What happens when a hag eats the infant child of a powerful demon?

[lajiboi]

For my campaign I want to have the demon Graz'zt have a cambion child with some random mortal woman and then a hag steals and eats the child. I know that this is how hags reproduce, but will the genes of the infant influence what type of child the hag gives birth to? Typically the child looks normal until the age of thirteen and then she turns into a hag identical to her mother. In my story, I want the hag's child to be part demon. Instead of turning into another hag, she will grow up to be some kind of demon witch similar to Iggwilv, who was born from Graz'zt and Baba Yaga.

Does this make sense lore-wise?

One of my PCs is a warlock whose patron is Graz'zt. The warlock has been sent on a mission to retrieve the lost child after Graz'zt learns about her fate. Graz'zt believes the hag's child is genetically related to him and he wants to claim her as his own daughter.

[Quietus]

For my campaign I want to have the demon Graz'zt have a cambion child with some random mortal woman and then a hag steals and eats the child. I know that this is how hags reproduce, but will the genes of the infant influence what type of child the hag gives birth to? Typically the child looks normal until the age of thirteen and then she turns into a hag identical to her mother. In my story, I want the hag's child to be part demon. Instead of turning into another hag, she will grow up to be some kind of demon witch similar to Iggwilv, who was born from Graz'zt and Baba Yaga.

Does this make sense lore-wise?

One of my PCs is a warlock whose patron is Graz'zt. The warlock has been sent on a mission to retrieve the lost child after Graz'zt learns about her fate. Graz'zt believes the hag's child is genetically related to him and he wants to claim her as his own daughter.

There's no reason this wouldn't work. Alternatively, this could be how you get a night hag.

[solidork]

Don't worry too much about "official" answers to these kinds of things, even if it directly contradicts how you want things to work in your world. Established lore is there for when you don't feel the need to change things up and serve as an inspiration for when you do. Think through the implications of the things you change and try to make things internally consistent, but "man wouldn't it be cool" is reason enough to do it.

Honestly, I think it would be weirder if this scenario ended up with a regular hag.

[Mastikator]

Do demons even reproduce with other demons AFAIK they don't? A child born of a demon and a mortal becomes a cambion. A hag that devours a cambion infant might turn it into some kind of half-fiend hag. An example of this might be the daughters of Sora Kell from Eberron, three sisters, each is a half fiend hag, their mother is the mythic Sora Kell and their father a different fiend of unknown identity. Their whole origin story (much like all hag things) is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

[Skrum]

Whatever you as the DM wants to happen.

The lore of monsters don't have stat blocks, it's just whatever gets said in the monster description sections. I would only refer to that as far as it's in-line with what I wanted to do. It sounds like you have a great idea for a cool plot. Run with it.

[Unoriginal]

For my campaign I want to have the demon Graz'zt have a cambion child with some random mortal woman and then a hag steals and eats the child. I know that this is how hags reproduce, but will the genes of the infant influence what type of child the hag gives birth to? Typically the child looks normal until the age of thirteen and then she turns into a hag identical to her mother. In my story, I want the hag's child to be part demon. Instead of turning into another hag, she will grow up to be some kind of demon witch similar to Iggwilv, who was born from Graz'zt and Baba Yaga.

Does this make sense lore-wise?

One of my PCs is a warlock whose patron is Graz'zt. The warlock has been sent on a mission to retrieve the lost child after Graz'zt learns about her fate. Graz'zt believes the hag's child is genetically related to him and he wants to claim her as his own daughter.

Genetics are not a thing in the D&D world.

If an hag was to eat a powerful cambion baby, I would expect either the hag to explode from not being able to handle the power or, if the hag is powerful/crafty enough to survive the experience, that the resulting hagspawn gets the power and partial demonhood.

Worth noting that Iggwilv is not the result of Baba Yaga and Graz'zt having a child, she was a fully human orphan who was adopted and taught wizardry by Baba Yaga.

Personally, I don't think it makes sense Graz'zt wouldn't be able to immediately notice and understand what happened as soon as he can perceive the hagspawn. That kind of horrifying shenanigans are his domaine, quite literally. But given the power and partial demonhood still come from him he could easily work with that to his advantage. Whatever his advantage would be at the moment.

[JackPhoenix]

It's up to the GM, but I'd like to point out that per the fluff text, hags reproduce by eating specifically human infants. Not only is cambion not a human, it's not even a humanoid, but a fiend.

[lajiboi]

It's up to the GM, but I'd like to point out that per the fluff text, hags reproduce by eating specifically human infants. Not only is cambion not a human, it's not even a humanoid, but a fiend.

Hmm, I see your point. Others have said that a GM can make things up as needed, but I do think it's safer to follow existing lore as close as possible to ensure that my world is internally consistent.

Maybe the hag kidnapped the cambion infant for some reason...

[lajiboi]

Genetics are not a thing in the D&D world.

Is this true? The MM entry on cambions states that "A cambion is the offspring of a fiend (usually a succubus or incubus) and a humanoid (usually a human). Cambions inherit aspects of both parents..."

This seems to imply the existence of genes, no?

[Unoriginal]

Is this true? The MM entry on cambions states that "A cambion is the offspring of a fiend (usually a succubus or incubus) and a humanoid (usually a human). Cambions inherit aspects of both parents..."

This seems to imply the existence of genes, no?

On the contrary. A Fiend is literally a personification of evil. The offspring of an human and a fiend would be made half of evil, which is not a genetic possibility.

Furthermore D&D humans are made of elemental matters from the Inner Planes, not of the DNA strands of real life.

That is not to say that inheritance and family links are not a thing, it's just that genes are not involved.

Same reason why D&D hunans can reproduce with dragons or beings made of fire.

[lajiboi]

On the contrary. A Fiend is literally a personification of evil. The offspring of an human and a fiend would be made half of evil, which is not a genetic possibility.

Furthermore D&D humans are made of elemental matters from the Inner Planes, not of the DNA strands of real life.

That is not to say that inheritance and family links are not a thing, it's just that genes are not involved.

Same reason why D&D hunans can reproduce with dragons or beings made of fire.

Very interesting!

[lall]

She feels guilty.

[rel]

I like the you get a night hag idea.