Mother of Witches
Described as the most powerful female mage ever known, Baba Yaga is an extraordinarily powerful archfey. Posessing nearly god-like powers, she holds a long-established position of preeminence among fey-kind. The sorceress has been known to pass to other planes, and in doing so, her hut appears elsewhere. Like most or all evil mages, Baba Yaga dwells in isolated sites, performing unspeakable experiments without interference. Respected by the Archfey for her powers, many sages and adventurers have sought her out for her vast knowledge of magic.
Baba Yaga is somehow related to night hags, green hags, and annis hags. Some of these hags even worship Baba Yaga. Like other annis hags, Baba Yaga is a ferocious savage with nails and teeth like iron. She is an egotistical brute who sees strength as a virtue. Baba Yaga emulates the typical green hag in that she is clever, deceitful, and full of hatred of all that is pure. At the same time, Baba Yaga is the archetypical night hag. She is a fiendish degenerate soulmonger who trades larva in Hades for power and wealth.
The 5‑foot-tall sorceress is said to be of godlike intelligence, but very physically ugly. The Bone Mother has a long warty nose, a skeletal frame, and thin white hair. She has sharp, iron-like teeth and fingers that curve into claws. On occasion she's had a rather plump frame. It is uncertain whether her changing frame is due to having recently eaten or simply a whim of preference.
Fickle Nature
Baba Yaga is dangerously unpredictable, equally as likely to eat her worshipers as she is to aid them. Politeness will not guarantee her favor, nor will rudeness ensure incurring her wrath. There is no action one can take to ensure a successful meeting with her.
Baba Yaga is a trickster deity whose next moves and methodology are incomprehensible even to other gods, and thus she is only contended with warily. She associates with evil gods yet rarely harms children or similar beings to avoid bringing down the wrath of superior gods.
Powerful Witch
Some believe that Baba Yaga is impervious to fire. Legends state that despite seemingly dying, she would always appear again no worse for wear. One folk tale claims that Baba Yaga is so powerful that the very times of dawn, noon, and night are all subservient to her whims. Another rumor claims that she has no legs and that her magical mortar and pestle are her only means of moving around.
The decrepit frame of Baba Yaga belies her supernatural strength and swiftness. She can crush smaller beings one-handed and easily jump obstructions in her path. Baba Yaga's teeth and claws are dangerous weapons. She often takes on the form of creatures like orcs or hobgoblins during combat. Like most hags, Baba Yaga also uses certain magic items she possesses, though she is frugal with her inventory.
Baba Yaga is capable of creating illusions to hide her true form. She is naturally resistant to magic. In addition, Baba Yaga knows curses and other wicked rites that allow her to scry, prophesize, manipulate the weather, and place curses on those that annoy her.
Reproduction
One reported method used by hags to reproduce involves the hag simply devouring a human infant after stealing them from the cradle, then giving birth to an ordinary looking child. Though this is rarely done, it is said that hags sometimes make use of this method in short succession to kickstart their own covens, either as members or masters.
Baba Yaga believes - based on ancient lore - that eating certain types of children, such as twins, triplets, or the seventh child of a seventh child, would grant their own spawn rare magic.
The aberrant adolescence of young hags made from devoured children is far swifter than that of hags made other ways, with the child only living until their thirteenth birthday before transforming into a near physical clone of their mother.
Baba Yaga
medium archfey, chaotic evil
- Armor Class 19 (natural armor, pestle)
- Hit Points 144 (20d8 + 60)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 27 (+8) 15 (+2) 17 (+3)
- Saving Throws CON, INT, WIS, CHA
- Skills Arcana +14, Deception +9, History +14,
Insight +8, Intimidation +9, Performance +9, Persuasion +9, Religion +14, Stealth +3- Tool Proficiencies Alchemist's supplies, Brewer's supplies, Cook's untensils, Tinker's tools
- Weapon Proficiencies daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
- Damage Resistances Cold; Fire; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from non-magical weapons
- Condition Immunities Charmed
- Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
- Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Giant, Hag, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, All demihuman languages
- Challenge 20 (25,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +6
Amphibious. Baba Yaga can breathe air and water.
Incomprehensible Methodology. When Baba Yaga forces a saving throw or ability check, it is rolled with disadvantage.
Magic Resistance. Baba Yaga has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Mimicry. Baba Yaga can mimic animal sounds and humanoid voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check rolled at disadvantage.
No Worse for Wear. Baba Yaga always succeeds saving throws vs death. After her 3rd successful death save, she is automatically banished to the ethereal plane for 72 hours.
Actions
Multiattack. Baba Yaga makes three attacks when taking the attack action.
Claws. +12 to hit, 16 (2d8 +6) slashing
Bite. +12 to hit, 18 (3d6 +6) piercing
Quarterstaff (Pestle). 1 use per turn; +15 to hit, (1d8/d10 + 9) magical force; 12 charges: 3 charges adds an additional d8 magical force damage.
Change Shape. Baba Yaga polymorphs into a small or medium female humanoid, or back into her true form. Her statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies.
Crushing Hug: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (10d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16) if it is a large or smaller creature. Until the grapple ends, the target takes 36 (10d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of Baba Yaga’s turns. She can’t make attacks while grappling a creature in this way.
Etherealness. Baba Yaga magically enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. To do so, she must have a heartstone in her possession.
Illusory Appearance. Baba Yaga covers herself and anything she is wearing or carrying with a magical illusion that makes her look like another creature of her general size and humanoid shape. The illusion ends if she takes a bonus action to end it or if she dies. The changes wrought by this effect fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, she could appear to have smooth skin, but someone touching her would feel her rough flesh. Otherwise, a creature must take an action to visually inspect the illusion and succeed on a DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern that she is disguised.
