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.

 

[Charlaquin]

Ironically the bone devil is the devil nobody actually wants to bone.

That’s only because nobody thought to put one in a hoodie and have him make bad puns all the time

 

[CM]

IIRC the shift to make gnolls demonic began way back in early 3e, and I'm fine with it. If that's not to your taste you could parallel Warcraft's orc lore and make some of the gnolls corrupted by the lure of demon blood and others still untainted and just trying to make it in the world.

Still watching the video and paused to catch up on comments. Blown away by the art so far.

 

[dave2008]

I did say "Adequate" not perfect.

Well, per the LevelUp table the Empyrean should have 120 Hit Points with a 209 DPR, not that 346 HP it has. That seems less than "adequate" with the new math. I agree it works well with the old math though! In fact, I will probably use it as a starting point for my own table based on the 2024 monsters.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

A good example of a character from a TV show to take inspiration from for a Male Hag would be Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon A Time.

 

[Chaltab]

Well, per the LevelUp table the Empyrean should have 120 Hit Points with a 209 DPR, not that 346 HP it has. That seems less than "adequate" with the new math. I agree it works well with the old math though! In fact, I will probably use it as a starting point for my own table based on the 2024 monsters.

...What?

For CR 23 the Level Up table shows 375 HP and 125 DPR. Where are you getting 120 hit points?

 

[Alzrius]

IIRC the shift to make gnolls demonic began way back in early 3e

Wasn't it 4E? Gnolls were humanoids in 3E.

 

[Chaltab]

Wasn't it 4E? Gnolls were humanoids in 3E.

They were 'natural humanoid' in 4E as well.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

At the beginning of 5e they gave a reason why you wouldn't see the Nymph as a monster. But could the Nymph be brought back with some conceptual changes that go beyond just "there's also male Nymphs"

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

WRT to replicating the Warcraft orc story...

That's basically what KB did in Eberron, with gnolls having a demonic origin but rejected and the Znir Pact gnoll are instead just mercenaries working for who is paying currently, with the proviso that they won't fight against other gnoll mercenary companies.

I'm looking forward to the minocow pictures. Has anyone previewed it?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

At the beginning of 5e they gave a reason why you wouldn't see the Nymph as a monster. But could the Nymph be brought back with some conceptual changes that go beyond just "there's also male Nymphs"

The Theros book has a few different types of Nymphs in it. Grain Nymphs, Underworld Nymphs, Water Nymphs, a couple others I think. But not the old generic "kills you by being naked" D&D Nymph.