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]

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

Well, I haven't really looked at the lore, if any, of nature spirits in D&D, but they might as well change their name then, if they are going to change their core identity. Their 5e entry so far doesn't mention their sex practices in great details, so it wasn't impossible so far to have them as counterpart as their origin implies.

 

[Charlaquin]

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

I think Theros had that too. Nice to see that extending to the MM though!

 

[GMMichael]

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.

Well, I hate to break it to you, J.C. and W.S., but you're way behind the times. Game companies are recognizing the inclusiveness needs of the role-playing game market now. Race is a pre-21st century social construct and has been replaced with species, which is purely scientific. Orcs are not inherently "evil" or "warlike," because such traits have been used to justify the oppression and dehumanization of real peoples. Practical boob armor never existed. Personal pronouns are always plural when the subject's preferences are unknown or in doubt. And there are more sexes and genders than just male and female (especially in fantasy).

I understand that Wizards of the Coast is one of the companies leading this movement.

 

[Chaltab]

Well, I hate to break it to you, J.C. and W.S., but you're way behind the times. Game companies are recognizing the inclusiveness needs of the role-playing game market now. Race is a pre-21st century social construct and has been replaced with species, which is purely scientific. Orcs are not inherently "evil" or "warlike," because such traits have been used to justify the oppression and dehumanization of real peoples. Practical boob armor never existed. Personal pronouns are always plural when the subject's preferences are unknown or in doubt. And there are more sexes and genders than just male and female (especially in fantasy).

I understand that Wizards of the Coast is one of the companies leading this movement.

I'm not sure the attitude is warranted, especially towards Christian for just... reporting a thing that has happened.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

And there are more sexes and genders than just male and female (especially in fantasy).

Even outside of fantasy, depending on how you look at ants and bees. The record is apparently a monocellular species having 7 different sexes.

 

[dave2008]

Well, I haven't really looked at the lore, if any, of nature spirits in D&D, but they might as well change their name then, if they are going to change their core identity. Their 5e entry so far doesn't mention their sex practices in great details, so it wasn't impossible so far to have them as counterpart as their origin implies.

I have no issue with D&D lore being its own thing. It is not like ancient mythology was consistent either.

 

[dave2008]

I understand that Wizards of the Coast is one of the companies leading this movement.

As well they should!

 

[Chaltab]

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

Depends on which lore. Heroes of the Feywild added Satyrs and Hamadryads to 4E as the sexually dimorphic counterparts of the same ancestry. Thought it was weird then but hey, two new playable races so why not!

 

[kigmatzomat]

I am always angered by "Medusas." That is like "Draculas".

Medusa was a gorgon, Dracula is a vampire.

Euryale was another gorgon. Her father the God of Sea Hazards, her Mother was the Goddess of Sea Monsters. She was raised under the sea.

 

[dave2008]

I am always angered by "Medusas." That is like "Draculas".

Medusa was a gorgon, Dracula is a vampire.

Euryale was another gorgon. Her father the God of Sea Hazards, her Mother was the Goddess of Sea Monsters. She was raised under the sea.

But D&D us not Greek mythology, it is its own thing. I mean the neither the D&D gorgons or medusae look much like the mythological gorgons