Night Hag Creature 9

Pathfinder Bestiary (Second Edition), page 202; family: Hag

Night hags are thieves and merchants of mortal souls.

These foul creatures collect souls in dark gems or crystalline jars to sell in fiendish markets, and are themselves empowered by potent magic jewels known as heartstones. They haunt the Ethereal Plane, where they prey upon mortals in their dreams, debilitating them with horrific nightmares as they rest. A night hag may find a particular target and haunt them continuously over the course of weeks, slowly and cruelly breaking down the victim’s will and ability to resist, until their soul is forfeit.

A night hag is a canny mastermind and soul broker, willing to consider any deal as long as she is convinced she has the upper hand.

Although a night hag finds it easy to travel the Ethereal Plane and prey upon helpless souls that can’t fight back, these souls are also the least desirable to the evil outsiders the night hag bargains with, and so a night hag gathers allies and minions that allow her to prey on more potent souls without personally risking herself. Their favored minions are nightmares, with whom they share a special bond.

Above all, night hags avoid fighting foes that can harry them on the Ethereal Plane, picking fights only when they are certain they can escape.

Perception +18; darkvision

Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Common, Infernal

Skills Arcana +18, Deception +18, Diplomacy +18, Intimidation +14, Occultism +20, Religion +20

Str +5, Dex +4, Con +6, Int +4, Wis +5, Cha +3

Items heartstone

Coven A night hag adds dominate, nightmare, scrying, and spellwrack to her coven’s spells.

Nightmare Rider When a night hag rides a nightmare (page 244), the nightmare also gains the night hag’s status bonus to saves against magic, and both the hag and rider benefit when the night hag uses her heartstone’s ethereal jaunt innate spell.

AC 28; Fort +19, Ref +17, Will +18, +2 status to all saves vs. magic, –2 to all saves if the night hag does not have her heartstone

HP 170; Immunities sleep; Weaknesses cold iron 10; Resistances mental 10

Speed 25 feet

Melee ◆ jaws +20 (magical), Damage 2d8+8 piercing plus 1d6 evil and Abyssal plague

Melee ◆ claw +20 (agile, magical), Damage 2d10+8 slashing plus 1d6 evil

Occult Innate Spells DC 28; 9th bind soul (at will; from heartstone), ethereal jaunt (at will; from heartstone); 8th dream council; 5th nightmare, shadow blast (×2, from heartstone); 3rd dream message (at will), magic missile (at will); 2nd invisibility (at will); 1st ray of enfeeblement (at will), sleep (at will);

Constant (3rd) detect magic; (2nd) detect alignment (all alignments simultaneously)

Abyssal Plague (disease); A creature can’t recover from drained until abyssal plague is cured. Saving Throw DC 28 Fortitude; Stage 1 Drained 1 (1 day); Stage 2 Drained increases by 2 (1 day)

Change Shape ◆ (concentrate, occult, polymorph, transmutation) The night hag can take on the appearance of any Medium female humanoid. This doesn’t change her Speed or her attack and damage bonuses with her Strikes, but might change the damage type her Strikes deal (typically to bludgeoning).

Dream Haunting (enchantment, occult, mental) If a night hag is ethereal and hovering over a sleeping chaotic or evil creature, she can ride the victim’s back until dawn. The creature endures tormenting dreams as the hag casts nightmare on it, and is exposed to abyssal plague. Any drained caused by dream haunting is cumulative. Only an ethereal being can confront the night hag and stop her dream haunting.

Spell Ambush A creature flat-footed to the night hag takes a –2 circumstance penalty to checks and DCs to defend against her spells.

Price 600 gp (200 gp when nonmagical)

Usage worn; Bulk — This gemstone grants its wearer a +2 item bonus to saving throws. Each heartstone is powered by the spirit of a specific night hag. If it’s separated from her for 24 hours (or she’s been dead for 24 hours), it becomes a nonmagical gemstone. A heartstone allows the hag to use additional occult innate spells: ethereal jaunt (9th level) and bind soul at will, and shadow blast twice per day.

Activate ◆ command; Requirement You must be touching the heartstone. Effect The heartstone attempts to counteract one disease affecting you (counteract level 5, counteract modifier +18).

Craft Requirements You must be a night hag.