Baba Yaga

Grandmother Baba Yaga (a.k.a. The Old Witch)

Many tales feature the bony-legged fey witch Baba Yaga, and most of them contradict each other. It’s hard to get a sense of Baba Yaga, and many suspect that’s exactly what she wants. Indeed, little happens anywhere that isn’t exactly as she desires. As convoluted and dark a mystery as Baba Yaga is, bits of her story rise to the surface and provide more truth than the rest, like foam on a bubbling stew.
Baba Yaga is a trader of secrets. It’s said there’s nothing she does not know. The brave, the desperate, and the stupid make pilgrimages to seek her wisdom, but she is rarely found when she doesn’t want to be. Those who find her regret it when she attempts to force them into her service—as a beast of burden or common tool—or eats them, having developed a taste for mortal flesh. Rarely, she seeks out those in most need of her assistance, when it serves her purposes as well.
For those who can trick her out of her impossible secrets and escape her whims, all knowledge is within reach. Grandmother makes it her business to know everything: the last thoughts of the dying star Tovaya while in its death throes; the directions to Buyan, the mystical island of the dead; the life and times of the Forgotten Queen and why she was erased from history; the Words of Unfounding that can never be unspoken and that would unseat the gods; the true names of every creature never born; the secret network of byways that cross reality; and the circumstances that bring an end to the world. For a dangerously high price, Grandmother will part with her knowledge. The price might be a first kiss, a final breath, a forgotten artifact, or an impossible wager that forces the seeker to attempt a task with no real possibility of success. Those rare individuals who make their way past these trials and gain her secrets survive in tales. Those with knowledge she desires have a rare sway over her, since she will offer much to obtain it—though it’s still best not to push her too far, since she’s not one to ever forget a slight. Grandmother does not stoop to haggling.
All the mortal kings, the lords of heaven and hell, and the gods themselves leave Grandmother alone out of fear. Her secrets could unravel the skein of the world—or so she claims, and it is in her interest to make others believe it. She is content with all her knowledge, but she gladly demolishes those foolish enough to test her. Many have been erased from history for their wasted efforts to best her. She is the consummate schemer, a hundred steps ahead of the opposition with contingencies in place for even the most outlandish of possibilities. The wise let her be. The foolish seek out her hut.

It is said that Grandmother was once the highest priestess of Abatu himself, and that her time under his influence filled her mind and soul with the unspeakable secrets she now claims to know. None can say if this outlandish rumor has even a grain of truth, though.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

Grandmother and her daughters live in remarkable dwellings that appear as small log huts with stone chimneys—and enormous chicken legs. Grandmother’s hut is the largest of these, said to contain 20 or 40 rooms, an entire mansion of kitchens, cages, and kettles to please the crone’s vile heart. Her hut is incredibly difficult to find for those who don’t know how to look, and it constantly shifts its location. It permits entry only to those who address it politely. Though incapable of actual flight, Grandmother’s hut can make mile-long leaps several times a day; the sight of her hut leaping across the horizon is a good reason to hasten indoors.
Her daughters’ huts are newer and smaller, their legs only the height of a horse. Even they contain a half-dozen rooms and comfortable lodgings for the winter or summer, complete with a cellar and feather beds. The dancing huts travel when commanded by their owners, down from the Cloudwall Mountain valleys, over the Bay, across the Rothenian Plain, though the deepest glades of the Margreve, or along the banks of the River Tanais. The huts have even been sighted in the North, among the Riphean Mountains near the halls of the frost giants.
The huts are not combatants, though they deliver hard kicks in retaliation to attacks. Most are enchanted with wards and alarms that trigger when the hut is threatened. They move swiftly (50 ft. base speed) across the land, ignoring most terrain-based hindrances, and swimming across churning rivers without effort.

The Inconstant and Timeless Witch

No living being can comprehend Baba Yaga’s motives. Her actions and disposition are inconstant, unpredictable, and extremely dangerous. Even her most devoted mystics cannot predict what Grandmother will do next. The stories about Baba Yaga are one part dire warning, and one part nonsense. Scribes writing about the great witch occasionally find their writing vanished the next day, while others find their words have turned into earthworms writhing in their scroll cases. A painting of the witch commissioned by a duke transformed itself into a window to the Outer Realms. The duke and his family went mad after gazing through it. The painting was set to be destroyed but before the torch was lit, it sprouted two legs and fled into a river.
The witch enjoys company when the bold come calling. Those who quest to find her hut are often rewarded with a meal. Survivors of these audiences say Baba Yaga is so filled with secrets and knowledge, she maintains two distinct topics of conversation in one utterance. It is up to the guests to decipher which thread is which in her overflowing speech. Her hut is filled with the souls of those who failed her. Transformed into common household items or domestic animals, these sad beings retain all their memories and sentience. Take care when choosing your seat at Grandmother’s table—you might find yourself sitting on forgotten kings! Smart heroes in danger from the witch would do well to recruit the aid of these shapeshifted victims; their rage and sadness might be harnessed against the crone.
Grandmother appears to have the power to be in several places at once. Some scholars suggest she has numerous twin sisters, all of whom are named Baba Yaga, and all of whom do her bidding. Many believe the witch is free from the tyranny of time and wanders from moment to moment as she pleases. Her sojourns across the timelines create an endless stream of echoes, each her and yet not her. The truth lies somewhere between; after all, the sheer volume of knowledge acquired by Grandmother Yaga requires multiple minds to store it.
It could be that her sisters ensure her immortality. Like wooden dolls set inside one another, so too are the iterations of the great witch unified and endless.

Deaths

Once in a while a story circulates about the death of Baba Yaga. Witnesses to her deaths describe a similar scenario: The witch appears, normally in an unexpected place at an odd hour. She then recites a little song and through a series of incomprehensible actions, finds herself slain. She never cries out or interacts with the crowds of people gathered to watch her demise. She seems to pay no mind to others at all during these many suicides. She has been immolated, crushed, drowned, stung by insects, eaten by wolves, launched through the air at castle walls, and on and on. One of her mystics claims the deaths are related to Grandmother's walks through time—but none can be sure.

Daughters of Baba Yaga

Occasionally seekers find Baba Yaga with her daughters, the beautiful fey known as vila. Although there is no apparent record of the crone’s life, it seems unlikely that she descends from vila stock. Typically, vila do not age, staying beautiful forever. Vila do not have children, so it seems unlikely that they should truly be her daughters. Nevertheless, Baba Yaga treats them with a tenderness that she shows no one else. Perhaps they are victims of Baba Yaga’s wicked whims, or perhaps they are being prepared as her replacements. One of them, Eldara, is a particular favorite of the Despot of the Ruby Sea; others are seen more commonly in the Margreve Forest, in the palace of the Magdar, or dining with the Tsar of Vidim.
The vila have the power to grant divine-like boons to those who work in their interest. Some arcane scholars argue the boons are witch-hexes inverted by unknown magic; others see the work of Loki in them, and warn against accepting them. The effects of these boons include immunity to hunger and thirst, resilience to exhaustion, and truesight.
The daughters are not of a single mind. Some of the vila assist Baba Yaga in devouring guests and some take pity on travelers and help them escape. Some of them have witch’s huts of their own, though rarely as well appointed or as well warded and enchanted as Grandmother’s hut.

Mystics of Baba Yaga

Those who have close encounters with the witch are rarely the same afterward. Some go mad, and others flee their homes and are never heard from again. To speak with Grandmother is to hear the answers to questions you hadn’t dreamed of, and see futures and pasts from parallel worlds. The effect of conversing with Baba Yaga takes a different toll on each person. Some abandon their former lives and dedicate themselves to further pursuing the secrets of the witch. These mystics of Baba Yaga are found roaming across Torar, rattling off portents and seeing meaning in each small coincidence. The mystics are convinced that Grandmother leaves messages and signs behind her as she travels—and they believe the witch travels everywhere. Though they lack unity, sometimes the mystics come together to share what they have learned. These gatherings might last weeks as the followers of the crone pile meaning upon meaning to one another’s stories.

The Witch’s Garden

Deep in a valley nestled between serpent-infested hills grows the wicked garden of Baba Yaga. Master of the bubbling cauldron, Baba Yaga is renowned for her potions, draughts, and poultices. With access to all manner of exotic and rare ingredients, there is little the witch cannot brew. It is said that the crone has crossed time and worlds to gather seeds for her garden, and that a herb exists there capable of healing any affliction—including those inflicted by the gods themselves.
The serpents in the hills around the valley offer a deadly hazard to those wishing to find the garden. Grandmother's magic has made the snakes' venom particularly deadly; those suffering a bite from these enchanted snakes typically die within hours of being injected. To make matters worse, the bodies of those who die from the poison sometimes return as foul undead monstrosities. Mindless thralls (beings who angered or failed her) tend the garden, which is hidden from mortal eyes and scrying magic. A powerful elemental being known only as the Keeper oversees the garden and its workers. The fauna near the garden worship the Keeper and have gained intelligence from living so close to its magic. The minions of the Keeper are earth elementals, which bore through the area around the garden, acting as scouts and guardians. The elementals sometimes serve as gatherers for the crone, traveling across the Plain and beyond to obtain rare plants.
The garden lies in a series of interconnected caves deep in the valley's reaches. The caves are lit by brilliant blue fungi and green fireflies that flit from leaf to blossom and radiate nourishing rays. An underground stream and aquifer provides water to the garden, as well as fish and insects for the thralls to eat. It is said the garden can be accessed by underground paths through the hills—though the location of the entrance is not known.

Val the Deathless

Through trickery or persuasion, Baba Yaga has gained many powerful allies—whether unwilling or unwitting, it makes no difference to her as long as they serve her interests. Most important among them is Val the Deathless. This dreaded figure’s origin is lost to time. His defenders claim his descent from the living to his current state was one of tragedy and betrayal, painting him as a sad victim; others, less generous, believe his wickedness as a living creature was his downfall and the fuel for his vile transformation. Whatever the cause, Val is eternal. Most believe his soul is embedded within an egg hidden in a duck nestled within a hare that rests within a goat. Only the destruction of that egg will allow Val’s destruction.
The goat in question was supposedly tied to a great oak on the fabled island of Buyan, but it is believed that Baba Yaga currently controls the goat and therefore the egg, and whosoever controls the egg also controls Val. He has no love for the crone and would prefer his freedom, but he obeys her commands unquestioningly. He does not know where the goat is, and it is unclear whether he could take possession of it even if he could find it.
Val is a gaunt and pallid version of the man he was in life, and he rides an equally gaunt black mare. His wretched appearance and calm demeanor belie his incredible power. He is an incarnation of death, some say an avatar or herald of Chernobog or Perun. Few can withstand his onslaught when he wades into battle on his steed, betraying a glimmer of satisfaction and enjoyment in the slaughter. Despite its emaciated appearance, his intelligent steed is among the fastest in the multiverse and appears to be bonded to Val, apparently sharing his fate.

Divine Domains

Patron: Baba Yaga

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Hit Points

Hit Dice: d8 per Patron: Baba Yaga level

Hit Points at first Level:

Hit Points at Higher Levels:

Proficiences

Armor:

Weapons:

Tools:

Saving Throws:

Skills:

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Subclass Options

Those who have close encounters with the witch Baba Yaga are rarely the same afterward. Some go mad, and others flee their homes and are never heard from again. To speak with Grandmother is to hear the answers to questions you hadn’t dreamed of, and see futures and pasts from parallel worlds. The effect of conversing with Baba Yaga takes a different toll on each person. Some abandon their former lives and dedicate themselves to further pursuing the secrets of the witch. These warlocks of Baba Yaga are found roaming across Torar, rattling off portents and seeing meaning in each small coincidence. The warlocks are convinced that Grandmother leaves messages and signs behind her as she travels—and they believe the witch travels everywhere. Though they lack unity, sometimes the warlocks come together to share what they have learned. These gatherings might last weeks as the followers of the crone pile meaning upon meaning to one another’s stories.

Expanded Spell List

Baba Yaga lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Baba Yaga Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	dissonant whispers, identify
2nd	augury, mind thrust
3rd	bestow curse, speak with dead
4th	locate creature, polymorph
5th	commune, teleportation circle

Maddening Secrets

Starting at 1st level, you may call upon a powerful secret from the vast store of hidden lore you have been exposed to. You are able to cast spells from the Baba Yaga Expanded Spells list without using a warlock spell slot. When you choose to do so, roll on the Madness table. The madness effect persists until you complete a long rest unless otherwise noted. While taking a short rest you may spend a hit die to remove one madness effect as many times as you want.

Tell Me Your Secrets

Starting at 6th level, you learn about your enemies as you destroy them. Whenever you deal psychic damage to a creature with a warlock spell, you can learn the creature's Damage Vulnerabilities, Damage Resistances, Damage Immunities, or Condition Immunities.

Maddened Mind

At 6th level, the secrets of Baba Yaga have clouded and altered your mind to the point that you become more difficult to influence by others. You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws, and if you are under the effects of a madness you are immune to any effects that require a Wisdom saving throw.

Sharp Minded

Starting at 10th level, your mind has absorbed so much forbidden knowledge that you gain immunity to psychic damage. In addition, if you are under the effects of a madness, you may cast warlock spells that deal psychic damage which have a normal casting time of one action as a bonus action instead. You may still only cast one non-cantrip spell per turn.

Signs and Portents

Beginning at 14th level, you have learned to manipulate the omens and signs that Baba Yaga have left for you. You may roll twice whenever you roll on the madness table and take whichever result you wish. Additionally, as an action you may spend a warlock spell slot and transfer any madness you are currently suffering to a target you can see within 60 feet of you. The target may make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC to resist this effect. You lose the chosen madness if the saving throw fails.

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d100	Result
1-6	The character retreats into his or her mind and becomes paralyzed. The effect ends if the character takes any damage.
7-12	The character begins babbling and is incapable of normal speech or spellcasting.
13-18	The character experiences vivid hallucinations and has disadvantage on ability checks.
19-24	The character does whatever anyone tells him or her to do that isn't obviously self-destructive.
25-30	The character experiences an overpowering urge to eat something strange such as dirt, slime, or offal.
31-36	The character feels compelled to repeat a specific activity over and over, such as washing hands, touching things, praying, or counting coins.
37-42	The character suffers extreme paranoia. The character has disadvantage on Wisdom and Charisma checks.
43-48	The character regards something (usually the source of madness) with intense revulsion, as if affected by the antipathy effect of the antipathy/sympathy spell.
49-54	The character experiences a powerful delusion. Your DM chooses a potion. The character imagines that he or she is under its effects.
55-60	The character becomes attached to a "lucky charm," such as a person or an object, and has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws while more than 30 feet from it.
61-66	The character is blinded (25%) or deafened (75%).
67-72	The character experiences uncontrollable tremors or tics, which impose disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws that involve Strength or Dexterity.
73-78	The character suffers from partial amnesia. The character knows who he or she is and retains racial traits and class features, but doesn't recognize other people or remember anything that happened before the madness took effect.
79-84	Whenever the character takes damage, he or she must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be affected as though he or she failed a saving throw against the confusion spell. The confusion effect lasts for 1 minute.
85-90	The character loses the ability to speak.
91-99	The character becomes incapacitated and spends the duration screaming, laughing, or weeping. This lasts until the end of your next round.
100	The character falls unconscious. No amount of jostling or damage can wake the character.

Divine Classification

Warlock Patron

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral with evil tendencies

Current Location

Rothenian Plain

Species

Human

Year of Birth

483953 AE 463953 Years old

Birthplace

Azeroth

Current Residence

Rothenian Plain

Gender

female

Eyes

White cataracts

Hair

Stringy white, wild

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale, gray-ish

Height

5'3"

Weight

97 lbs.

Ruled Locations

• Rothenian Plain