801632-Dancing_Hut_of_Baba_Yaga

DANCING HUT of
BABA YAGA

Face the Grandmother of Witches and the wonders of her Dancing Hut

DANCING HUT OF
BABA YAGA

Enter the Fantastic Home of the Grandmother of Witches
... If you Dare!

Credits

Designer: Dave Coulson
Layout: Dave Coulson
Cover Illustrator: Jack Kaiser
Interior Illustrators: Bob Greyvenstein, Quico Vicens Picatto, Colin Throm
Cartography: Dave Coulson using Dungeon Scrawl (dungeonscrawl.com)
Cartography Icons: Inkwell Ideas

ON THE COVER

Baba Yaga beckons travelers into her mysterious
hut of chicken-legged wonders in this evocative
piece by Jack Kaiser. Dare you enter the home
of the Grandmother of Witches and face her
gauntlet of challenges?

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster
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logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are
property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any repro-
duction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of

Wizards of the Coast.
©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31,

2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.

Contents Area 15: Observatory of the All-Eye .... 66
Area 16: Stable of Nightmares ............. 68
Forward .................................................................... 4 Area 17: Graveyard of Kings ................. 70
Area 18: Coliseum of Ancient Sands ... 72
Welcome to the Dancing Hut.................................. 5 Area 19: Crystal Grotto .......................... 74
Area 20: Black Orchard .......................... 76
Outside the Dancing Hut ........................................ 13
Inner Layer .............................................................. 78
Inside the Dancing Hut .......................................... 16
Area 21: Fountain of Life ........................ 80
Between Layer ........................................................ 20 Area 22: Undiscovered Art Gallery ....... 82
Area 23: Hall of Gateways ...................... 84
Area A: Hut Interior ................................ 22 Area 24: Skeleton Closets ...................... 86
Area B: Natasha’s Chambers ................. 24 Area 25: Iron Testing Labs ..................... 88
Area C: Kazakova’s Chambers .............. 26 Area 26: Star of Death ............................ 90
Area D: Inessa’s Chambers .................... 28 Area 27: Treasure Vaults ........................ 92
Area E: Staff Halls ................................... 30 Area 28: Chamber of Hallucinations .... 94
Area F: Baba Yaga’s Chambers .............. 32
Area G: Lakeland ...................................... 34 Nucleus ................................................................... 96

Outer Layer .............................................................. 36 Area 29: Prison of the Lost .................... 98
Area 30: Divine Armory ......................... 100
Area 1: Entry Hall .................................... 38 Area 31: Well of Madness ....................... 102
Area 2: Throne of the Witch ................... 40 Area 32: Control Center ......................... 104
Area 3: Trophy Hall ................................. 42
Area 4: Kitchen of Blood ........................ 44 Magic of Baba Yaga ................................................ 106
Area 5: Magma Armory .......................... 46
Area 6: Forge of the Blind ...................... 48 New Magical Items ................................. 106
Area 7: Hidden Museum ........................ 50 Dreadful Curses ..................................... 108
Area 8: Fungal Gardens .......................... 52
Area 9: Pools of Paradise ....................... 54 Baba Yaga, Grandmother of Witches ................. 112
Area 10: Grinding Gears ........................ 56
Area 11: Keep of the Wine Cellar .......... 58 Monsters of the Dancing Hut .............................. 117
Area 12: Mighty Menagerie ................... 60
Area 13: Curious Library ...................... 62
Area 14: Alchemy Laboratory .............. 64

Forward Fast forward some years to GaryCon, the
convention celebrating the life of Gary Gygax held in
Baba Yaga has had a special place in my games Lake Geneva in March each year. My first GaryCon
since I started playing D&D back in 1995. I was was 2013 and I had an absolute blast, and the
introduced to the magic of RPGs through one of next year I decided to run “The Dancing Hut” as
my best friends, who had in turn learned it from his a scheduled event. I created a party of 11th-level
dad and his friends. My friend told crazy stories of AD&D 1st Edition characters, created a 4-hour
their infrequent high-level games, and many of those adventure, and printed out each room on a half-size
stories centered around Baba Yaga, a witch of great piece of paper for the players to see and handle. It’s
power living in a fantastic hut on chicken legs. just an absolute joy to watch players puzzle through
the room connections and try to remember which
The imagery made a profound impact on my door leads to which room!
fertile imagination, and I hunted down everything
I could find about Baba Yaga and the Dancing Hut. I ran the Dancing Hut at GaryCon for a number
This was the dawn of the internet as we know of years, adapting and changing the story structure
it today, with search engines and whatnot, so it every couple of years, and eventually I moved it to
took longer to get to the information I sought, but D&D 5th Edition. I have adored each session, and
eventually I found Dragon Magazine #83. This issue I’ve always wanted to spend time adding my own
from March 1984 held an article by Roger E. Moore flavor to Baba Yaga and her fantastic chicken-legged
called “The Dancing Hut,” which as far as I can tell hut, adding lessons from actual gameplay along with
contains the first actual gamification of the Dancing a healthy dose of wild creative imagination. I studied
Hut (the artifact can be found in broad detail going up on the lore of Baba Yaga as a creature of folklore
back to Eldritch Wizardry from the original boxed as well, though my focus has always been to provide
set). an engaging tabletop experience.

I loved it. I didn’t have a physical copy of the The result is this adventure. It’s taken me about
magazine but I did have the Dragon Magazine three months to get it complete, but in reality it’s
Archive CD-ROM, which contains issues #1 through been percolating in my imagination for over 25 years.
#250 in PDF form, and so I printed out a copy for I hope you enjoy running the adventure for your own
my perusal. The adventure had a ton of flavor with players, or if nothing else I hope something in this
just enough anachronistic elements to make it inspires your game to go in an unexpected direction.
memorable (like an Abrams tank!). On December
31st, 1999, I ran my gaming group through “The And when you meet Baba Yaga, tell her Weird
Dancing Hut” and we celebrated the arrival of the Dave sent you. We go way back.
new millennium in Baba Yaga’s weirdly wonderful
abode. Happy gaming!
“Weird Dave” Coulson
I eventually added Lisa Smedman’s The Dancing
Hut of Baba Yaga adventure for AD&D 2nd Edition June 2021
to my collection, and while it had a lot of great ideas
(including more useful information around Baba
Yaga and the hut itself), I found the layout and room
descriptions less engaging than the Dragon Magazine
article. That cover though – wow! Jeff Easley always
delivers, and his cover for The Dancing Hut of Baba
Yaga stands as one of my favorites.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
4

Welcome to the Dancing Hut

Rumors have been spreading in small towns and Adventure Overview
hamlets, regions isolated in the far reaches of the
wilderness and cut off from major cities and trade The Dancing Hut is a legendary artifact of D&D lore,
routes. Rumors of strangeness in the forest, where and Baba Yaga has been a component of it since its
the animals suddenly watch with intelligent eyes introduction. There are so many ways to detail the
while the sound of a crone’s laughter pierces the contents of this fabulous and wondrous site that it’s
veil of night. Rumors of young men and women important to know what this adventure contains and
disappearing without a trace in the wilderness. its scope.
Rumors of a cottage that walks on enormous chicken
legs. The contents of the Dancing Hut and the
surrounding areas are detailed in this adventure
Rumors of Baba Yaga. module using a 2-page spread format, with a map of
Those rumors turn out to be true and the Dancing the specific area and pertinent information regarding
Hut of Baba Yaga has come once again to haunt, what can be found or encountered there.
confuse, befuddle, and terrorize the far corners of
the land. The Grandmother of Witches cackles in her Here is a description of what you’ll find in this
flying mortar as she sails over the trees, a shadow module.
in the darkness, but what does she want? Why has
she come? And what strangeness awaits in her Welcome to the Dancing Hut. The first section
fantastic hut on dancing chicken legs? Brave heroes contains information pertinent to the history of
are needed to head out and find the answers to these Baba Yaga, the Grandmother of Witches, along
questions and more! with legends and stories concerning the Dancing
Welcome to the Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga, Hut. Much of this information is drawn from classic
an adventure unlike any other. Baba Yaga, the fairy tales and eastern European literature, but it’s
Grandmother of Witches, has come to town, and been given some dramatic spins to suit the fantastic
her dangerous and mysterious Dancing Hut beckons settings of D&D. This section also contains some
adventurers to brave its wondrous depths. Open the broad goals of Baba Yaga, legends regarding the
doors, unlock the puzzles, and meet the famed witch, famous witch, and details on her three distinct faces
her adopted daughters, and a host of other strange – the Hungry, the Wicked, and the Mother.
characters.
This module presents the Dancing Hut and its The Dancing Hut is a sprawling place, and
most famous owner, Baba Yaga, as an adventure adventurers traveling into its strange rooms should
site worthy of high-level exploration. You can use the possess a goal to focus on so they don’t wander
module in many different ways, and the Adventures aimlessly. This section provides plots that can be
in the Hut section provides ways to entice used to entice parties of adventurers to seek out and
characters to seek out Baba Yaga. In general, the explore the Dancing Hut.
adventure environments presented are designed to
challenge a party of characters levels 11-16, but with Outside the Dancing Hut. The Dancing Hut
some adjusting and focus on non-combat solutions, a can appear almost anywhere in the world or the
party of lower-level characters could also explore the multiverse, but wherever it touches down it changes
Dancing Hut. the landscape around it in subtle ways. This section
provides details of those changes, including its
famous bone fence and interacting with the Dancing
Hut itself. For many adventurers, this is the first taste
of the strangeness to come.

Inside the Dancing Hut. The Dancing Hut can
change its configuration to suit any need or want
of its owner. The configuration presented in this
adventure includes four sections – Between Layer,
Outer Layer, Inner Layer, and Nucleus. The Between
Layer exists outside of a defined structure, but the
other layers are built like a die of decreasing size
with each “face” of the die representing a room (of
varying shape and design) with three exits/entrances.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

5

The Outer Layer is shaped like a 20-sided Baba Yaga Background
icosahedron, the Inner Layer like an 8-sided
octahedron, and the Nucleus is built like a 4-sided Baba Yaga is one of the most powerful wizards in the
tetrahedron. Each room of each layer is described multiverse, and one of the oldest non-deity entities.
with a distinct map, inhabitants, and challenges She has been the master of the Dancing Hut for the
designed for a party of characters levels 11-16. vast majority of recorded history, but there are hints
of her past before she took control of the wondrous
Progressing deeper into the interior of the artifact worth mentioning.
Dancing Hut requires using a special knock
sequence. Some of the NPCs encountered can assist Baba Yaga’s size and appearance suggests an ogre
characters, while others are meant as antagonists ancestry, and her fondness for ogres especially lends
with their own personal agendas – and some are just credence to this theory. The lack of known ogre
bizarre. gods amongst the pantheons of the multiverse also
provides a glimpse into one of the Baba Yaga’s long-
In addition to these three core layers, there are term goals – to achieve godhood status. Is this in part
rooms accessible through the strange paths between due to her people’s lack of divine representation?
chambers. These rooms include the personal
chambers of Baba Yaga, her favored children, and In her younger years, Baba Yaga has claimed
rooms for the witch’s personal servants and guards. to have been enslaved by a powerful arcane being
The first room entered by visitors, the seemingly after she lived a life of poverty and squalor. She has
normal inside of the hut itself, is considered one of alternately identified this arcane being as “master”
these intermediary rooms. and “mistress,” and there are some planar scholars
who believe the identity of Baba Yaga’s original tutor
Magic of Baba Yaga. This section details artifacts, is none other than Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine
magical items, and curses pertaining to Baba Yaga Hells. There is little factual evidence to go on beyond
and the Dancing Hut. conjecture, however.

Baba Yaga, Grandmother of Witches. Baba While the exact identity of her original patron
Yaga’s game statistics in her three forms along with isn’t known, Baba Yaga learned from them the
roleplaying notes are found in this section. ways of witchcraft, sorcery, and powerful arcane
formulae predating the current forms of wizardry.
Appendix. Monster statistics from sources Her knowledge of ancient magic goes well beyond
outside published materials are marked with an the known eight schools, though much of her most
asterisk (*) in the text and reprinted in this appendix impressive powers relate to illusion, enchantment,
for ease of reference. Many of these creatures are and divination.
found in the Monsters of the Infinite Planes book.
Under the tutelage of this mysterious patron
History and Legends Baba Yaga proved to be a remarkably adept student,
though she never forgot nor forgave the conditions
The connection between Baba Yaga and the of her enslavement. She learned magical power far
Dancing Hut is so strong that one cannot truthfully beyond the scope of her lessons, and she bent her
be examined completely without the other. Their incredible intellect towards freedom and punishment
histories and stories are so linked that describing for her imprisonment. In all the stories, Baba Yaga
one of them invariably includes details on the other. seems to abandon the ideas of returning to her
But to start, let’s look at the history of Baba Yaga original home or her family.
herself.
Eventually, she ended the bonds of her
Baba Yaga is an ancient figure steeped in a myriad enslavement and struck out on her own. Did she
of legends, tales, and stories, stretching across kill her patron? Or simply use trickery or magic to
the multiverse itself. The exact details of her past escape? The details of how this relationship ended
and history are subject to considerable debate by (or even if it did) are not commonly known, though
planar scholars, and even Baba Yaga herself has some who have explored the Dancing Hut have found
offered baffling or contradictory details on previously evidence suggesting Baba Yaga keeps some powerful
established facts. entity trapped within the inner nucleus.

The period of time between Baba Yaga ending her
enslavement and finding the Dancing Hut are scarce,
and it is widely believed she traveled the multiverse
itself in its younger form, learning secrets and
gaining knowledge that would eventually be lost as
time moved on.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
6

It should be noted that the details of Baba Yaga’s There are numerous academic studies pertaining
history can change depending on any number of to Baba Yaga and her role in folklore and society as
factors. Each of the distinct faces of Baba Yaga a whole, and this adventure module for D&D does
may offer different interpretations of these events not seek to supplant or replace these valuable works.
or may simply lie about their details in order to If you are interested in learning more, I encourage
further their own purposes. Uncovering the true you to seek out Baba Yaga: The Ambitious Mother
history of the Grandmother of Witches would be a and Witch of the Russian Folktale by Andreas Johns,
grueling, lifelong pursuit for any interested scholar or a thoroughly engaging overview of the enigmatic
adventurer. character. The compilation Baba Yaga: The Wild
Witch of the East in Russian Fairy Tales by Sibelan
Dancing Hut Background Forrester and others contains translated versions of
many stories and tales regarding Baba Yaga, some of
Baba Yaga is intrinsically tied to the Dancing Hut, which are referenced in this adventure.
and most references to the strange artifact are linked
directly to her. Is she the creator of the chicken- History in D&D
legged wonder? Or is she only the longest-running
owner? Baba Yaga and her Dancing Hut have been a feature
of D&D since the very beginning. Baba Yaga’s Hut
The Dancing Hut is an artifact that defies easy can be found in Eldritch Wizardry, the sixth book
classification. It is its own plane of existence in the original Dungeons & Dragons white box set,
wrapped up within a seemingly simple package. where it is referenced as being the home of the
Planar transportation and teleportation magic do “greatest wizardess of all time.”
not function within the confines of the Dancing Hut,
though the hut can dance to travel the planes of It appears again in the AD&D 1st Edition
existence, taking all inhabitants with it. Dungeon Master’s Guide, though here it is referenced
as being created by Baba Yaga. One of the most
And in each plane it appears, the Dancing Hut iconic representations of the hut comes from
can change its layout in dramatically fundamental Dragon Magazine #83 in an adventure for high-level
ways. On some planes, it may have a simple series of characters written by Roger E. Moore titled “The
connected rooms, while others form complicated 3D Dancing Hut.”
geometric shapes.
The artifact saw publication again in the AD&D
Real World Context 2nd Edition Book of Artifacts supplement, which
touches upon Baba Yaga’s real world origins and
Baba Yaga is a prominent figure in many eastern general information about the Dancing Hut. It is
European folk stories, and many of those stories described as having more than 30 rooms, and while
have transcended their regional roots to take on the great witch is associated with it the supplement
greater relevance on the world stage. She is a provides no definitive details about whether she
fascinating character who appears alternately as created it or simply is the most famous owner.
a primary antagonist, protagonist, or even side
character in many stories. Much about her defies Lisa Smedman’s 1995 module The Dancing Hut
easy explanation. of Baba Yaga provides an update on the great witch
and her hut, and contains a lot of interesting material
Even the name Baba Yaga offers conflicting regarding the wondrous adventure site. That
or confusing definition. Most commonly, baba adventure module pushes a lot of the anachronistic
is interpreted in many Slavic languages as elements of Baba Yaga’s hut to the forefront – one
“grandmother,” but it can also be “old woman” of the detailed rooms is a scale model set of Tokyo
and some linguistic derivatives of the word link where the characters face a giant lizard in a scene
to butterflies, mushrooms, cakes, pears, or even straight from a Godzilla film!
pelicans.

