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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardSea Hag

Sea hags specialize in transformation magic, preying on those who are desperate to change some aspect of their physical appearance. Targets often include those suffering from insecurity about their bodies or those desperate to reside in a different environment, such as aquatic creatures who wish to live on land. These hags are known for tempting desperate victims into tragic and excruciating bargains, though they're also happy to drown and eat mariners who stray too close to their dwellings.

A sea hag has the upper half of a humanoid and the lower half of an octopus, with translucent skin and glowing lights visible beneath their flesh. Sea hags can join covens, but their aquatic nature often prevents them from joining mixed covens with other kinds of hags.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 18
Unspecific Lore: DC 16
Specific Lore: DC 13

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Sea HagCreature 3

Medium Amphibious Hag Humanoid 
Source Monster Core pg. 188
Perception +10; darkvision
Languages Aklo, Common, Fey, Jotun, Thalassic
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +11, Deception +10, Occultism +8, Stealth +8
Str +4, Dex +3, Con +4, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +3
Coven A sea hag adds humanoid form, mariner's curse, and water walk to their coven's spells. Their spell DC when leading a coven is 20.
AC 19; Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +10; +1 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 45; Immunities polymorph; Weaknesses cold iron 3
Speed 25 feet, swim 35 feet
Melee [one-action] claw +12 [+8/+4] (agile, magical), Damage 1d10+4 slashingDread Gaze [two-actions] (curse, emotion, fear, mental, occult) The hag gazes upon a creature, afflicting it with a gnawing sense of impending doom, with a result depending on its Will save (DC 20). The target doesn't need to be able to see the sea hag.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature is frightened 1.
Failure The creature is frightened 1 and is slowed 1 for 1 round. If the target was dying, it remains unconscious for 1 day. At the end of the day, it must attempt a Fortitude save against the same DC; if it fails, it dies.
Critical Failure As failure, but the creature is frightened 2 and slowed 1 for 1 minute.Sea Hag's Bargain (concentrate, exploration, occult, polymorph) The sea hag can make a bargain with a willing creature who must be of sound mind. The creature gives away a special or cherished quality—such as its courage, its beauty, or its voice. In exchange, the sea hag spends 1 minute polymorphing the creature into a form the target desires.
This functions as Change Shape. It might be a total transformation or just changing one or more aspects of the target's body, and it can't make the creature more than one size smaller or larger. The creature changes its Speeds as appropriate for the new form. It doesn't change the attack and damage bonuses with its Strikes, but it might change the damage type the Strikes deal. This has an unlimited duration, and as long as it's transformed, the creature is sickened 2 and can't reduce its sickened condition below 2. The creature can slowly and carefully eat and drink despite being sickened. The only way to restore the lost quality used as payment is to defeat the sea hag or make another bargain for its return. Ending the bargain in this way also removes the transformation.

All Monsters in "Hag"

NameLevel
Cuckoo Hag9
Iron Hag6
Sea Hag3
Sweet Hag4

Hag

Source Monster Core pg. 188
Hags are malevolent predators who use magic and manipulation to lure children and young adults into their clutches. Though their true forms are eldritch and horrifying, hags spend much of their lives disguised as ordinary women. They seek out targets who are unhappy, innocent, or otherwise vulnerable, preying on their weaknesses before snatching them up. The typical hag is abusive, controlling, and narcissistic. Though less malicious hags possibly exist, they rarely reveal their true forms, making them nearly impossible to find.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Hag Covens

Hags are dangerous enough on their own, but when they gather in threes to form covens, they grow much more powerful.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Hags and Children

Hags are known to replace infant humanoids with their own offspring. These children are changelings and have the potential to become hags themselves. Though hags are based on the fantasy villains of fairy tales, they can also touch on the all-too-real behavior of abusive adults. Consider and discuss whether hags are right for your group and game before using them. Pathfinder is for everyone, and it's not weak or selfish to avoid traumatic memories in a game that's meant to be played for fun!

Sidebar - Related Creatures Other Hags

The four types of hags presented here are but the most notorious of their kind. Others—such as the blood hag, moon hag, storm hag, and winter hag—plague society in other regions of the world.

Sidebar - Additional Lore The Nature of Hags

No one is entirely certain what hags are or where they came from. That no known male hags exist has also puzzled occult scholars. Many believe hags are a type of fey, since most of their kind have an aversion to cold iron. Yet hags seem to have no origin in the First World that researchers have found. Some tales claim that hags were once creatures who made a series of powerful bargains with devils. Though they outsmarted the fiends, they were still eventually corrupted.