Auntie Ethel's Hair

Auntie Ethel's Hair is a common item that can be used to permanently increase a character's Ability Score by 1. The player character must choose which ability score the hair increases when receiving it.

Two lice still scurry around on the little flap of skin attached to this clump of matted, crusty hair.

Properties

•  Consumables
•  Single Use
•  Rarity: Common
•  Weight: 0.2 kg (0.4 lb)
•  Price: 280 gp
•  
  UID

  Quest_HAG_HagHair_Strength
  
  UUID

  8f6b0c08-d1b1-4ae7-ade2-da3c679ce323
  
  Stats

  QUEST_HAG_HagHair_Strength
  
•  
  UID

  Quest_HAG_HagHair_Dexterity
  
  UUID

  7e3afbf6-4e1a-444e-826d-f8e0e0a8308f
  
  Stats

  QUEST_HAG_HagHair_Dexterity
  
•  
  UID

  Quest_HAG_HagHair_Constitution
  
  UUID

  d16922ba-a36b-4015-8072-27610821fb53
  
  Stats

  QUEST_HAG_HagHair_Constitution
  
•  
  UID

  Quest_HAG_HagHair_Intelligence
  
  UUID

  9abbab89-d29f-47c0-9ffe-f12018dd83d9
  
  Stats

  QUEST_HAG_HagHair_Intelligence
  
•  
  UID

  Quest_HAG_HagHair_Wisdom
  
  UUID

  de2c9582-fab5-4d5e-9a81-44d67af6a681
  
  Stats

  QUEST_HAG_HagHair_Wisdom
  
•  
  UID

  Quest_HAG_HagHair_Charisma
  
  UUID

  eec5de82-c988-40e6-8f10-474d5675c550
  
  Stats

  QUEST_HAG_HagHair_Charisma
  

Effect

Consuming this piece of fey flesh grants a permanent +1 bonus to an Ability Score of your choice.

Where to find

• Surrendered by  Auntie Ethel in her Ancient Abode if reduced below 20% of her Hit Points and allowed to bargain for her life

Notes

• During the fight against  Auntie Ethel in the Overgrown Tunnel, if she is reduced below 20% of her maximum HP and has a turn to act, she begs for her life and implores the party to let her keep  Mayrina and her unborn child, offering the player character power in return. If the interacting party member passes a  DC 20 Deception or Intimidation Check against Auntie Ethel, it is possible to both free Mayrina and get this item, at the cost of letting Auntie Ethel go. Fighters and Barbarians instead get a  DC 15 Intimidation Check, with  Advantage, in place of the standard Intimidation check to obtain her hair and also save Mayrina. Failing one check makes the other unavailable, leaving only the options to take the deal, free Mayrina, or kill Auntie Ethel. The hag:
  • Cannot offer this bargain if she is  Silenced
  • Cannot bargain for Mayrina if she is  Knocked Out
  • Does not bargain for Mayrina if she is fought at the Riverside Teahouse, even if her Hit Points are lowered below 20% before she teleports Mayrina to the Overgrown Tunnel
• The increase to an ability score is uncapped, but takes effect before other items and bonuses which raise abilities to a capped amount. The hair has no effect on abilities set to a fixed number through equipment or consumables, such as the  Gloves of Dexterity or an  Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
• Paladins who take any deal break their Oath.
• The passive "Auntie Ethel's Boon" appears in the character's Notable Features section after consuming it.
• It is possible to obtain Auntie Ethel's Hair, free Mayrina, and also kill Auntie Ethel:
  1. Leave one party member hidden and out of combat, while the rest of the party whittle Auntie Ethel's Hit Points down to a range where the next hit will kill her.
  2. When the dialogue is triggered, succeed an Intimidation or Deception check to make her both give the hair and free Mayrina, but do not end the dialogue.
  3. Switch to the out-of-combat party member. They can see the quest reward window, where the version (ability score) of the hair can be chosen.
  4. Confirm the quest reward window, then finish off Auntie Ethel while she is still in dialogue with another party member.
  • This method does not work in a multiplayer game.
  • It is recommended to get her Hit Points down as low as possible because there is only one chance to attack her; otherwise, the out-of-combat character is dragged into the dialogue, and the hag can escape.
  • This method does not leave a corpse to be looted.
• Prior to patch 7, a unique interaction could happen if playing in Honour mode when the player character was making their dialogue skill check. If any spell was used for the check, like  Guidance, Auntie Ethel would trigger her legendary action,  Weird Magic Surge, which would create an illusory duplicate. This action would throw the talking party member out of the dialogue and into combat once more. Even if the skill check was successful, no reward would be given, and the dialogue would not trigger again. Other non-spell effects, however, such as  Bardic Inspiration, would still work on this check.