Similarly, Yaga, or Iaga as she is referenced in
the earliest documentations, can be interpreted
in numerous different ways depending on the
etymology and linguistic source you choose to follow,
with many derivative verbs related to yelling or
being angry. Commonly, “yaga” is associated with
dark feelings or evil itself, and the variabilities relate
directly to the myriad of stories concerning Baba
Yaga herself.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

7

Three Faces of Baba Yaga Baba Yaga the Mother

Most people seeking or interacting with Baba Yaga The third face of Baba Yaga is the most agreeable,
think they’re dealing with a single being – ancient though even as Baba Yaga the Mother the great witch
and powerful, but nonetheless unique. The truth is can be cruel in her words. Nonetheless, it is this
that there are three Baba Yagas, and each possesses face that looks upon a poor unfortunate soul, often
different perspectives, abilities, and personalities. female children, and takes action to help them out,
offering gifts or favors. Rarely, she may even take
The larger question becomes – are these three them in as apprentices, giving them a home in the
faces distinct creatures, like sisters, or are they all Dancing Hut and treating them as her own children.
occupying a single mind? No one has encountered Natasha, later known as Tasha, was one such
multiple Baba Yagas at once and documented adopted daughter, but there have been many others
the experience, and all legends record only one throughout the years.
Baba Yaga. But those stories offer clues to the
personalities and goals of the three faces. Goals of Baba Yaga

The three faces of Baba Yaga are defined largely Baba Yaga strives to achieve three ends: to find
by their dominant traits. Here they are presented as and collect magical items and artifacts of power, to
Baba Yaga the Wicked, Baba Yaga the Hungry, and learn all the myriad secrets of the multiverse, and to
Baba Yaga the Mother. become immortal.

Baba Yaga the Wicked In the first two goals, she has done quite well.
She has found many artifacts of great and dire
In this face, Baba Yaga is cruel and vicious. She magical portent (some of which even she dares not
mocks, torments, and generally curses anyone use), and her wanderings through the planes of
around her, and her actions are bent towards existence always seem to bring her across new and
inflicting suffering and pain to those who have powerful items. Baba Yaga has also made countless
wronged her. Many legends exist of this Baba Yaga bargains with the gods of magic and secrets to gain
as it is the one most likely to take actions against possession of the Well of Madness, a great artifact
any seeking out the Dancing Hut. The slightest holding the essence of a godling.
provocation can push this incarnation of Baba
Yaga to taking the most devious and petty revenge Her third goal remains the ultimate prize.
possible. Constantly, she feels the presence of Death at her
shoulder – not just a god or gods of death, but the
Baba Yaga the Wicked is also a schemer, and she actual manifestation of the end of life. She knows
may implement far-ranging plots meant to humiliate it is possible to cheat the gods of death, such as
or punish those who have crossed her path. Hades, but the true power of Death is not so easily
misled. Undead may prolong their life through
Baba Yaga the Hungry sorcery, demons and celestials may be immortal,
and the gods themselves may carry sway over the
There are numerous stories of Baba Yaga being multiverse itself, but they are all susceptible to
utterly obsessed with consuming the flesh of Death. Everything dies, sooner or later.
humanoids, often in one of her many ovens. This is
the work of Baba Yaga the Hungry, a more primitive But not Baba Yaga, or so she hopes.
and base form of the great witch concerned only Baba Yaga has probably lived longer than any
with satiating physical needs through any means being has the right to (with the exception of the
necessary. While the other faces are intelligent, this powers that spawned the gods themselves). She
one often makes simple mistakes especially when has done this through vile sorcery and trickery,
the subject of her hungry desire is in reach. somehow stealing the youth from those who come
to ask her aid. However, she has not yet found a way
Baba Yaga the Hungry is the most likely face to to transcend the reach of Death – although she has
pose a physical challenge to outsiders, and many ideas.
adventurers have had to face this great monster in
combat in order to stop her from consuming her
favorite food – humanoid children.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
8

The will of Death is done through its servants, Elena the Fair. Elena was a charming, beautiful
the avatars of deaths. These beings are supposedly girl who was rescued by Baba Yaga many years ago
fallen gods of death who have become true from a monstrous stepmother. Elena was sweet and
messengers of the end of life. They wander the kind, and for a long time she lived in the Dancing
multiverse, carrying out Death’s master plan Hut with her adopted sister Natasha the Dark, who
(whatever that may be), though most only encounter treated Elena with scorn and ridicule. The two
them through powerful magic, such as the type found were both gifted in the arts of magic, though Elena
in a deck of many things (by drawing the Skull card). focused on the positive aspects of sorcery while
Baba Yaga has managed to capture several avatars, Natasha excelled in spells harnessing power for
hoping Death itself comes to visit her. And then they personal gain. Eventually, Natasha left the hut, and
will bargain on Baba Yaga’s terms. Elena enjoyed a time of peace. In time, however,
she fell under the influence of a demonic tutor who
Daughters of Baba Yaga twisted her mind and drove her insane. Baba Yaga
noticed but didn’t intervene, choosing instead to see
From time to time, Baba Yaga takes a young woman what would happen. Elena broke down mentally
from across the multiverse and invites her to stay and physically over time, and she now haunts the
in the Dancing Hut to learn magic and serve as the Dancing Hut as a disembodied psychic spirit known
witch’s protégé. These women are referred to as the as Elena the Mad. More information about her can
daughters of Baba Yaga, and each has a separate be found in the Outer Layer overview of the Inside
story to tell regarding how they came to live in the the Dancing Hut section.
hut with the Grandmother of Witches. All seem
destined for great things – good or evil. Ilya the Forgotten. Sometimes, Baba Yaga sees
great potential in a daughter, but that potential never
In general, the adopted daughters refer to Baba reaches full maturity to the great witch’s content.
Yaga as Mother as a term of endearment, a privilege Such was the case with Ilya, now known as Ilya
afforded to no other creature. Baba Yaga prefers to the Forgotten. She was actually a princess from a
be called Grandmother by other creatures but her powerful kingdom on the Material Plane, a princess
name is sufficient as well; calling the great witch born to power and prestige beyond her family status
Mother is a sign of disrespect likely to summon the – great magical potential ran in her veins. Baba Yaga
wicked face of Baba Yaga. actually stole the girl away when she was only an
infant, leaving the kingdom without an heir. Ilya grew
Baba Yaga usually has two daughters at any given up in the Dancing Hut as a curious and precocious
time, but she may go long periods with one or none child, and shortly after she turned eighteen she
depending on her mood. Her most famous daughter, disobeyed Baba Yaga – she plucked a black rose
Natasha the Dark, would eventually leave the from the Lakeland, a forbidden act. But Baba
Dancing Hut and become a powerful sorceress and Yaga couldn’t bring herself to destroy Ilya, so she
witch in her own right, known as both Iggwilv and transformed her into a hedgehog and abandoned her
Tasha. Several former daughters still roam the halls, in the hut. Currently, Ilya lives in the Black Orchard,
trapped or imprisoned in the hut by their mother’s but she desperately wants to escape.
curse. You’ll find a description of the most prominent
daughters of Baba Yaga below, including the two Inessa the Enchanting. Inessa is the most
current ones living in the hut (Inessa the Enchanting recent daughter of Baba Yaga. She was an orphan
and Kazakova the Strong). in a major city, but she was by no means helpless.
She learned early in her years to use her fearsome
beauty to get her way, and she managed to augment
those natural skills with a fair bit of enchantment
magic as well. Inessa became a secret power in the
city with many influential men and women under
her thumb, until one day the city’s nobility fell to a
violent uprising. Inessa was forced to flee into the
wilderness where she was picked up by Baba Yaga
flying overhead. She was taken to the Dancing Hut,
and after a short time Baba Yaga offered to teach
Inessa the secrets to greater power. The young
enchanting beauty agreed.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

9

Kazakova the Strong. Kazakova is a recent Child of Greatness
arrival in the Dancing Hut, and she actively sought
out Baba Yaga to become her apprentice. Kazakova The characters are called to a remote barony on
is a physically strong human woman, with broad urgent request. The baron’s daughter has been
shoulders, sharp features, and short-cut black hair. kidnapped by the great witch Baba Yaga! She was
She grew up the smartest and the strongest in her taken in the night from the baron’s castle and now
village. She quickly outgrow the peasant life, so the baron is desperate to have his daughter returned.
Kazakova decided she would become a daughter
of Baba Yaga. She wandered the wilderness for Unfortunately, things are not as simple as they
several years, bouncing between hermit-wizards seem. The baron’s daughter was born under an
and consuming all the magic she could find, until auspicious birth sign and marked for some great
she finally came upon the Dancing Hut. Kazakova power in the future. The baron is a power-hungry
impressed Baba Yaga with her tenacity and mental cultist dedicated to opening a gate to the Far Realm
strength, so the witch took her in and gave her a for his inhuman masters, and the daughter was the
home. Since then, Kazakova has sought to learn key to unlocking the gate when she came of age.
everything about the Dancing Hut and its secrets. Baba Yaga, sensing the girl’s power, came in and
stole her away – not against her will but against the
Natasha the Dark. The best known Daughter of will of her father!
Baba Yaga is Natasha the Dark, a human woman
who showed remarkable skill in the practice of The daughter now resides in a special room
arcane magic. She lived for a time with her sister within the Dancing Hut, and Baba Yaga the Mother
Elena, and the two couldn’t have been more opposite. has been kind to this guest. However, the girl’s
Eventually, Natasha the Dark left the Dancing Hut to powerful potential has attracted other nefarious
forge her own path, and she took the name Iggwilv forces as well, and they have come to the hut of the
for a time. She is better known to the world now Grandmother of Witches to claim her.
as Tasha, and she has returned to the Dancing Hut
on numerous occasions to treat with Baba Yaga on What other forces are up to you, but the below
equal terms. suggestions can offer guidance on the forces arrayed
against the characters.
Adventures in the Hut
• The matron mother of an influential noble drow
Baba Yaga and her fantastic Dancing Hut can be house who sends her daughter and a contingent
used in countless ways in a campaign. This section of drow soldiers and slaves.
outlines some ideas for featuring the Dancing Hut
as a direct component, but Baba Yaga could easily • A lich of great magical might who sends a death
be a resource for the party if they need information knight and a force of undead soldiers.
regarding ancient magic or fallen empires. She has
been around for a long time. • The high priest of a dark god who arrives
personally along with temple soldiers to claim
The following storylines can be used to quickly the girl.
send a party of characters searching the wilderness
for Baba Yaga and her Dancing Hut while providing • A demon lord of the Abyss who sends a horde of
them a solid goal to accomplish. The goals require demonic fiends to wrest control of the girl away
the party to search the interior of the mysterious from Baba Yaga.
hut, facing multiple foes and dangers unique to their
situation. Use these as templates for fashioning your The characters, likely not knowing the full extent
own Dancing Hut adventures! of the situation, must travel to the Dancing Hut and
then make their way to the Audience Chamber.
There they find Baba Yaga’s simulacrum along with
representatives of each force. Baba Yaga announces
that whomever locates the girl in the hut first can
claim her, and clues are located around the areas
to accessing the secret chamber. Vladimir can help
along with Baba Yaga’s daughters, though some may
be allied with the other forces as well.

The clues should all be sprinkled throughout the
Outer Layer of the Dancing Hut, and they should add
up to the passphrase needed to enter the special
chamber in the Between Layer where the girl is
currently waiting. If the characters claim her they
can return her to her father – setting up another
potential conflict!

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
10

Doomsday Approaches Alternately, perhaps the prominent figure was
lying for their own purposes. Perhaps they did
All the prophecies and predictions point to the same deal with Baba Yaga. But why? Could it be the
grim conclusion – the end of the world is coming, Grandmother of Witches wants something the
and the end may be more than just the world. It characters have, and the bargain was to get the party
could spiral out to encompass all of the multiverse if to the Dancing Hut itself? Or does Baba Yaga need
left unchecked! Powerful heroes are needed to find the characters for something? It could just as easily
out more information about this incredibly vague but by Kazakova or Inessa who cast the dreadful curse
potentially world-ending apocalypse. – neither are as skilled as Baba Yaga but they could
still accomplish it to suit their needs.
Oracles and diviners all suggest the same
source as a place to start for the characters. They Subplots
must find the Dancing Hut and consult with Baba
Yaga, the Grandmother of Witches, about this There are many opportunities for adventure while a
pending doomsday scenario. Baba Yaga herself is party of adventurers explore the Dancing Hut. Many
also preoccupied with the approaching end to the of the NPCs the characters encounter have their own
multiverse, and she has been conversing with the goals and wishes, and there some who would turn
demilich Xaman Zek in her personal chambers towards a traveling band of heroes to assist if they
about the situation. They have been consulting the were open to helping. In addition, there are a few
Doomsday Calendar which sits in area F. persistent subplots that could arise at any time while
the party explores the hut.
The characters must enter the hut and find Baba
Yaga in her personal chambers, a daunting task Most of these subplots are related to Baba
requiring skill and luck as the party navigates the Yaga’s daughters, who have their own machinations
interior to reach the Nucleus. Once the party arrives, separate from their powerful stepmother.
Baba Yaga is happy they’ve arrived. What are the
next steps to stopping armageddon? Kazakova’s Polymorph Juice. Kazakova
the Strong is fascinated with the power of
Strike of the Dreadful Curse transformation. She studies lycanthropes and
other creatures with an innate ability to transform
A figure in a prominent position has been struck with themselves, all with an eye towards harnessing
an insidious curse that is slowly transforming them the power for her own gain. Doppelgangers and
into a giant chicken. All divinations point to Baba changelings are especially useful, and her work has
Yaga as the source, but the figure has had no direct produced an experimental result – a polymorph
dealings with the Grandmother of Witches. Why potion. Unfortunately, the potion isn’t quite ready.
have they been struck with the chicken foot curse?
Kazakova’s work has involved several
The characters are brought in to investigate doppelgangers – all against their will. She has been
quickly, as the figure has already progressed to stage careful with them, but one or more of them may
2 of the dreadful curse. Since the curse obviously escape into the broader areas of the Dancing Hut
originated with Baba Yaga, or at least someone while the characters are exploring on their own
using Baba Yaga-like powers, finding the Dancing errands. The party may encounter a creature who
Hut becomes the primary goal for the characters. claims to be a doppelganger seeking refuge from
Tracking it down should involve an expenditure of Kazakova; helping out the creature risks angering
some resources but ultimately getting to it should Kazakova, who can bring much of the hut’s powers to
not prove difficult. Getting inside is as hard as the bear down if she so chooses.
characters make it to be, depending on their level of
investigation and research beforehand. Lost Friends of Inessa. Inessa the Enchanting
loves to manipulate people. She has her natural
The question becomes – why is the figure beauty and charm along with potent magical
suffering from a dreadful curse? The answer could powers at her command, and those she invites to
be as simple or complex as you need it to be to fit her chambers rarely remember the experience.
the timetable of your campaign. Perhaps a family Unfortunately, Inessa forgets about these visitors as
member bargained with Baba Yaga and reneged soon as she’s done with them, and they often get out
on the deal, so as punishment the great ogre witch into the greater areas of the Dancing Hut with little
inflicted a dreadful curse on their living relatives. knowledge of how they got there or how to get out.
The adventure then becomes finding the relative and
righting the wrong.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

11

The ogre staff of the hut refer to these wanderers Tasha’s Legacy. How and why Baba Yaga chooses
as the “lost friends of Inessa,” and it’s possible for the her adopted daughters is beyond understanding, but
characters to run into one or more of them as they the ones that stick around in the Dancing Hut all
travel through the hut. The ogres, generally cruel have a few things in common. They are magically
in their own right, enjoy teasing and playing with gifted, come from poor circumstances, and seem
the befuddled men and women. It’s possible one of destined for greater things. Natasha the Dark
these “lost friends” may actually be sought by the was such a girl, and she was delighted when the
characters. Inessa has a habit of suddenly becoming Grandmother of Witches appeared in her village to
attached to a “lost friend” if she discovers someone take her away. The young girl grew up in the hut and
else is interested in them as well. leaned much from both Baba Yaga and the multitude
of travelers that passed through the front doors.
Madness of Elena. Long ago, Baba Yaga had two She took that knowledge and struck out on her own
adopted daughters, Natasha the Dark and Elena eventually, and the planes know her now as Iggwilv
the Fair. Both were gifted in their magical abilities who seduced the demon prince Graz’zt, or Tasha as
though in very different respects; Natasha focused she became eventually known as.
on necromancy and conjuration while Elena found
great aptitude with abjuration and illusion. The two Tasha still wanders the planes and visits the
“sisters” grew up in the Dancing Hut together, rivals Dancing Hut from time to time, checking in on
from day one. Natasha eventually left and forged her Mother and making sure things are still running,
own path. though their relationship has become more peer-
based than parent-child. Tasha does not visit her old
Elena stayed behind out of a sense of duty to room, though it contains some trinkets and things
“Mother,” but this ultimately proved to be her that Baba Yaga refuses to get rid. Some of these,
undoing. Some years after Natasha left, Baba Yaga like the Six Fingers of Betrayal bound in a magical
entertained a host of demons from the Abyss for a cauldron, would very much like to escape and wreak
time, and one of them caught the eye of Elena. She their vengeance upon Natasha.
fell in love with a demon who taught the mortal
woman secret magical power, but the passionate
affair ended in tragedy when Elena confronted Baba
Yaga herself in an overly ambitious bid for power.
The Grandmother of Witches stripped her mind
from her body in an attempt to avoid killing Elena,
but the result created an insane spirit that has
become attached to the Dancing Hut.

