D&D General A More Ordinary Sort of Game Question

Guest 7034872 · Jan 7, 2023

You know, I almost picked a cheeky title pretending to be OGL click-bait just to lighten the mood a little, but then I thought to myself, "Well, is it my opinion that the mods 'round here aren't already slammed with posts they have look over?" So I didn't do it.

No, this here is a much more humdrum sort of question, but a sincere one: has anyone used Baba Yaga in one of their campaigns before? My party is in the Feywild and they truly are babes in the wood at the moment. See, they're actually on their way to try to face off against Baba Yaga, which has alarmed their dear, loving DM (me) to no end. I mean, she's really, really hard to square off against, isn't she? I have ways of preventing the TPK, but I also want to make sure I've dotted i's and crossed t's properly before the proverbial fan discharges its inevitable effluvium.

What are her greatest strengths and her greatest weaknesses just under standard D&D lore? (Never mind the actually mythological creature--she scares me even more.) Anyone know? When playing her, what generally works well and what doesn't?

James Gasik · Jan 7, 2023

The Baba Yaga is a terrifying opponent, perhaps too powerful for D&D adventurers. They appear like a shadow in the night, are unstoppable, nearly invulnerable to small arms fire, can perform impossible feats, kill hundreds of lethally trained assassins, and once killed a man with a pencil. Weaknesses...has a thing for dogs, but that's probably not something you want to mess with...oh, sorry, you meant the other Baba Yaga? Flies around in a mortal and pestle and owns a hut with chicken legs?

Take all the stat blocks for all versions of Hag and mash them together, and add 20th level spellcasting, lair actions, legendary actions, and legendary resistance. That's much fairer to your players.

Guest 7034872 · Jan 7, 2023

James Gasik said:
Take all the stat blocks for all versions of Hag and mash them together, and add 20th level spellcasting, lair actions, legendary actions, and legendary resistance. That's much fairer to your players.

Thanks. So far, that's nearly where I'm at, but I did giver her a lot of hit points, too.

How about weaknesses? Are there any that you'd say would be plausible? Right now I'm thinking about making her vulnerable to fire, but given the ubiquity of fire-based spells in this game, that feels...Idunno, a little cheap?

James Gasik · Jan 7, 2023

I have the solution. In some tales a trio of Baba Yagas appear as sisters, all sharing the same name. For example, in a version of "The Maiden Tsar" collected in the 19th century, Ivan, a handsome merchant's son, makes his way to the home of one of three Baba Yagas.

So you see, Baba Yaga has a few Simulacrums hanging around, and those, being made of ice and snow, are vulnerable to fire. The real one is not, just in case your players are feeling a little too badass.

The thing to remember is that the Grandmother may very well be a deity, associated with the moon, death, winter, birds, the sky, and the earth. So really, fighting her is a foregone conclusion. You try to deal with her. You placate her. You run from her, like she's the villain of a survival horror game. You might escape her clutches, but only temporarily.

She'd make for an excellent Warlock Patron.

The best way I've seen her used is in the Pathfinder adventure path, Reign of Winter, where the players have to deal with her machinations, which eventually leads them to World War I Russia!

Mad_Jack · Jan 7, 2023

Probably a little bit late to be buying minis for the encounter, but Reaper Miniatures not only makes a Baba Yaga figure, they also have her chicken-legged hut for sale...

payn · Jan 7, 2023

Been there done that.

Mad_Jack said:
Probably a little bit late to be buying minis for the encounter, but Reaper Miniatures not only makes a Baba Yaga figure, they also have her chicken-legged hut for sale...

There too.

Clint_L · Jan 7, 2023

Mad_Jack said:
Probably a little bit late to be buying minis for the encounter, but Reaper Miniatures not only makes a Baba Yaga figure, they also have her chicken-legged hut for sale...

I wish. That thing has been out of stock every time I've checked for the past two years.

Guest 7034872 · Jan 7, 2023

James Gasik said:
I have the solution. In some tales a trio of Baba Yagas appear as sisters, all sharing the same name. For example, in a version of "The Maiden Tsar" collected in the 19th century, Ivan, a handsome merchant's son, makes his way to the home of one of three Baba Yagas.

So you see, Baba Yaga has a few Simulacrums hanging around, and those, being made of ice and snow, are vulnerable to fire. The real one is not, just in case your players are feeling a little too badass.

That's a nice solution. I'll think on that one.

Shiroiken · Jan 7, 2023

I once used her Dancing Hut as the location for an adventure back in AD&D, as it was in a Dungeon Magazine. I didn't use Baba Yaga, because the mission was to steal something from within, without her finding out. If they took too long, Baba Yaga came home, and if they didn't avoid all her magical traps, she'd notice the theft. Either case would result in the party dying in a cut scene.