Page 55 - Volo's Guide to Monsters

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such a place, she maintains leverage over her victims
and travelers. Even after a hag has done her worst in
then something has gone very wrong with her plans.
grim, moody, or outright hostile toward newcomers
resort to attacking with her claws, if it comes to that
plans. The mood of the town becomes unwelcoming,
when their enemy is asleep). Although a hag can always
good-hearted folk as they succumb to her evil and selfish
attacking children) or have an unfair advantage (such as
a human settlement often depletes the community of
ingly more powerful than their opponents (such as when
A hag that spends a long time in close proximity to
sive outbursts for situations where they are overwhelm-
requires, or how these things benefit her.
someone with actual violence; they reserve their aggres-
about her motivations, the reasons for the payments she
Hags prefer to cajole and bargain rather than confront
seems to have no downside, a hag is always secretive
dares to threaten her.
dangerous villain. Even when she's offering a deal that
is older, smarter, and more shrewd than any mortal who
as an auspicious birth or a climactic encounter with a
fear and jealousy to tear them apart from the inside. She
meaningful except under specific circumstances, such
enemies against each other, playing up their guilt and
become apparent for years or even decades, or won't be
side effects. She will lie and deceive and try to turn her
to ruining the mortal's life. The hag's reasons might not
treasures as bribes, not telling about their curses or
a crossroads at noon on a certain day could be the key
buy her time to retaliate or escape. She'll use dangerous
ple as a villager agreeing to deliver a mysterious letter at
weak and helpless if she thinks it will spare her life or
that has no obvious connection to her. A bargain as sim-
If a hag's life is threatened, she will pretend to be
downfall of another, but she does so in an indirect way
price of the deal is revealed.
set events into motion that benefit her or bring about the
the hag, or at least likely to suffer less when the true
the hag is pursuing a hidden agenda. She still wants to
as a bribe or a gift is more likely to get a fair deal from
proposal that seems, or actually is, fair, chances are that
the offering highly. A visitor who offers a desirable item
will turn out as expected for both parties. By offering a
ing it means a rival can't get her hands on it, she'll value
simple task as payment, that's no guarantee that the deal
anything dse like it, or can think of a use for it, or if hav-
When a hag is generous with her help or requires only a
makes it obvious she is interested. If she doesn't have
BARGAINER BEWARE
offering so she can examine it more closely, even if this
intent at such times, and one might snatch away the
of what others will tolerate.
merchandise. Hags aren't subtle about showing their
they can get away with, and they like pushing the limits
statements to herself, and mentally place a value on the
in the bargains they offer; hags know exactly how much
she will sniff it, shake it, listen to it, taste it, murmur odd
other fey, just that they aren't as blatant or demanding
magic item, or a person who has a strange magical gift,
that hags are automatically pleasant in dealings with
When a hag is presented with an unusual spell, a rare
a few short decades. These considerations don't mean
(whether over the deal-maker or someone else).
against the hag, whereas most humanoids die within
the mortal up to fail, or a way that she g~ins leverage
are also long-lived and thus have more time to retaliate
price to be paid, plus a hidden plan by which she sets
when disappointed or angered by a deal gone bad. Fey
a hag agrees to help someone, the bargain includes a
common humanoids and therefore more dangerous
lives, like busybodies with cruel intentions. Any time
creatures of her native realm are more powerful than
pushed too far. Hags enjoy meddling with other people's
with a more respectful attitude. She realizes that the
her mind, and not afraid to bring down punishment if
wild, rather than mortals, she approaches the situation
what anyone thinks-set in her ways, free to speak
When a hag bargains with other creatures of the Fey-
tive of a cantankerous grandparent who no longer cares
to the idea of a "fair" deal.
Hags look upon younger creatures from the perspec-
sure of her respect, and might make her more receptive
with her iron teeth.
tion of this sort as part of a bargain earns a small mea-
her temper and decide to pull out someone's fingernails
and certain mortals. Offering a hag accurate informa-
comfortable, and risky; at any point the hag might lose
influential creatures such as dragons, demons, genies,
its a hag, the experience should be nerve-wracking, un-
enjoy receiving news and gossip about other hags and
blunt sexual comment about a guest. When a mortal vis-
Hags are curious about other creatures of power. They
how easily a visitor would fit in her cauldron or make a
else thinks or wants. She might casually comment about
and she doesn't give two coppers about what anyone
adventurers, inside she is still a twisted fey creature,
Even when a hag acts indifferently or friendly toward
ROLEPLAYING A HAG
-ELMINSTER
decide to confront her).
MISCHIEF LATER.
her (which includes sabotaging adventurers who might
SEE AN OP POR TU N ITV TO AID NOW TO SET UP DARKER
the local leaders won't allow any outsiders to act against
GREAT NEED, BECAUSE THEV HAVE BEEN SPVING ANO
the curses that she has lain on them. For that reason,
HAGS OFTEN APPEAR UNLOOKEO · FOR, IN MOMENTS OF
by holding out the prospect that someday she will undo
.... ~