Invisible Passage. Baba Yaga magically turns invisible until she attacks or casts a spell, or until her concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). While invisible, she leaves no physical evidence of her passage, so she can be tracked only by magic. Any equipment she wears or carries is invisible with her.
Nightmare Haunting (1/day). While on the Ethereal Plane, Baba Yaga magically touches a sleeping humanoid on the Material Plane. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the target prevents this contact, as does a magic circle. As long as the contact persists, the target has dreadful visions. If these visions last for at least 1 hour, the target gains no benefit from its rest, and its hit point maximum is reduced by 2d10 rolled at disadvantage for the victim. If this effect reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and if the target was evil, its soul is trapped in Baba Yaga's soul bag. The reduction to the target's hit point maximum lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or similar magic.
Subjugate the Cycle. (1/day) Baba Yaga can cast time stop without expending a spell slot. When rolling for the duration (1d4 +1 turns), she rolls with advantage.
Baba Yaga's Spellcasting & Spells
Baba Yaga is a 20th level spellcaster, her spellcasting ability is Intelligence.
Spell Save DC: 22 Spell Attack Bonus: +16
Innate Spellcasting
Baba Yaga can cast the following spells innately, requiring no material components:
- (At will): detect magic, magic missile, dancing lights, minor illusion, vicious mockery of Baba Yaga
- (3/day): fog cloud
- (2/day each): plane shift (self only),
ray of enfeeblement, sleepBaba Yaga's Prepared Spells
& Spell Slots by Level
cantrips: faerie fire, friends, infestation, message, spectral hand of Baba Yaga
1st lvl (4 slots): Baba Yaga's hideous laughter, ceremony, charm person, hex, identify
2nd lvl (3 slots): calm emotions,
dissonant whispers of Baba Yaga, pass without trace, spider climb
3rd lvl (3 slots): bestow curse, counterspell,
dispel magic
4th lvl (3 slots): Baba Yaga's black tentacles,
Baba Yaga's faithful hound, hallucinatory terrain, polymorph
5th lvl (3 slots): Baba Yaga's sickening radiance,
commune with nature, danse macabre, dream,
negative energy flood
6th lvl (2 slots): contingency, create homunculus,
flesh to stone
7th lvl (2 slots): finger of death, project image
8th lvl (1 slot): control weather
9th lvl (1 slot): wendigo sicknessMeta Magic
Baba Yaga has unlimited ability to twist her spells to suit her needs. She is capable of all forms of metamagic:
Careful Spells. When Baba Yaga casts a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, she can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. She can choose up to 5 creatures. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
Distant Spells. When Baba Yaga casts a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, she can double the range of the spell. When she casts a spell that has a range of touch, she can make the range of the spell 30 feet.
Empowered Spells. When Baba Yaga rolls damage for a spell, she can reroll up to 5 of the damage dice. She must use the new rolls. She can use Empowered Spell even if she has already used a different metamagic option during the casting of the spell.
Extended Spells. When Baba Yaga casts a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, she can extend its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.
Heightened Spells. When Baba Yaga casts a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, the target of the spell has disadvantage on saving throws made against her spell spells.
Quickened Spells. When Baba Yaga casts a spell that has a casting time of 1 action she can change the casting time to 1 bonus action.
Subtle Spells. When Baba Yaga casts a Spell, she can cast it without any somatic or verbal components.
Twinned Spell. When Baba Yaga casts a spell that targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, she can target a second creature in range with the same spell. To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level.
Legendary Actions
Baba Yaga can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Baba Yaga regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Weird Magic. Baba Yaga uses her choice of the following Weird Magic Items: bottle of wasps, memory container, runestones, or weird mirrors.
Minion. Baba Yaga employs the aid of unintelligent vermin by casting the infestation cantrip.
Primal Parts . Baba Yaga attempts to grapple a creature within range. If successful, she throws the creature into her Mortar. The creature lands prone and suffers 1d6 bludgeoning (fall) damage in addition to Crushing Hug damage. At the beginning of her next turn, Baba Yaga would then attempt to use the Mortar & Pestle's Primal Parts feature on the creature in the Mortar.
Collecting Servitors
The weird magic at Baba Yaga's disposal means that she might have almost any type of creature helping or serving her: fey, giant, undead, and so on. Even a creature much more powerful than she might be under her command, working off the debt of a bargain for itself or someone else.
Servants
Typically Baba Yaga's minions can be divided into two groups, the first being servants like constructs, undead creations, unintelligent vermin, and other things that a hag could trust to unquestionably obey their orders and protect her home. In no sense are these entities her friends; the hag either charmed the servant or had some way to threaten its life, either magical or mundane, and would insult and beat them on a whim.
Random Servants
| d8 | Servants |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1d4 flameskulls |
| 2 | ld2 flesh golems |
| 3 | 1d2 helmed horrors |
| 4 | rug of smothering |
| 5 | ld6 scarecrows |
| 6 | 2d4 shadow mastiffs |
| 7 | 2d4 swarms of insects or swarms of rats |
| 8 | 1d6 yeth hounds |
Even ordinary animals are retained as minions, commonly for the purpose of self-defense, a task for which bound mortals are the most delightful pawns.
Innocent Folk
The Bone Mother is cunning, spiteful, and ruthless when using ordinary folk as minions. They serve as her eyes and ears operating secretly as spies or openly as representatives actively trying to persuade others to pay her a visit.
