The Change?

Discussing all things Ravenloft
Post Reply
User avatar
Rock of the Fraternity
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 6056
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:16 pm

The Change?

Post by Rock of the Fraternity »

I'm doing a bit of research into various Ravenloft elements lately (for ... stuff :p), and I have some questions about Hags.

How does the Change work? I thought Hags could only come about as the children (daughters) of Hags. Is there a ritual to change women who are not of Hag stock into Hags, and if so, what are the requirements?
Do racial traits of the father's species carry over into the Hag after the Change? (Asking this after I read the amazingly well-written and thoroughly creepy article "Sisters" in Undead Sea Scrolls 2003).
User avatar
High Priest Mikhal
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 1619
Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2007 5:48 pm
Gender: Male
Location: It's dark and I hear laughing.

Re: The Change?

Post by High Priest Mikhal »

The Change is when a hag's true nature asserts itself, changing her from an otherwise normal-looking humanoid woman into a hag. Prior to that they appear to be the same race as the father (presumably sharing the same racial abilities and modifiers) but are universally infertile. The Change occurs between the ages of 40 and 50 when they begin to show early signs of their true nature. By the time they reach 50, their true nature has fully asserted itself. The comparison in the Guide to Hags was a kind of second puberty, which does make sense given the rather rapid and extreme changes that occur. Once the Change is complete a hag is fertile and able to give birth to hags by mating with humanoid men. The result is always another hag.

I remember something in Van Richten's Guide to Witches about a covey being able to transform normal humanoid women into hags with a ritual, but there weren't any real mechanics mentioned. Ghost hags can also turn normal women into hags of the same type they were in life through a similar, night-long ritual.
"Money is the root of all evil...I think I need more money."
Post Reply