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Crone

Adversaries Designed by Phischi • Art by Balázs Domonkos

Adversary overview

Sister crones, hand in hand, terrors of the sea and land, thus do go about, about: thrice to thine and thrice to mine, and thrice again, to make up nine.”—Macveth, Act 1, Scene 3

The isolated corners of our world harbor creatures older than humans, older than academies and mages, older even than elves and dwarves. The crones are such creatures. No one knows their true names, nor what breed of monstrosity they, in fact, are. Folk say they were four at first. The Mother, She-Who-Knows, the Lady of the Wood, came here from a faraway land and, since she suffered
terribly from loneliness, she made daughters out of dirt and water.

A long, long time ago the Mother was sole ruler of all of land. Her daughters brought her the people’s requests and served as her voice. Each spring, sacrifices of grain, animals, and men were made to the Lady of the Wood on her special night. Yet as the years passed, the Lady of the Wood slipped deeper and deeper into madness. Her madness eventually spread over the land—men took to abandoning their homes and setting out into the bog, where they became food for beasts. Before long, the land was drowning in blood.
The daughters saw their home nearing destruction and took it upon themselves to save it. When spring came once more, and with it the night sacrifices, they killed their mother and buried her into a bog. Her blood watered a mystical oak, and from then on the tree grew wholesome and hearty fruit for the people. As for the Lady’s immortal soul, it refused to leave its beloved land, and so the daughters imprisoned it. To this day it lies trapped beneath the earth, where it thrashes about in powerless rage.

If one listens to tales and stories, you will learn how to plea for help from a crone; such help always comes at a price, but the ladies have the reputation to always keep their word. This is how one begs help from the Ladies:
Find a child, young and innocent, and search out the Ladies’ shrine—that is where the Trail of Treats begins. Set the child off on the trail and it shall follow its sweet track and find the Good Ladies. The child will never want for anything ever again, for the Ladies are kind and generous. Standing before their shrine, pronounce your request and the Good Ladies will hear, for they see and hear all that takes place in their demesne. If you made the offering as it must be done, your supplication will be heard.

Stat block

Tier
4
Type
Solo
Difficulty
20
HP
11
Stress
7
Attack mod
+9
Damage thresholds
Minor Damage — Mark 1 HP Minor
Mark 1 HP
35
Major Damage — Mark 2 HP Major
Mark 2 HP
65
Severe Damage — Mark 3 HP Severe
Mark 3 HP

Standard attack

Claws
Range: Melee
Damage: 4d12+12
Attack Mod: +9
Damage Type: Physical

Features

Passives

  • Limited magic immunity

    Any magic damage against the Crone deals 1 HP less damage unless the Crone wishes otherwise. Any spells against the Crone are at disadvantage.

  • Relentless (3)

    This adversary can be spotlighted up to 3 times per GM turn. Spend Fear as usual to spotlight them.

  • Twisted
    fear 1

    Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, the hex twists horribly the appearance of the target. The target is blinded and deafened, and its Presence becomes -3 until the curse is removed by a remove curse spell or similar magic.

Actions

  • Shapechanger
    stress 1

    Mark a Stress: The crone can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium female humanoid or back into its true form. While in humanoid form, its statistics, are the same. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

  • Boiling Blood
    fear 1

    Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, the blood of the target starts boiling in its veins. It becomes temporarily restrained with excruciating pain. Each time the target gains the spotlight, it marks 2 HP.
    The target can remove the effect by spending 3 Hope.

  • Doomed
    fear 1

    Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, each time the target does an action, the DM gains 1 Fear. The target also has disadvantage on attack rolls and has vulnerability to the actions of the Crone.
    The target can remove the effect by spending 3 Hope.

  • Leech
    fear 1

    Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, the target takes 3d6 direct damage every time the Crone takes the spotlight and the crone regains 1 HP.
    The target can remove the effect by spending 3 Hope.

Reactions

  • Momentum

    When this adversary makes a successful attack against a PC, you gain a Fear.

Motives & tactics

Ancient Monstrosity Earthly Goddesses Fiendish Appetite A wish always has a cost

Experiences

  • Ancient Being +3

Crone

Tier 4 solo

Sister crones, hand in hand, terrors of the sea and land, thus do go about, about: thrice to thine and thrice to mine, and thrice again, to make up nine.”—Macveth, Act 1, Scene 3

Motives & Tactics: Ancient Monstrosity, Earthly Goddesses, Fiendish Appetite, A wish always has a cost

Difficulty: 20 | Thresholds: 35/65 | HP: 11 | Stress: 7

ATK: +9 | Claws: Melee | 4d12+12 Physical

Experience: Ancient Being +3

HP:

STRESS:

Features

Shapechanger - Action: Mark a Stress: The crone can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium female humanoid or back into its true form. While in humanoid form, its statistics, are the same. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Limited magic immunity - Passive: Any magic damage against the Crone deals 1 HP less damage unless the Crone wishes otherwise. Any spells against the Crone are at disadvantage.
Relentless (3) - Passive: This adversary can be spotlighted up to 3 times per GM turn. Spend Fear as usual to spotlight them.
Momentum - Reaction: When this adversary makes a successful attack against a PC, you gain a Fear.
Boiling Blood - Action: Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, the blood of the target starts boiling in its veins. It becomes temporarily restrained with excruciating pain. Each time the target gains the spotlight, it marks 2 HP. The target can remove the effect by spending 3 Hope.
Doomed - Action: Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, each time the target does an action, the DM gains 1 Fear. The target also has disadvantage on attack rolls and has vulnerability to the actions of the Crone. The target can remove the effect by spending 3 Hope.
Leech - Action: Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, the target takes 3d6 direct damage every time the Crone takes the spotlight and the crone regains 1 HP. The target can remove the effect by spending 3 Hope.
Twisted - Passive: Spend a Fear: The crone magically forces a creature it can see within Far Range of it to make an Instinct Reaction Roll (18). If it fails, the hex twists horribly the appearance of the target. The target is blinded and deafened, and its Presence becomes -3 until the curse is removed by a remove curse spell or similar magic.

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