Baba Yaga d20 conversion?

[demiurge1138]

Any reason to assume she is not human? IIRC, she's just a stereotypical evil witch/sorceress...

Does she have any obvious non-human features in the original folk tales?

Well, he was traditionally described as "Baba Yaga Bony Leg", which might suggest something else. She was also huge (most stories delighted in gross details like how she laid in her hut with her head in the stove, her feet sticking out the door and her breasts stretching from wall to wall) and had sharp teeth (the better for threatening to eat the hero, of course).

Demiurge out.

 

[sckeener]

I have been a huge fan of Baba Yaga since the appearance of her Dancing Hut in Dragon magazine years ago.

Yes, issue #83 was wonderful. Roger Moore did a wonderful job on it.

From the Dragon mag, her race is undetermined. Here are her base stats from AD&D 1st edition
BABA YAGA
FREQUENCY: Unique
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVE: 6”
HIT POINTS: 135
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-8/3-8/5-20
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Assassination; crushing; horror; magic spells
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Fire, magic, and poison resistance; illusion, psionic, and limited spell immunity; special detection powers; regeneration; magic item and spell-produced defenses; acute senses and godlike intelligence and wisdom
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
SIZE: M (5’ tall)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
CLERIC/DRUID: 14th level druid
FIGHTER: 16+ HD monster
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 25th level magic-user / 15th level illusionist
THIEF/ASSASSIN:
MONK/BARD: Nil
SAVING THROWS: 3 in all categories (cannot be reduced further)
PSIONIC ABILITY: VI
S: 20 (+3/+8) I: 25 W: 23 D: 18 C: 21 CH: -1

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

One of the only published modules I've ever run was the one in Dragon #83. That was an absolute hoot!

 

[Tonguez]

Depending on the age of the Folklore Baba Yaga changes from being the Mother of the Thunder god, to a Powerful Storm Spirit, to a fey Hag, to an old Witch.

I'd cast her as a Outsider (so Night Hag with Class levels perhaps?)

 

[Shade]

I'd probably just go with unique native outsider, but akin to night hags.

 

[sckeener]

I believe it was in Dragon 344(?) where Baba Yaga is mentioned helpping Kostchtchie get his start.

I want to give Erik and James kudos for tossing Baba Yaga into Kostchtchie's saga. That whole article changed my entire use of Kostchtchie. (or in other words I will now use him.) I'm not a big fan of wrath, but that article made him a dynamic anti-hero character....and Baba Yaga was there!

 

[BOZ]

Yes, issue #83 was wonderful. Roger Moore did a wonderful job on it.

From the Dragon mag, her race is undetermined. Here are her base stats from AD&D 1st edition
BABA YAGA
FREQUENCY: Unique
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVE: 6”
HIT POINTS: 135
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-8/3-8/5-20
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Assassination; crushing; horror; magic spells
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Fire, magic, and poison resistance; illusion, psionic, and limited spell immunity; special detection powers; regeneration; magic item and spell-produced defenses; acute senses and godlike intelligence and wisdom
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
SIZE: M (5’ tall)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
CLERIC/DRUID: 14th level druid
FIGHTER: 16+ HD monster
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 25th level magic-user / 15th level illusionist
THIEF/ASSASSIN:
MONK/BARD: Nil
SAVING THROWS: 3 in all categories (cannot be reduced further)
PSIONIC ABILITY: VI
S: 20 (+3/+8) I: 25 W: 23 D: 18 C: 21 CH: -1

cool, thanks.

 

[BOZ]

I believe it was in Dragon 344(?) where Baba Yaga is mentioned helpping Kostchtchie get his start.

345.

 

[sckeener]

Yes, issue #83 was wonderful. Roger Moore did a wonderful job on it.

