Iggwilv is a fictional wizard from Greyhawk, a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, who has also gone by the name Tasha. She was created by Gary Gygax and debuted in the adventure The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982). She has subsequently appeared in additional adventure modules and sourcebooks over the various Dungeons & Dragons editions. The 5th Edition sourcebook Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (2020) features marginalia by the titular Tasha. She is also associated with various in-game magic items and spells.
Iggwilv was originally characterized as a selfish, evil-aligned magic user with much power and a penchant for sexual manipulation. Later portrayals depicted the character as having a more neutral alignment and a greater focus on knowledge and discovery. She is the creator of the fictional demonomicons, which later served as inspiration for a real life sourcebook of the same name. As with many Greyhawk characters, sources often contradict on exact details regarding Iggwilv.
In 2027, Iggwilv and her vampire daughter, Drelnza, will appear in the upcoming adventure Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen. As Tasha, the character will also appear in the upcoming ongoing comic series Dungeons & Dragons (November 2026) and in the upcoming action-adventure video game Warlock, voiced by Maggie Robertson.
Publication history
Creation and conception Gygax has cited the Finnish epic Kalevala as inspiration for Iggwilv. The name of Louhi, a character in the Kalevala, is given by Gary Gygax as an alias of Iggwilv. Iggwilv debuted in Gygax's The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982), "an adventure where players explored caverns once occupied by the powerful arch-mage". This adventure also introduced the Demonomicon of Iggwilv which was described as "a treatise on the powerful evil creatures of the lower planes".
The name "Tasha" and the association with laughter were created when a young girl sent Gary Gygax a letter (in crayon) asking him to create a spell involving laughter.Q: "Did you make up named spells like Melf's acid arrow, Otiluke's resilient sphere and Mordenkainen's disjunction yourself, or did these come from player research?" Gygax: "All of those spells I made up, usually to honor a PC in my campaign, or for the person who suggested the basis. Tasha [Tasha's hideous laughter] was a little girl who sent me letters in crayon, Nystul [Nystul's magic aura] was an actual stage magician I met through Len Lakofka. Melf [Melf's acid arrow] was a PC of son Luke, and Otiluke [Otiluke's resilient sphere] was a combination of a couple of his other PCs."
1st and 2nd edition The spell, Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter, was then included in a list of magic-user spells in Dragon #67. In 1984, Dragon #82's article on magical research added the spell book "Lore of Subtle Communication by Tasha" which had the possibility of containing a clue to one of the following spells: ventriloquism, message, comprehend languages, legend lore, and Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter. "Gygax provided no further context for who Tasha was, but an adventure published in Dragon #83 (about two years after Tasha's Hideous Laughter first appeared in the pages of that magazine) mentioned a 'Natasha the Dark' in an adventure exploring Baba Yaga's hut". It is unclear whether Gygax initially intended the two names to refer to the same character.
Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter was then included as one of the spells featured in the 2nd Edition AD&D Player's Handbook (1989).
Shannon Appelcline, author of Designers & Dragons, highlighted that "in Dragon #225 (January 1996), Robert S. Mullin talked about Iggwilv's other book, the Nethertome, and laughably changed the name of her magnum opus to The Fiendomicon of Iggwilv … because that's what TSR did in the AD&D 2e era (1989-1997)".
3rd and 3.5 edition In Dragon #336 (October 2005), the Demonomicon of Iggwilv returned to its original name. Between 2005 and 2015, a column series titled the Demonomicon of Iggwilv was published across Dragon, Dungeon, and Dragon+ where the material was supposedly taken from the artifact it was named after.
Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk (2007) "revealed that Iggwilv once joined the Company of Seven, a group of famous adventurers, under the guise of Tasha. Tasha's true motivations were unclear, but the adventure spells out the connection between the two characters". Dragon #359 (September 2007), the final print issue, highlighted that "Tasha and Iggwilv were one and the same, and were also related to Baba Yaga's adopted daughter Natasha".
4th edition Iggwilv's presence in the new "points of light" default setting was confirmed in 4th edition's Manual of the Planes (2008). Iggwilv is briefly described as Graz'zt's sometimes ally and former lover. The Demonomicon (2010) is based on Iggwilv's fictional work and presents excerpts from the text. Iggwilv's character history in 4th edition is similar to that in the World of Greyhawk. She is presented as an extremely powerful manipulator of Abyssal politics.Mearls, Mike, Brian R. James, and Steve Townshend. Demonimicon. (Wizards of the Coast, 2010)
Dungeon #196, in a 2011 remake of the Dancing Hut adventure, "further established that Natasha the Dark would eventually become Iggwilv". Dragon #414, in a 2012 article on the history of the "Iggwilv-Graz'zt Affair", stated "she has been known by many names over the years: Natasha, Hura, then Tasha, and finally Iggwilv".
5th edition
In the Forgotten Realms adventure Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, it is noted that Tasha's hideous laughter is commonly used throughout Waterdeep as a security measure against burglars, usually coupled with a glyph of warding cast on rooftops.Christopher Perkins, James Haeck, James Introcaso, Adam Lee, Matthew Sernett (September 2018). Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 72. .
