# Hagborn

##### Race and subraces of half-hags as playable characters
##### in D&D 5e
##### Written by Jon
##### Character art by Mikhail Palamarchuk
##### Prop art by Leo Weiss
I recommend reading the Hag entries in the 5e Monster Manual and Volo's Guide to Monsters
before reading and using this Homebrew addition

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## Hagborn *So it's like a butterfly?*

What? No. Not unless butterflies mean someting very different to you. Did a butterfly hurt you Tanry?

*Come on, its not that far fetched. You grow up with a first nature, innocent and mundane. Like a caterpillar.*

Go on.

*And then, when they change - or in your case, *if* you change - you come out with a new nature. A second nature. A nature that isn't really yours anymore. It's like the caterpillar died in the cocoon, and something else came out. (...)

* -Quara and Tanry, *Overheard in a tavern.*
___ When someone says their parent is a monster, they normally don't mean it in a literal sense. Scattered throughout the realms of men and elves however, are a scarce people who have very real stakes to such a claim. These are the daughters of hags: powerful and wicked fey, with great magical prowess. They live in wild places on the outskirts of civilization, and enjoy nothing more than the suffering of goodhearted folk. Hags have only unsavory ways to come with child, and will carry only daughters.
These daughters will seem to hail from the race of their father, either human or elf, and the hag will try to influence the child to do evil deeds, and think evil thoughts. Hagborn successfully corrupted to evil this way, will begin a transformation that eventually forms them into new hags.
If a hagborn fails to be turned to evil however, she can live out her life as a woman, but never without the influence of her hagsblood. ``` ```

### Witchspawn Some hags will raise their daughters in their own lairs, far from the eyes of others. These hagborn rarely stay so for long, so exposed to evil that they nearly always change and turn as soon as they can. The first chance for a hagborn to turn is by her 13th birthday, and as such that day is held in special esteem by the hags. Much like tieflings though, hagborn are not evil by nature.
If a handreared hagborn is good of heart, and the mother fails to change her daughters nature, she may keep the child around as a lackey, shun her and send her away or simply murder her.
Other times the child may escape on her own. \page Hags may also leave their child on an unsuspecting humanoid's doorstep, and let them raise her, while keeping contact with the girl in telepathic messages or secret meetings. This method saves time and effort on the hags part, but hagborn raised this way more often take after their adoptive parents, and fail to make the transformation. Since the hag already rejected investment in her daughter, she is as likely to let the small investment go, as she is to lash out in anger at her daughters 'failure'.
In whichever way she got there, when a hagborn finds herself living amongst other humanoids, she will eventually discover all the ways in which she is different from those around her. ### The blood of dark fey A hagborn will have the looks associated with the race of her father, the fate of which is never known, but unlikely to be good. Hags have made use of elven stock for as long as either race has existed. Both are ancient lineages, but perhaps hags had another host before them, now long forgotten. Humans have shown to be even more perfect for the hag's dark predation, because their short lives give great impact to even the slightest of torment the hags can brew up.
Humans also have an amazing capacity for evil, which the fey creatures can easily nurture in human-stock hagborn. No matter which race, the hagborn is only half mortal. Hagsblood is stronger than either man or elf, and has much greater sway on the girl's development.

The transformation to hagdom is the only fate that awaits evil hagborn. Once it is done, the former hagborn's ego seems to be smothered in new, dark desires, giving way to a new true hag. The hagsblood reacts quickly to hurtful acts made from reckless disregard, primal hatred, and selfish greed. Even in women of moderate character, a single act of true spite can trigger the hagsblood to react. The daughters of night hags might sprout budding horns, while those of green hags blood may grow festering warts and long rotten nails. Only true evil intent will tirgger the change , not acts of self-defence or those with unforeseen consequences.
Hagsblood knows well the true nature of evil. As long as the base nature of the hagborn doesn't shift, the changes are reversible, often even short lived. Still, they serve as a poignant reminder of the results of wickedness. ### Shadowy and estranged Apart from the constant thread of turning, the hagborn also gain other magical quirks from their heritage. As she grows and ages, the hagborn woman discovers that she takes on subtle aspects of the creature that birthed her. These aspects are not like the turning however: they are not so easily visible, and much more useful. An anis hagborn will grow in strength as her muscles harden and arms slightly lengthen. She will learn that she can sometimes bend iron without forging it, and imbue it with magic that comes to her in dreams. Each hagborn comes to know certain spells and weird magics, in the same way a baby learns to walk, or a youngling knows to fear the dark. It is no stranger to her than breathing when she is matured into a woman.
For this reason, hagborn take easily to other magics, and many become mages or scholars of the arcane. No matter what path the hagborn chooses in her life among the realms of men, elves, halflings, dwarfs or other proud races, there will always be a part of her that remembers her strange becoming. She may easily gain friends and allies, partners and enemies as any other, all without anyone else learning her secret. Should someone figure out her heritage however, it is uncertain how they would react. Very few know the nature of hags or hagborn, but most would suspect the very worst from both.