Elena now haunts the Outer Layer of the hut,
angry and resentful. She can show up at any time,
though she avoids Baba Yaga, who has chosen to
ignore the plight of her adopted daughter. The ogre
staff and children of Baba Yaga recognize the signs
of Elena’s approach and generally leave an area
when she arrives; Elena is a shrieking, dangerous
force of unbridled emotion and power. Can she be
put to rest? Or is she forever cursed to haunt the
Dancing Hut?

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
12

Outside the Dancing Hut

Baba Yaga commands the Dancing Hut to travel the Outer Yard
multiverse, but she has a fondness for out of the way
places. On Material Planes, she often directs the The forest opens into a large circular clearing,
hut to settle down in a forested region, usually in a more than one hundred feet across. Some
northern climate where the cold and inhospitable distance into the clearing stands a grim fence
conditions keep the populations low and interactions constructed of bleached bones linked together.
infrequent. Here, she seems most at home, perhaps The fence stands five feet tall, marked by a large
alluding to her own childhood. number of ten-foot-tall skull-topped poles spaced
at even intervals. The sockets of each skull hold
Regional Effects flickering, purple flames. A wide gate – currently
closed – leads into the yard beyond the fence,
The Dancing Hut is a powerful item possessed of with a giant-sized skull resting atop the gate,
some unknown intelligence. Its appearance on any staring at you with empty eyes. In the clearing
plane creates noticeable changes, which is largely beyond the fence sits a thatched roof hut. It
why Baba Yaga decides to keep its resting place in appears to be in the dead center of the morbid
remote or faraway locations. perimeter.

After the Dancing Hut has been in a single The Dancing Hut creates a bone fence perimeter
location for 24 hours, the following regional effects automatically within 1 hour of its arrival in a new
appear. location. The bone fence always contains 30 skull-
topped posts spaced 15 feet apart along its length,
• The weather becomes unusually foggy in a 20- with the circular yard beyond 150 feet in diameter.
mile radius around the Dancing Hut. Tendrils During night, the yard is bathed in dim light from the
of thick fog curl around trees and other natural skulls.
features of the surrounding area. Day and night,
the fog lightly obscures the area, and at random Fence Skulls
intervals it thickens dramatically to heavily
obscure a region for 2d6 hours. Each skull on the fence is an intelligent creature
capable of speaking Common, Giant, and one local
• Creatures of the beast type who spend a long language. They were each a wicked humanoid
rest within a 20-mile radius around the Dancing cursed by Baba Yaga to serve as fence guardians of
Hut have their Intelligence scores increased to the Dancing Hut, and overtime their personalities
7, and they understand the Common language blended together to be largely uniform. They possess
(though this effect does not grant them the ability Intelligence and Wisdom scores of 7 (-2) and know
to speak). Some beasts become living conduits nothing beyond what they see with their own eyes;
for Baba Yaga’s will, channeling their senses they each possess truesight out to 120 feet.
directly to the great witch, and these creatures
possess enormous bright yellow eyes. These The fence skulls are charged with making sure
increased statistics end after the creature spend visitors go through the gate, and they loudly protest
a long rest outside of a 20-mile radius around this to anyone coming too close to the fence. Often
the Dancing Hut. times, their directives turn to arguments with one
another, and in their bickering they often forget there
• Spells from the enchantment school are harder are visitors to deal with. If anyone tries to fly over
to resist in a 20-mile radius. Any creature the fence into the yard, the skulls in range fire their
targeted by an enchantment spell that requires magical bolts against the intruders, but only until the
a saving throw rolls 1d6 and subtracts the roll intruder touches down in the yard. At that point, the
result from their saving throw result. skulls simply cannot see the intruder to target them!

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

13

As an action each round, each skull can shoot a If the characters go through the gate, the Dancing
magical bolt of purple power with a +12 ranged spell Hut stands up but only sways back and forth gently
attack modifier out to 120 feet, inflicting 22 (4d10) on its enormous chicken legs. It only takes hostile
psychic damage on a hit. Each skull has complete actions against creatures that take hostile actions
immunity to all spells and damage, and at any given against it, though it dances cautiously out of the
point a single creature outside the fence can be way of anyone approaching who does not speak the
targeted by up to 6 skulls. command phrase. As it dances away, the hut turns its
back on the approaching creature. The Dancing Hut
Kotan the Gate Skull has a speed of 40 feet and a size of Gargantuan.

The gate skull is more intelligent and aware than the Command Phrase. In order to enter the Dancing
other skulls. His name is Kotan, and he was once an Hut, a creature must speak the command phrase.
empyrean, a celestial child from the plane of Mount Baba Yaga has the ability to change the command
Celestia. Kotan traveled the multiverse for a period of phrase at any time, which she does to throw off
time before encountering Baba Yaga on the Material people who have visited before.
Plane, and the empyrean’s arrogance pushed the two
towards conflict almost immediately. The typical command phrase for the Dancing Hut
is the following spoken in any language: Little hut,
Baba Yaga defeated the arrogant celestial and little hut, turn your door to me. The command phrase
cursed him to serve as her gate guardian for all must be spoken exactly, though Baba Yaga has a
eternity, a duty Kotan initially found demeaning and tendency to make minor changes in the wording
far beneath his station (despite being a talking skull). from plane to plane. Casting the legend lore spell
Kotan’s powers are limited to opening and closing focused on the Dancing Hut reveals the command
the gate, though each time the gate opens it creaks phrase.
in protest.
If the command phrase is spoken within the yard,
Hut in the Yard the Dancing Hut stops moving, turns to the face the
person who spoke it, and slowly settles down to the
In the middle of the otherwise bare patch of yard ground. The front door swings open, revealing only
sits the Dancing Hut. Unless agitated or commanded a yawning impenetrable blackness inside. The door
by Baba Yaga, the hut sits on the ground without leads to area A.
moving or giving any indication of its supernatural
abilities. The windows on the side of the hut are Roleplaying Kotan
cracked, smoky glass offering no glimpses inside,
regardless of magic or vision. Kotan speaks in a grand, pompous voice, referring
to everyone around him as inferior mortal creatures
If a visitor decides to fly over the bone fence regardless of their status or abilities. He long ago
without using the gate, the Dancing Hut immediately given up any attempt to escape Baba Yaga’s curse
becomes agitated. It rises up on its enormous and now relishes his role as gate guardian, though
chicken legs, standing up to its full height of 30 the surrounding fence skulls argue constantly with
feet, and begins to dance and move erratically. It him. Kotan’s tone is condescending righteousness,
perceives any creature other than Baba Yaga has and he fixates on the smallest pedantic mistakes,
hostile, and it attacks anyone coming within 10 feet remarking on the clothing, attitude, and even
with its chicken claws. speech patterns of travelers, though he uses small
anachronisms in conversations designed to annoy.
In a round it makes two attacks, each a +12 He is argumentative and demanding, though his
melee weapon attack with a range of 10 feet. On a only real power is to open and shut the gates.
hit it inflicts 23 (2d12+10) magical slashing damage
and it grapples the target, pinning it to the ground If anyone offers to oil the hinges on the gate, Kotan’s
(escape DC 22). The Dancing Hut can only have two attitude immediately changes to one of gratitude
creatures grappled in this way. The Dancing Hut is – towards the one person who oiled the hinges,
immune to all spells and damage. something he remarks on to any other surrounding
travelers without end.

Quote. “What you’re trying to say is the word
‘incognito’ which appears to be quite beyond your
limited linguistic capabilities, and irregardless if
you’re going to try and sneak by me at least have the
decency to wear a darker shade of black.”

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
14

Forced Entry. There is another way to force the Baba Yaga’s Presence. Baba Yaga can see
Dancing Hut to open. While the hut itself is immune everything occurring outside the Dancing Hut
to damage and magic, the legs are more vulnerable. regardless of where she is in the multiverse, and she
Each leg has AC 16, 100 hp with resistance to can mentally command the hut to take any action
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage and it is capable of taking. She can also speak through
immunity to all other types of damage. If both legs the hut, addressing any creature in the yard through
are reduced to 0 hp, the hut stops moving and drops telepathy.
to the ground, opening its door of darkness that
leads to area A. The legs return to full hp after 1
minute, at which point it becomes agitated again.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

15

Inside the Dancing Hut

The Dancing Hut is an environment like no other. It Dreadful Curses of Baba Yaga
is a self-contained demiplane with interior rooms
that can be rearranged, removed, or replaced at Baba Yaga has mastered the art of the dreadful
the whim of the creature currently attuned to the curse, which inflicts a potent and debilitating effect
Control Throne in area 32. For the purposes of upon a victim that can be triggered by either Baba
this adventure, that creature is Baba Yaga, and she Yaga herself or through specific actions taken in the
refuses to give up the attunement outside of some Dancing Hut. There are a number of dreadful curses
extreme circumstances. employed in the hut, the details of which are found
in the Magic of Baba Yaga section at the end of the
General Features adventure.

The following general features apply to the interior Lair Actions
areas of the Dancing Hut unless otherwise noted or
specified. Any creatures bound to the Dancing Hut can utilize
one of the following lair actions on initiative count
Dimensional Feedback 20, losing any ties. Bound creatures include the ogre
guards and other servants from area E, permanent
Using teleportation or planar transportation magic residents such as Vladimir, Kazakova, and Inessa,
within the confines of the Dancing Hut is dangerous. and Baba Yaga herself. Creatures with access to
These types of spells and abilities cannot be used these lair actions are called out as bound to the
to access any other area of the hut other than the Dancing Hut in the adventure text.
current one. Casting a spell or using a feature such
as banishment, dimension door, blink, far step, rope • A spectral force rises up from the ground to try
trick, misty step, or anything similar automatically and immobile one target creature in the area.
fails and requires the caster to make a DC 19 The target must be size Large or smaller, and
Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the caster suffers they must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving
36 (8d8) psychic damage from the violent feedback throw or be grappled (escape DC 19). While
produced by the spell. Creatures and objects inside grappled, the target is restrained.
the Dancing Hut cannot be forcibly moved to another
plane of existence. • A beam of light blasts out from the ceiling,
targeting one creature in the area. The target
Doors must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw
or be stunned until the end of their next turn.
The doors within the Dancing Hut range wildly
from simple wooden to heavy iron and everything in • One creature, object, or magical effect in
between. Some are locked and some are trapped. the area is targeted with a dispel magic spell
Each area includes details of the doors in the Access as if cast using a 5th level spell slot, with a
description; if unmentioned, assume the door is spellcasting ability check modifier of +12.
unlocked and not trapped. The destination of each
door is listed with the area number and the door Map Size
destination in bold. For example, Door A in the
Trophy Hall (area 3) leads to area 2-B, so it comes Each of the areas described in this adventure
out at Door B in area 2. includes an individual map showing the area’s layout.
Universally, one square on the map = 5 feet of space.
The exception is the Lakeland (area G) where one
square on the map = 10 feet.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
16

Planar Isolation Travel Between Areas

Unlike the Material Plane, the interior of the Each area within the core Dancing Hut layers (Outer,
Dancing Hut has no connection to the Ethereal Inner, Nucleus) connects to three other areas on
Plane, Astral Plane, Plane of Shadow (Shadowfell), the same layer. The nature of these connections
Plane of Faerie (Feywild), or the Plane of Dreams varies wildly from area to area, and include doors,
(Dreamland). Any spell accessing one of these planes gates, arches, pits, and chutes, and they may each
cast within the Dancing Hut fails automatically. be hidden by magic, trapped, or obvious. The
Similarly, spells used to contact other planes fail as description of each area includes the details on the
well, including divination. three points of entry under the Access header, and
some doors may open in strange places, such as the
Teleportation Lock ceiling, floor, in a fountain, a pool of magma, or other
location.
No one can successfully use teleportation or planar
transportation magic from outside to access an area Once opened, each passage appears as a tunnel
within the interior of the Dancing Hut. The only of darkness boring through an endless expanse of
exceptions are divine powers and artifacts such as slowly churning gray smoke. Nothing can be seen
the Codex of the Infinite Planes. on the other side, and traveling through the tunnel
to the area on the other side requires only a mental
Area Descriptions action by a creature with an Intelligence of 1 or
greater. Unconscious or unwilling creatures can be
Each area of the Dancing Hut’s interior includes carried or dragged without hindrance.
general headers to help identify the key information
pertinent to each specific area. The tunnels through the gray smoke are
the connective tissue of the Dancing Hut, and
General Features. Each area contains different though they seem linear they are anything but
ceiling heights, light sources, and other useful straightforward which presents mapping challenges
general features. These features are generally static. (see below).

Access. The areas within the Dancing Hut connect Clues to Deeper Rooms
to one another in strange, non-obvious ways, and
this header provides the details of how those access In order for the characters to travel into the Inner
points are used and where they lead to. Layer or the Nucleus, they must know two things –
the passphrase and the knock sequence (different for
Features of Interest. Each room contains one or each deeper layer). They can learn the basics of this
more interesting features that can be interacted with information before even entering the hut, through
or investigated by characters visiting the Dancing spells such as legend lore or carefully worded
Hut, and they are each detailed in this header. questions to contact other plane. None of these spells
or efforts are going to divine the exact passphrase
Occupants. Many areas contain monsters or or knock sequence, however, just that they will be
guardians placed by Baba Yaga, and these creatures required.
are referenced under this header. This also includes
NPCs of note, many of whom wander through the Characters may have luck questioning certain
Dancing Hut for their own purposes. Sidebars with inhabitants of the Dancing Hut for this information.
roleplaying notes for key NPCs are presented in the Baba Yaga’s current daughters, Kazakova the Strong
area where they are most commonly or centrally and Inessa the Enchanting, know the passphrase
encountered; for example, roleplaying notes for and the current knock sequence. Other daughters
Kazakova, Elena, and Vladimir are found in their and some creatures, like Vladimir the cat, know
specific rooms in the Between Layer, though they are the passphrase but don’t know the current knock
often encountered in other areas of the Dancing Hut. sequence – it’s something Baba Yaga can change on
a whim.

If the characters are seeking the deeper layers of
the Dancing Hut without intention of destroying it
or Baba Yaga, they may find an unexpected ally in
their searching. The hut itself possesses a strange,
quasi-intelligence. It doesn’t speak directly, but if the
characters are wandering around the rooms looking
for the knock sequence, they may find the wall next
to a door suddenly scratched with five marks, and
then the next room has three, and so forth, spelling

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

17

Dancing Hut 6 1 5
Outer Layer Map 7 2 4

16 17 8 3
18 9

19 10
20 11

12
13

14
15

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
18

Dancing Hut
Inner Layer Map

22

23

28 24

25 21

26
27

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

19

out the knock sequence. The party may even hear Outer Layer
faint knocking spelling out part of the sequence on
the opposite side of a door. The areas of the Outer Layer are laid out to form a
20-sided icosahedron. These are the most commonly
Ultimately, the Dancing Hut is meant to be a encountered areas of the Dancing Hut, and accessing
puzzling place, with a non-linear layout and lots of them from outside only requires passing through one
rooms to cycle through. Characters should go into of the exits in area A of the Between Layer.
the hut with a clear purpose, and as long as that
purpose doesn’t involve destroying the hut or Baba Inner Layer
Yaga, they may find subtle clues being provided to
them to help guide them on their way. The Inner Layer areas are laid out like an 8-sided
octahedron, and consist largely of important rooms
Non-Linear Layout Baba Yaga does not want strangers stumbling into
accidentally. In order to access the Inner Layer,
The interior rooms of the Dancing Hut are laid visitors must know the command phrase and a
out in one of four layers – Between Layer, Outer special knock sequence, details of which are found in
Layer, Inner Layer, and Nucleus. Each layer is laid the Inner Layer section.
out differently from one another, though all exist in
the same plane of existence. With the exception of Nucleus
the Between Layer, the areas of each layer connect
together to form a 3D geometric shape. However, These areas form the core of the Dancing Hut’s
the nature of the connecting tunnels means that it’s functions along with incredibly important rooms
not clear how any specific area connects to another, related to Baba Yaga’s personal goals. Similar to the
creating a puzzling headache for anyone attempted Inner Layer, entering the Nucleus requires knowing
to map the Dancing Hut. the command phrase and knock sequence, and then
stepping through a black tunnel of the Between
Maps are provided to show the relationship Layer on the Inner Layer; details are found in the
between the rooms for the Outer Layer and the Inner Nucleus section.
Layer, allowing you to understand the non-linear
layout as best as it can be flattened. There is no map Between Layer
for the Nucleus; the four rooms are each connected
to one another. There are a number of strange areas existing outside
the confines of the Dancing Hut’s interior structure.
The best idea for characters to map their journey These areas are considered part of the nebulous
through the Dancing Hut is to pick a point and start Between Layer, and they are each accessed in unique
linking adjacent rooms as they become discovered. ways. The first one, area A, is the link between
The end result is going to be a mess, but ultimately the Dancing Hut’s Outer Layer and the outside
it should serve the purpose of navigating their route world, while the others are usually reserved for the
out. personal living chambers of the hut’s occupants.
Baba Yaga can create additional areas within the
During play, you are encouraged to hand out each Between Layer on a whim.
area’s map to the players to let them both visualize
the details of the layout and use as reference. It can Baba Yaga can also destroy rooms within the
be a lot of fun to watch a group of players puzzle over Between Layer except for the Hut Interior at area A,
how the areas are connected, especially when they and any creatures currently occupying the removed
manage to circle back to an earlier area in a non- area are automatically shunted into area A. No one
linear path! hides in the Dancing Hut from Baba Yaga without the
Grandmother of Witches finding out about them.
Between Layer

