Night hag (Dungeons & Dragons)

For other uses, see Hag (disambiguation).

Night Hag

Characteristics
Alignment	neutral evil
Type	Outsider
Image	Wizards.com image
Stats	Open Game License stats

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the night hag is an outsider that comes from the Gray Waste of Hades. The night hag's relationship to other types of hags is unclear. Night hags are perhaps best known for being the harvesters of larvae, or the souls of the dead as they appear in Hades.

Publication history

The night hag was introduced to the D&D game in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The night hag appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as the ruler of the convoluted planes of Hades. The book states that night hags form larvae (the most selfishly evil of all souls who sink to lower planes after death) from evil persons they slay, and sell them to demons and devils.^[1] The Monster Manual was reviewed by Don Turnbull in the British magazine White Dwarf #8 (August/September 1978). As part of his review, Turnbull comments on several new monsters introduced in the book, referring to the night hag as "splendid" and notes that the illustration of the night hag is the best drawing in the book.^[2]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The night hag appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix (1991),^[3] and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).^[4]

The unique night hag Sytrix appears in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix II (1993).

The night hag was further detailed in the first Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994).^[5]

The article "Pox of the Planes" in Dragon Annual #2 (1997) described the night hags as the creators of the altraloths, powerful unique yugoloths.^[6]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The night hag appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).^[7]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The night hag appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).

The night hag was detailed in Dragon #324 (October 2004), in the "Ecology of the Night Hag".^[8]

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The night hag appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), under the hag entry.^[9]

Description

A night hag is always neutral evil. A night hag has an array of magical powers, and can transmit a disease called "demon fever" by biting a victim. Night hags are also able to torment chaotic or evil individuals by invading their dreams using a special item called a "heartstone." This process eventually transforms the victim into a larva unless some force capable of affecting ethereal beings puts a stop to it.

Night hags are believed to have created the altraloths, powerful unique yugoloths.^[6]

Night Hags, being exclusively female, can only reproduce by mating with a male member of another species, typically a member of a civilized race. The hag often slays her mate. The child born looks like a normal member of her species with black or blue hair and is often given into foster care by the hag disguised as a normal woman. When the young girl reaches puberty, the mother Night Hag might visit the child several times and, after several rituals, transforms her offspring into another hag. Interrupting one of the thirteen rituals that takes place ceases the process of transformation.^{[citation needed]}

For reasons unknown, some night hags give birth to accursed offspring known as dusk hags. (see Eberron campaign setting)

Cegilune is the goddess of the night hags, or possibly just the most powerful one of their kind who has since gained a shred of divinity.

In other media

Video games

The night hag Ravel Puzzlewell is a major character in Planescape: Torment.^[10]

References

1. ^ Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977)
2. ^ Turnbull, Don (August/September 1978). "Open Box". White Dwarf (8): 16–17. 
3. ^ LaFountain, J. Paul. Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix. (TSR, 1991)
4. ^ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
5. ^ Varney, Allen, ed. Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (TSR, 1994)
6. ^ ^{a b} Bonny, Edward. "Pox of the Planes." Dragon Annual #2 (TSR, 1997)
7. ^ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
8. ^ Schneider, F Wesley. "The Ecology of Night Hags." Dragon #324 (Paizo Publishing, 2004)
9. ^ Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
10. ^ Chris Avellone (2007-11-21). "Un-Ravel-ling Torment.". Chis Avellone's Blog. Obsidian Entertainment. http://forums.obsidian.net/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=1&showentry=91. Retrieved 2009-11-07.