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.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

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 satyr is supposed to be the male equivalent to the nymph in Dyonisos/Pan's company.

 

[dave2008]

...What?

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

The Empyrean does 209 DPR, a 68% +/- increase. Per the LevelUp guidelines you would reduce the HP by 68% to maintain the CR, thus an HP of 120. Alternately you could reduced the AC or attack bonus, but it was quicker to illustrate the issue by just adjusting the HP.

 

[dave2008]

The satyr is supposed to be the male equivalent to the nymph in Dyonisos/Pan's company.

The new MM will have female satyrs as mentioned in the video

 

[Kobold Avenger]

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.

Forgot about Theros, but yes I was thinking of the "kills you by being naked" type.

 

[SkidAce]

Now that gnolls are Fiends, one can presumably play a tiefling of gnoll descent.

I was going with Gnolls are to demons as teiflings are to devils.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

The new MM will have female satyrs as mentioned in the video

5e has shown female satyrs before the new MM, they've been around for a while.

 

[mamba]

I'm wondering if it's been kicked further down the line to the almost certainly upcoming Tasha's/Xanathar's-type book.

I assume so, don't think they drop the ball on this completely. Still, kinda disappointing that it did not make it into the core books

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

The new MM will have female satyrs as mentioned in the video

This is easily my favorite piece of artwork from Theros

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

The new MM will have female satyrs as mentioned in the video

I guess male satyrs will have two other-gendered counterparts now, I guess. There is nothing wrong with a three-gendered species of creatures created by gods.

(Well, there are in real life, too, but sexual reproduction in more-than-two-sexed species involves each sex being compatible with every other sexes).

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I guess satyrs will have two female counterparts now, I guess. There is nothing wrong with a three-gendered species of creatures created by gods.

I don't think nymphs have anything to do with satyrs in D&D lore.