The Hags Apprentice

A Halloween Encounter

Introduction: In the Wyrd Wood, a very strange group of friends get together for
a monster mashup of frightening proportions as they try to recreate a hag coven
with dangerous results.

A kooky, spooky encounter for 5th-12th level characters

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 The Hag’s Apprentice
A Halloween Encounter

A kooky, spooky encounter for 5th-12th level characters

Writing: David Friant

Cartography: Nelson Vieira
Editing: Doug Vehovec
Layout and Design: Doug Vehovec

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Halloween Encounter Rumors
DC Rumor
We wanted to create a fun, Halloween encounter that
5 “Beware old one-eyed witch Hagatha”
spun out of a discussion while planning a Mon-
ster BFF video. The idea of several creatures with 10 “Watch out for the rattling hunchback on the hill”
clothing-like qualities mashed together to make a 15 “The Moaning Bat of the Wyrd Wood”
monstrous witch came about, and we wound up with
20 “In the Wyrd Wood look out for the Eye Gorger
a cyclops wearing a cloaker as a cape and a dark-
it’ll feast upon one of your eyes”
mantle for a witch’s hat. Is it a trick, or a treat? You
decide.
— Nerdarchy A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence
(Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check to investigate
within the Wyrd Wood itself will find wildlife that
is missing one eye. They either have a single eye in
Introduction the center or are missing an eye. These seem to be
birth defects or mutations that can be confirmed
The adventurers hear rumors while passing through
with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.
a quaint little hamlet named Tond. The village is run
by an old woman named Frayne Tond, a descendant
of the village founder. She is bent with age, yet her
hair is still lush and nearly touches the ground. Her
green eyes are still bright and full of life. Frayne has
Environment
Forest — The Wyrd Wood
a granddaughter, Jayzna, who acts as an ambas-
sador from the village to the adventuring party. She
is young and full of energy, with a shock of red hair Suggested level
and green eyes like her grandmother. Your mileage might vary depending on the particu-
Most of the villagers exhibit a range of emotions lar party. There are also variables in the encounter
towards the newcomers — fear, suspicion, curios- that could put certain characters at a significant
ity, excitement, and happiness. The villagers will try disadvantage.
to steer the characters away from the forest for fear 4 characters of 8th-12th level
of harm coming to them or fear they will bring the
wrath of evil spirits down upon the village. 5 characters of 7th-12th level

The village is small, with one large building in the 6 characters of 5th-9th level
center of town that serves as the Tond’s tavern, coun-
cil hall, and church on holy days. It’s run by a portly, Monsters
dour man by the name of Dunkin. His greying hair is
Flappy (cloaker) (1) Challenge 8
thinning and greasy looking. The townsfolk affection-
ately refer to the building as the Town House. * Hagatha (cyclops) (1) Challenge 6
In honor of visitors to their small village, an invita- * Spots, (darkmantle) (1) Challenge 1/2
tion from Frayne is extended to the adventurers as *Immune to the cloaker’s Moan.
well as lodgings for the night.
In the morning, a frantic Jayzna arrives to seek
out the adventurers. Her mother, Glayznil has gone
Treasure
Stashed about the hut in hidden nooks and cran-
missing last night. She swears it was Hagatha from
nies characters will find 100 sp, 90 gp, a fine cloth
the Wyrd Wood.
pennant trimmed with leopard fur worth 25 gp, a
Tond is about two miles from the Wyrd Wood where pair of leather boots with bronze buckles worth 25
these rumors come from. Characters can make gp, a set of feathered bracers worth 25 gp, a carved
Intelligence (Investigation) or Charisma (Persua- wooden staff worth 25 gp, a polished stone ring
sion) checks to uncover rumors among the vil- worth 25 gp, a pewter belt worth 25 gp, a carved
lagers about the goings-on in the region. Success wooden mask worth 25 gp, an iron signet ring
uncovers all the rumors with easier DCs up to and worth 25 gp,a spell scroll (awaken), a spell scroll
including the successful check. (pass without trace), and a potion of healing.