Brutes
The other type of minions are brutes or mercenaries. Under the Bone Mother's employ by their own free will, they run errands, rough up assigned targets, patroll unimportant areas and otherwise attended to laborious tasks beneath Baba Yaga's personal attention. Though some hags are known to employ ogres, the term "brute" is generally misleading since hags prefer employees willing and capable of cunning cruelty as opposed to strong but stupid bumblers. These can be other kinds of evil giants, lycanthropes, dark fey, sneaky creatures like bugbears, kenku, and doppelgangers, or other strange monsters like ettercaps, gargoyles, and aberrations.
Random Brutes
| d12 | Brutes |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2d6 +2 bugbears |
| 2 | 1d6 +2 doppelgangers |
| 3 | ld6 +2 ettercaps |
| 4 | 2d6 +2 gargoyles |
| 5 | 2d4 +2 jackalweres |
| 6 | 2d6 +4 kenku |
| 7 | 2d6 +2 meenlocks |
| 8 | 1d4 oni |
| 9 | 2d6 +2 quicklings |
| 10 | 1d6 +2 redcaps |
| 11 | 1d6 +4 wererats |
| 12 | ld4 +2 werewolves |
Weird Magic
Weird magic has taken on a multitude of forms, ranging from unique rituals to spells, to magic items, all of which are strange and unusual in the sense that they do not follow the normal rules for magic. It is impossible to know what kind of weird magic a specific hag might have at their disposal, and even the lowest of them have access to some minor supernatural power.
Baba Yaga uses weird magic to create brews and various magic items, and to design and perfect evil rites. Like all hags, Baba Yaga carefully shepherds her use of weird magic because the items in her repertoire are often impossible to duplicate or replace.
However, if a hag is faced with mortal peril, all thoughts of conserving her resources vanish. Baba Yaga is no exception, she will use any weird magic at her disposal if it helps her stay alive. After all, a hag that's not dead has a virtually limitless lifetime to replace what was spentit so is better to use such things than to risk death by not doing so.
Baba Yaga's
Weird Magic Items
The sample of her creations provided offers a glimpse into Baba Yaga's inventory but in no way represents the full scope of her capabilities:
Baba Yaga's Broomstick
wondrous item, rare
This wooden broom, which weighs 3 pounds, functions like a mundane broom until Baba Yaga stands astride it and speaks its Command word. It then hovers beneath her and can be ridden in the air. It has a Flying speed of 50 feet. It can carry up to 400 pounds, but its Flying speed becomes 30 feet while carrying over 200 pounds. The broom stops hovering when baba Yaga lands it. Baba Yaga can send the broom to Travel alone to a destination within 1 mile of herself if she speaks the Command word, names the Location, and is familiar with that place. The broom comes back to her when she speaks another Command word, provided that the broom is still within 1 mile of her. She can also command the broom to follow her mortar & pestle, erasing its tracks as it moves.
Baba Yaga's Eye
wondrous item, rare
Coated in varnish, it can be set into pendants, rings, medallions, brooches, and other accessories before being given to unsuspecting enemies and victims as gifts or mementos, allowing Baba Yaga to know their every move. The hag's eye can also be given to a minion, familiar, or animal companion. Baba Yaga can use her hag's eye to watch over her dealings or aid her minions on patrol by allowing her to communicate with them through magical means.
Bottle of Wasps
wondrous item, very rare
By vigoroously shaking then uncorking the bottle, Baba Yaga unleashes an insect plague spell. If she uncorks the bottle without shaking it, the wasps surround her and will stitch any of Baba Yaga's wounds resulting from piercing or slashing damage caused by silvered or magical weapons. The wasps heal 18 (4d8) hp of damage. The wasps scatter randomly after stitching any wounds. Each bottle of wasps can be used once.
Grandma's Recipe for Razor Wind
spell scroll, very rare
This scroll contains a spell called razor wind, created by Baba Yaga's grandmother. The scroll is written in the ancient mysterious language known only to hags. Each time the scroll is read, a ritual must be held by Baba Yaga to recharge the scroll. The ritual takes 3 hours and requires access to a cauldron, the wing and talon of a small or tiny flying beast, and a sliver of Baba Yaga's own fingernail. This scroll forces a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw.
Jar of Death Slugs
wondrous item, very rare
Placed near a creature's head while they sleep, death slugs find their way inside the creatures head through their ears or nose. Once inside, they attempt to burrow into the creature's brain, killing the host and producing the effect of a create undead spell shortly after the creature dies. The creature must make a DC 18 Constitution save. On a failed save, the slug burrows into the brain, killing the creature. On a successful save, the slug does not find its way to the brain or dies before reaching the brain, inflicting 28 (5d10) poison damage.
Memory Containers
wondrous item, very rare
Used to steal the memories of mortals, these containers each store one memory. Upon opening a container, Baba Yaga may target any creature within 30 feet of the container that she can see. The target must make a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or lose a memory to the jar. On a successful save, the targeted creature is unaffected and cannot be targeted by the same memory container again. However, the container can be used on a different creature if it is first recorked, then uncorked again. Once captured, the jar must remain sealed to keep the victim from remembering the memory trapped inside. If opened, the victim immediately has the memory restored. As long as the jar was not damaged when opened, it can be used again. If a creature has a memory stolen, they must roll a d6 to determine what kind of memory is stolen: (1) language, (2) skill, (3) proficiency, (4) feat, (5) spell, or (6) subclass feature to "forget." While "forgotten", the creatrure does not have access to it and cannot benefit from it in any way. If the creature has no such "memory" to steal, they lose 2 points from their INT score.
