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Night Hag 5e: Stats, Nightmare Haunting and How to Stop One
A night hag is a CR 5 Medium fiend with AC 17, 112 hit points, Magic Resistance and a spell list built for hunting from somewhere the party can't reach. She steps onto the Ethereal Plane, finds a sleeping victim, and feeds on their dreams night after night with Nightmare Haunting, which wrecks their rest and lowers their hit point maximum until they die. In the 2014 rules she needs a heartstone to go ethereal and resists bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered. In the 2024 rules she casts Etherealness at will, needs a soul bag to haunt, attacks twice, and throws a 6-dart Magic Missile every turn.
Damage Resistances cold, fire, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
Condition Immunities Charmed
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal, Primordial
Challenge 5 (XP 1,800; PB +3)
Traits
Innate Spellcasting.The hag's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:At will: detect magic, magic missile 2/day each: plane shift (self only), ray of enfeeblement, sleep
Magic Resistance.The hag has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Claws (Hag Form Only).Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
Change Shape.The hag magically polymorphs into a Small or Medium female humanoid, or back into her true form. Her statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies.
Etherealness.The hag magically enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. To do so, the hag must have a heartstone in her possession.
Nightmare Haunting (1/Day).While on the Ethereal Plane, the hag magically touches a sleeping humanoid on the Material Plane. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the target prevents this contact, as does a magic circle. As long as the contact persists, the target has dreadful visions. If these visions last for at least 1 hour, the target gains no benefit from its rest, and its hit point maximum is reduced by 5 (1d10). If this effect reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and if the target was evil, its soul is trapped in the hag's soul bag. The reduction to the target's hit point maximum lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or similar magic.
Stat block from the SRD 5.1 (2014 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
In a fight, the 2014 hag is weaker than her CR suggests. She has one claw attack (+7, 13 slashing), no Multiattack, and at-will Magic Missile at 1st level (three darts, 10.5 force on average). Her twice-a-day spells are Ray of Enfeeblement, Sleep and Plane Shift (self only). Her CR comes from durability: 112 hit points, AC 17, resistance to cold and fire and to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered, immunity to being charmed, and Magic Resistance.
The Night Hag in the 2024 Rules
The 2024 night hag (SRD 5.2.1) keeps the AC, hit points, ability scores, CR and languages, and rebuilds her magic around Intelligence.
Coven Magic.While within 30 feet of at least two hag allies, the hag can cast one of the following spells, requiring no Material components, using the spell’s normal casting time, and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14): Augury, Find Familiar, Identify, Locate Object, Scrying, or Unseen Servant. The hag must finish a Long Rest before using this trait to cast that spell again.
Magic Resistance.The hag has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Soul Bag.The hag has a soul bag. While holding or carrying the bag, the hag can use its Nightmare Haunting action. The bag has AC 15, HP 20, and Resistance to all damage. The bag turns to dust if reduced to 0 Hit Points. If the bag is destroyed, any souls the bag is holding are released. The hag can create a new bag after 7 days.
Nightmare Haunting (Requires Soul Bag).While on the Ethereal Plane, the hag casts Dream, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting. Only the hag can serve as the spell’s messenger, and the target must be a creature the hag can see on the Material Plane. The spell fails and is wasted if the target is under the effect of the Protection from Evil and Good spell or within a Magic Circle spell. If the target takes damage from the Dream spell, the target’s Hit Point maximum decreases by an amount equal to that damage. If the spell kills the target, its soul is trapped in the hag’s soul bag, and the target can’t be raised from the dead until its soul is released.
Spellcasting.The hag casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
At Will: Detect Magic, Etherealness, Magic Missile (level 4 version)
Shape-Shift.The hag shape-shifts into a Small or Medium Humanoid, or it returns to its true form. Other than its size, its game statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed.
Stat block from the SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
1/day; magical touch; 5 (1d10) max HP loss, no save
1/day; requires soul bag; casts Dream; max HP loss equals the Dream's damage
Shape change
Change Shape: action; female humanoid
Shape-Shift: Bonus Action; Small or Medium Humanoid
Resistances
Cold, fire; nonmagical B/P/S that isn't silvered
Cold, fire
New traits
None
Coven Magic; Soul Bag
What that means at the table:
•She's a real fight now. Two claws against AC 16 average about 16 damage a round, double the 2014 hag's 8. Her Magic Missile fires six darts for 21 force damage a turn with no attack roll and no save, at 120 feet.
•Phantasmal Killer replaces Sleep. Twice a day: DC 14 Wisdom save or 22 (4d10) psychic damage and Disadvantage on attacks and checks, repeating each turn until the target saves.
