags (Stormwrack) would fit the terrain.

How in the name of cheese would the DESERT HAG be found in STORMWRACK??? :smallconfused:

Isn't that the book with all those WATER things in it? Maybe you mean Sandstorm?

[Chester]

Just wondering, which type(s) of hags are you planning to use? Desert Hags (Stormwrack) would fit the terrain.

If you are going Hellenic for your monsters, Harpies instead of big bruiser? They fly and can use bows...

Funny you brought this up again . . . just played it out last night!

I used the typical covey: Annis, Green Hag, Sea Hag. They've set up in an old temple to seek the source of a great undead power that lies there. They party is only sent on a recon mission, but they're discovering the reasons behind the hags' desert visit as they go.

I started with the Sea Hag; she downed our Dread Necro with her horrific appearance (strength to 0); our Unseen Seer chased her down, saved against her evil eye, and killed her. The rest of the party dealt with two Scrags that emerged from and underground lake.

They party then faced the Green Hag and the Annis while being assaulted by Ankhegs. The Annis dropped our Duskblade (alive, but at 0); both Hags ransacked the party, but luckily a Bull Strength spell gave the Necro 6 minutes of strength to summon. Annis was killed. We left off with the Green Hag disappearing, wandering the temple somewhere.

:smallbiggrin: