The heroes stood outside the cave, water dripping down from the pine branches all around. The forest was only slightly better illuminated than the cave. A voice echoed from the stones and the darkness.

“Rise up, spirits of the dead, rise up and speak to old Alkasha!” Groaning voices answered the wavering command, groans of bitter suffering, of voices without lips or tongues.

“You fools outside the cave, are you here to hear the words of your doom and learn your fate? Or do you seek to harm an old woman who means your village no harm?”

The dragonborn paladin found his courage first. “We come to put an end to your torments and trickery. You rob graves! You compel spirits to suffer!”

A cackling shriek came from the cave. “Oh, you seek to make trouble for old Alkasha. Spirits, defend me! Hear now my words, you meddlers! Hear your doom and listen well!”

The doomsayer hag is a creature halfway between the world of the living and the dead, able to call up spirits and question them (as per a Speak with Dead ritual) and also able to confound the living with prophecies that seem entirely true and terrifying visions of a hero’s death or maiming. The hag Alkasha lives not far from human habitation, and occasionally helps the poor or the desperate. More often, though, she works to rob graves, to bury the living, and to meddle in the grey lands between life and death for her own inscrutable purposes. [More…]

Alkasha, Doomsayer Hag       Level 11 Elite Controller

Medium fey humanoid       XP ,1200
Initiative +9       Senses Perception +12; low-light vision
Rotting Flesh (Necrotic) aura 5; an enemy that ends its turn in the aura takes 1d6 necrotic damage.
HP 228; Bloodied 114; see also finger of pain
AC 25; Fortitude 23, Reflex 25, Will 26
Saving Throws +2
Resist 10 necrotic
Speed 6; see also hag step
Action Points 1

m Crone’s Strike (standard; at-will) • Weapon
+16 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 damage, and the target is immobilized until the end of Alkasha’s next turn.

R Doomed Words (standard, encounter) • Charm, Psychic
Range 10; +16 vs. Will; the target is dazed until the end of Alkasha’s next turn. In addition, Alkasha can choose to either immobilize the target or slide the target 5 squares.

C Finger of Pain (standard; encounter; recharges when first bloodied) • Necrotic
Close blast 5; +16 vs. Fortitude; 3d8 + 11 necrotic damage. Miss: Half damage.

C Gloomful Prophesy (minor; at-will) • Psychic
Close blast 3; +16 vs. Fortitude; 1d8 + 5 psychic damage, and targets are pushed 3 squares.

R Shades of the Dead (standard, daily) • Conjuration, Necrotic
Range 10; Alkasha conjures four ghostly shades of the dead, each occupying 1 square within range. Asa move action, Alkasha can move any of the shades 2 squares. The shades cannot attack or be attacked or damaged, and they remain until the end of the encounter. Enemies cannot enter a square occupied by a conjured shade, but allies can move through those squares as if the shades were allies. The shades grant cover to Alkasha’s allies but not her enemies.

C Vampiric Word (standard; recharge 4 5 6) • Healing, Implement, Necrotic
Close burst 10; Alkasha can make a +15 Fort attack against all creatures in the burst and causes 3d8+5 damage to creatures hit. She regains 1d8 hit points for each target hit.

Alter Shape (minor; at-will) • Polymorph
Alkasha can appear as an old crone of any Medium humanoid race (see change shape, MONSTER MANUAL p. 280).

Hag Step (move; encounter) • Teleportation
Alkasha can teleport 10 squares.

Alignment Evil Languages Common, Elven
Skills Arcana +13, Bluff +15, Insight +15, Intimidate +15, Nature +15, Religion +15
Str 18 (+9) Dex 18 (+9) Wis 21 (+10)
Con 19 (+9) Int 17 (+8) Cha 21 (+10)
Equipment staff, +3 wand
Tactics: In a fight, Alkasha crouches low and uses her Finger of Pain and Gloomful Prophecy first. After prophesying, she uses her Doomed Words. She calls upon the Shades of the Dead to interfere with enemy movement or block it entirely in choke points.

When foes approach within melee reach, Alkashsa uses Crone Strike and her area powers, especially Vampiric Word. She keeps some form of minions always close at hand, such as bog hags, displacer beasts, ogre thugs, or quickling runners; they defend as Alkasha attacks and use their skirmish powers.

Got a request for a new 4E monster? Want to contribute one? See the writer’s guidelines or make a request in the Forum.