There are a number of areas within the Dancing
Hut that don’t fit neatly into the other layers. These
are usually reserved for the personal rooms of
Baba Yaga, her adopted children, and the servants.
The first room of the hut (area A) is the exception,
existing as the link from the hut’s confounding
interior rooms and the outside. Each area in the
Between Layer is accessed only through special
means as identified in each area’s description under
Access.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
20

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

21

A. Hut Interior If the door to the oven is closed, it automatically
seals with an arcane lock; it can be bypassed by Baba
This room is surprisingly expansive, with almost Yaga or any creature bound to the Dancing Hut as if
30 feet of space between the hexagonal walls. they were the caster of the spell. Opening the oven
The floor is packed earth, and a bed of crimson without dispelling the arcane lock requires a DC 28
coals rests in the large brick oven fireplace set Strength check to break open or a DC 28 Dexterity
against the wall with an opening large enough check with thieves’ tools to unlock.
for a child. A wooden door stands against the
wall next to the oven opposite another similar Cupboards and Barrels. The cupboards and
door. Cupboards line the other walls along with barrels around the room contain a large selection
a few barrels and boxes. In one corner rests an of herbs from across the multiverse. It would take
iron vase holding a handful of walking sticks, many hours to catalogue them all, but a search for
and a small round table sits in the center of the a specific natural herb or spice requires a DC 18
room upon which sit a handful of lit candles. Intelligence (Investigation) check and an hour. The
components here count as an herbalism kit, and
This room may or may not match to the dimensions access to the area grants advantage on any check
of the Dancing Hut’s exterior; the exterior can with the herbalism kit or the Medicine proficiency.
change as much as the interior from plane to plane.
This room is the entryway to the hut’s self-enclosed Iron Vase. The iron vase in the corner is heavy but
extraplanar location so it exists outside the plane nonmagical, and it holds four wooden canes. Three
where the hut itself sits. This area is a permanent of these appear and function as normal walking
fixture of the Dancing Hut, though the items inside aides, but the fourth is a minor magical item called a
can be rearranged or removed without issues. pole of collapsing. The command word for the item is
written on its side in Common – “poleus elongatus.”
General Features

The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling is 15 feet high.
Light. Candles on the table and the embers in the

brick oven cast dim light in this small room.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Front Door. The front door leads to the exterior of

the Dancing Hut; this is the only exit from the hut.
Rear Door. The rear door leads into the Dancing

Hut’s Outer Layer at area 1-A.
Ceiling Hatch. A hidden hatch hides in the

ceiling, discoverable with a DC 16 Intelligence
(Investigation) check. The hatch can be opened
using the pole of collapsing in the corner or any other
length of sturdy pole capable of pushing a 10-foot
weight. The ceiling hatch leads to area 4-C.

Features of Interest

The following features can be explored here.
Brick Oven. The oven is magical, radiating

powerful evocation magic under detect magic. It is
large enough for a Medium or smaller creature to
fit inside (or two Small or smaller creatures). If the
oven is targeted with a spell that inflicts fire damage,
the fire inside the oven roars to life for 1 minute. Any
creature caught inside suffers 35 (10d6) fire damage
each round they remain in the oven.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
22

Occupants Roleplaying Vladimir

The following creatures may be encountered here. Vladimir loves two things – Vladimir, and Vladimir
Vladimir. The only regular occupant of this area getting attention. He is arrogant and insufferable
at times, but he has been living in the Dancing
is Vladimir, the magical black cat who lives in the Hut longer than any creature save for Baba Yaga
Dancing Hut as Baba Yaga’s favored pet. There herself, and he wanders around the interior of his
are no creature statistics for Vladimir – he is an own free will. The guard ogres know to do what
immortal creature who flees from danger. He speaks the black cat asks without question and Vladimir
telepathically with a range of 120 feet and he can enjoys sending them around on pointless errands.
change his size, from a small house cat to a panther, The cat is contrary at times and lies whenever it
but he is declawed. suits his purposes, but he does have a soft spot for
back scratches and fish treats. He hisses and claws
Vladimir spends most of his time in the warm spot anyone who touches his belly, however.
on the floor in front of the oven, and the telepathic
creature treats anyone entering the area with a Vladimir has a complicated relationship with the
carefree and lackadaisical attitude. He knows much adopted daughters of Baba Yaga. He never got along
and is willing to help characters who treat him nice. with Natasha the Dark (who later became known as
Tasha) but Elena the Fair was a favorite; her descent
into madness and ultimate cursed death causes
Vladimir to feel somewhat sorry for the poor girl.
The two current daughters see Vladimir as more of
a threat. Kazakova can’t stand the sight of the black
cat and Inessa always wants to test out new charms
on Vladimir against his will.

Quote. “If you brush me right I’ll let you know a
secret. Yes, yes, just like that, mmmmm. NOW I
BITE!”

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

23

B. Natasha’s Chambers Features of Interest

A large room opens up before you, with four The following features can be explored here.
expansive alcoves expanding the area, each Bookshelves. Natasha kept a large number of
holding different features. One of the alcoves
holds a large iron cauldron in the middle of books on the subjects of demons, devils, and other
an ornate rug of purple and blue design, and denizens of the Lower Planes, work that would
the alcove opposite that contains a handful of eventually inspire her to develop the Demonomicon
comfortable-looking armchairs situated around of Iggwilv in her later years. The books here contain
a broad copper brazier. Inside another alcove a lot of disparate information on these topics along
stands a long table with a dozen wooden chairs with summoning and binding them. A character
set around it, and the last contains shelves of gains advantage on any ability check related to these
books and a round table. Between these alcoves topics if allowed to peruse the shelves for an hour.
in the center of the room rests a large circular
pool of sparkling sapphire water with a gentle Cauldron. Cauldrons are an important facet of
spout in the center. witch life, and Natasha developed a number of them
over the years with broad magical powers. This is
This was the personal room of Natasha the Dark, one of her earlier designs, and it radiates strong
one of Baba Yaga’s most famous daughters. Natasha conjuration magic. It is a cauldron of binding (fully
left the Dancing Hut years ago, taking the name of detailed in the Magic of Baba Yaga section) which
Iggwilv and making a name for herself as a fearsome currently has six succubi contained within it (see
witch. She eventually took on the personae of Tasha Occupants below).
and has since traveled the multiverse, and she still
returns to Baba Yaga’s domain for an occasional talk. The rug the cauldron rests upon is well-
Baba Yaga keeps her room assembled just as it was crafted and worth 1,000 gp, but it is otherwise
when Natasha stayed in the hut originally, though unremarkable.
Tasha does not know this.
Copper Brazier. The copper brazier lights
General Features automatically if a living creature comes within 10
feet of it. Inscribed along the sides in Common is
The following features apply generally to this area. the following phrase: “Better to light this brazier than
Ceiling. The ceiling is 20 feet high in this area. curse the darkness.” It weighs over 500 pounds, and
Light. A soft radiance infuses the walls and if removed loses all power.

ceiling, bathing everything in dim light.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Entering. Natasha’s Chambers sits in the strange

dimensional space of the Between Layer. It can
only be accessed from a room in the Outer Layer
by speaking the passphrase aloud (in any language)
while standing within 5 feet of any door. The
passphrase is “dark rules the night and ends the light.”
Utilizing this passphrase creates a temporary path
leading to the door in this area in the brazier alcove.

Brazier Alcove Door. A simple wooden door in
the alcove containing the copper brazier and chairs
leads back out to the Outer Layer; roll 1d20 to
randomly determine the specific area. Baba Yaga
and creatures bound to the Dancing Hut can choose
which area they want to go in the Outer Layer rather
than rolling randomly.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
24

Long Table. The table in one of the alcoves is very Roleplaying the Six Fingers of
large, about 5 feet wide and more than 15 feet long, Betrayal
with seating for six but plenty room for more. It is
currently empty and served as a means for Natasha Graz’zt the Dark Prince is advised by a great
to host dinners with friends and allies during her number of fiends in his fortress on the Abyss.
tenure in the Dancing Hut. Chief among these are bands of succubi and incubi
collectively known as the Six Fingers (a reference to
Sparkling Fountain. The center of the the demon lord’s own symbol, a six-fingered hand),
room contains a fountain, which holds a minor and they are further divided into groups based on
enchantment to keep the water fresh and sparkling. how the Dark Prince uses and sees them. No one
The water is cool and refreshing but otherwise knows exactly how many Six Fingers there are,
unremarkable. but Natasha (in her Iggwilv personae) managed to
capture one entire group of them in her younger
Occupants years.

The following creatures may be encountered here. For this act, Graz’zt labeled them the Six Fingers of
Elena the Fair. Elena was a daughter of Baba Betrayal, and they know they are not welcome back
in the Abyss again. They each hate Natasha, whom
Yaga just like Natasha, and the two were effectively they refer to as Tasha or Iggwilv interchangeably,
stepsisters for a time in the Dancing Hut. They could but they honestly don’t have any ideas on what they
not have been more different, with Natasha focusing would do with freedom if given the chance. Still,
on the darker arts while Elena worked to help and they are cruel and malicious, and they love tempting
support others. The two fought constantly, but Elena mortal creatures with promises of vast amounts of
was still sad when Natasha left the hut to strike out power in exchange for forcing them to turn on their
as Iggwilv. Eventually, Elena fell under a fiendish family and friends. They have no real power to offer,
influence and she became twisted and corrupt, and however, and if freed the six fiends simply attack
in a bid to take over the Dancing Hut Baba Yaga was all creatures in the room before returning to their
forced to displace the girl’s spirit, creating a crazed cauldron.
ghost. Elena the Fair became Elena the Mad, who
now comes to this room to rant and scream. Quote. “You seem like you’ve got a good head on
your shoulders, so let’s make a deal. You take that
Six Fingers of Betrayal. In her Iggwilv personae, shiny sword of yours and you plunge it into the back
Tasha often consorted with fiends from the Lower of that robed figure over there, maybe call down
Planes, and she found herself often running into some of that holy power you’re so full of, and then
the machinations of Graz’zt the Dark Prince. The we will grant you a wish. Any wish you want, there
two have a strong love/hate relationship, with both must be something you want!”
gaining and stealing secrets from the other, and
some years ago Tasha was able to capture one of
Graz’zt’s inner court of advisors, a group of six
succubi known as the Six Fingers of Betrayal. She
bound all six of them to the cauldron in this room,
though she largely forgot about them.

If a sentient creature comes within 20 feet of
the cauldron, one of the succubi reaches out in a
honeyed telepathic voice, enticing the creature to
free them and unleash all their most fervent desires.
Only one of the Six Fingers of Betrayal can speak at
a time and they habitually lie to get their way.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

25

C. Kazakova’s Chambers Main Door. A large wooden door in the entryway
leads back out to the Outer Layer; roll 1d20 to
A long room stretches out beyond the door, randomly determine the specific area. Baba Yaga
dominated by a large square rug of a brownish and creatures bound to the Dancing Hut can choose
color sitting in the center. Atop the rug stands which area they want to go in the Outer Layer rather
a broad round table, easily 20 feet across but than rolling randomly. Two invisible force golems
surprisingly low to the ground, with no chairs or stand to either side of the main door.
seats around it. The stone wall on the far side
contains numerous bookcases while the side Features of Interest
walls are unadorned, featureless stretches of
dull gray energy. The following features can be explored here.
Bookshelves. The shelves against the wall of this
This is the personal room of Kazakova the Strong,
one of Baba Yaga’s adopted daughters currently room are filled with books covering a wide range
living in the Dancing Hut. She comes from a poor of topics, including alchemy, history, and magical
background but her strength and will separated theory, but the bulk of the shelves are dedicated to
her from her peers, and Kazakova actively sought housing fanciful stories and fables. These include
out Baba Yaga once she became old enough. It stories meant for children, chapbook adventure
took some time but she managed to impress the stories, and a wide variety of nursery rhymes, many
Grandmother of Witches, who finally took her in as of which focus on animals and animal-human
an adopted daughter. hybrids.

The two wings of the room are concealed by force A successful DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation)
walls erected by Kazakova to restrict access to her check after 10 minutes of searching reveals two
personal areas (see General Features). books in particular seem to be unusually well-worn.
They are part of a set of fairy tales from Kazakova’s
General Features homeland describing the various physical qualities of
the natural wildlife in colorful prose. The first book is
The following features apply generally to this area. Strength of Bear and the second book is Strength of
Ceiling. The ceiling is 20 feet high in this area. Boar (the titles are also the command phrases for the
Force Walls. Kazakova erected a pair of force walls in this area).

permanent force walls to protect her private
chambers and laboratory from intruding eyes. The
barrier acts as a wall of force but each can dropped
or reactivated with the command word - “strength of
bear” for the one protecting her personal chambers
and “strength of boar” for the one protecting
her laboratory. The invisible force golems (see
Occupants) trigger if the force walls are dropped and
Kazakova is not in the area.

Light. The walls and ceiling are suffused with
magical energy creating bright light throughout this
area.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Entering. Kazakova’s Chambers exist in the

strange dimensional space of the Between Layer.
It can only be accessed from a room in the Outer
Layer by speaking the passphrase aloud (in any
language) while standing within 5 feet of any door.
The passphrase is “strength of mind and body breaks
any barrier.” Utilizing this passphrase creates a
temporary path leading to the main door of this area.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
26

Personal Chamber. Kazakova keeps a utilitarian Roleplaying Kazakova the Strong
bed, dresser draws, and table in this sealed section
of the area. An ornate red rug rests on the floor as Kazakova is single-minded in her focus regardless
well, well-worn in places due to Kazakova’s relentless of the topic, and she pursues any subject with a
morning and evening exercise routines she performs life-consuming concentration until she achieves
on it. The dresser drawers contain simple clothing a level of personal mastery in accord with her
in a variety of colors. A thorough search of the bed high standards. She is smart, capable, and utterly
frame and a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check humorless, and she has no social skills or tact
reveals a hidden compartment holding a wand of whatsoever. Kazakova is blunt and straightforward,
lightning bolts. and her magical aptitude reflects this – she prefers
direct spells from the evocation, abjuration, and
Research Laboratory. This region of the room transmutation schools.
is dedicated to Kazakova’s magical experiments.
Currently she is focused on the art of animal Kazakova’s intense focus is what impressed Baba
transformation, like a lycanthrope but with Yaga, and the Grandmother of Witches decided
more control. A cauldron filled with greenish to take her in as an adopted daughter to try and
liquid bubbles continually here. It’s filled with hone the young woman into a useful tool. For her
a transmutation potion designed to mimic the own part, Kazakova recognizes her usefulness to
effects of the polymorph spell when consumed, but Baba Yaga and leans into it – while simultaneously
Kazakova hasn’t perfected it yet. If a living creature extracting as much information about the Dancing
ingests the liquid they transform into a random Hut and its magical properties for her own gain. She
beast for 1 minute; roll on the Polymorph Juice table is fierce and determined, but also savvy enough to
below. recognize when allies could be useful.

