Where wishing fails, ancient magic can offer a heart’s desire—at least, for a time. Hexbloods are individuals infused with eldritch magic, fey energy, or mysterious witchcraft. Some who enter into bargains with hags gain their deepest wishes but eventually find themselves transformed. These changes evidence a hag’s influence: ears that split in forked points, skin in wild shades, lengthy hair that regrows if cut, and an irremovable living crown. Along with these marks, hexbloods manifest hag-like traits, such as long life, darkvision, and a variety of magical methods to beguile the senses and avoid the same.
While many hexbloods gain their lineage after making a deal with a hag, others reveal their nature as they age—particularly if a hag influenced them early in life or even before their birth. Many hexbloods turn to lives of adventure, seeking to discover the mysteries of their magic, to forge a connection with their fey natures, or to avoid a hag that obsesses over them.
Heir of Hags
One way hags create more of their kind is through the creation of hexbloods. Every hexblood exhibits features suggestive of the hag whose magic inspires their powers. This includes an unusual crown, often called a “eldercross” or “witch’s turn.” This living, garland-like part of a hexblood’s body extends from their temples and wraps behind the head, serving as a visible mark of the bargain between hag and hexblood, a debt owed, or a change to come.
Becoming a Hag
Hags can undertake a ritual to irreversibly transform a hexblood they created into a new hag, either one of their own kind or that embodies the hexblood’s nature. This requires that both the hag and hexblood be in the same place and consent to the lengthy ritual— circumstances most hexbloods shun but might come to accept over the course of centuries. Once a hexblood undergoes this irreversible ritual, they emerge as a hag NPC no longer under the control of the hexblood’s player, unless the DM rules otherwise.
Hexblood Origins
A bargain with a hag or other eerie forces transformed your character into a magical being. Roll on or choose an option from the Hexblood Origins table to determine how your character gained their lineage.
| Hexblood Origins | |
|---|---|
| d8 | Origin |
| 1 | Seeking a child, your parent made a bargain with a hag. You are the result of that arrangement. |
| 2 | Fey kidnappers swapped you and your parents’ child. |
| 3 | A coven of hags lost one of their members. You were created to replace the lost hag. |
| 4 | You were cursed as a child. A deal with the spirits of the forest transformed you into a hexblood, now free of the curse. |
| 5 | You began life as a fey creature, but an accident or crime changed you and forced you from your home. |
| 6 | A slighted druid transformed you and bound you to live only so long as a sacred tree bears fruit. |
| 7 | You made a deal with a hag, but they twisted your words and transformed you. |
| 8 | You are a child of the wilds. Animals and mysterious whispers were the only family you ever knew. |
Hexblood Traits
Source: Unearthed Arcana 76 - Gothic Lineages
- Ability Score Increase. Increase one ability score by 2, and increase a different one by 1.
- Type. Fey and Humanoid
- Size. Medium or Small (choose when you gain this lineage)
- Speed. 30 feet
- Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light.
- Fey Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself.
- Hex Magic. You can cast the Disguise Self and Hex spells with this trait. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells (choose when you gain this lineage). Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spells slots you have.
- Magic Token. As an action, you can harmlessly pull out one of your nails, a tooth, or a lock of hair. This token is imbued with magic until you finish a long rest. While the token is imbued in this way, you can use an action to send a telepathic message to the creature holding or carrying the token, as long as you are on the same plane of existence and are within 10 miles of it. The message can contain up to twenty-five words.
- In addition, while you are within 10 miles of the token, you can use an action to enter a trance for 1 minute, during which you can see and hear from the token as if you were located where it is. While you are using your senses at the token’s location, you are blinded and deafened in regard to your own surroundings. Afterward, the token is harmlessly destroyed.
- Once you create a token using this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, at which point your missing part regrows.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.
