2025 Monster Manual to Introduce Male Versions of Hags, Medusas, and Dryads

The upcoming Monster Manual will feature artwork depicting some creatures like hags and medusas in both genders, a first for Dungeons & Dragons. In the "Everything You Need to Know" video for the upcoming Monster Manual, designers Jeremy Crawford and Wesley Schneider revealed that the new book would feature artwork portraying both male and female versions of creatures like hags, dryads, satyrs, and medusas. While there was a male medusa named Marlos Urnrayle in Princes of the Apocalypse (who had a portrait in the book) and players could make satyr PCs of either gender, this marks the first time that D&D has explicitly shown off several of these creatures as being of both male and female within a rulebook. There is no mechanical difference between male creatures and female creatures, so this is solely a change in how some monsters are presented.

In other news that actually does impact D&D mechanics, goblins are now classified as fey creatures (similar to how hobgoblins were portrayed as fey creatures in Monsters of the Multiverse) and gnolls are now classified as fiends.

Additionally, monster statblocks include potential treasure and gear options, so that DMs can reward loot when a player character inevitably searches the dead body of a creature.

The new Monster Manual will be released on February 18th, 2025.

 

[mamba]

seems to generally like it, but big negative for not having building rules / statistics by CR, which were cut from the DMG

 

[Tonguez]

WotC trying to bury the truth that ogre magi are the male hags.

I've always had Trolls as male Hags

Ogre Magi are more spirits alongside Yokai

 

[EzekielRaiden]

An utterly milquetoast action, destined to be cast as purified capsaicin by the reactionaries in the community.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Although it would be nice if WotC had included monster creation rules in one of their core books -- and it definitely should have been -- Forge of Foes is exceptional and is a must buy, IMO, for DMs wanting to create their own.

 

[mamba]

the spell lists are mostly flavor / non-combat spells.

if that holds true, I have no problem with it

 

[dave2008]

if that holds true, I have no problem with it

I somehow suspect it will not hold 100% true. The green dragon preview made Charm Monster an integral part of the design, which suggest that though the general trend is for spells to be flavor, it is not always the case. However, the preview also didn't include Legendary Actions, so who knows what the final will look like!

 

[dave2008]

They’re anthropomorphic hyenas. Just because they’re anthropomorphic doesn’t mean people’s associations about hyenas won’r affect their views of gnolls. Likewise with any other anthropomorphic animal - people will bring baggage based on their feelings towards the animal. Therefore, any anthropomorphic animal is a bad choice for the designated Inherently Evil Sentient. There will always be lovers of the associated animal who object to the characterization.

While I don't agree with you*, I will point out that making them fiends doesn't require them to always be Evil.

*I agree that people will bring their views of an animal to an anthropomorphized version of that animal; however, I don't think that is a good reason to make that creature a particular "type."

 

[dave2008]

Although it would be nice if WotC had included monster creation rules in one of their core books -- and it definitely should have been -- Forge of Foes is exceptional and is a must buy, IMO, for DMs wanting to create their own.

@SlyFlourish , now that the monster math is changing do you think an update / addendum to Forge of Foes is needed? Speaking for myself I would but such a book.

 

[Hussar]

As far as I know, animals cannot be offended. So a demonic depiction of a hyena is pretty much guaranteed to pass the sniff test by even the most open minded sensitivity reader.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Obviously a male Hag should be called a Coot.

I will point out that making them fiends doesn't require them to always be Evil

I've always thought of fiends as elementally evil. A demon is evil and chaotic like a fire elemental is hot and dry. A change in aspect result in a change in form.