Hagborn who settle down with a partner will be faced with more strange quirks of their birth. No matter her apparent race, she will live doubly as long as a human, but nary a fifth as long as an elf. Should she get pregnant and give birth, she will only carry sons, who may themselves grow up to become sorcerers thanks to their magical heritage. Elven hagborn can carry pureblood human sons, and vice versa, depending on the childs father. A hagborn can never mother a half-elf, not even to a half-elf father - the child will be either or. It is unlikely that a hagborn will ever know if she has met another woman or girl like herself, but live out her life as a part of a people from whom she will always be slightly apart. ### Hagborn Names Hags who keep their children give them strange baby-names at birth, such as 'Little Rat Hammie' or 'You who Smells like Stale'. Maybe these names are ment to be endearing, but it is impossible to know the twisted mind of a hag. Nevertheless, they are not ment to last, as a hag will name herself when she turns, according to whim and ancient tradition. Hags strange desires reflect in their names, and they might call themselves 'Aunty Toe-Toe Thricefold' or 'Mother in the House at the Sunken Well'. If a hagborn integrates in humanoid societies, or grew up in one, she will most likely take a name appropriate to her apparant race, or the race she lives amongst. A hagborn may keep part of, or all, of her baby name, or take on a hag name as part of her names, or as a nickname. ___ - **Hagborn 'baby names':**('Cutting bird', 'Little Runner There', 'Mousy Girl You', 'Clippings', 'Go on Outside', 'Wormie') - **Hag names:**('Grandmother Mildew', 'Agatha Whacking-Pan', 'Nerry See Me Amongst the Trees', 'Geudell Got You')

\page ### Hagborn Traits Hags are creatures of fey magic, and their daughters take after them. They have an instinct for how to convince , both people and the magical weave, to do their bidding. In terms of prowess, the hagsblood takes priority over mortal blood. ____ - ***Ability Score Increase.*** All hagborn have a Charisma increase of 2. - ***Age.*** Hagborn women mature at the same age as humans. Unless she progesses to true hagdom at age 13 (or later), her half-fey form can last no longer than 2 centuries. - ***Alignment.*** Hagborn of evil allignments always turn to true hags eventually. Even amongst kind women, the evil nature of hagsblood drives hagborn to favor neutrality. - ***Size.*** Hagborn resemble human or elven women. Your size is medium. - ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. - ***Fey ancestry.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep. - ***Languages.*** You can speak, read and write Common and one other language based on the type of your hag mother. - ***Subrace.*** A hagborns inherited abilities and quirks are dependand on which type of hag her mother was or is. Differences between Green-, Night-, Sea-, Anis- and Bheur hags are clear and evident in their unturnt daughters. #### Green hag's daughter Green hags live in swamps. They love deception and trickery. ___ - ***Language.*** You know the Sylvan language. - ***Ability score increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases by 1. - ***Slime tongue.*** You gain proficinecy in the Deception skill. - ***Stolen voice.*** You have advantage on Deception checks used to imitate the sound of a non-talking creature you have heard, or the voice of a talking creature you have heard. Creatures that can see you speaking, or which you fail to decieve, can tell that the sound is an imitation. - ***Hedge magic.*** You know the vicious mockery cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the disguise self spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you inish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the invisibility spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. #### Night hag's daughter Night hags are fiends of hell who steal evil people's souls. ___ - ***Language.*** You choose to know either the Infernal or Abyssal language. - ***Ability score increase.*** Your Inteligence score increases by 1. - ***Reader of dreams.*** You gain proficinecy in the Insight skill. - ***Superiour darkvision.*** Thanks to your fiendish mother, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. - ***Dream stealer.*** You know the sleep spell, and can cast it once with this trait, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. You can cast this spell at level 1, plus 1 level for every second character level you have gained after 1st, up to a spell level of 9 at character level 17. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. ``` ``` #### Sea hag's daughter Sea hags are embittered ocean monsters with cursed stares. ___ - ***Language.*** You know the Aquan language. - ***Ability score increase.*** Your Dexterity score increases by 1. - ***Amphibious.*** You can breathe air and water. - ***Webbed digits.*** You gain a swim speed of 30 feet. - ***Hideous mien.*** You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. - ***Evil eye.*** You can bestow a spiteful curse with your glare. As an action, a creature you choose must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 10 plus your Charisma modifier, plus your proficiency bonus. You must be able to see the chosen creature, and it must be within 120 feet of you. On a failed save, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to 3d4 plus your Charisma modifier. On a successful save it takes half that damage. You add 2d4 to this attacks damage at level 3, level 6, level 11 and level 16 respectivly and cumulativly. You can use this trait to attack as such once, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or a long rest. #### Anis hag's daughter Anis hags are mountain brutes with silver tongues. ___ - ***Language.*** You know the Giant language. - ***Ability score increase.*** Your Strength score increases by 2, but your Dexterity score decreases by 1. - ***Candied words.*** You gain proficinecy in the Persuation skill. - ***Tough skin.*** While not wearing armor, your AC equals 13 plus your Dexterity modifier. - ***Iron trinket.*** You know a ritual to create an enchanted iron object, which allows you to communicate magically with its wielder. The ritual requires material components, consisting of a drop of your own blood, and 5 gp worth of: A quater pound of pure iron, A large wolf's tooth and a few drops of Anis oil, which the ritual consumes. The pure iron is shaped, inscribed with runes and polished into a small object, such as a coin, a ring or a mirror. When another creature is in possesion of the object, they are able to communicate with the Hagborn through wispers, as long as they are on the same plane of excistance, and within 6 miles of each other. Each speaker can hear only the others' voice, and no other voices or ambient noise around the speaker. A hagborn can have no more then 3 such trinkets functional at a time. She can at will disable any of these trinkets while she can see it, at which point the item retains its form but loses its magical property. If she creates a new trinket while having 3 others functional, the one farthest away from her looses its magical property. #### Bheur hag's daughter Bheur hags are arctic cannibals, and sadists to a fault. ___ - ***Language.*** You know the Auran language. - ***Ability score increase.*** You have a Constitiution gain of 1. - ***Frigid bones.*** You have resistance against cold damage. - ***Winter sense.*** Non-magical snow and ice are never considered difficult terrain for you. - ***Frostbite.*** You know the chill touch cantrip, and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. - ***Mad hunger.*** Giving in to the savage and evil nature of your hagsblood, you can consume 1 pound of fresh humanoid flesh as an action to regain 1d6 + 2 hitpoints per level you have. You can use this trait to do so once, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or a long rest.

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