Epic Monsters is getting a little obscure today with a legend from the Great Lakes in the United States, specifically Lake Erie: the Storm Hag!
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this is pretty much in my backyard and I’d never heard of the tale before, although to be straight here that’s not why I picked her—I was just surprised there’s no Storm Hag for D&D 5E and thought that was a wrong that needed righting! Unfortunately there’s not much information about whence she came or how, only that she endlessly swims across the lakebed waiting to wrap up unwary sailors, forcing them into a drowning sleep. She summons storms and attacks in the calm after the weather passes, bursting out of the water with lightning spitting out of her mouth and powerful winds at her call. We do have a fun song she sings as her tempests begin, “Come into the water, love; Dance beneath the waves; Where dwell the bones of sailor-lads; Inside my saffron cave."
Design Notes: I started off with a Sea Hag and hit it with abilities reflecting the myth. She can wreck ships which to me says at least second tier baddy (CR 5-8), but there’s none of the duplicity inherent to the usual hag encounter. Kick off the fight with a whirlpool to keep the party busy then pop her out of the water with an Elemental Whirlwind, wading into melee with claw attacks to put troublesome foes to sleep and incite panic as the area attack recharges. Fair warning: the TPKs I have had at my tables *always* happen on the water and with the splash she makes—along with the shipwrecking bit—that’s a real possibility to keep in mind.
Storm Hag
Medium fey, chaotic evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d8+36)
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
Condition Immunities exhaustion
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Aquan, Common
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Amphibious. The hag can breathe air and water.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The hag attacks twice with its claws.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the hag can grapple the target (escape DC 15). Alternatively, instead of dealing damage the creature makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or falls unconscious for 5 minutes. This effect ends for a creature if the creature takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it.
Elemental Whirlwind (Recharge 5-6). The hag uses an action to erupt with lightning and wind, dealing 28 (8d6) lightning damage and 14 (4d6) slashing damage to all creatures and objects within 30 feet. A successful DC 15 Dexterity saving throw reduces this damage by half.
Whirlpool (1/Short Rest). The hag whips up a powerful vortex that drags at all creatures and objects within 120 feet and in the water. The whirlpool lasts for 1 minute.
Staying on board a vessel in the whirlpool requires a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check at the start of a creature’s turn. Every round a creature or vehicle is in the whirlpool, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (vehicle [water]) check. On a failure, a creature or vehicle is dragged 5 x 1d4 feet down into the water and 10 x 1d4 feet towards the center of the whirlpool. On a success, a creature or vehicle can move half its speed out of the area.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this is pretty much in my backyard and I’d never heard of the tale before, although to be straight here that’s not why I picked her—I was just surprised there’s no Storm Hag for D&D 5E and thought that was a wrong that needed righting! Unfortunately there’s not much information about whence she came or how, only that she endlessly swims across the lakebed waiting to wrap up unwary sailors, forcing them into a drowning sleep. She summons storms and attacks in the calm after the weather passes, bursting out of the water with lightning spitting out of her mouth and powerful winds at her call. We do have a fun song she sings as her tempests begin, “Come into the water, love; Dance beneath the waves; Where dwell the bones of sailor-lads; Inside my saffron cave."
Design Notes: I started off with a Sea Hag and hit it with abilities reflecting the myth. She can wreck ships which to me says at least second tier baddy (CR 5-8), but there’s none of the duplicity inherent to the usual hag encounter. Kick off the fight with a whirlpool to keep the party busy then pop her out of the water with an Elemental Whirlwind, wading into melee with claw attacks to put troublesome foes to sleep and incite panic as the area attack recharges. Fair warning: the TPKs I have had at my tables *always* happen on the water and with the splash she makes—along with the shipwrecking bit—that’s a real possibility to keep in mind.
Storm Hag
Medium fey, chaotic evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d8+36)
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) |
Condition Immunities exhaustion
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Aquan, Common
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Amphibious. The hag can breathe air and water.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The hag attacks twice with its claws.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the hag can grapple the target (escape DC 15). Alternatively, instead of dealing damage the creature makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or falls unconscious for 5 minutes. This effect ends for a creature if the creature takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it.
Elemental Whirlwind (Recharge 5-6). The hag uses an action to erupt with lightning and wind, dealing 28 (8d6) lightning damage and 14 (4d6) slashing damage to all creatures and objects within 30 feet. A successful DC 15 Dexterity saving throw reduces this damage by half.
Whirlpool (1/Short Rest). The hag whips up a powerful vortex that drags at all creatures and objects within 120 feet and in the water. The whirlpool lasts for 1 minute.
Staying on board a vessel in the whirlpool requires a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check at the start of a creature’s turn. Every round a creature or vehicle is in the whirlpool, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (vehicle [water]) check. On a failure, a creature or vehicle is dragged 5 x 1d4 feet down into the water and 10 x 1d4 feet towards the center of the whirlpool. On a success, a creature or vehicle can move half its speed out of the area.
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