Polymorph Juice Quote. “I asked you a direct question and I expect a
direct response. That is how this works. Now I ask
1d8 Animal Transformation again – what are you doing here and why should I
care?”
1 Bird
Occupants
2 Bear
The following creatures may be encountered here.
3 Boar Kazakova the Strong. Kazakova the Strong

4 Fox is a physically imposing female human standing
over 6 feet tall with sharp angular features, broad
5 Lizard shoulders, and thick eyebrows that meet in the
middle. She keeps her black hair cut short and she
6 Moose usually wears plain sleeveless tunics, and she spends
most of her time out in the Dancing Hut exploring
7 Mouse and learning. Her time spent in her chambers is
usually reserved for intense meditation or research
8 Elephant on various topics. Currently, Kazakova is focused on
the art of animal transmutation, like the wild shape
The liquid loses its magic if taken out of the powers of a druid.
cauldron. The cauldron is a magical item known as
a cauldron of alchemy (described in detail under the Kazakova is a private person, which is why she
Magic of Baba Yaga section). erected the force walls in her chamber to separate
her laboratory and personal rooms from the rest of
Table and Rug. The low table in the center of the the area. The force walls reflect her personality –
area is designed in the style of Kazakova’s homeland direct, unsubtle, and effective.
where users kneel for meals and special ceremonies
rather than sit on chairs. The rug is a gift from her Force Golems. There are two invisible force
family as well, simple but well-constructed from golems* in this area standing to either side of the
natural material. These items are the only reminders doorway. They obey Kazakova and any other creature
Kazakova keeps of her past. bound to the Dancing Hut without hesitation or
question, and they are also programmed to attack
any creature dropping the force walls without
Kazakova being present.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

27

D. Inessa’s Chambers Access

This large area consists of four smaller domed These are the access points for this area.
chambers connected to an immense central Entering. Inessa’s Chambers exist in the
dome. The floors and walls are pristine white
marble, and beneath the broad open central strange dimensional space of the Between Layer.
dome rests a large basin atop a tiered circular It can only be accessed from a room in the Outer
dais with four marble columns spaced around it. Layer by speaking the passphrase aloud (in any
The two domed chambers beyond each contain language) while standing within 5 feet of any door.
a clover-shaped pool fed by stone statues of The passphrase is “beauty is more than skin deep.”
beautiful maidens pouring water from pitchers. Utilizing this passphrase creates a temporary path
One of the closer domes holds a number of leading to the main door of this area.
bookshelves with a comfortable-looking chair in
the center while the other contains a large bed Main Door. A simply constructed marble door
covered in red satin sheets. Gentle harp music in the entryway leads back out to the Outer Layer;
plays through the air from no obvious source and roll 1d20 to randomly determine the specific area.
the air smells of sweet cinnamon. Baba Yaga and creatures bound to the Dancing Hut
can choose which area they want to go in the Outer
This is the personal room of Inessa the Enchanting, Layer rather than rolling randomly.
one of Baba Yaga’s adopted daughters. Inessa
is obsessed with beauty and control, and she is Features of Interest
accustomed to using her own personal charms
to control men and women around her to do her The following features can be explored here.
bidding. She has turned her chambers into her Bed. As a power-hungry manipulator, Inessa
personal palace, and she spends most of her
time here, perfecting her enchantment magic doesn’t actually sleep all that much – she’s trained
and practicing it out on unwitting travelers and her body and her mind to require only the barest
adventurers. amount of sleep, perhaps owing to elven blood in
her ancestry. Her lavish satin-sheeted bed is used
General Features mainly for enticing guests before Inessa disposes of
them. A wand of paralysis is hidden in the wooden
The following features apply generally to this area. leg of the bed, discoverable with a DC 18 Intelligence
Beguiling Aroma. The aroma of sweet cinnamon (Investigation) check.

wafting through the area creates a beguiling effect
meant to weaken the minds of intruders. Creatures
not bound to the Dancing Hut suffer disadvantage on
Charisma saving throws in this area.

Ceiling. The ceiling in the central dome rises up
to 60 feet, while the ceiling in the pool chambers are
40 feet high and the three smaller domes are 20 feet
high.

Columns. The four marble columns stretch
from the floor to the ceiling in the main dome. They
radiate minor enchantment magic; they are the
source of the music playing in the area. Inessa can
control the music telepathically if she is in the room,
increasing or decreasing the tempo and volume as
she chooses.

Light. The marble enhances the natural glow from
the pools and basin bathing the entire area in bright
light.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
28

Bookshelves. These shelves are filled mainly Roleplaying Inessa the Enchanting
with historic treatises and documents regarding the
rise of great kingdoms and empires from across the Charming, witty, and disarming, Inessa does her
multiverse. Many of them feature powerful women best to be whatever she needs to be in any given
as either direct ruler or the de facto power behind social moment. She can be quiet and demure one
the throne. A small section is devoted to the theories moment and abrasive in another moment, and her
of enchantment magic, including a few rare tomes talent for reading a person’s needs is legendary. She
penned by archfey and elven wizards on the nature of has a vast array of arcane abilities at her disposal
their own fey charms and powers. honed through years of study under mostly willing
teachers, but she found the powers of Baba Yaga to
Central Basin. Baba Yaga insists that her be compelling on a scale Inessa had never dreamed.
daughters practice an ancient form of sorcery known The young enchantress hopes to plumb her adopted
as cauldron magic, which is an extension of alchemy. mother for all she knows of the magic of suggestion,
Inessa decided to forego the use of an actual charm, and domination.
cauldron and installed a large basin instead which
she uses for the purposes of mixing ingredients to Ultimately, Inessa sees everyone as a tool to either
create potions, tonics, and other consumable magical be played with, used, or discarded as the situation
liquids. While the basin is large and unmovable, it warrants, and she is careful to not form attachments
still functions as a cauldron of alchemy (described in to people. Long ago, she formed a strong bond
the Magic of Baba Yaga section). with another woman, and the two survived in
the streets of a major city together. Eventually,
The water in the central basin provides the Inessa’s ambition outgrew her partner’s and the
beguiling aroma that fills the room and clouds other woman left in disgust. Brokenhearted, Inessa
the senses for outsiders. If the basin were to be vowed to seal her heart away from that day forward
destroyed, the beguiling aroma fades immediately. and control everyone, through magic or her own
charming power.
Pool of Relaxation. The pool marked with an
A on the map is the Pool of Relaxation. Anyone Quote. “Listen darlings, the secret to power is not
entering the pool feels relaxation settle over their what you have, it’s who. People are the key to real
bodies as the calming, soothing waters wash over power, and I’ve got a pocketbook full of them to do
them. Creatures must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma with as I please.”
saving throw upon touching the water. On a failure,
the creature becomes charmed by any creature in Water Guardians. The two pools in this area
sight, an effect that ends 1 minute after the creature hold bound elemental guardians under Inessa’s total
leaves the Pool of Relaxation. control. Each pool contains two water myrmidons*
who hide invisible in the water. They obey only the
Pool of Forgetfulness. The pool marked with a B commands of Inessa and they are immune to the
on the map is the Pool of Forgetfulness. A creature effects of each pool.
touching or entering the pool feels the sharpness
of the cold water, and they must succeed on a DC
18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure they lose all
memory of what happened in this area, from the
moment they entered to this point. The effect is a
focused modify memory spell, so creatures immune
to being charmed are immune to this effect.

Occupants

The following creatures may be encountered here.
Inessa the Enchanting. Inessa the Enchanting

is a beautiful human woman with perfectly
sculpted features. She has a small glamour charm
permanently on her that changes her appearance in
subtle ways depending on the viewer, heightening
the qualities the viewer finds attractive. She often
appears as a slender auburn-haired woman with
full red lips and an alluring smile, but it’s all just a
magical disguise. Beneath her charm, Inessa is a
plain-looking though still dominating person with a
ruthless attitude.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

29

E. Staff Halls Features of Interest

A stone hallway extends forward lit by numerous The following features can be explored here.
illumination globes set along the walls. Several Common Area. In the intersection of the hallways
large doors stand against the walls, each sized
to handle a large user. A set of stairs lead up on each level sits a common area where the staff can
beyond the central intersection in the hall. The come together to chat and interact with one another.
smell of stale sweat hangs heavy in the air here. A small box set into one of the walls on each level
allows a creature to press the button and address
These rooms are dedicated to the various servants all levels of the Staff Halls; Staff-Captain Kuraga
and staff of the Dancing Hut, including the waitstaff, Chicken-Foot uses it to address all of the ogres
kitchen workers, and guards. Baba Yaga employs gathered for important announcements and updates.
ogre tribes to perform these various jobs, and they
live and sleep in these halls when they are not on Shared Living Quarters. Each of these rooms
duty. houses three ogre servants. Staff-Captain Kuraga is
in charge of assigning living quarters and she tries
While not depicted on the map, these halls can to keep the staff grouped by duty and rotating shift
continue indefinitely, with each area mirroring the as best she can. The rooms contain three beds sized
one depicted on the map – long hall with six rooms, for an ogre along with the personal belongings and
four for shared spaces and two for senior members, clothing for each occupant, which usually consists of
with a flight of stairs at one end leading up and plain shirts and pants along with a few mementos.
another at the other end leading down. Space for Roll on the Trinkets table if the characters search
new staff is never a problem in the Dancing Hut. through the room for any reason.

General Features Single Living Quarters. In addition to the four
shared living quarters, each floor contains two rooms
The following features apply generally to this area. for a single occupant. Staff-Captain Kuraga lives
Ceiling. The ceiling is 20 feet high in this area. in one of them on the main floor leading out of the
Light. Small glass globes set into the walls in the area, and the other she reserves for ogres who have
achieved special commendation in duty for the past
hall and rooms cast bright light. The radiance can week. Other floors contain the ogres in charge of
be increased or decreased (even turned out) with a specific duties, like kitchen staff and guard rotations.
simple command gesture by an adjacent creature –
clapping hands together twice in rapid succession.
The ogres in these halls refer to the lights as
“clappers.”

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Entering. The Servant Halls exist in the strange

dimensional space of the Between Layer. It can
only be accessed from a room in the Outer Layer
by speaking the passphrase aloud (in any language)
while standing within 5 feet of any door. The
passphrase is “I live to serve Baba Yaga.” Utilizing
this passphrase creates a temporary path leading to
the main door of this area.

Main Door. A large wooden door in main hallway
leads back out to the Outer Layer; roll 1d20 to
randomly determine the specific area. Baba Yaga
and creatures bound to the Dancing Hut can choose
which area they want to go in the Outer Layer rather
than rolling randomly.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
30

Occupants Staff-Captain Kuraga Chicken Foot. Ogres do not
have a long lifespan, but being bound to the Dancing
The following creatures may be encountered here. Hut seems to have a side effect of extending it by
Chicken Foot Ogres. Baba Yaga routinely picks at least some amount. That doesn’t explain Kuraga
Chicken Foot, however, as she has been living and
up ogres from across the multiverse to serve as serving Baba Yaga in the hut for more than 100
servants. She offers them a place to live, a living years. She is a wrinkled ogress but retains all of the
wage, and a sense of purpose, and most ogres jump strength and physical attributes of her younger kin,
at the chance to serve the most famous ogre in all tempered with the wisdom of living and working in
the planes. In the process of binding them to the the Dancing Hut for most of her life. As staff-captain,
Dancing Hut, Baba Yaga officially adds them to her Kuraga is in charge of all the servants and staff in the
single ogre group, the Chicken Foot Tribe. They hut, and she answers ultimately to Baba Yaga herself.
become Chicken Foot ogres*, outfitted with better
gear than their commonly encountered brethren can Roleplaying Kuraga Chicken Foot
afford. They all refer to Baba Yaga as Grandmother.
Kuraga comes across as aggressive and cruel, but
However, old habits die hard, and many of the she just wants everything done correctly. She has
ogre guards and servants retain loyalty to their a soft spot for the ogres under her direction, and
original tribe. Some harbor ancient grudges from though she may loudly scold and call them names
long ago, but rarely do these break out into violence like “pudding brain” and “toenail licker,” she does
despite the short tempers and cruel dispositions of so out of care and respect. Kuraga operates behind
the ogres. Staff-Captain Kuraga Chicken Foot keeps the scenes so it’s rare for her to interact with guests
everyone neatly in line, and she has quashed more in the Dancing Hut, but when she does she is polite
than one dispute that threatened to turn to violence but terse. Her skills are focused on ordering ogres
in the staff halls. about in their chores not in being diplomatic with
outsiders.
Baba Yaga pays the ogres of the Chicken Foot
Tribe for their service (2 sp per day), but the payment Nonetheless, Kuraga has the ear of Baba Yaga
is delivered when the ogre discharges from service in herself, and there are those who have sought the
the Dancing Hut. An ogre can discharge voluntarily wisdom of the Grandmother of Witches by going
at any time by requesting it through Staff-Captain through Kuraga. But the canny ogress has learned
Kuraga Chicken Foot, or they can be dismissed not to interfere in Grandmother’s business, and her
involuntarily by Kuraga or Baba Yaga herself. The loyalty seems absolute to Baba Yaga.
discharged ogre’s memory of their time in the hut
is wiped and they are deposited on a plane in the Quote. “Now what’s all this then? A mess? Not on
multiverse with a sack of silver pieces, the clothes on my watch, no sir, and not in this room! You and you,
their back, and a tattoo of a chicken foot on the back get to cleaning this up right now!”
of the left hand.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

31

F. Baba Yaga’s Chambers Main Door. A large wooden door beneath the
windowed dome leads back out to Outer Layer of
A broad room extends beyond the door, the hut; roll 1d20 to randomly determine the specific
encapsulated in part by a large dome of area. Baba Yaga and creatures bound to the Dancing
transparent glass panels overhead. The view Hut can choose which area they want to go anywhere
through this curved wall of windows shows a in the Outer Layer, Inner Layer, or Nucleus rather
breathtaking landscape of the world outside the than rolling randomly.
hut but from the seemingly impossible angle of
high in the sky. Beneath the glass dome sits a Features of Interest
tattered rug of well-worn crimson fabric on the
ground beyond which stand two tall black dented The following features can be explored here.
cauldrons. Stairs lead on either side of the room Bed. Baba Yaga’s bed is large enough for her
to a balcony overlooking the main floor outlined
by an ornate black iron railing, though the size, and while the sheets are satin the overall form
balcony’s contents are shrouded in shadow. is largely plain and unadorned. It’s a comfortable
mattress from another plane of existence filled with
This is the personal room of Baba Yaga. She spends feathers from a rare type of bird that are either
time here perfecting new brews and concoctions in incredibly soft or firm depending on the needs of the
her advanced magical cauldrons or simply enjoying sleeper.
the view through the windows, which can change
to show any space on the plane of existence the Bookshelves. The shelves in the alcove near the
Dancing Hut currently sits on. The Grandmother bed are filled with stories about Baba Yaga herself.
of Witches rarely allows guests to this personal She collects them from across the multiverse as a
chamber, and there are a number of traps and hobby and has made a habit of reading them and
curses awaiting those who break in hoping to steal making corrections in the margins. Many of the
something. books are children’s stories and nursery rhymes,
which seem to be Baba Yaga’s favorites, but
The shadows in the balcony are dispersed others are in-depth treatises on the nature of the
whenever any living creature comes up the stairs, Grandmother of Witches and the Dancing Hut. Most
revealing the large stone circle on the ground, the of the large volumes contain numerous markings
crimson-sheeted bed, and the shelves of books. and corrections from Baba Yaga’s hand.

General Features

The following features apply generally to this area.
Balcony. The balcony is 20 feet high, with each

flight of stairs ascending 10 feet. The railing lining
the balcony and stairs is 7 feet tall.

Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 40 feet high.
Light. The only light in the area comes from the
windows, which can be commandd to show the
outside world outside in day or night. Baba Yaga can
control the level of light, from darkness to dim light
to bright light on a whim.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Entering. Baba Yaga’s Chambers exist in the

strange dimensional space of the Between Layer. It
can only be accessed from a room in the Nucleus
by speaking the passphrase aloud (in any language)
while standing within 5 feet of any door. The
passphrase is “I am Baba Yaga.”

Any creature entering the area without the
express permission of Baba Yaga suffers from one of
the witch’s dreadful curses – the chicken foot curse.
See the Magic of Baba Yaga section for details on
this curse.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
32

Large Cauldrons. Baba Yaga is not only the Roleplaying Xaman Zek
greatest cauldron magician in the multiverse, there
is ample evidence to suggest she is responsible Xaman Zek was an ambitious wizard on a Material
for creating it as a genre! Cauldron magic is an Plane where certain types of magic were forbidden
early form of alchemy practiced by hedge wizards, by divine decree. This didn’t stop Xaman Zek
witches, warlocks, and other practitioners, and it is from diving into them, and for his transgressions
commonly looked down upon by established arcane the divine powers of his world stripped him
orders. of his mortal body – but the wizard’s magical
contingencies pushed his soul into a specially
The two cauldrons in this room are massive, each prepared skull, transforming him into an immortal
standing about 8 feet tall and about 10 feet wide, demilich. He wandered the world for a bit after that
made of ancient iron blackened through age and use. before discovering the doomsday prophecy, and he
One of them is an enlarged cauldron of binding while worked invisibly to control a cabal of wizards to
the other is an enlarged cauldron of alchemy. Both construct the Doomsday Calendar.
items are described in detail in the Magic of Baba
Yaga section. Then Baba Yaga showed up, destroyed the cabal,
and took the calendar, taking Xaman Zek along
Stone Circle. The stone circle resting on the since the demilich bound himself to the stone disk.
balcony is large, 10 feet wide, and about 1 foot thick. He revealed his presence to the witch shortly after
Carved into its surface are runes from an ancient arriving in the Dancing Hut, and the two quickly
civilization on a distant Material Plane. The entire came to an agreement when the runes on the
circle radiates strong divination magic. It is a strange calendar shifted visibly. Xaman Zek is obsessed with
relic called the Doomsday Calendar built originally the magic of the calendar which has clearly taken on
to track the progress of time to a vague apocalyptic a greater significance than he originally intended,
event on the remote Material Plane. Baba Yaga and he is fiercely protective of it. He cares less about
saw it and immediately saw more potential in intruders but if called upon by Baba Yaga or her
its carvings, and the runes twist and change at simulacrum to attack intruders he gleefully brings
seemingly random intervals. his magical firepower to bear. Xaman Zek is neutral
evil but loves to chat about prophecy, divination, and
The item is a curiosity that has consumed much apocalyptic events.
of Baba Yaga’s free time, and the bound demilich
Xaman Zek has been a valuable resource in Quote. “Now this is interesting. The carvings on my
decoding the stone circle’s magical mysteries. Does calendar shifted again! What does it mean? It looks
it pertain to the end of the Material Plane itself? Or like it’s now predicting … snow in a place called
to the beginning of something greater? Or does it Miami?”
have no meaning at all? Baba Yaga has discovered
evidence to support all of these theories and more in Baba Yaga can summon or dismiss the construct as
deciphering the arcane glyphs and writings. an action from anywhere in the hut. The simulacrum
acts just as Baba Yaga herself would.
Tattered Rug. The dull red rug on the floor is old.
It is the only physical remnant from Baba Yaga’s Force Golems. In the corners of the room in front
original home, and the Grandmother of Witches of the stairs leading up to the balcony are two force
keeps it around as a reminder of where she came golems* programmed to obey Baba Yaga.
from. It is immune to all damage.
Xaman Zek. Recently, Baba Yaga visited a
Windowed Dome. The great windows in the Material Plane where a cabal of wizards believed
dome section of the area magically show any exterior their world was going to end. The cabal used
location in the plane the Dancing Hut currently complicated arcane and divine magic to try and
resides upon. The view can be changed on a whim predict the end, and the result was a large stone
by Baba Yaga or her simulacrum, and sometimes she circle known as a Doomsday Calendar. Baba Yaga
uses it to surveil the landscape looking for trouble, immediately found it to be fascinating, so she stole
and other times she simply enjoys a splendid view of it, and in the process discovered a stowaway – a
a remote region. demilich named Xaman Zek.

