In the Pathfinder Bestiary, night hags can use soul bind at will as long as they have their heartstones. Do they still require a gem of the appropriate value to use this ability, or does it work like the daemons' soul trapping ability (from Bestiary 2) that creates a gem when the soul is trapped?
I agree with Mikaze in spirit. However, the rules are clear that spell-like abilities don't require focus, material, somatic, or verbal components of any kind.
It wouldn't really help a night hag depopulate a village, since soul bind only works on a creature who's just been killed. Of course, she's got plenty of options to do that part already.
The thing is, if we require the night hag to use gems, it would require the hag to carry around a lot more treasure than her CR would indicate. It takes a 1,000 gp gem to trap even a 1 HD soul, and you'd think a night hag should have the ability to trap the souls of adventurers powerful enough to contend with her.
Perhaps the two viewpoints can meet halfway: the night hag still needs gems, but as a result of being naturally talented at binding souls, she can use cheaper gems for the same effect?
Not supported by RAW in any way, just a compromise.
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EDIT: Scratches head Not sure, but since the heartstones are changeable, I'd think the hag swaps out gems for her heartstone as she sells off the ones with souls. it is a interesting issue how removing foci work with spells that interact with their foci
It takes a 1,000 gp gem to trap even a 1 HD soul, and you'd think a night hag should have the ability to trap the souls of adventurers powerful enough to contend with her.
Not her MO. Since the 1E AD&D MM, She kills evil [and chaotic] people in their sleep and drags their soul to the lower planes. Pathfinder added Soul Bind to show how she does that.