The Gith Are Now Aberrations in Dungeons & Dragons

The githyanki and githzerai are officially reclassified as aberrations in Dungeons & Dragons. In a video released today about the 2025 Monster Manual, D&D designers Jeremy Crawford and F. Wesley Schneider confirmed that the two classic D&D species are now being classified as aberrations. The reasoning given - the two gith species have been so transformed by living in the Astral Plane and Limbo, they've moved beyond being humanoids. Schneider also pointed out that the illithid's role in manipulating the gith also contributed to their new classification.

The video notes that this isn't technically a new change - the Planescape book released in 2023 had several githzerai statblocks that had aberration classifications.

The gith join a growing number of previously playable species that have new classifications. The goblin, kobolds, and kenku have also had their creature classifications changed in the 2025 Monster Manual. While players can currently use the 2014 rules for making characters of those species, it will be interesting to see how these reclassifications affect the character-building rules regarding these species when they are eventually updated for 2024 rules.

 

[Corinnguard]

shadow weave blow up causing 4e.

new weave got built for 5e.

I more hate that it is just some god built project

This does seem to be the case for all sources of magic in D&D. A deity of magic creating the source from which all mortal spellcasters can tap into whenever they need to cast a spell.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

This does seem to be the case for all sources of magic in D&D. A deity of magic creating the source from which all mortal spellcasters can tap into whenever they need to cast a spell.

I always hated gods of magic in a game where arcane and divine magic are different things and even more so if the god of magic was the source of the arcane.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I always hated gods of magic in a game where arcane and divine magic are different things and even more so if the god of magic was the source of the arcane.

I can see a god a magic forming but magic should predate them they just stabilise it or make it more accessible

 

[VelvetViolet]

I’m gonna be honest, I think creature types is a stupid rule. The only time it ever made sense was in 4e.

 

[Chaltab]

I mean it helps that 4E only had four creature types: Animate, Beast, Humanoid, and Magical Beast.

 

[Staffan]

I’m gonna be honest, I think creature types is a stupid rule. The only time it ever made sense was in 4e.

Disagree. I think they're a good mechanic on which to hang other mechanics. E.g. speak with animals lets you speak with creatures of the Beast type. Does it let you speak with a griffon? No, because a griffon is a Monstrosity, not a Beast.

It just shouldn't carry any load by itself, e.g. in 3e when creatures of the Dragon type were immune to sleep and paralysis.

 

[Chaosmancer]

they have never felt like aberrations

Neither have Flumphs

we know what they will say it is psionic powers.
gods I hate how utterly fixated they are about mindlessly tying it to the far realm, do they ever do this for arcane magic no.

It isn't mindless though? Psionics (to my knowledge) first came in with the Mind Flayer, then monsters like the Thought Eater and other Aberrations. THEN it became a PC ability. The fact of the matter is, psionic monsters have been tied to the Far Realms (Mind Flayers, Aboleths, ect) far more than literally any other location.

Now, if you don't like Aboleths and Mind Flayers and Beholders being Aberrations from the Far Realms, I can get not liking it. But I do like that, it makes them feel like a stranger and more deadly threat, and is an interesting way to work the cosmology.

 

[Voadam]

This does seem to be the case for all sources of magic in D&D. A deity of magic creating the source from which all mortal spellcasters can tap into whenever they need to cast a spell.

I don't remember that being the case in most D&D. 1e Greyhawk did not talk about Boccob the god of magic creating magic, he was just the Archmage of the Gods, for instance. In Eberron it is not even clear that the gods exist. Dark Sun has no gods.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Disagree. I think they're a good mechanic on which to hang other mechanics. E.g. speak with animals lets you speak with creatures of the Beast type. Does it let you speak with a griffon? No, because a griffon is a Monstrosity, not a Beast.

It just shouldn't carry any load by itself, e.g. in 3e when creatures of the Dragon type were immune to sleep and paralysis.

Honestly, that immediately has me wanting to change Speak With Animals or Griffons. I think that SHOULD let you speak to a Griffon, because there would otherwise be no other way to do so. But this is also just inherent in Monstrosity/Beast and Monstrosity/Humanoid having a great deal of overlap

 

[Mind of tempest]

Neither have Flumphs

where else could we even put the flumphs?