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.

 

[Yaarel]

Serious question, when was the last time anyone fell for the "scantily clad pretty girl in the dungeon" trope? Every player who has played for 15 minutes knows she's a succubus/medusa/siren/doppelganger/mimic or something like that. If she's lucky, they will escort her out shackled and at swordpoint, at worst they will go full Spanish Inquisition on her. Does anyone fall for this anymore?

Heh, make the sexy Succubus the barmaid at an inn − and bam − at least 20% of D&D player characters will be dead in less than a minute.

 

[Yaarel]

But dryads and nymphs are separate things in D&D, and we are talking about D&D in a D&D forum on a D&D thread. So, I was talking about the D&D dryads and nymphs.

It would be more accurate to refer to the D&D "Nymph" as a Naiad. Then Naiad, Dryad, Maenad, Nereid, etcetera, are kinds of "Nymphs".

 

[Mind of tempest]

Heh, make the sexy Succubus the barmaid at an inn − and bam − at least 20% of D&D player characters will be dead in less than a minute.

ha I am not in a doomed 20% for once

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I am pretty sure Medusae are immune to petrification. Even in movies like Clash of the Titans, the reflective shield is used to see the Medusa in it, not to have it reflect her gaze.

In the original lore, we... don't know. I don't think it was ever mentionned that she avoided looking at herself in a mirror, it would be strangely specific. What is established is that she had no control over her power, so she had to live in isolation. Her sisters obviously weren't affected, but they were immortals, and like the gods it's not surprising for her to be immune. Perseus sliced her head off while she slept by locating her with a shield in which he could see her reflection safely. In her sleep, presumably the opportunity for her to see her own face in the shield wasn't something that could happens with her eyes closed, so the myths, as far as I remember, do not discuss this possibility. Also, Perseus needed to bring the head of Medusa, so I guess coming back with a stone statue of the head wouldn't have convinced anyone.

But in D&D lore, her own reflection kills Medusa. In the 5e MM, there is a paragraph addressing that specifically. I can't remember how long it has been part of D&D. Let's hope Medusa didn't live close to a lake...

The funny thing is, D&D 5E did have a male "Medusa" since Princes of the Apocalypse...

Earlier even, in the 3.5 supplement Sharn, city of Towers, they had a male medusa operating an underworld spies network.

 

[Echohawk]

But in D&D lore, reflection kills Medusa. In the 5e MM, there is a paragraph addressing that specifically. I can't remember how long it has been part of it.

Since the original boxed set...

Edit: I've just noticed that bit about "lower body of a snake" for the first time. How odd!

 

[Hussar]

Since the original boxed set...
View attachment 392406
Edit: I've just noticed that bit about "lower body of a snake" for the first time. How odd!

I find it endlessly fascinating to see how things have been forgotten over the years. Then when something comes back around, and you see lots of complaints about the "change" it suddenly turns out that it isn't a change at all.

And 'cos I stumbled across this:

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Interesting that Clash of the Titans was made shortly after the publication of the 1st edition Monster Manual.

There is a serpent bodied medusa in Lost Laboratory of Kwalish, published by WotC for 5e, although she is called out as a variant (also being undead and having a vitrifying gaze).

 

[Yaarel]

The concept of a male Medusa works fine. Granted, it would be better to call the species Gorgon. In Greek folkbelief, there are three sisters who are Gorgon. It seems just as plausible there could have been a brother as one of the siblings. Alternatively, if a new species is named after a person called Medusa, it makes sense that this species includes males and females. Since there can be more than one Medusa/Gorgon, some can be male.

 

[dave2008]

It would be more accurate to refer to the D&D "Nymph" as a Naiad. Then Naiad, Dryad, Maenad, Nereid, etcetera, are kinds of "Nymphs".

Maybe more mythologically accurate, but not more D&D accurate. D&D is not mythology, it is a game and its lore is its own thig.

 

[dave2008]

Interesting that Clash of the Titans was made shortly after the publication of the 1st edition Monster Manual.

There is a serpent bodied medusa in Lost Laboratory of Kwalish, published by WotC for 5e, although she is called out as a variant (also being undead and having a vitrifying gaze).

The mythic medusa in Theros also has a serpent body. Actually I just checked, it is all Theros Medusae (which are also called gorgons typically in Theros):

The medusas of Theros differ from those in the Monster Manual in that they have long, serpentine bodies in place of legs. A medusa uses the stat block from the Monster Manual with the following altered and additional actions:

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 11) if it is a Large or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the medusa can’t constrict another target.

Multiattack. The medusa makes either three melee attacks—one with its snake hair, one to constrict, and one with its shortsword—or two ranged attacks with its longbow.