Mortar & Pestle
wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)
The creations of the immortal hag Baba Yaga defy the laws of mortal magic. Among the notorious implements that cement her legend on countless worlds are the artifacts that propel her through the planes: Baba Yaga's Mortar and Pestle. These signature tools of Baba Yaga are a single artifact for purposes of attunement. Should the two objects become separated, the pestle appears next to the mortar at the next dawn.
Beneficial Properties While attuned to the artifact, Baba Yaga gains the following beneficial properties: +l bonus to her AC; she can use an action to cast the gust cantrip from it; her walking speed increases by 10 feet.
Detrimental Properties While attuned to the artifact, all holy water within 10 feet of her is destroyed.
Destroying the Mortar and Pestle. The mortar and pestle are destroyed if they are crushed underfoot by the Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga or by Baba Yaga herself.
Properties of the Mortar. The mortar is a tiny wooden bowl. However, the mortar increases in size to accommodate anything placed inside, expanding — if there's enough space — up to large size, meaning it can hold even a large creature.
Properties of the Pestle. The pestle is a 6-inch-long, worn wooden tool. Once during her turn while she is holding the pestle, she can extend it into a quarterstaff or shrink it back into a pestle (no action required). As a quarterstaff, the pestle is a magic weapon that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The pestle has 12 charges. When she hits with a melee attack using the pestle, she can expend up to 3 of its charges to deal an extra 1d8 force damage for each charge expended. The pestle regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
Perfect Tools. While holding the mortar and pestle, she can use her action to say the name of any nonmagical plant, mineral, or fluid and an amount of the material worth 10 gp or less. The mortar instantly fills with the desired amount of that material. Once she uses this action, she can't do so again until she finishes a short or long rest. She can also use the artifact as alchemist's supplies, brewer's supplies, cook's utensils, an herbalism kit, and a poisoner's kit. She has advantage on any check she makes using the artifact as one of these tools.
Primal Parts. As an action while the pestle and the mortar is within 5 feet of her, she can command the pestle to grind. For the next minute, or until she uses her action to verbally command it to stop, the pestle moves on its own, grinding the contents of the mortar into a mush or fine powder that's equally useful for cooking or alchemy. At the start of each of her turns, whatever is in the mortar takes 4dl0 force damage. If this reduces the target's hit points to 0, the target is reduced to powder, pulp, or paste, as appropriate. Only magic items are unaffected. If she desires, when the pestle stops, she can have the mortar separate its contents — like powdered bone, crushed herbs, pulped organs — into separate piles.
Traverse the Night. If she is holding the pestle while she is inside the mortar, she can use her action to verbally command the mortar to travel to a specific place or creature. She doesn't need to know where her destination is, but it must be a specific destination — not just the nearest river or a red dragon's lair. If the stated destination is within 1,000 miles of her, the mortar lifts into the air and vanishes. Baba Yaga and any creatures in the mortar travel through a dreamlike sky, with hazy reflections of the world passing by below. Creatures might see images of you streaking through the sky between the point of origin and the destination. They arrive at the location 1 hour later or, if it is night, 1 minute later.
Bones Know Their Home. When she commands the mortar to travel, she can instead throw out the dust or paste of something ground by the mortar and name a location on a different plane of existence or a different world on the Material Plane. If that material came from a creature native to the named plane or world, the mortar travels through an empty night sky to an unoccupied space at that destination, arriving in 1 minute.
Mummified Toads
wondrous item, rare
Embalmed by Baba Yaga's coven, the mumified toads can be thrown it into a boiling-hot cauldron, immediately causing the cauldron to spew out inky blackness equivalent to the 2nd level evocation spell darkness.
Runestones
wondrous item, legendary
Baba Yaga posesses a small set of three ancient runestones containing the three syllables needed for crystallizing blood. As a bonus action, she can select a creature within sight to target and then toss the runes. As an action, she reads the runes, possibly causing the target's blood to begin crystalizing. The target must make a DC 18 CON save. On a successful save, they are poisoned but their blood does not begin to crystalize. A poisoned creature may repeat the saving throw at the beginning of each turn to end the effects of the poison. On a failed save, in addition to being poisoned, the creature's blood also begins to crystalize causing it to gain 1 level of exhaustion each minute until death. A successful saving throw stops the crystalization of the blood and ends the poisoned effect on the creature.
Soul Bag
wondrous item, legendary
When an evil humanoid dies as a result of a night hag's Nightmare Haunting, the hag catches the soul in this black sack made of stitched flesh . A soul bag can hold only one evil soul at a time, and only the night hag who crafted the bag can catch a soul with it. Crafting a soul bag takes 7 days and a humanoid sacrifice (whose flesh is used to make the bag).
Undeath-sensing Eyeballs
wondrous item, rare
Made using methods similar to those used to make her hag's eye, Baba Yaga uses undeath-seeing eyeballs to set watch and monitor for the presence of living things. She mentally receives visual information from these eyes, which have normal vision and darkvision out to 60 feet. Placed inside liquid filled glass containers, the eyes can look in every direction. The eyeballs can detect the lifeforce of any creature not undead, including those that are invisible. When detecting a lifeforce, the eyeballs move around rapidly inside their containers.
Weird Mirrors
wondrous item, uncommon
Breaking one of these mirrors creates a 30 ft radius spherical cloud of glass shards. Anyone inside the sphere when it is created and at the beginning of their turn or anyone entering the sphere takes 2d4 + 2 piercing damage. Each 5 feet of movement through the cloud causes the creature to take an additional 2d4 +2 piercing damage. Passing through - or out of - the sphere is considered difficult terrain. The cloud of glass shards has a duration of 2 rounds.