Iggwilv is the narrator of the supplemental sourcebook Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (2020), however, the book "focuses on the wizard before her Iggwilv transformation, with some input from her time as the Witch Queen". "In a call with media [...], lead rules designer Jeremy Crawford pushed back on the idea that Tasha could be described by a single type of alignment, stating that her alignment was whatever suited her current plans best. That's a definite change from her previous depiction as a 'chaotic evil' sort of character, and reflects a further development of her character beyond that of the oftentimes stereotypical scheming seductress that Iggwilv was portrayed as in past adventures". In another interview, Crawford said that "Tasha is a person who is unfazed by beings of many sorts—in addition to having consorted with darker beings, she also has consorted with, you know, beings of the upper planes. Basically, Tasha, in her brilliant curiosity, is untroubled by the various moral variations in the planes of existence. If there is knowledge to be learned and power to possibly be gained, Tasha is unafraid to face it. [...] Tasha is whatever alignment suits her for the day, so I guess in that sense she is true neutral".
This book also added three new spells to the game that are attributed to Tasha: Tasha's Caustic Brew, Tasha's Mind Whip and Tasha's Otherworldly Guise.
In The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Iggwilv's history is presented with her being the adopted daughter of Baba Yaga, becoming Tasha the Wizard, rising to be demon-consorting Iggwilv the Witch Queen, before finally taking on the persona of Zybilna, an archfey ruling over the fey realm of Prismeer. As Zybilna, Iggwilv is a much more benevolent ruler who resides with the Palace of Heart's Desire, her darkest emotions magically removed. A glimpse of Iggwilv's future shows her evolving into a white-haired hag.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Dark Horse Comics announced a new ongoing series, titled Dungeons & Dragons, scheduled to debut in November 2026. Set in the Forgotten Realms, the series will feature a depowered Mordenkainen attempting to stop a draconic apocalypse while teaming up with other characters, such as Volo and Tasha. It will be written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly with pencils by Ibraim Roberson, ink by Arabson Oliveira, and colors by Dan Brown. At Gen Con 2026, Wizards of the Coast announced that Iggwilv's vampire daughter Drelnza will be the central focus of the upcoming adventure module Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen (2027). They also announced that the character, as Tasha, will be the warlock patron in the upcoming action-adventure video game Warlock; she will be voiced by Maggie Robertson.
Publication Iggwilv has been mentioned in a variety of sourcebook and articles for the Dungeons & Dragons game. Some of her more significant appearances include:
The module Castle Greyhawk (TSR, 1988) The module Iuz the Evil (TSR, 1993) Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Wizards, 2000) A series entitled "The Demonomicon of Iggwilv" from Dragon (2005–2007) Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (Wizards, 2006) "Enemies of my Enemy." Dungeon #149 (Paizo, 2007) Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk. (Wizards, 2007) "Unsolved Mysteries of D&D." from Dragon #359 (Paizo, 2007) "Iggwilv's Legacy: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth" from Dungeon #151. (Wizards, 2007) "Treasures of Greyhawk: Magic of the Company of Seven." from Dragon #359. (Paizo, 2007) Demonomicon (Wizards, 2010) "History Check: The Iggwilv-Graz'zt Affair" from Dragon #414. (Wizards, 2012) Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (Wizards, 2020) The Wild Beyond the Witchlight (Wizards, 2021)
In-universe character biography
Description Iggwilv is said to have two forms, one of which is that of an old crone (said to be her true form), and the other, a human female of dark beauty. In the latter form, Iggwilv has long black hair and pale skin. It is said none who have seen her in her true form still live.Dragon and Dungeon staffs. "Unsolved Mysteries of D&D." Dragon #359. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007
She has many alternate names. On Oerth she has been called the Witch Queen of Perrenland and the Mother of Witches. She is known as Louhi on one alternate Prime Material Plane world, and as Ychbilch on another. Those close to her sometimes address her as Wilva.Gygax, Gary. Sea of Death. Delavan, WI: New Infinities, 1987.
In the adventure Lost Caverns Of Tsojcanth, it was said that the long-dead archmage Iggwilv left her heavily guarded treasures in the caverns.
Related characters A number of relationships exist between Iggwilv and the major characters of Greyhawk:
Iggwilv is the adopted daughter of Baba Yaga. She imprisoned and seduced the demon lord Graz'zt, who sired her a son, Iuz. She is also the mother of the destroyed vampiress Drelnza. She is notorious for dealing with demons from the Abyss. She was at one time the apprentice of Zagig Yragerne, and a member of the Company of Seven (as Tasha). Iggwilv is a fierce enemy of the Circle of Eight.
History According to published background, Iggwilv is said to have once been named Natasha, and it is under this name that she was "adopted" as a child by the witch Baba Yaga. Under Baba Yaga's tutelage, Natasha grew into a talented spellcaster, and soon became known as "Natasha the Dark," perhaps in contrast to another adopted daughter of Baba Yaga, Iggwilv's "sister," Elena the Fair.