•She no longer depends on one item to go ethereal. Stealing a 2014 hag's heartstone locks her out of the Ethereal Plane. Against a 2024 hag, the soul bag is the item to destroy, and it only stops Nightmare Haunting.
•Weapons work normally. The 2024 hag has no resistance to bludgeoning, piercing or slashing, magical or not.
Nightmare Haunting, Heartstones and Soul Bags
2014 (SRD 5.1). Once a day, while on the Ethereal Plane, the hag magically touches a sleeping Humanoid on the Material Plane. If the contact lasts at least an hour, the target gains no benefit from its rest and its hit point maximum drops by 5 (1d10). There's no saving throw. If its maximum reaches 0, it dies, and if it was evil, its soul is trapped in her soul bag. The reduction lasts until Greater Restoration or similar magic removes it.
•A level 5 character with 38 maximum hit points survives about seven nights, but the lost rests hurt sooner: no hit points or spell slots back.
•She needs a heartstone to enter the Ethereal Plane at all. Without it she can't use Etherealness, so she can't haunt.
•Only Humanoids can be targeted.
2024 (SRD 5.2.1). Once a day, while ethereal and carrying her soul bag, she casts Dream with herself as the messenger, targeting a creature she can see on the Material Plane. Under the Dream spell, a sleeping target faced with a terrifying messenger makes a Wisdom save; on a failure it gains no benefit from its rest and takes 3d6 psychic damage when it wakes. The night hag's version also lowers the target's hit point maximum by the damage taken. If the spell kills the target, its soul goes into the soul bag, and it can't be raised from the dead until the soul is released.
•The save is DC 14. A fighter with Wisdom +1 fails 60% of the time, losing 10.5 maximum hit points per failure on average.
•Any creature she can see can be targeted, not only Humanoids, and good souls are trapped as readily as evil ones.
•Her soul bag has AC 15, 20 hit points and Resistance to all damage. Destroy it and every soul inside is released, and she can't use Nightmare Haunting until she makes a new one, which takes 7 days.
What blocks it in both editions:Protection from Evil and Good on the target, or a Magic Circle around it. Protection from Evil and Good needs concentration and lasts 10 minutes, so it can't guard someone through the night. Magic Circle lasts an hour (plus an hour per slot level above 3rd), needs no concentration, and is the practical ward.
Covens (2024 only). The 2024 hag has Coven Magic: while within 30 feet of at least two hag allies, she can cast Augury, Find Familiar, Identify, Locate Object, Scrying or Unseen Servant, each once per long rest. The green hag and sea hag in SRD 5.2.1 have the same trait. SRD 5.1 has no coven rules.
How the Night Hag Fights
A night hag has Intelligence 16, Insight +6 (+5 in 2024) and all the time in the world. She doesn't need to win a fight. She needs the party to go to sleep.
Damage per round against AC 16:
Night hag action
Hit chance
Average damage per round
2014: Claws (+7)
60%
about 7.8
2014: Magic Missile, 3 darts
Automatic
10.5
2024: two Claws (+7)
60%
about 15.6
2024: Magic Missile, 6 darts
Automatic
21
2024: Phantasmal Killer vs Wis +1 (DC 14)
60% fail
about 17.6 on the first round
Fight from range, not in melee. In both editions her best attack is Magic Missile, which can't miss. A 2024 hag in the back of the room firing 21 force damage a turn at the wizard is far more dangerous than one trading claws with the paladin.
Open with Phantasmal Killer (2024). Cast it on the character with the worst Wisdom, usually a fighter or barbarian. A failed save deals 22 psychic and gives that character Disadvantage on attack rolls. Then switch to Magic Missile while she concentrates.
Leave when it turns. Etherealness (2024 at will, 2014 with a heartstone) takes one action and puts her where nobody without the right magic can touch her. Plane Shift (self only, twice a day) takes her off the plane entirely. A night hag at half her hit points is gone, and she knows where the party sleeps.
Never let them rest. The real fight happens at night. She haunts the weakest-willed member every night, so the party arrives at her door already worn down.
Use a disguise. She shifts into a humanoid form (an action in 2014, a Bonus Action in 2024) with Deception +7 (+6 in 2024). A kindly herbalist who offers the party a sleeping draught is a good first meeting.
Running a Night Hag Encounter
A night hag is worth 1,800 XP. With the 2024 SRD 5.2.1 budget for four characters:
Coven: night hag + green hag + sea hag (2,950, Moderate)
Level 8
4,000
6,800
8,400
2 night hags + green hag (4,300, Moderate)
Nightmares and green hags are CR 3 (700 XP); sea hags are CR 2 (450 XP). Under the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide guidelines, used by our encounter difficulty calculator, a lone night hag (1,800 XP) is an Easy fight for four level 5 characters, just under the Medium threshold of 2,000. A three-hag group is 2,950 XP doubled to 5,900, which is Hard at level 7 (Hard 4,400, Deadly 6,800).