Occupants Xaman Zek was the architect behind the
Doomsday Calendar, directing the cabal of wizards
The following creatures may be encountered here. as an invisible force without their knowledge. He is a
Baba Yaga Simulacrum. When Baba Yaga herself pragmatic creature so ultimately he decided to work
with Baba Yaga rather than against her especially
is not present, a magical construct of the great when he witnessed the carvings shift of their own
witch activates and guards the room. The Baba accord, an unforeseen event that has consumed
Yaga Simulacrum* is a formidable guardian, and it Xaman Zek.
functions like a bound creature to the Dancing Hut.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

33

G. Lakeland 1 Square = 10 feet

The door opens onto a circular, stone platform Light. The crimson light overhead originates from
set in the midst of a thick, swampy forest, filled a large red glass sphere suspended from the ceiling.
with sinister-looking cypress trees and carpets It provides dim light throughout the exterior of the
of stringy gray moss hanging from the branches. Lakeland; the interior of the stone building contains
Pools of grimy water dot the ground which looks only darkness.
to possess a sponge-like quality. Overhead, a
dull scarlet light like a moon hangs in the air, Terrain. The thick swampy forest of the Lakeland
largely obscured by the grasping branches of is considered difficult terrain while traveling along
the surrounding trees. Insects buzz out of sight the ground.
and the sound of rippling water and snapping
branches echo eerily around the stone platform. Water. The dark pools and lakes in the open areas
A narrow path winds through the driest portion of the Lakeland is slimy water, about 10 feet deep,
of the terrain, leading from the platform to but otherwise harmless.
somewhere out of sight towards the sound of
mad cackling. Access

This is the Lakeland, the largest room in the These are the access points for this area.
Dancing Hut. Baba Yaga built the room especially Entering. The Lakeland exists in the strange
for a coven of green hags known as the Jadefinger
Sisters, who dwell on an island in a broad open lake dimensional space of the Between Layer. It can
a short distance from the entrance platform. A stone only be accessed from a room in the Outer Layer
building also hides in the foliage containing rotten by speaking the passphrase aloud (in any language)
meat and other tools used by the green hags. while standing within 5 feet of any door. The
passphrase is “Lakeland calls and I answer.” Utilizing
A large tribe of aquatic trolls known as scrags also this passphrase creates a temporary path leading to
live in the Lakeland, and these monstrous brutes the main portal of this area.
owe complete fealty to the Jadefinger Sisters. No
one knows for sure, but it’s possible the Jadefinger Main Portal. A tall round portal made of stone sits
Sisters are immortal, perhaps even directly related in the middle of the stone platform, offering the only
to Baba Yaga herself; killing one or more of them exit from the Lakeland. Any creature approaching
doesn’t seem to have any permanent effect on the it causes it to flare to life with a swirling, black and
Lakeland, though it certainly brings the ire of the white miasma pattern. The swirling portal leads back
scrags and the Grandmother of Witches. However, out to Outer Layer of the hut; roll 1d20 to randomly
the hags have accumulated a lot of treasure and determine the specific area. Baba Yaga and creatures
knowledge over their years spent in the hut, but they bound to the Dancing Hut can choose which area
are ruthless and cruel creatures who give nothing up they want to go anywhere in the Outer Layer.
without demanding a high payment.

General Features

The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the Lakeland is 150 feet

overhead. The foliage of the swampy forest extends
up to a height of 100 feet.

Insect Swarms. Great swarms of insects buzz
about the Lakeland, but they confine themselves
to the open areas outside the heavy vegetation
and forested swampland. If the characters enter
an area of open water, or move above the tree line
overhead, they are bombarded with swarms of
buzzing insects. The insects have blindsight but only
bother humanoids; the hags and trolls they leave
alone. Humanoid creatures in the swarm who are
concentrating on an effect must succeed at a DC 10
Constitution saving throw at the start of each round
or lose their concentration.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
34

Features of Interest Roleplaying the Jadefinger Sisters

The following features can be explored here. Savage and vicious, the Jadefinger Sisters taunt
Island of the Hags. This island of dark brambles intruders with cruel jests aimed at pushing others
to rash actions. The three hags seem to speak as
is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet across in the one, alternating sentences between them quickly
largest open water in the Lakeland. It serves as the and without pause to give the illusion of one mind.
main home for the Jadefinger Sisters, who keep a Perhaps it’s not an illusion, and the creatures really
blazing pit of purple fire burning in its center at all share a single consciousness. When they speak, they
times. The three green hags dance, laugh, and cavort do so using the royal plural, using “we” instead of
around the violet flames, cackling in the darkness “I.”
of their island. The fire, while magical in nature, is
otherwise treated as regular fire though it cannot be Quote. “Yes, we know why they have come, of
put out while the Jadefinger Sisters are alive in the course we do. But do they, we wonder? We shall see
Lakeland. by the light of the red moon. Yes, we shall see.”

Stone Building. The door to this 20-foot by 20- The Jadefinger Sisters have the most amenable
foot stone building is heavy stone and locked, with relationship with Baba Yaga of any denizen in the
no obvious means of opening; it has no handles or Dancing Hut, a connection that seems to suggest
hinges. Opening it requires speaking the command a bond deeper than mere friendship. Some have
word, “Jadefinger,” while within 5 feet of the door, theorized the green hags are somehow connected
but any non-fey creature speaking the command to Baba Yaga’s past. Perhaps the creatures guided a
word must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving young Baba Yaga on her path towards greatness, and
throw or fall asleep for 1d6 hours, a slumber that the Grandmother of Witches simply pays them her
cannot be broken by any means except for the end respect out of a shared history.
of the duration while the target is in the Lakeland.
The building is watched over by scrags at all times Regardless of their exact history, the Jadefinger
as well, lurking beneath the spongy ground; they Sisters have the ear of Baba Yaga, and they can
leap out to attack anyone not accompanied by one or whisper words to the great witch whenever they wish
more of the Jadefinger Sisters. it. They don’t abuse this privilege, but neither are
they afraid to use it if they feel the Dancing Hut or
Inside, the Jadefinger Sisters keep both their Baba Yaga’s power is threatened by outsiders.
treasure and their food stores. The smell of rancid
meat hangs heavy in the air along with clouds of Scrags. A large number of aquatic trolls known
black flies, which the hags consider a delicacy. as scrags live in the Lakeland, serving the Jadefinger
Unidentifiable hunks of meat hang from hooks along Sisters loyally and without question. They are
the walls, and the ground is littered with refuse. bestial, bloodthirsty creatures. They possess the
Digging through the garbage on the floor reveals same statistics as trolls with the following changes:
ten ruby gemstones each worth 2,500 gp and a
zhaleika of telekinesis (see Magic of Baba Yaga in the • Scrags have a swimming speed of 40 feet.
appendix for details). The hags may possess other • Scrags can breathe air and water.
items. • The regeneration feature of the scrag is only

Occupants affected by acid damage.

The following creatures may be encountered here. They watch the door to the stone building with keen
Jadefinger Sisters. The Jadefinger Sisters are eyes and leap to the commands of the hags. No one
knows exactly how many lurk in the waters beneath
a coven of three green hags who have lived in the the swampy terrain; 1d4+4 leap out to attack at any
Lakeland for many years. Their skin is mottled green given time.
and they wear tattered remnants of leather clothing
scavenged from victims, but due to their aquatic
home they are constantly losing garments to their
swampy surroundings. They have hooked noses,
beady yellow eyes, and filthy, ragged claws, though
they rarely engage in physical combat with intruders.
If they have individual names, they don’t reveal
them or use them, instead referring to each other
as “our green sister” and Baba Yaga as “our great
grandmother.”

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

35

Dancing Hut Outer Layer

The bulk of the Dancing Hut’s interior areas exist Outer Layer Encounter
within the Outer Layer. These areas link together to
form a 20-sided icosahedron, though this is difficult 1d20 Outer Layer Encounter
to imagine for adventurers moving from area to area.
1-4 A squad of four Chicken Foot ogres* on
Access patrol

The Outer Layer is accessed through the door in 5 Two night hags disguised as bickering
area A, or through any of the Between Layer areas. sisters
Creatures can move to the Outer Layer from the
Inner Layer by simply thinking about a destination 6 A gang of five shadow demons stuck in
room, and the tunnel between areas diverts them an area
to an access point in that area (roll randomly to
determine which of the three they appear out of). 7 An autumn eladrin from the Feywild
looking for a rare magical component
Random Encounters
8 An adult copper dragon thoroughly
As characters travel through the Dancing Hut they amused with the hut’s layout
are bound to encounter many creatures. Some of
these are the native inhabitants of the hut, while 9 An arcanaloth accompanied by three
others are travelers and wanderers from across mezzoloths looking for an ancient book
the multiverse. Each area includes a section on
Occupants that includes an NPC who may be 10 A dao from the Plane of Earth seeking
encountered there; it’s not feasible to really have all rare gemstones
of them in the hut at once however!
11 Three fire giants lost in the hut
In addition, there are any number of creatures
wandering the areas, either lost or deliberately 12 The avatar of Juiblex, Demon Lord of
seeking something. You can roll on the Outer Layer Slimes, causing mayhem
Encounter table below when the characters enter
a new area in the Outer Layer, or if you want to 13 A solar from the Upper Planes hunting
change up an existing encounter with a new arrival. down a fiendish fugitive
Some are hostile to the characters while others
are not, though this can vary depending on how the 14 A mummy lord and four mummies
characters have acted and their status with Baba looking for Baba Yaga
Yaga herself.
15 A squad of four Chicken Foot ogres* off
duty

16 A polite ulitharid waiting for an audience
with Baba Yaga

17 A gang of three blue slaads led by a
death slaad causing havoc

A noble marid genie accompanied by
18 water elemental myrmidons reviewing

architecture

19 A djinni out for a stroll

20 Elena the Mad

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
36

Elena the Mad Roleplaying Elena the Mad

Long ago, Baba Yaga brought two young women In her current state, Elena the Mad is a powerful
into the Dancing Hut and adopted them as her apparition who can twist reality around her, send
daughters. They weren’t the first to be raised by the psychic shockwaves to attack foes, and call down
Grandmother of Witches, but they held the most magical forces to do her bidding. She babbles
potential for greatness. One was Natasha the Dark, constantly, usually nonsense words, but she often
gifted in the ways of conjuration and domination repeats the name “Jayden Thull” in a pleading,
magic, who would eventually outgrow Baba Yaga and pitiful voice. She moves erratically, usually invisible,
leave to take on the planes first as Iggwilv and later and may take offense to a seemingly innocent action
as Tasha. or phrase.

The second was Elena the Fair, a beautiful young Elena could be calmed by promising sweet treats
woman skilled in abjuration and rejuvenating magic. – her favorite are iced cinnamon rolls, which could
Baba Yaga forbade direct confrontations between her be gleaned from stories told by Chef Pepperhop in
two willful adopted daughters, but they nonetheless the Kitchen of Blood (area 4). Ilya the Forgotten,
nettled each other constantly with insults and tricks. a hedgehog in the Black Orchard (area 20), could
They were both beautiful, but Natasha hated Elena also provide some insight into calming Elena,
for her picturesque looks and peaceful demeanor. though Elena was already mad by the time Ilya
Elena always extended the hand of friendship to her showed up in the hut. Asking Baba Yaga about
sister but found it slapped away at every opportunity. Elena pushes the great witch into a scowling silence
and she refuses to answer any questions or even
For a brief time after Natasha left, Elena found acknowledge the ghost girl’s presence.
peace, but Baba Yaga neglected the remaining
daughter for a long time. Elena grew lonely, and she Quote. Incoherent screeching.
turned to the infrequent visitors who came to the
Dancing Hut to comfort herself. One of those visitors The separation of Elena’s spirit created a
was a devastatingly handsome warrior named Jayden demented disembodied ghost now known as
Thull, but he was far more than he seemed. Jayden Elena the Mad. If she is reduced to 0 hp she
was actually a devil, an emissary of Mephistopheles simply dissipates and then reappears in another
from the Nine Hells of Baator come to steal secrets room elsewhere in the Outer Layer (roll 1d20
from Baba Yaga. He found a far greater prize in to determine the room). She is currently forever
Elena, and stayed for a time in the hut as her guest. bound to the Dancing Hut, but she never appears
in a room occupied by Baba Yaga or the Baba Yaga
None of this was a secret to Baba Yaga, but rather simulacrum.
than intervene the Grandmother of Witches decided
to observe events unfold. Jayden corrupted Elena She is incorporeal and still bound to the hut,
quickly, preying upon the woman’s fears and doubts, and she wanders from room to room at all times,
and over time his words and suggestions became a invisible but still perceptible to those in the
poison in her mind. Elena the Fair became twisted, immediate surroundings. She tortures the ogre staff
paranoid, and unhinged, and she saw enemies to no end, but she has made friends with some of
everywhere. In a powerful bout of madness, Elena the inhabitants – Elena speaks at long lengths to
attacked Baba Yaga herself. Volcanis in the Magma Armory (area 5) along with
the Butcher in the Kitchen of Blood (area 4).
Baba Yaga defeated Elena but could not bring
herself to destroy her daughter. In the battle, Jayden Is there hope for Elena the Mad to find peace,
weaved strong diabolic sorcery into Elena, pushing either in final death or through physical and mental
her forward, and in the end Baba Yaga split the rehabilitation? Baba Yaga pointedly ignores her
woman’s spirit from her body to prevent her from daughter, and the apparition is never found in the
doing greater harm. Jayden Thull left the Dancing same room as the Grandmother of Witches anymore.
Hut to return to his archdevil master before suffering If there is a way to restore Elena, it may lie with
Baba Yaga’s wrath. Jayden Thull, the devil serving Mephistopheles.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

37

1. Entry Hall A

This long hall is made of fine polished oak BC
with a wooden rafter-and-slat ceiling overhead.
The walls are adorned with four tapestries of D
breathtaking design, each woven with gold
and other fine metals. They depict the same only way to completely destroy the wraiths is to
magnificent palace topped with large onion destroy each statue. The statues are destroyed in
domes in a different landscape – one on the side the same manner as a prismatic wall layer of the
of a snow-covered hill, another at the edge of an corresponding color; for example, the red statue is
oasis in a desert of white sand, another in a thick only destroyed if it takes at least 25 cold damage,
jungle, and the fourth in a canyon surrounded and the orange statue must be targeted with a strong
by red stone mountains. Six statues of armored wind.
warriors stand about the room, each made of a
different colored glass. In addition, anyone approaching within 10 feet
of a glass statue attracts the attention of Alvyn
This room serves as the entry point for guests Fiddlecloak, the gnome wizard caught in a different
arriving in the Dancing Hut. It is meant to impress color dimension (see Occupants below).
visitors with a sense of grandeur and style, though
few would recognize the palace in the tapestries. And
while it seems the statues may animate to become
guardians, the truth is a little more complicated than
that.

General Features

The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 20 feet high.
Light. Each statue radiates a different colored

light, which is enough to shed bright light throughout
the area.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Door A. This simple wooden door leads to area A

and serves as the only reliable means of leaving the
Dancing Hut.

Door B. This iron door is unlocked and leads to
area 5-A. The door is warm to the touch.

Door C. This wooden door is covered in slimy
purple fungal growths. It leads to area 8-A.

Door D. This large ornate stone double door set
holds the carved image of a cauldron on one door
and a broom on the other. These doors lead to area
2-A.