Baba Yaga's Custom Spells
Using weird magic, Baba Yaga has customized several spells. They are listed here for reference. Also included is Baba Yaga's own creation (also a product of weird magic), a nineth-level spell called wendigo sickness and a spell called razor wind which was created by her grandmother.
Spectral Hand of Baba Yaga
cantrip conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V S
- Duration: 1 minute
A spectral, floating copy of Baba Yaga's hand appears at a point she chooses within range. The hand lasts for the duration or until she dismisses it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 60 feet away from her or if she casts this spell again.
She can use her action to control the hand. She can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. She can move the hand up to 60 feet each time she uses it.
The hand can’t activate magic items, or carry more than 20 pounds. It can however, make a melee attack with its claws dealing 5d8 necrotic damage. If the hand makes a successful melee attack, the spell ends regardless of duration remaining.
Vicious Mockery of Baba Yaga
cantrip enchantment
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V
- Duration: Instantaneous
Baba Yaga unleashes a string of insults laced with enchantments at a creature she can see within range. If the target can hear her (though it need not understand her), it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 5d6 psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
Baba Yaga's Hideous Laughter
1st level enchantment
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V S M (Tiny rotten tarts and a feather that is waved in the air)
- Duration: Concentration 1 minute
A creature of her choice that she can see within range perceives everything as hilariously funny and falls into fits of laughter if this spell affects it. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall prone, becoming incapacitated and unable to stand up for the duration. A creature with an Intelligence score of 4 or less isn’t affected.
For the duration of the spell, each time it takes damage, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the spell ends.
Dissonant Whispers of Baba Yaga
2nd-level enchantment
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V
- Duration: Instantaneous
Baba Yaga whispers a discordant melody that only one creature of her choice within range can hear, wracking it with terrible pain. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d8 psychic damage and must immediately use its reaction, if available, to move as far as its speed allows away from her. The creature doesn’t move into obviously dangerous ground, such as a fire or a pit. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and must also move away. A deafened creature automatically succeeds on the save. When she casts this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.
Baba Yaga's Black Tentacles
4th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 90 feet
- Components: V S M (A piece of tentacle from a giant octopus or a giant squid)
- Duration: Concentration, Up to 1 minute
Squirming, ebony tentacles fill a 20-foot square on the ground that she can see within range. For the duration, these tentacles turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends.
A creature that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage. A creature restrained by the tentacles can use its action to make a DC 21 Strength or Dexterity check (its choice) against being restrained. On a success, it frees itself.
Baba Yaga's Faithful Hound
4th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V S M (a tiny silver whistle, a piece of bone, and a thread)
- Duration: 24 hours
Baba Yaga conjures a phantom watchdog in an unoccupied space that she can see within range, where it remains for the duration, until she dismiss it as an action, or until she moves more than 120 feet away from it. The hound is invisible to all creatures except her and can't be harmed.
The hound sees invisible creatures and can see into the Ethereal Plane. It ignores illusions. When a Small or larger creature comes within 30 feet of it without first speaking the password that Baba Yaga specifed when she cast this spell, the hound starts barking loudly.
At the start of each of Baba Yaga's turns, the hound will attack one hostile creature within 5 feet of Baba Yaga. The hound's attack bonus is +10 to hit. Its bite deals 4d10 piercing damage. The damage is considered magical.
Baba Yaga's Sickening Radiance
5th-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, Up to 10 minutes
Dim greenish-light spreads within a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on a point she chooses within range. The light spreads around corners, and it lasts until the spell ends.
When a creature moves into the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, that creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 4d12 necrotic damage, and it suffers one level of exhaustion and emits a dim, greenish light in a 5-foot radius. This light makes it impossible for the creature to benefit from being invisible. The light and any levels of exhaustion caused by this spell go away when the spell ends. The first time a creature takes damage from this spell it reduces the creature's HP maximum by the damage taken, that can only be reversed by a greater restoration spell.
Razor Wind
5th-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: self (60 ft cone)
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
The caster whispers the incantation, then blows air into their hands, which they then release. A blast of wind erupts from their hands and wind extends in the direction the caster's hands are pointing when the air is released. Any creature hit by the blast of razor wind must make a Dexterity saving throw vs the caster's spell save DC to avoid being directly hit by the blast. On a failed save, the creature takes 4d8 cold damage and 4d8 slashing damage. On a successful save, the creature only takes the cold damage.
Each damage type increases by 1d8 for each level the spell is cast above 5th level. At 9th level, the range is extened by 30 feet.
Wendigo Sickness
9th-level enchantment
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, M (a piece of biomass from a plant, a piece of flesh from a living creature, and a pinch of soil, each of which are indigenous to the area where the spell is cast)
- Duration: Instantaneous
Baba Yaga utters foul & menacing words, corrupting the mind of those who hear the words and are unable to resist their effect. Upon uttering the words, any creature within 60 feet of her that also hears her, must make a Wisdom saving throw vs her spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is cursed and is overcome by wendigo sickness. On a successful save, they avoid the wendigo sickness, but must roll on the short-term madness table, experiencing the corresponding effect for 10 minutes.
Creatures experiencing wendigo sickness are consumed by an intense craving for flesh until the spell's effect is removed (individually from each creature affected) by a dispel magic spell cast at 9th level. Having the effects of the spell removed this way excuses the victim from having to roll on the madness table when the effect is removed.
For the duration of the wendigo sickness, on each of the affected creatures' turns, they must attack the nearest living creature (preferring the same creature type as themself) or expend all their movement moving toward the nearest living creature (preferring the same creature type as themself).