The XP is for the fight, not the haunting. A week of Nightmare Haunting can do more damage than the combat. If you use it, treat the fight as easier than its XP, because the party arrives tired.
How Players Beat a Night Hag
•Ward your sleep. Cast Magic Circle around the camp or the bed of the targeted character every night. It blocks Nightmare Haunting in both editions. Cast it with a higher slot to cover more of the night: each slot level above 3rd adds an hour.
•Steal the heartstone (2014). Without it she can't enter the Ethereal Plane, so she can't haunt or escape that way. Then she's a CR 5 fiend with one claw, Magic Missile and Plane Shift as her only exit.
•Break the soul bag (2024). AC 15, 20 hit points, Resistance to all damage. Destroying it stops Nightmare Haunting for at least 7 days and frees any souls inside.
•See into the Ethereal Plane. See Invisibility lets the caster see into the Ethereal Plane in both editions, so you can at least find her while she's there. Truesight does the same. Attacking her there still requires being on the Ethereal Plane yourself.
•Use spell attacks and weapons, not saves. Magic Resistance gives her Advantage on spell saves. Spell attacks and weapon attacks don't involve her saves at all. In the 2014 rules, bring silvered or magic weapons, since she resists bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered.
•Don't try to charm her. She's immune to Charmed in both editions.
•Send her home. She's a Fiend, so Banishment can send her to her home plane if it holds for a minute, and Dispel Evil and Good can dismiss her (a melee spell attack, then a Charisma save, in 2014; just the save in 2024). Her Charisma save is +3, with Advantage from Magic Resistance. Her weakest saves are Dexterity and Wisdom (+2 each).
•Restore what was lost. Greater Restoration removes the hit point maximum reduction in both editions. Until someone can cast it (a 5th-level spell), the drained character carries the loss.
Night Hag Encounter Ideas
The sleepless village. Everyone in a fishing village is exhausted and getting weaker. Three people have died in their sleep this month. The village healer, an old woman who arrived in spring, sells a tea that "helps with nightmares." It doesn't, but it makes the drinkers sleep deeper and longer, which is all she needs. The party arrives, sleeps one night, and wakes up with fewer maximum hit points than they went to bed with.
The soul broker. A night hag runs a quiet trade in trapped souls from a ruined mill. A noble family hires the party because their patriarch died in his sleep and his soul can't be raised. The 2024 rules make this precise: his soul is in her soul bag, and if the party destroys the bag, he can be brought back. If they kill her first, she Plane Shifts away with the bag.
The coven's scrying pool (2024). Three hags, a night hag, a green hag and a sea hag, share a cottage in a fen. Together they can cast Scrying, and they've been watching the party for weeks. Every ambush the party sets, the hags already know about. The party has to separate them, because Coven Magic only works with all three within 30 feet.
A villain who visits the party's dreams every night is perfect for a long arc. Loreify records your sessions and keeps the notes, including how many maximum hit points each character has lost to the hag.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CR is a night hag in 5e?
A night hag is CR 5 (1,800 XP) in both the 2014 and 2024 rules. She has AC 17 and 112 hit points in both.
How does Nightmare Haunting work?
In the 2014 rules, once a day the ethereal hag touches a sleeping Humanoid; if the contact lasts an hour, the target gets no benefit from its rest and its hit point maximum drops by 5 (1d10), with no save. In the 2024 rules, once a day she casts Dream on a creature she can see from the Ethereal Plane; on a failed DC 14 Wisdom save the target gets no rest benefit, takes 3d6 psychic damage on waking, and loses that much maximum hit points.
What is a night hag's heartstone?
In the 2014 rules, a night hag needs a heartstone in her possession to use Etherealness. The 2024 night hag has no heartstone: she casts the Etherealness spell at will.
How do you protect someone from a night hag?
Protection from Evil and Good on the sleeper or a Magic Circle around them prevents Nightmare Haunting in both editions. Magic Circle is the practical choice because it lasts an hour or more without concentration.
Is a night hag a fiend or a fey?
A night hag is a Medium Fiend in both the 2014 and 2024 rules, unlike the green and sea hags, which are Fey. Spells that single out fiends, like Protection from Evil and Good, work on her.
Can a night hag be in a coven?
In the 2024 rules, yes: Coven Magic gives her a set of divination and utility spells, including Scrying, while within 30 feet of at least two hag allies. SRD 5.1 has no coven rules.
Stat blocks: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Tactics, encounter math and ideas are Loreify's own.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.