Features of Interest

The following features can be explored here.
Glass Statues. There are six glass statues

placed about the room, each a different color in
the prismatic spectrum (red, orange, green, yellow,
blue, and indigo). The statues each depict a solemn
warrior, 10 feet high, wearing heavy armor and
wielding a shield and sword. The statues radiate
enchantment magic and cast vibrant light of varying
hues throughout the area. Each statue provides
power to the warwraiths in the room, and the

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
38

Tapestries. The palace depicted in the four Roleplaying Alvyn Fiddlecloak
tapestries represents a royal line of nobles in a
faraway Material Plane kingdom. Details are scarce, Alvyn always liked the idea of being a great wizard –
but some who have studied the palaces have learned commanding magical power to conjure things, force
they sheltered Baba Yaga when she was injured after people to do his bidding, and things like that. He
a terrible battle. Baba Yaga herself does not speak grew up in the city of Calypso on the Plane of Air,
of any of this. Each tapestry is worth 25,000 gp, but where sky pirates come to port and everyone has
touching one triggers the warwraiths (see below). In a knife ready for someone’s back. Alvyn managed
addition, the tapestries are magically suspended to to sneak aboard one ship headed towards the
the wall, and removing one causes it to decay after 5 Prismatic Fortress, home of the Prismatic Order,
minutes. Each minute it decays it loses 5,000 gp in a cabal of powerful color-based wizards. There
value, but it can be halted with the mending spell or the gnome hoped to impress the faculty with his
similar power. intelligence and take his place of honor.

Occupants He arrived, and though he didn’t impress anyone
with his intelligence or magical aptitude, one of
The following creatures may be encountered here. the masters saw a spark of talent in the gnome’s
Alvyn Fiddlecloak. Many seeking the counsel mischievous and deceiving mannerisms. Alvyn was
taken in, and after only a year he decided to cheat
of Baba Yaga have problems that need addressing, his way to the top. He learned enough magic to cast
and Alvyn Fiddlecloak was no exception. He was some spells and to know where the really valuable
a rogue gnome wizard who got in trouble with the stuff was hidden, so he used his larcenous skills
Prismatic Order, a cabal of wizards on the Plane of amplified by wizardry to break into the vault of the
Air – the kind of trouble brought on by stealing books Prismatic Master and steal some books. The theft
from the tower of the Prismatic Master. On the run triggered a curse that leeched the color away from
and desperate, Alvyn sought out the Grandmother Alvyn, so he sought out Baba Yaga to help with his
of Witches to help. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize condition. He now exists as an immortal lifeless
the extent of the Prismatic Order’s power or the entity caught in an alien realm of pure color, and he
nature of the curse they placed on him, and when he hates every minute. Has he changed? Or will this
entered the Entry Hall a strange thing occurred. arcane thief return to his skullduggery ways?

Alvyn Fiddlecloak was absorbed into the color Quote. “Could you, uhh, help a gnome out here? I
spectrum pervading the room. He now exists as a seem to be stuck between color phases. Just shift
transparent creature on a different color wavelength that statue a bit – super. Now all I see is blue.”
than normal, only able to operate or appear when
close to one of the glass statues. If someone comes Warwraiths. The guardians of the Entry Hall
within 10 feet of one of the glass statues, they can are six warwraiths*, spirits of fallen warriors from
make a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check. On the plane of Acheron. They exist invisibly, each
a success they notice a vague outline of a small one behind one of the statues, and only appear if
humanoid figure behind the statue. Communicating someone touches one of the tapestries or attacks
with Alvyn is difficult, but targeting the statue with one of the statues. Baba Yaga or any other bound
a color spray spell or other color-based effect causes creature to the Dancing Hut can command them to
the gnome to appear physically as a two-dimensional take action as well, but the creatures cannot leave
shape of pure color. The effect lasts for 1 minute the area.
before Alvyn again gets absorbed back into the color
spectrum.

Alvyn desperately wants to escape, and he doesn’t
know how long he’s been trapped. Perhaps the
Prismatic Order is still after him, perhaps they’ve
forgotten about his transgression due to how much
time has passed. Getting him out could be as simple
as the casting of a prismatic spray after color spray,
or it may require destroying all of the glass statues.
Alvyn is happy to promise magic and riches in
exchange for his freedom, though truthfully he has
little of substance to offer.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

39

2. Throne of the Witch S B

The vaulted ceiling of this grand hall extends 50 C
feet above the marble-tiled floor. A simple rug
of red-dyed weave sits on the ground in front of A
a set of tiled stairs leading from the main floor
to an elevated area. There sits a massive throne However, any creature touching the throne
constructed of red quartz and engraved with without Baba Yaga’s expressed permission must
runes flanked by two imposing stone statues resist the mad mind curse (details are found under
carved to resemble broad-shouldered warriors. dreadful curses in the Magic of Baba Yaga section).
The wall behind the throne is red stone engraved
with numerous runes and symbols that cast a Red Wall. The wall behind the throne is made
crimson light over the entire chamber. An iron of red stone and carved with numerous runes
statue in an ill-fitting black suit stands in the and symbols in the Sylvan language. A DC 18
corner of the room. Intelligence (Investigation) check notices odd choices
in a lot of the words and phrases. A DC 18 Wisdom
Baba Yaga hears the requests of supplicants and (Perception) check reveals several of the letters are
visitors in this grand throne room, though she slightly raised on the wall. If the letters B A B A Y A
personally only appears in the presence of the most G A are pressed in order, a secret door slides away in
important or powerful guests. She entrusts most of the wall to reveal the small chamber beyond holding
the duties to Master Tin, an intelligent iron golem a door (Door B).
who stands in the corner of the room and listens to
requests. The rug is a powerful guardian along with
the stone statues in case things get rough in this
area.

General Features

The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling is 50 feet high in this area.
Light. The wall behind the throne casts crimson

illumination throughout the area, creating bright
light throughout the room.

Stairs. The stairs are 20 feet long and extend up
to the 10-foot-tall raised section of the room.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Door A. This large iron double-door set is

unlocked and leads to area 1-D.
Door B. On the other side of the red wall is a

smaller chamber holding a pair of large wooden
doors that swing open easily. These lead to area 3-A.

Door C. Beneath the trapper rug sits a stone
panel, 10 feet across, that can be pulled up to reveal
the tunnel to area 10-C.

Features of Interest

The following features can be explored here.
Quartz Throne. Baba Yaga’s throne is made of

red quartz and sized for a Large creature. It radiates
divination magic and it is immune to damage. A
creature sitting on the throne feels their mind
connected to a vast network of information. Once
per day it can be used to cast the legend lore spell as
an action without requiring any components, though
Baba Yaga can use this feature without restriction.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
40

Rug. The rug is simple but woven with care. If Roleplaying Master Tin
tampered with, it animates to attack as the greater
trapper, and it can be commanded to attack intruders Unfailingly polite, Master Tin considers itself to be
or unruly guests by the inhabitants of the room (see the pinnacle of sophistication, a being of impeccable
Occupants below). manners and social graces. It talks in a grandiose
fashion, announcing itself as “the steward of the
Occupants Throne of the Witch and the personal ambassador
to Baba Yaga, Grandmother of Witches.” Master Tin
The following creatures may be encountered here. has a habit of using ten words when one will suffice,
Master Tin. Baba Yaga’s personal crier and and adds needlessly grand titles and affections
about anything it talks to or about.
attendant for matters of importance is Master Tin, an
iron golem imbued with intelligence and personality. Master Tin is still a powerful iron golem, however,
It wears an ill-fitting formal black suit over its dull and if trouble breaks out it is not afraid to command
iron body, and its head is shaped to resemble a the stone golems and the greater trapper in the area
handsome man with a well-coifed pompadour, an to move forward to break up hostilities. During any
image at contrast with its otherwise bulky and such violence, Master Tin pleads with intruders to
utilitarian form. see reason and simply submit so that “the whole
misunderstanding can be cleared up in due time
If the characters are looking for Baba Yaga, with a calming cup of tea.”
Master Tin invites them to wait while it sends for her.
The iron golem steward has a mental connection to Quote. “By what name and title shall you be
the Grandmother of Witches as long as she is in the addressed, sir or madam? Please be specific and
Dancing Hut, so it reaches out to inform the mistress appropriate to the situation.”
of awaiting guests. Baba Yaga likely knew of the
characters’ arrival before they reach this room so she Stone Statues. The two stone statues flanking the
either doesn’t want to speak with the characters or red quartz throne are two stone golems. They follow
she is not in the Dancing Hut. Master Tin asks that the commands of Baba Yaga or Master Tin.
the characters wait patiently and offers to summon
tea and biscuits from the kitchen while they wait. Trapper Rug. The rug on the floor is a manta-
like creature known as a trapper. It’s larger than
If they agree, two ogre servants arrive a few a normal version so it can smother up to four
minutes later from a sliding panel in the red wall creatures but its statistics are otherwise unchanged.
behind the throne, each carrying silvered trays with It fights to defend itself and obeys the commands of
food and drink. Master Tin makes the characters Baba Yaga, Master Tin, or any other creature bound
wait and physically restrains them if they try to leave to the Dancing Hut. If the rug is gently caressed with
the room through the red wall behind the throne. a DC 18 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check for 1
“None may approach the throne of the Grandmother minute, it purrs in contentment before rolling up to
of Witches without her expressed approval” it says reveal the hidden panel (Door C) on the ground.
admonishingly.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

41

3. Trophy Hall A

This pentagonal area seems dedicated to C
keeping and displaying trophies in various forms.
A handful of cozy stone fireplaces stand against B
the walls, casting warmth and illumination
that seems to create more shadows than it foot radius to bright light or extinguishing the light
dispels. The central floor of the room contains altogether.
an elaborate yellow circular sigil resembling a
clockface, with a number of comfortable posh- Light. Several fireplaces placed around the room
looking sitting chairs around it. Animal heads cast a warm glow, providing continual dim light.
are mounted on the wooden walls, including
stags and boars along with a few other exotic Access
specimens such as an owlbear, a hook horror,
and various dragons. Twin staircases flank the These are the access points for this area.
walls leading up to a second balcony holding Door A. The door on the main level is constructed
inanimate statues of humanoid beings frozen in
moments of action. of heavy wood and leads to area 2-B.
Door B. A simple but large wooden door with no
Over the centuries, Baba Yaga has encountered
many strange creatures. She has a surprising soft handles swings open easily leading to area 4-A. This
spot for animals and beasts along with a natural door is used primarily by kitchen staff to bring food
kinship with them, but sometimes these creatures and drink.
turn violent. In this case, Baba Yaga is forced to
defend herself, and she gives no quarter in combat. Door C. The fireplace in this location contains
The result is usually a dead creature, but in order an iron poker stuck in the ground next to it, unlike
to honor the strange and wondrous beings in the the other fireplaces. The poker moves like a lever,
multiverse, Baba Yaga decided to bring them to this and when pulled forward the light in this fireplace
area for display. extinguishes revealing a dark tunnel leading to area
12-C.
The lower area of the Trophy Hall is dedicated
to the creatures who died in this way, and include Features of Interest
many bizarre monsters from across the planes. The
upper area is dedicated to a different kind of trophy. The following features can be explored here.
These are humanoids who have come to kill Baba Balcony Trophies. There are ten humanoid
Yaga specifically, whether justified or not. They have
all failed, but the Grandmother of Witches doesn’t figures in the balcony, each set upon a small pedestal
just let them die – she preserves them here as a containing a plaque. The plaque lists the individual’s
monument to their failure. name and the manner in which they died, and each
one is bound in a form of temporal stasis through the
Recently, Baba Yaga has decided to conscript the continued functioning of the floor sigil. Examples of
aid of a band of exceptional hunters from the Plane the humanoids on this level include:
of Faerie to assist with finding exotic animals to
display – and to track down those who would seek
out Baba Yaga to do her harm. They are known
collectively as the Solstice Hunters.

General Features

The following features apply generally to this area.
Balcony. The balcony running along the perimeter

of the room is 10 feet wide and 20 feet above the
ground, with a sturdy iron railing running its length.

Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 60 feet high.
Fireplaces. The fireplaces create a warm,
relaxing light without the need for any wood or fuel.
They can be magically commanded by Baba Yaga
or any creature bound to the Dancing Hut to burn
brighter or softer, increasing the illumination in a 60-

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
42

• A snarling, foaming male orc barbarian with a Occupants
large axe held over his head. Plaque reads: “Furd
Mosh, Leader of the Stone Fang Tribe. Ended by The following creatures may be encountered here.
vengeance curse.” Leslenae Hartstring. The leader of the Solstice

• A male human garbed in black clothes and Hunters is a vain eladrin ranger from the Feywild
a dark cloak wielding two daggers. Plaque named Leslenae Harstring. Like her kin, she can
reads: “Jedard Bhathmal, Formerly of Assassin change her form based on the four seasons, but in
Mountain. Took the wrong contract.” all of her forms Leslenae’s eyes remain the same –
pools of solid gold, inscrutable and alien. She often
• A female dwarf priest holding out a holy symbol leads her fellow Solstice Hunters on treks across the
of Moradin. Plaque reads: “Rodru Moltenbelly, planes to add more exotic creatures to the Trophy
Priestess of Moradin. Failed to save her family.” Hall, but the real thrill comes when Baba Yaga gives
her an assignment to stop someone who’s trying
There are several paladins and other good-aligned to hunt down Baba Yaga herself. This, in the hunt
beings, and the description of their deaths on against an intelligent adversary, is where Leslenae’s
the plaques is vague. Baba Yaga has lived a long true passion lies.
time, and she has inflicted immense cruelty and
wickedness across the planes. The “trophies” in Solstice Hunters. The Solstice Hunters are a
this area are monuments to her power and may give band of elite eladrin rangers who serve Baba Yaga.
good-aligned groups pause as to the nature of the No one really knows the details of this servitude,
being they are working with or against! but many speculate the eladrin band actually
sought out the Grandmother of Witches to offer
Chairs. At any given time, at least two of the their immortal services to such a powerful archfey
Solstice Hunters sit in these chairs, drinking wine being. Regardless, these elite eladrin can transform
from delicate glass goblets and relating stories of themselves spontaneously into any of their four
their latest hunts. The chairs are nonmagical and seasonal forms (autumn, spring, summer, or winter),
very comfortable. and they do so to best suit their task at hand. They
each enjoy the hunt for its own sake, but none of
Floor Sigil. Baba Yaga doesn’t merely kill those them are as dedicated to the cause of tracking down
who come hunting her specifically – she keeps them intelligent humanoids as their leader Leslenae.
in suspended animation for a period of time based
on their skill level and how Baba Yaga thinks they’ll No one knows exactly how many Solstice Hunters
adjust afterwards. The sigil on the floor mimics a exist, and there always seems to be a band of them
clockface but it marks the passage of time in the out in the multiverse hunting some beast for sport. A
span of years and decades, so its movements are few remain in the Trophy Hall, relaxing and sharing
almost imperceptible. The sigil radiates strong stories endlessly of their time. They require neither
transmutation magic, but its exact use is beyond the food nor drink but enjoy the taste of wine from
scope of this scenario; it can be walked upon without the endless cellars in area 11, and they take great
affecting it, and no spells are known to affect it. Baba enjoyment from ordering the ogre servants of the
Yaga has the power to release bound creatures early kitchen around.
though she rarely does this.
Roleplaying Leslenae Hartstring
Main Level Trophies. The main level of the
Trophy Hall contains the heads of beasts and Leslenae doesn’t consider herself cruel for hunting
creatures hunted by the Solstice Hunters or killed intelligent humanoids down for sport. She actually
by Baba Yaga over the years. The ogre servants considers it a blessing for the recipient, to be
maintain a storeroom for spare heads, and they targeted and hunted down by such an advanced
regularly swap out old trophies for new ones as the being as herself. They should feel honored to have
eladrin rangers come back with newer specimens warranted the attention of the eladrin ranger and
to display. One trophy remains the same however – the Solstice Hunters! She doesn’t take anything they
the head of a great green dragon watching over the say or do personally, since in her alien fey mind they
entire room. This is all that remains of Nossurorth, are nothing but lower lifeforms.
an ancient green dragon who came the closest to
defeating Baba Yaga and claiming the Dancing Hut Quote. “You should feel grateful for this opportunity.
for his own long ago. To be killed by one as great as I? I give your
meaningless life purpose in its last moments.”
Other trophies include the head of an owlbear,
peryton, crag cat, and a tentacled mauler from the
Abyss. Most of these were killed by the Solstice
Hunters, and they are happy to boast of the hunt and
kill to anyone showing an interest in the tale.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

43

4. Kitchen of Blood B

If the characters enter the area from area 3 or area C
5, read the following:
A
The pungent smell of aromatic herbs and cooked
meat fills this area, which seems to be dedicated Meat Locker Cold. Crystals embedded in the
to cooking and preparing meals. Several long ceiling of the meat locker radiate intense cold. The
wooden tables are set against the walls along the crystals inflict 7 (2d6) cold damage to any creature
perimeter, with the center of the floor dominated starting their turn in the area.
by a large iron cauldron resting atop a stone dais
with a bed of red-hot coals beneath it; a platform Access
gives access to the top of the cauldron which
stands 10 feet high upon the dais. A large nook These are the access points for this area.
along the wall contains a massive stone fireplace Door A. This large wooden door is unlocked and
evidently used for cooking. An iron door against
one wall is covered with frost, while another leads to area 3-B.
door on the adjacent wall leaks dark fluid from Door B. This iron door is unlocked but regularly
the bottom, creating a brownish stain on the
ground in front of it. gets stuck due to the unnatural cold of the meat
locker. It takes a DC 18 Strength check to open, and
If the characters enter the area from area 14, read it reveals a dark tunnel leading to area 14-B.
the following:
Door C. If a creature stands in front of the large
Intense cold fills this frozen stone chamber, fireplace and verbally commands it to “open” in any
radiating from white crystals embedded in language, the coals and fire slip aside magically to
the ceiling 30 feet overhead. A half dozen iron reveal a passage leading to area 5-B.
chains hang from the ceiling in two rows, the
ends of which hold great hunks of meat on large Features of Interest
blood-coated hooks. Three larger cages hang
next to the meat hooks, also suspended from The following features can be explored here.
the ceiling on iron chains. Red-stained pots sit Cauldron. The caldron in the center of the
beneath the hooks and cages.
room is just an abnormally large cooking pot, with
This is where the meals for the Dancing Hut a magically produced fire beneath it to heat the
inhabitants are prepared. Ogre servants run around contents. Chef Pepperhop specializes in soups of
the area regularly, fetching items from the Butcher in various kinds so he usually has a batch of stew or
the cold storage area or being commanded by Chef porridge cooking at any time, into which he liberally
Pepperhop, the bloodthirsty faerie in charge of the tosses spices and supplements as the mood strikes
Kitchen of Blood. him.