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 Hagatha’s Hut

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Description Complications
Hagatha’s hut was grown up out of a grove of trees Hazard
deep in the Wyrd Wood. The wood is a pale dead
color, almost white. It glows in the moonlight. The cauldron has one effect that takes place each
There are no visible windows, only a curtain for round at the end of Hagatha’s turn. Roll a d10 and
a door made of strips of leather with bone beads consult the table below to determine the effect.
strung up along the strips. Light streams through Each effect last for a single round unless the same
the walls and roof where the trees have grown effect is rolled again.
together. There is a hole in the center of the roof d10 Roll Effect
where smoke rises out of it. 1-2 Darkness — as per the spell except in a 10 ft.
The inside of the hut is a simple space 40 ft. x 40 radius at a spot you choose within the hut.
ft. It looks and smells like a primitive apothecary 3-4 Wall of Confusion — a wall of fog springs
or perhaps the sacred holy grounds of a witchdoc- forth, cutting a line across the hut in front
tor or shaman. Maybe a mix of all those things. of the cauldron that makes the area lightly
obscured while trying to see through the
The truth is, its former residents were a coven of hags wall of fog. Anyone who passes through it
who were driven off or slain by adventurers over a de- must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving
cade ago. The hags had been raising a female cyclops. throw or be affected by a confusion spell.
They had special plans for her single eye.
5-6 Whirlpool — Hagatha tilts the cauldron
They were very affectionate and caring in their forward and a whirlpool begins to form in the
raising of Hagatha, perhaps in order to savor the center of the cauldron. The whirlpool forms
betrayal all the more. a vortex that is 5 feet wide at the base, up
to 15 feet wide at the top, and 10 feet tall.
Hagatha was left alone with only a darkmantle, Any creature or object in front of the
Spots, a pet of the hags to keep her company. She cauldron and within 5 feet of the vortex is
didn’t realize all the circles up and down its conical pulled 10 feet toward it. A creature can pull
shaped head were eyes — her inspiration for the away from the vortex by succeeding on a
name. As Hagatha grew bigger and bigger, Spots, DC 13 a Strength (Athletics) check. When
has taken to resting upon a her head looking very a creature enters the vortex for the first time
on a turn or starts its turn there, it must
much like a hennin style hat with a wide brim.
make a DC 13 Strength saving throw. On a
Soon after, a new being entered Hagatha’s life — a failed save, the creature takes 2d8
cloaker the cyclops girl refers to as Flappy. Flappy bludgeoning damage and is caught in
spends its days and nights draped over Hagatha’s the vortex until the spell ends. On a
shoulders, whispering into her ear. successful save, the creature takes half
damage, and isn’t caught in the vortex. A
She spends her time mimicking the actions she’d creature caught in the vortex can use its
seen the hags doing. This can be either a horrific action to try to pull away from the vortex
or comical sight to see. Spots sits upon her head, as described above, but has disadvantage on
its tentacles flailing about and oftentimes fouling the Strength (Athletics) check to do so. The
up Hagatha’s endeavors. All the while Flappy rests first time each turn that an object enters the
vortex, the object takes 2d8 bludgeoning
upon her shoulders, whispering to her and gaining
damage. This damage occurs each round it
her confidence. Hagatha wishes to create her own
remains in the vortex.
coven. That is why she’s kidknapped Glayznil — to
start with her coven of hags. 7-8 Fear — Humanoids must succeed on a
DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be affected
When the adventurers come upon Hagatha’s hut, as the fear spell.
Glayznil is currently bound, gagged, and terrified in 9-10 Skeletal and zombie arms reach from the
the corner behind the cauldron. Hagatha is in front cauldron and batter all creatures within
of her, stirring away at the cauldron and spouting 10 feet of it. Each creature in that area
gibberish. Spots occasionally knocks things into the must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw.
pot, creating random effects that last a round. On a failed save, a target takes 1d6
necrotic and 1d6 slashing or bludgeoning
Hagatha keeps a sack of rocks at her side and will
damage (50 percent chance of either), and
toss them at adventurers while threatening to turn can’t take reactions until its next turn. On
them all into newts if they don’t leave her and her a successful save, the creature takes half
sister alone. Anyone that gets to close she whacks damage, but suffers no other effect.
with her oversized ladle (use the stats of the cy-
clops’ great club).
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 Hagatha
In addition to the normal cyclops abilities, Hagatha has
the following ability that becomes available when she has
half her total hit points or less.
Cauldron Flip (1/day). As a reaction Hagatha targets
one creature within 15 ft. and tips the cauldron over the
top of the target creature, covering the creature in the
cauldron’s caustic contents and trapping it underneath.
The creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw
or take 9 (2d8) acid damage and become trapped beneath
the overturned cauldron. Dex save DC 15 reduce damage
to half and doesn’t trap the target under the cauldron. A
creature trapped under the cauldron is restrained, un-
aware of what is outside, and must succeed on a DC 13
Strength (Athletics) check to escape.
Each creature in a 15-foot cube originating from the
target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On
a failed save, a creature takes 9 (2d8) acid damage and is
pushed 10 feet away. On a successful save, the creature
takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed. In addition,
unsecured objects that are completely within the area of
effect are automatically pushed 10 feet away.

More online
Check out the Nerdarchy YouTube channel for a
video where we discuss the origins of this Hallow-
een monster mashup here.
Nerdarchy also has a series of Adventurers League
Character Guides that include level breakdowns
from 1st-20th level, plus a bonus for Dungeon
Masters — a brand new creature stat block in-
spired by the character build for use as an ally,
NPC or antagonist in your D&D games.
• Mind Breaker Paladin
• Zen Archery Master
• Sewer Ninja Tortle
• Nature Possessed Warforged
• Scaled Skald
• Quick Strike
• Night Parade

• Combat Medic

• The Roper Wrangler Encounter

Thank you to the Nerdarchy and D&D community

for continued support and until next time, stay
nerdy!

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