Creatures affected by the wendigo sickness can make a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each turn to try to ovecome the sickness. On a successful save, they are no longer affected by the wendigo sickness but they must roll on the long-term madness table, experiencing the corresponding effect for 10 hours.
Mad Alchemy
Baba Yaga uses her bubbling cauldron from which she toils mayhem to combine wicked rituals and cannibalistic feasts into a depraved form of mad alchemy. From within the shrieking, writhing soup of primordial ooze rise grotesque monsters and potions known as hag brews, the creation of which is based on similar principles to the creation of a hag eye.
Once each month, on the night of a full moon, Baba Yaga can perform her part in a vile ceremony, beginning an hour before midnight and ending an hour after. She must stay within 10 ft of her coven sisters the entire time the ceremony is performed. They cannot use their coven abilities the day after, the brewing expends all of such magic.
Baba Yaga's
Mad-Alchemic Brews
Baba Yaga's brews, like all hags' brews, require the sacrifice of a sentient being and various other terrible ingredients depending on the type of concoction she wishes to brew. Her brews almost always contain certain adverse side-effects. The following are just a few examples of Baba Yaga's brews:
Black Eyes
potion, rare
A thick, black substance given to those sent by a hag to track something important. This brew equires a coven of three different types of hags and a sliver of hag tongue to grant the drinker darkvision and the ability to see the invisible for a week. The Brew of Black Eyes also gives the drinker nightmares that prevent them from sleeping properly, allowing the hags to force the drinker into telepathic correspondence.
Brew of the Beloved
potion, very rare
A steaming, sickeningly sweet vapor that charms most creatures that breath it in (DC 30 Charisma save), compelling them to obey the orders of the creator coven. The victim will not do anything if given multiple orders at once. The Brew of the Beloved requires the warty scalps of each creator as well as the hair of a dozen fair maidens. Fittingly, creating this brew requires at least one green hag member.
Brew of Cegilune's Blessing
potion, legendary
The Brew of Cegilune's Blessing renders any goodly being that drinks it unconscious for several hours, sapping their fortitude. This brew temporarily turns evil creatures that drink it into fiends. The duration is one week. When the brew wears off, the drinker's vitality is permanently debilitated, almost irreversibly. They must make a DC 25 Constitution save. On a failed save, the creature's Constitution score is reduced by 4. On a successful save, it is reduced by 2. The Brew of Cegilune's Blessing demands a blood-stained idol of the goddess and ample portions of the creators' flesh.
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Baba Yaga's Magical Hut
Reported to have appeared near Rashemen, in northeast Faerûn, Baba Yaga's magical hut is a domus mactibilis or "monster house." It can also be described as a structural golem. This log-cabin-style hut is perched atop a pair of giant chicken legs. Usually the hut is either spinning around as it moves through the forest or standing with its back towards a visitor when approached. Baba Yaga is known to ask the house to turn around when she needs it to.
Fell Magic
The Bone Mother's foul nature slowly suffuses the environment around her lair, twisting it to evil. The region within 1 mile of the Little Grandmother’s Magical Hut is warped by her fell magic, which creates the following effects:
Beasts that have an Intelligence score of 2 or lower are charmed by the hag and directed to be aggressive toward intruders in the area.
Strange carved figurines, twig fetishes, or rag dolls magically appear in trees.
Strange laughter, sounding like that of children or the hag herself, occasionally pierces the silence.
Small cairns appear along the route of travelers, containing anything from mysterious bones to nothing at all. These cairns might be haunted by skeletons, specters, or hostile fey.
Illusory duplicates of the hag appear in random places at random times (but never more than one in any given location). An illusory duplicate has no substance, but it looks, sounds, and moves like the hag. The hag can sense when one or more creatures are within 60 feet of her duplicate and can interact with them as if she were present and standing in the duplicate’s space. If the illusory duplicate takes any damage, it disappears.
Trees transform into awakened trees and attack when hostile intruders are near.
Some or all creatures are transported to a harmless but eerie demiplane filled with shadowy forms, waxy corpses, and cackling. The creatures are trapped there for a minute or two, and then returned to the place where they vanished from.
Creatures with an intelligence score of 6 or higher see hallucinations of dead friends, family members, and even themselves littering the hag’s realm. Any attempt to interact with a hallucinatory image causes it to disappear.
Regional Effects take up to 11 (2d10) days to fade away if Baba Yaga abandons her lair.
The Mistreated
Although she is solitary by nature, the Little Grandmother sometimes feels the need for companionship. She usually scratches this itch by acquiring servants she can insult and slap around as she wishes. Such a creature might be charmed into compliance, or under a spell that stops its heart if it disobeys, or too afraid of nonmagical punishment for failure to do what she says. Most hags have some kind of slave or minion creature living with or near them as a defense against attackers, even if it's just a common animal. All of Baba Yaga's servants, animal or otherwise, tend to be treated poorly.
Animal Guardians
Baba Yaga has had several guardian animals over her life time, with the most prominent being cats. Some of these cats were mundane, while others were magical and intelligent, like her current pet. Sometimes she keeps guard dogs, wolves, and occasionally dire wolves. These are typically malnourished and live either on her hut's porch or in its stables.
Stables
Within the stables of her hut she keeps a group of magnificently well-bred horses and various types of a magical livestock. Her stables sometimes house pegasi, nightmares, and even intelligent horses capable of traveling freely between planes.
Servants
Baba Yaga has an annis hag maid. Typically, the minions who Baba Yaga entrusts to protect her home are constructs, undead creations, or unintelligent vermin.
Visitors
Baba Yaga is known to have night hag visitors.