General Features

The following features apply generally to this area.
Ceiling. The ceiling in the main kitchen and the

meat locker are 30 feet high.
Intestinal Tunnel Acid. Creatures starting their

turn in the intestinal tunnel suffer 18 (4d8) acid
damage from the oozing, dripping black sludge
coating everything.

Light. The stove in the main kitchen provides dim
light in that area, while large crystals embedded in
the ceiling of the meat locker cast bright light in gray
and blue tones. There is no light in the intestinal
tunnel.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
44

Intestinal Tunnel. The door leaking brownish Roleplaying Chef Pepperhop
liquid in the main kitchen area leads to the waste
disposal solution in the kitchen. Beyond the door Chef Pepperhop is angry all the time – angry at
lays a squirming, pulsating tunnel of dark red, the staff for some mishap, angry at the cupboards
brown, and black sludge, where the walls, ceiling, for being out of his preferred ingredient, or angry
and floor regularly heave, expand, and contract, like at the Butcher for miscutting a piece of meat. His
a living thing. The truth is that it is a living thing, small size belies the volume of his voice, and he is
or at least a close approximation, and inside are an fond of standing on tables to berate and verbally
endless supply of black puddings. Chef Pepperhop abuse the ogres eye-to-eye. He is vicious as well,
occasionally sends an ogre kitchen servant into the and numerous ogres have lost fingers, toes, and
tunnel to retrieve blood from the walls or a pot of even hands to the redcap’s vindictive punishment
black pudding to add to a dish he’s preparing. (the results of which have gone into souffles, soups,
and other dishes). Chef Pepperhop is, however,
Meat Locker Cages and Hooks. A special illusion an excellent chef, and he knows how to blend
placed on the hooks makes the hanging meat look ingredients to elevate a dish beyond its component
like the viewer when a creature comes within 5 feet parts.
of it, but the illusion disappears quickly. Most of the
meat is frozen animal carcasses brought in by the As a fey creature, Chef Pepperhop does not need
Solstice Hunters of area 3, but it’s not unusual to to rest, and he’s always preparing something in the
find a humanoid body hanging from one of the hooks kitchen. He’s volatile, prone to violent outbursts,
as well. The cages are reserved for regenerating and belittles everyone around him. The only person
creatures, and normally they hold trolls who have spared from his verbal tirade is Baba Yaga, whom
disobeyed or angered Baba Yaga in some way. he refers to as Sweet Grandmother.

Stone Stove. The stove contains the eternal Quote. “I’ve never ever, ever, ever, ever met someone
breath of an ancient red dragon bound within its I believe in as little as you. You deserve a kick in the
confines, which Chef Pepperhop uses to cook nether regions. Now get out of my kitchen!”
anything he wants – the heat is intense enough to
burn anything given enough time. The temperature Chef Pepperhop. There have been numerous
can be regulated using a series of stone dials set chefs in the history of the Dancing Hut, and the
into the side, but in a pinch Chef Pepperhop can current one is a malicious, vindictive redcap named
release it in a great gout using a command word. Chef Pepperhop. The trademark red hat of his fey
In this case, a 40-foot cone of flame roars out of the brethren takes on the form of a large blood-red
stove, and all creatures in the area must make a DC toque often worn by chefs in some Material Plane
18 Dexterity saving throw, suffering 91 (26d6) fire realms, and he has a remarkable ability to run and
damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. jump to reach anything in the Kitchen of Blood. Chef
Pepperhop is immune to fire, and if he is reduced to
Occupants 0 hp he regenerates 1 hour later in the stone stove
and pops out, just as angry as before.
The following creatures may be encountered here.
The Butcher. The meat locker is overseen by a Black Pudding. There are an endless number of
black puddings in the intestinal tunnels. They start
grotesquely obese nalfeshnee demon known only as arriving two rounds after a living creature enters the
the Butcher. This fiend is immune to cold and wields tunnel and do not relent until they’ve killed or driven
an enormous meat cleaver, which functions exactly off the intruder. They do not leave the intestinal
like its claws in terms of attack and damage. The tunnel on their own.
Butcher doesn’t speak at all, and it takes commands
from Chef Pepperhop and Baba Yaga only; even
the daughters of Baba Yaga cannot command the
brutally oafish demon in the meat locker.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

45

5. Magma Armory ab

Great waves of heat wash over this large area, ACB
which consists of a large octagonal central
chamber with four adjoining smaller rooms. dc
Large brass braziers cast light and warmth
throughout the area. In the center of the octagon, Features of Interest
the floor descends to a pool of liquid magma,
bubbling and churning slowly. Each of the four The following features can be explored here.
smaller rooms hold armor and weapons of Armory Rooms. Each of the four rooms attached
various sorts, some quite exotic in design and
function. to the main octagonal chamber is dedicated to
housing a broad type of armament. They are
The Magma Armory contains a rotating collection identified by lower-case letter on the map and
of weapons and armor Baba Yaga and her minions described here. The exact contents of each area is
have collected from across the multiverse. Some of not specified, but you can place magical items here
the gear is reserved for the ogres of the Chicken Foot to suit your campaign – or to tempt characters to
Tribe to use in times of war, and the guards on patrol face Volcanis in a fight, who should prove a challenge
in the Dancing Hut are outfitted with gear normally for even a Tier 4 group!
kept in this chamber.
a. This area houses full suits of armor, about a
Baba Yaga realizes the value adventurers, thieves, dozen laid out along the wall. Each rests upon a
and opportunists place on weapons and armor, so specialized stand designed to hold armor, and they
she bound a primal elemental from the depths of include suits of plate, half-plate, chain mail, and
the Plane of Magma to protect the equipment here. leather. It is all kept clean and organized.
Volcanis is an immense, powerful creature charged
with defeating any whom come to the Magma b. Racks of larger weapons line the walls of this
Armory to steal. area, including greatswords, halberds, polearms, and
greataxes. At least one example of every type of two-
General Features handed weapon can be found in the racks, regardless
of rarity, and quite a few are constructed from exotic
The following features apply generally to this area. or rare materials.
Ceiling. The ceiling rises up 40 feet in this area.
Light. The brass braziers and magma pool c. The racks in this area hold countless one-
handed weapons, ranging from longswords and
combine to shed bright light. other blades to maces and hammers to axes. The
Magma Pool. The magma pool in the center racks also include a great number of daggers, darts,
and throwing stars from distant regions. Every
contains an infinite wellspring of liquid-hot rock type of one-handed weapon can be found here.
and stone. Creatures touching the magma suffer 35 A character approaching this area may hear the
(10d6) fire damage, and they suffer 35 (10d6) fire if telepathic call of Fiend Claw, an intelligent sword
they start their turn in the magma. The pool has no (described below under Occupants).
bottom.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Door A. This large metal door is warm to the

touch and leads to area 1-B.
Door B. These iron double doors are also warm

to the touch and lead to area 4-C.
Door C. The magma pool in the center can be

commanded with the word “open” spoken within
5 feet of the pool to pull back, revealing a steep
staircase leading down to area 6-A. Volcanis must be
defeated or reasoned with to use this passage on this
side, however. Characters arriving from area 6 can
ascend the stairs without issue, though the magma
pool rushes in after a minute to cover the staircase.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
46

d. Shields hang along the walls of this area, Roleplaying Fiend Claw
including bucklers, medium shields, and oversized
tower shields. They are constructed from a wide Fiend Claw loves to fight against demons, devils, and
variety of materials, such as wood and steel, but they other dark beings of the Lower Planes, and it thrills
are all kept cleaned and ready to use at a moment’s at the prospect of combat. It fights to win, however,
notice. and it encourages its wielder to take advantage of
every possible situation; the sword doesn’t believe
Brass Braziers. The large and small braziers in honor or mercy when it comes to fiends, or
placed around the Magma Armory are all well- really under any circumstances. It long ago learned
crafted by azer slaves in the City of Brass on the to avoid the hands of paladins, who Fiend Claw
Plane of Fire. Baba Yaga traded them years ago in a has found to add too many rules to striking down
bargain with a noble efreeti; they are each enchanted monsters. It’s about the thrill of combat and winning
to provide bright and continual light without needing at any cost!
fuel or replacing.
Fiend Claw tends to get carried away at times, and it
Occupants often sheepishly pulls back after making ridiculous
or outrageous statements. It suffers from a bit of
The following creatures may be encountered here. imposter syndrome, having watched many weapons
Fiend Claw. The Magma Armory of Baba Yaga in the armory get picked up and wielded, so it’s
cautiously optimistic when a band of characters
can hold any number of unique, rare, or powerful enter the armory. Its enthusiasm quickly wins out
magical weapons and armor. One possible inclusion over any caution however.
is Fiend Claw, an intelligent magical longsword once
wielded by a noble gnoll hero of the planes. The Quote. “Wield me, warrior! Together we will slay
gnoll fell in combat and his sword eventually came demons and monsters without end! Our path leads
into Baba Yaga’s possession, but she has little use through glorious combat! … Oh was that too strong?
for talking cutlery so she stores it in the armory for I mean, I’d like the glorious combat part, if you’re
safekeeping. cool with that.”

If you decide to include the weapon here, Fiend Visitors to the Magma Armory who wishes to use
Claw reaches out telepathically to any warrior-type the door in the magma pool can make a group DC 20
of good alignment entering area c of this room. It Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince Volcanis
wants to be wielded again in the hands of a fighter, to step aside; the check is made at disadvantage if
though it settles for a ranger or rogue in a pinch; a character doesn’t speak Primordial. If successful,
it doesn’t care for paladins very much but would Volcanis rises up and gestures for the characters to
rather be used than not, so Fiend Claw begrudgingly move forward, but it doesn’t explain what needs to be
accepts the hand of such a character if no better done.
options present themselves. The magical weapon
is detailed in full under the Magic of Baba Yaga
section.

Fire Elementals. Each of the large braziers in the
main octagonal area contain a fire elemental that
rises to assist Volcanis with any requests.

Volcanis the Guard Titan. The magma pool
in the center of the armory holds an imprisoned
primal titan known as Volcanis (use the statistics
for Maegera the Dawn Titan). Primal titans are
primordial elemental creatures from the Inner
Planes who wield incredible power, but they are
little more than simple brutes in most regards. Baba
Yaga captured Volcanis and bound it to the Magma
Armory, and the powerful creature takes its charge
seriously. It doesn’t speak but if anyone not bound
to the Dancing Hut touches any weapons or armor,
Volcanis rises quickly and slams its fist on the
ground while pointing with its other massive hand at
the offending character. If they don’t get the hint, the
primal titan lurches forward to attack and destroy.
Volcanis summons the fire elementals from the brass
braziers in the octagonal area if pressed in combat.

Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga

47

6. Forge of the Blind C Incinerator
B Room
This multilevel room is constructed of unusual
black metal from floor to 40-foot ceiling Incinerator A
overhead. An intense heat hangs in the air Room
generated from two massive incinerator
chambers on the ground level. Two platforms Features of Interest
surrounded by wrought-iron fences rise 10 feet
above the ground. The center of the room is The following features can be explored here.
dominated by a complex smelting furnace and Forge and Smelter. This large forge and
forge of squared design. Several large stone
tables are placed about the room with various smelter was stolen by Baba Yaga from an ancient
tools and other implements of crafting and azer stronghold on the Plane of Fire long ago.
forging upon them. It is exquisitely designed by expert crafters who
specialized in melting and forging items of various
Baba Yaga keeps a slave force of azer forgemasters metals. It is large enough for three of the azer
to create weapons, armor, and trinkets of forgemasters to work at any given time. Chutes on
unparalleled beauty and craftsmanship. As part of either side of the forge are fed with raw ore to be
their enslavement, Baba Yaga gouges out their eyes, melted down into usable ingots; most of the ore is
forcing the skilled elemental dwarves to work solely brought in by ogre raiders from across the planes.
with their other senses. In order to keep the slaves in
line, an efreeti taskmaster watches over the area at Incinerator Rooms. These two square rooms
all times – Zahaba the Firebrand, a needlessly cruel have shorter ceilings, only 10 feet high, and each
genie bound to the Dancing Hut for 1,000 years. radiates intense heat. The floor of each room is
a blackened iron grate, completely impervious to
Zahaba does not like intruders, so characters fire, beneath which bubbles pools of white liquid, a
coming into the area likely incur his wrath. He concentrated form of pure flame distilled from the
orders the blind azer to attack while he wades Plane of Fire. A handle sits on the wall outside the
into melee with great relish, swinging his massive entrance to each area with six notches in its track for
scimitar with maniacal glee. controlling the liquid fire, forcing it to erupt in one of
the four 10-foot quadrants in the room (along with off
General Features and all engaged). When engaged, the quadrant boils
up with liquid fire, inflicting 55 (20d10) fire damage
The following features apply generally to this area. each round to anything in the 10-foot square.
Ceiling. The ceiling in this area is 40 feet high.
Light. The incinerator chambers and smelter

provide bright light throughout the forge area.
Platforms. The two platforms in the area (one

containing Door B and the other containing Door C)
are 10 feet high with a 7-foot wrought iron railing
running along the edge.

Access

These are the access points for this area.
Door A. This door is heavy and made of iron. It

leads to area 5-C.
Door B. The stone door on the raised platform

here is marked with the symbol of an unblinking eye.
The passage beyond leads to area 15-A.

Door C. These impressively large stone double
doors lead to area 7-A.

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Roleplaying Zahaba the Firebrand

Zahaba is the pinnacle of everything despicable
in an efreeti – he is vicious, cruel, haughty, and
self-absorbed, a sadist who derives enjoyment from
causing suffering. Everything he does, he does for
his own personal enjoyment, and he won’t do a thing
more than necessary to fulfill his 1,000 year long
servitude to Baba Yaga. He hates the Grandmother
of Witches with a smoldering passion, but he
mollifies himself by inflicting suffering on the azer
in the Forge of the Blind. And, he takes it out on any
foolish visitor who stumbles in to the area, since
Baba Yaga gave him complete autonomy over access
to the area.

Zahaba’s hatred for Baba Yaga is slow and
simmering, but his greatest passion is reserved
for the djinni Clousseau in the Keep of the Wine
Cellar (area 11). These two rival genies have a
mutual hatred for one another, and Zahaba is always
looking for ways to embarrass the arrogant djinni
(and get his claws on rare purple blazeberry wine
kept in one of the tower cellars).

Quote. “Let me guess, you’ve come looking for a
favor from the Forge of the Blind. I do not care
about what you have come for, however. I only care
that you’re here, and that you’re going to feel the
sting of my blade on your flesh in a moment. How
exquisite.”

Platforms. The platform containing Door B is Zahaba the Firebrand. Few creatures enjoy
used for tool storage and contains multiple sets of their roles in the Dancing Hut as much as Zahaba
forging and smithing tools. The platform with Door the Firebrand enjoys his. He is an exceptionally
C is used by Zahaba to observe the azer working in cruel and petty efreeti who takes immense pleasure
the area. in inflicting pain and suffering on the blind azer
forgemasters. He commands the azer to attack any
Stone Tables. The stone tables are impervious intruder, and if reduced to 0 hp he reforms in this
to fire damage and contain numerous tools and area in 1 minute (along with any azer). Zahaba can
other implements used in the smelting and forging only be destroyed by the will of Baba Yaga herself.
process. At any given time there are components
to various weapons and armor laying on the stone
tables as well; Baba Yaga usually requests the
creation of cursed items so she can gift them to her
many enemies. A berserker axe can usually be found
on one of the tables.

Occupants

The following creatures may be encountered here.
Blind Azer Forgemasters. There are a total

of six azer working the forge in this room. They
take breaks but as elementals have no need to rest
for very long, and the heat of the forge and the
incinerator rooms does not bother them. They are
each blind, but they have worked long enough here to
hone their other senses, giving them blindsight out to
60 feet. They are compelled to obey Zahaba, though
secretly they wish to be rid of the cruel efreeti.

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