Hello, everyone! This week’s article features one of the monsters you might face while adventuring in the Rust Moon Territory. Long-time readers might notice that I don’t often post monster stats on the blog or Patreon, and when I do, I tend to be inconsistent in their formatting. Admittedly, the reason for this is that my workflow is much more of a work in progress for monsters than my players’ options. This probably means I need to document my process and show my work in a little more detail, but I think that’s going to be a future editorial article.

For now, I think that there are two important things to know about the process. Firstly, I’m writing this monster’s stats before the upcoming Monster Manual release. While I don’t expect the mechanics of the silt hag to change much, I know that the layout of monster statistics is about to change. Secondly, from a “use in games” standpoint – you’ll notice that I’ve integrated the silt hag’s spells into the statblock, which neither 5e nor Tales of the Valiant does. These sections are functionally identical to the spells of the same names in player-facing books, but my reasoning for including them here is to reduce the “footprint” of books that the Game Master needs to reference while running a game. In some cases, this also allows me to “bake in” any changes to how a monster uses a spell.

Silt Hag

The lumpy face of this metallic-skinned crone grins at you with mismatched teeth, a beady eyed face framed with wiry hair.

Delicious Remorse. Silt hags are cruel fey who love nothing more than to trick their victims into committing atrocities, feeding on their feelings of regret and shock.The more noble the victims’ original intent, the more delicious the silt hag’s feast. An abundance of silt hags can be found in the Rust Moon Territory, tormenting new lycans after their rampages with gruesome descriptions of their victims.

Desert Wanderers. Silt hags will disguise themselves as travelers or performers, and use a trustworthy face to coax information from the people they meet. Often they will take up residence in abandoned structures and mines, where their pyrite skin allows them to blend in amongst the stone when they aren’t disguised.

Collateral Damage. When they’re confronted with violence, a silt hag makes a concerted effort to ensure that they are surrounded by their enemies to increase the odds of a stray bullet or attack hurting someone else.

Silt Hag

Medium Fey, Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)

Hit Points 120 (15d8+45)

Speed 35 ft.

Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha

16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 15 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Dex +9

Condition Immunities charmed

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17

Languages Common, Sylvan

Challenge 7(2900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5

Passive Traits

Collateral Damage. When the hag is missed by an attack roll, it can choose a target within 5 feet of it. The attacker hits that target instead, regardless of the attack roll.

Innate Spellcasting. The hag’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: hideous laughter, shield

1/day: mirror image

Actions

Multiattack. The hag makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) slashing damage.

Arcane Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 60 ft. Hit: 14(2d10+3) force damage.

Hideous Laughter. 1st Level Spell: One creature within 30 feet of the hag makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it has the Prone and Incapacitated conditions for the next minute while the hag concentrates. During that time, it laughs uncontrollably if it’s capable of laughter, and it can’t end the Prone condition on itself.

At the end of each of its turns and each time it makes damage, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. The target has Advantage on the save if the save is triggered by damage. On a successful save, the spell ends.

Mirror Image (1/day). 2nd Level Spell: The hag creates three illusory duplicates of itself in its space. For the next minute, the duplicates move with it and mimic its actions, shifting position so it’s impossible to track which image is real. Each time a creature would hit the hag with an attack roll during the spell’s duration, roll a d6 for each of the remaining duplicates. If any of the d6s rolls a 3 or higher, one of the duplicates is hit instead of the hag, and the duplicate is destroyed. The duplicates otherwise ignore all other damage and effects. The spell ends when all three duplicates are destroyed.

Reactions

Shield.1st Level Spell: When the hag is hit by an attack roll or targeted by the Magic Missile spell. The hag creates a barrier of magical force around it. Until the start of the hag’s next turn, it has a +5 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack, and it takes no damage from Magic Missile.