Monster: Hag Matron

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Hag Matron

A tall, spindly woman with grey hair tied in a tight bun, and stern gaze.

CR 6; XP 2,400
LE Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., child-scent; Perception +14

Defense
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 76 (8d10+32)
Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +9
Defensive Abilities semblance of decency; SR 17

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee 2 claws +12 (1d6+4) and bite +12 (1d4+4), or punishing crop +13/+8 (2d6+5 nonlethal)
Special Attacks child-catcher, punishing crop
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +11)
At Will—mending, prestidigitation
3/day—augury, baleful childhood (DC 16), silence (DC 13), unseen servant

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 13
Base Atk +8; CMB +12 (+16 to grapple); CMD 25
Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Toughness
Skills Climb +12, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (local) +14, Perception +16, Profession (housekeeping) +14, Sense Motive +16
Language Aklo, Common, Giant, Ratfolk
SQ small-talk

Ecology
Environment urban
Organization solitary, pair, or coven
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Baleful Childhood (Sp) This ability works as baleful polymorph spell, except it is limited to affecting young adult or older humanoids and the target is transformed into a child-like version of oneself, becoming one size category smaller, suffering –4 penalty to Strength and Constitution scores, and a –5 penalty to Charisma-based ability and skill checks made to convince, threaten, or fool adult humanoids. Part of the change is a curse that makes adults not treat the subject seriously. Victims that failed their Will saving throws lose memory of their adult existence forming vague false memories of being local orphans.

Child-Catcher (Ex) A hag matron can attempt a grapple maneuver against a creature smaller than herself without provoking attacks of opportunity and gains +4 bonus to grapple checks. Against creatures smaller than herself, a hag matron can maintain a grapple as a free action, ignore penalty for using single arm, and move her full speed when using move option on a successful check to maintain the grapple.

Child-Scent (Ex) A hag matron can smell children as if possessing scent special ability.

Punishing Crop (Su) A hag matron can fashion a simple riding crop from a piece of wood and some leather and clothing. While in her hands, the punishing crop is a +1 weapon dealing significant nonlethal damage as long as her semblance of propriety is intact. On a confirmed critical hit, punishing crop makes the target stunned with pain for 1 round (a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw reduces stun to being staggered for 1 round). Creating a new punishing crop takes hag matron one hour of work with the right materials. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Semblance Of Propriety (Su) A hag matron is veiled by an illusion that masks her monstrous traits to make her look as one of the locally prominent race—human, or half-elf usually. While her semblance of propriety remains active, the hag matron's alignment reads as Lawful Neutral instead of Lawful Evil. Semblance of propriety is suspended when a hag matron is asleep, unconscious, stunned, confused, raging, using her natural attacks, or extremely excited.

Small Talk (Ex) A hag matron is well versed in local etiquette treating Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Profession (housekeeping), and Sense Motive as her class skills.


While majority of the hags live in wilderness or on the very outskirts of human settlements, hag matrons adapted to urban existence. They grow out of changelings that resisted the call of their tainted heritage for a long period while living in a major settlement, learning local customs and traditions while gathering temporal power, wealth, and social connections.

Many hag matrons pose as governesses, orphan-house keepers, landladies in poor districts, nuns, fortune-tellers, or wealthy eccentric widows using accumulated wealth and social influence to hide their dark deeds from the overly nosy neighbors, adventurers, and other do-gooders. While a few of them occasionally may resort to stalking the city at night in search of prey, usually they set up themselves in position where the prey comes to them (or is brought to them by servants or even well-meaning others, unwary of their true nature).