Entering Baba Yaga's Magical Hut
Baba Yaga's house will only permit entry after a certain secret incantation is said: "Hut, hut, turn your back to the forest and your front to me."
Treasure Everywhere
Baba Yaga's home is cluttered with mundane items, caged creatures, oddities, objects that hint of a magical purpose, preserved specimens, scraps of lore, and curiosities that have a supernatural origin but aren't inherently magical. Much of her treasure is strewn among all the clutter in her lair, making it difficult for intruders to quickly identify all the items that have use or value. But the Little Grandmother knows what - and also knows where - everything is. Like every hag, she is infallible when it comes to keeping track of her treasures and other possessions. Her organization and labeling, if such a system exists, is designed to foil thieves and serve as a final, vexing puzzle for anyone who tries to make use of an item without her consent.
The Bone Mother’s treasure - like a any gift from a fey being - should be doubted and even feared rather than simply being scooped up and carted away. Treasure-seekers are likely to fare better if they consider a Baba Yaga's booty to be trapped, exercising caution rather than giving in to greed or curiosity. Manipulating a container or other item without knowing what’s inside or what it does (or without knowing the proper password or technique) is likely to be very dangerous. At best, whatever was held in a container merely escapes or dissipates. At worst, just about anything can happen, none of it good.
One-of-a-Kind Objects
Above and beyond the items of obvious value the Little Grandmother has accumulated, she also has a few bizarre and unique items in her collection. The following Hag Objects can be found throughout Baba Yaga's Magical Hut:
The eye of a cleric. Preserved in a liquid-filled jar. It remains motionless until an undead creature comes within 100 feet of the jar, then the eye darts about as if it is looking around in a panic.
The leathery, preserved head of a dwarf. Anyone who holds its 5-foot-long beard can see through its eyes up to 60 feet with darkvision up to 30 feet.
A sickly crow with clipped wings. The only sound it can make is to roar like a lion.
A seemingly empty, sealed jar. If opened, the person standing closest to the jar suddenly recalls 1d6 happy memories from the life of a long dead elf lord.
A seemingly mundane gold piece. Anyone who touches it gains the unshakable belief that this is the very first gold coin minted by humanity.
A black box. 3 feet on each side. Anyone who opens it finds a set of up to three wooden, articulated figures that are modeled after up to three members of the adventuring party. If the figures are stood on the ground, they act out insulting parodies of their duplicates’ recent actions.
A thick, dusty tome. Every page is filled with tiny, barely legible writing. Careful study of the book reveals it to be a written transcript of every conversation that took place over the course of a year, three years ago, involving the creature who finds it.
A small painting. The painting depicts a placid field. Just after midnight each day, the painting changes to depict the following day’s weather.
Exit Strategy
Baba Yaga always has at least three escape plans, in case ambitious dogooders try to turn her home into her final resting place. If she is outmatched, or wants to vacate her lair quickly for some other reason, she uses a mix of her innate spellcasting, rare magic, guile, and the assistance of minions to get away.
If she is forced to resort to such measures, she immediately begins to plot her retaliation against those that cause her to flee. Baba Yaga has a long life over which to exact her vengeance, and no dish of revenge is sweeter than one served cold to the next three generations of an enemy's family.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Baba Yaga can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects, but can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
Until initiative count 20 on the next round, she can pass through solid walls, doors, ceilings, and floors as if the surfaces weren’t there.
She targets any number of doors and windows that she can see, causing each one to either open or close as she wishes. Closed doors can be magically locked (requiring a successful DC 20 Strength check to force open) until she chooses to make them unlocked, or until she uses this lair action again to open them.
She creates a thick cloud of caustic black smoke that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point she can see within 120 feet her. The cloud lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round. Creatures and objects in or behind the smoke are heavily obscured. A creature that enters the cloud for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there takes 10 (3d6) acid damage.
She creates an illusory duplicate of herself, which appears in its own space. As long as she can see her duplicate, she can move it a distance equal to her walking speed as well as make the illusion speak on her turn (no action required). The illusion has the same statistics as Baba Yaga but can’t take actions or reactions. It can interact with its environment and even pick up and hold real objects. The illusion seems real in every way but disappears if it takes any amount of damage. Otherwise, it lasts until Baba Yaga dismisses it (no action required) or can no longer see it. If she uses this lair action to create a new duplicate, the previous one vanishes, dropping any real objects in its possession.
She targets up to three creatures that she can see within 60 feet of her. Each target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be flung up to 30 feet through the air. A creature that strikes a solid object or is released in midair takes ld6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet moved or fallen.
Otherworldly Patron:
The Bone Mother
Baba Yaga is well-respected by her fellow Archfey for her powers. To their demise, many sages and adventurers have sought her out for her vast knowledge of magic because powerful Archfey, like Baba Yaga, can grant divine abilities to their worshipers. They can be contacted by a willing warlock to form a fey pact. Hags prefer to employ clever, cruel creatures rather than dumb oafs. This is especially true for any mortal the Bone Mother would consider entering into a fey pact with. Unlike the muscle a hag might typically employ, you do more than run errands and take care of roughing up enemies or patrolling areas that your Patron considers beneath her personal attention. Also unlike mercenaries under your Patron's employ that serve the hag only so long as it benefits them, your arrangement with your Patron is no longer based on free will. Your committment is much deeper, with no end in sight. You obey her orders without question. Those who serve the Little Grandmother as closely as you will surely be warped by the hag in order to better serve her.
Bone Mother's Spells
Baba Yaga is willing to teach you a variety of useful spells from her repertoire, implying she actually does have a use for you. Good luck meeting her expectations.
