Where it comes from
Old Voice is the Hag’s trait. Since 2.1.9 every bound beast carries a trait for its kind; the sheet labels this one “Every Hag”. Hags get it when they are created, and any already in your hall gained it on the first 2.1.9 load. No other hero can roll it.
Hags are unusual. Their weight in the ordinary beast draw is zero. In a Dungeonborn hall, each youth in the intake has a 12.5% chance to arrive as a Hag or a Thrall (an even split), and a beast-born ward can come of age as one of the two. A Hag is a healer built as a Bard on tiefling bones, with boosted Support, Healing, Leadership and Composure.
+3 in the crowd
Festival gatherings judge a champion in one of three disciplines: wit, valour or crowd. Trait bonuses each belong to one discipline, and Old Voice adds +3 in the crowd discipline.
The trait’s blurb mentions the Bards’ Gathering, but the bonus is tied to the discipline, not to the festival: it applies whenever the Hag competes in the crowd discipline at any Gathering.
Here is where it sits in the crowd table:
| Trait | Crowd score |
|---|---|
| Charismatic, Crowd-Pleaser | +5 |
| Glory Hunter | +4 |
| Old Voice, Vain, Inspiring | +3 |
| Arrogant, Hopeful, Ambitious | +2 |
| Stoic, Traditional, Cowardly | −2 |
| Humble, Lone Wolf | −3 |
See Crowd-Pleaser for how the rest of the score is built, and Crucible-Raised, the one trait that helps in every discipline.
Is it worth entering the Hag?
The crowd discipline also counts the discipline’s attributes, which differ by festival. At the Battle of the Bards the crowd discipline uses Aggression, Teamwork and Anticipation, which a Hag’s Bard build does not boost. Old Voice’s +3 is a nudge, not a guarantee. Enter the Hag if its attributes are competitive; if you have a Charismatic or Crowd-Pleaser hero, they start two points ahead.
As a leader at a fork
An Old Voice leader leans +1 toward the richer way, taking a treasure room about two times in three. Sealed Doors and Lairs get no lean.
What it does not do
No combat coefficient; the Support link on the sheet is descriptive. It does nothing outside festival Gatherings.