D&D: So THAT’S What A CR 21 Hag Looks Like – Arch-Hag Stat Block Preview
WotC revealed a partial stat block for the “apex fey” the Arch-Hag. Come take a look at what a CR 21 Fey packs in the Monster Manual.
Wizards of the Coast has a few new design principles in place for the 5.5E Monster Manual. Monsters, as a whole, will hit harder, have a few more hit points, and have better initiatives all around. WotC is also making more variants of monsters – we’ve seen centaur spellcasters and goblin minions, just to name a few.
But most relevant to today is the desire to have an “apex example” of all the different creature types. These are high CR monsters that sit at the top of the food chain of monster categories like Aberration, Monstrosity, or, as we’ll see today, Fey.
The arch-hag is the “apex Fey,” and Wizards of the Coast revealed a partial stat block (and it’s much clearer that it’s a partial stat block, you’ll see) showing off some of the arch-hag’s deadly combat capabilities. Let’s take a look.
WotC Previews Arch-Hag Stat Block – An Apex Fey, Enchanting, And Deadly
We got a teaser for the arch-hag earlier this week as part of the run-up to the Fey Monster Manual preview video. And now WotC has shown off some of what the arch-hag looks like when you get down to brass tacks.
Right away, you can see that this hag is a beast. Well, a Fey, but a beast of a Fey. At CR 21, the arch-hag has a whopping 29d10 hit dice (with +174 bonus hit points), with an average hit point total of 333.
Couple that with an AC of 20 and an initiative bonus of +16, and you’ve got a fairly solid take-all-comers monster. Even high-level PCs will have to work to whittle down that total. It’s not impossible, mind. But you have to actively try to do it instead of just passively leveling into “I do tons of damage.” It’s an important difference.
The arch-hag also has decent saves, though they’re not off-the-wall amazing. Where the hag gets deadly is in the different ways of shutting down what players might do. For instance, the “Tongue Tied” Reaction lets the Hag curse an enemy spellcaster when they cast a spell, making it impossible for them to cast spells with verbal components.
Crackling Wave lets them apply a curse as well – all of these add up to different ways that the arch-hag is hampering you over time.
The longer a fight goes, the worse it is for you. Especially since an arch-hag can only be permanently killed in the presence of their “anathema.” I love this mechanic as a DM because it lets you have a villain that the party can feel good about defeating, but as they start coming back, the threat doesn’t reduce to “who will win the fight” but “can we stop the hag this time.” It makes an arch-hag more of a narrative force in the world.
It’s much like how I would use a Lich in one of my games. Sure, you can beat them in a fight. But they think in centuries, and their plans go beyond just what they are personally capable of doing.
Check out the Arch-Hag and other apex monsters in the upcoming 5.5E Monster Manual!