Expanded Spell List
| Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 1st | disguise self, magic missile |
| 2nd | knock, silence |
| 3rd | nondetection, sleet storm |
| 4th | faithful hound, locate creature |
| 5th | arcane hand, control winds |
Iron Token
1st level Bone Mother feature
Baba Yaga's annis hag maid pulled out one of her iron teeth (or nails) and spent 1 minute shaping and polishing it into the form of a coin, a ring, or a tiny mirror (your choice). When you receive this Iron Token at 1st level, as an action, you can use it to have a whispered conversation with Baba Yaga's annis hag maid, provided you and the hag are on the same plane of existence and within 10 miles of each other. When you hold the Iron Token and are concentrating on it, you can hear only the hag’s voice, not those of any other creatures or any ambient noise around the hag. You are not affected by any spell or effect that requires you to be able to hear in order to be effected. Similarly, the hag can hear you but not the noise around you. Using an action to converse with the annis hag produces the effect of a guidance cantrip cast on you.
In addition, you learn the vicious mockery cantrip. This counts as a warlock spell for you and does not count toward the number of cantrips you know.
Magical Alteration
6th level Bone Mother feature
Over time, you are altered by Baba Yaga's presence. You are becoming a twisted version of your former self, in a dark fey sort of way, but you are still recognizable as what you once were. At 6th level, choose a permanant physical alteration of your form. This alteration is purely cosmetic and grants you no benefits or abilities. Choose additional physical alterations at 10th and 14th level. In addition, your time spent around your Patron and her coven has also altered you magically. At 6th level, and again at 12th and 18th level, choose one of the following magical alterations:
Fear of Failure. Meeting the Little Grandmother's expectations is impossible, even when you do everythging right. Expect a whack! That is guaranteed. Indirectly, this treatment has lead to greater and more sustained effort by you in all capacities.
When applying skills you are proficient in or using tools which you are proficient with, you roll ability checks with advantage.
Lowly Form. You have lost count of how many times Baba Yaga has transformed you into some lowly creature, either as punnishment, torture for her amusement, or as some sort of teachable moment. You have learned and are now able to innately transform yourself into a crow or a rat. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. The transformation lasts a number of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus, unless you end the effect early using a bonus action. When transformed, you take on the stat block of the animal but retain your hit points. Your equipment changes with you. You must complete a long rest to regain expended uses of this feature.
One Eye Open. Living with hags makes it hard to sleep. Even if you could sleep, you should sleep with one eye open. After so many slepless nights, you have adapted. When taking a short or long rest and sleeping, you always do so under the effects of a silent alarm spell. The alarm spell ends immediately when you wake up.
Scar Tissue. One of Baba Yaga's favorite ways of making a point - or generating laughs from her coven - was to burn you; never the same way twice. Thanks to her, you have developed resitance to fire damage.
Sense of Urgency. Serving any hag is stressful. Serving the Mother of Witches is a living nightmare. You quickly developed a sense of urgency, to avoid her wrath. Being punctual didn't help. It did however lead you to devloping a fast way of moving through the night. You gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.
Sticks & Stones. "Sticks and stones will break your bones", so will her bare hands, "and names will never hurt me", like they used to. After being subjected to relentless abuse and humiliation, you have toughened up. You gain resistance to your choice of bludgeoning or psychic damage.
Safekeeping
10th level Bone Mother feature
Baba Yaga's coven crafted a hag eye, which is made from a real eye coated in varnish. It happens to be the eye of your predecessor, the last to make a fey pact with the Bone Mother. It is fitted to a pendant or other wearable item of your choice and decorated with fragments of a dead auntie's heartstone. The coven's hag eye has AC 10, 1 hit point (but is only susceptible to force damage), and darkvision with a radius of 60 feet. Any hag in the coven can take an action to see what the hag eye sees if the hag eye is on the same plane of existence. If the hag eye is destroyed, Baba yaga will immediately find you and cast finger of death on you using a 7th level spell slot.
At 10th level, the coven's hag eye is entrusted to you for safekeeping (and so you could be watched at all times). While wearing the item, you can add your charisma modifier to initiative roills when relying on darkvision. The heartstone fragments make you immune to disease. If you use a bonus action to present the eye to a creature with an Intelligence score of 8 or higher, and the creature sees the eye, the creature must make a Charisma save vs your warlock spell save DC or be frightened by you for 1 minute. On a successful save (or after being frightened) a creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
In addition, starting at 10th level, when choosing new cantrips, you can choose from the wizard spell list.
Magic Word
14th level Bone Mother feature
Under duress a hag might speak a magic word to call upon a blood debt from a dragon, a noble, or another hag, making her able to wield magical, political, or physical power in a way she can’t do by herself. While tending to mundane chores in Baba Yaga's Magical Hut, you noticed one of these words written on a piece of human flesh pinned to a flat piece of tree bark. At 14th level, you learn one Magic Word of your choice and you can speak it once per day. The effect of any Magic Word lasts for a number of rounds equal to your half your warlock level (rounded down).
Word of Magical Power. As a bonus action, speak this word and you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage dealt by warlock cantrips and spells from your expanded spell list.
Word of Political Power. As a bonus action, speak this word and you can enhance the effects of spells you cast from the school of enchantment magic. It would make even the Little Grandmother proud, though you would never know it. For the duration, anyone making a saving throw vs a spell you cast from the school of enchantment magic rolls with disadvantage.
Word of Physical Power. As a bonus action, speak this word and your Strength ability score is increased by 4. This ability score increase is allowed to raise your Strength ability score above 20. You also roll Strength ability checks with advantage. In addition, you score critical hits with melee weapons on rolls of 19 & 20.