From the Dragon mag, her race is undetermined. Here are her base stats from AD&D 1st edition
BABA YAGA
FREQUENCY: Unique
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVE: 6”
HIT POINTS: 135
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-8/3-8/5-20
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Assassination; crushing; horror; magic spells
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Fire, magic, and poison resistance; illusion, psionic, and limited spell immunity; special detection powers; regeneration; magic item and spell-produced defenses; acute senses and godlike intelligence and wisdom
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
SIZE: M (5’ tall)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
CLERIC/DRUID: 14th level druid
FIGHTER: 16+ HD monster
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 25th level magic-user / 15th level illusionist
THIEF/ASSASSIN:
MONK/BARD: Nil
SAVING THROWS: 3 in all categories (cannot be reduced further)
PSIONIC ABILITY: VI
S: 20 (+3/+8) I: 25 W: 23 D: 18 C: 21 CH: -1

continuing (though I am going to be brief)

Horror power - creatures <=1HD never attack, obey all commands
Permanent mind bar of 20th level mastery making her immune to psionic attacks
unaging
fire resistence similar to ring of fire resistance
poisons that would kill only do 3d4 HP of damage if she fails a save
fast heal 3/r
If limb or even head is severed, she can continue fighting and put the limbs back on afterwards
+1 or better magic weapons to hit
immune to cause wounds, harm, destruction, slay living, and similiar or related spells
non-humaniod
can not be summoned, dispel evil doesn't work, protection from evil won't prevent her from attacking
at will 1/r comprehend languages, detect magic, fear (as wand), read magic, tongues
infra/ultravision to 120'
Her druid powers are not coming from divine but from studying as a magic-user (archivist?)
80% chance of knowing nationality from smell
can not be surprised, knows just by looking class, race, and approximate level
detects lies and distortions of truth
usually uses geas to get payment
if she catches with both claws and teeth, she has a chance to kill as a 9th level assassin. Inanimate objects must save vs crushing blow. claws & teeth can destroy wood up to 1" thick.

Edit


Here are the differences from 1st ed Roger Moore's Dragon Magazine #83 article and 2nd ed Lisa Smedman's The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga.

move 12"
Hit point 150
THACO 3
damage 4d4+9 (claw)/4d4+9(claw)/2d10+9 (bite)
SA: Fear Aura; poison;aging;spells
SD: +1; non-metal weapon to hit when inside hut; regen; immune to poison, fire, and cold;spells
Str 21, CON 22, CHA 5

questions answered by Baba Yaga age questioner 1d10 years which are transfered to Baba Yaga.

30' fear aura save vs spells -3 same as fear spell except subjects do not flee.

80% chance of smelling alignment, 90% placing home world and 75% smelling invisible or hidden creatures....up to 30 yards.

complete control of day and night on worlds she visits at will.
Can eat the spirits of those that die near her, souls eaten restore her to full HP and the victim can not be raised.

resists cold as protection from cold scroll except for herself only.

In addition to being a 25th level wizard, she is a 12th level priest worshipping the gods of magic. Rebukes undead. Shapechange as druid of 7th level or 3 times per day and is a 10th level thief.

(no mention of the assassin instant kill in 2nd edition version and no mention of horror power...guess the fear took its place...in some ways reading about her reminds me of the anime movie Spirited Away)

345

thanks

 

[Shade]

Using the "divide old edition hit points by 4.5" method, she'd have 30 Hit Dice. Comparing her 1e hit points to other unique outsider's 1E hit points, she's about on par with Geryon, who has...30 Hit Dice in 3E. So, getting started...

Baba Yaga
Medium Outsider (Evil, Native)
Hit Dice: 30d8+240 (375 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: at least 24 (+7 Dex, +x natural), touch x, flat-footed x
Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+39
Attack: Claw +39 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: 2 claws +39 melee (1d8+9) and bite +34 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Death attack, spell-like abilities, spells
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 15/magic (15/magic and non-metal within her hut), darkvision 120 ft., immunity to mind-affecting spells and abilities, magical aging effects, and necromantic effects, knowledgeable, resistance to cold 10 and fire 10, regeneration 3, scent, spell resistance 16 + CR
Saves: Fort +25, Ref +24, Will +27
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 24, Con 26, Int 32, Wis 30, Cha 27
Skills: 19 at 33 ranks
Feats: 11
Environment: x
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: x
Treasure: x
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -

Knowledgeable (Ex): Baba Yaga makes Knowledge checks for any Knowledge skills as if she had a minimum of 10 ranks in that skill. To surpass the 10-rank minimum, she must assign more than 10 ranks to the skill as normal.

"Sniff out Knowledge" (Ex): Baba Yaga can use her scent ability to learn greater information with her Knowledge skills (perhaps make add the results of a Search check via scent to her Knowledge check result).