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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardCuckoo Hag

Cuckoo hags seek out youths who are unhappy with their lives, disguising themselves as a trusted figure such as a friend or family member. These hags then weave magical, idealized worlds out of illusions and dream stuff to trap their victims. Once they convince a mortal to stay in their magical world forever, the cuckoo hag drains their prey of life force and imprisons their soul.

A cuckoo hag's true form is a creature with the cracked pale skin of a broken porcelain doll and an almost impossibly thin neck and limbs.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 26
Unspecific Lore: DC 24
Specific Lore: DC 21

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Cuckoo HagCreature 9

Medium Hag Humanoid 
Source Monster Core pg. 191
Perception +18; darkvision
Languages Aklo, Chthonian, Common, Daemonic, Diabolic, Fey, Jotun
Skills Arcana +18, Crafting +18, Deception +21, Diplomacy +19, Intimidation +19, Occultism +19, Religion +18, Society +18
Str +5, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +4, Wis +3, Cha +6
Coven A cuckoo hag adds dominate, nightmare, outcast's curse, and scrying to their coven's spells.
AC 28; Fort +16, Ref +19, Will +18; +1 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 170; Immunities sleep; Resistances mental 10; Weaknesses cold iron 10
Sound Imitation A cuckoo hag who succeeds at a Deception check to Lie can mimic the sound of any feminine voice they have heard (in cases where this may be unclear, the GM is the final arbiter) and have a +4 circumstance bonus to this check.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] claw +20 [+16/+12] (agile, magical), Damage 2d8+8 slashing plus 1d6 spiritOccult Innate Spells DC 29; 9th seize soul (at will; see soul covenant); 5th dreaming potential, illusory object, illusory scene, mirage, nightmare, subconscious suggestion; 4th acid grip (×3), clairaudience, clairvoyance, fly; 3rd dream message (at will), sleep (at will); 2nd invisibility (at will); Cantrips (5th) daze, detect magic, message, prestidigitation, read aura
Rituals DC 28; 2nd animate object
Change Shape [one-action] (concentrate, occult, polymorph) The cuckoo hag can take on the appearance of any Medium female humanoid. This doesn't change their Speed or their attack and damage bonuses with their Strikes but might change the damage type their Strikes deal (typically to bludgeoning).Cuckoo's Lair A cuckoo hag is intrinsically connected to a pocket dimension that serves as their home domain. The lair is an extradimensional space that is 40 feet wide, 40 feet deep, and 30 feet tall. It contains whatever mundane food, buildings, landscapes, and objects that the cuckoo hag desires, though anything removed from the cuckoo's lair dissolves into nothingness instantly.
In order to enter or leave the plane, the cuckoo hag must create a door in the physical world as a single action, which has the concentrate and manipulate traits. The door is invisible by default, though the cuckoo hag can choose a target creature that can perceive the door normally. The cuckoo hag can Dismiss this door from reality, but only if they (and no other creature) are inside of their lair and alone.Soul Covenant (occult) Requirement The cuckoo hag can cast seize soul at will, but only to target a creature who has agreed to stay with them forever. They typically do so as soon as the agreement is made but might hold off to gain leverage over a situation. They typically place the soul into a construct, typically a soulbound doll if they want a companion or a more powerful construct if they want a guardian.

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.