D&D (2024) D&D Marilith Is Far More Bestial In 2025

The new 2025 Monster Manual has all-new art, and one major change is the depiction of the marilith. Up until now, the marilith has been depicted as a six-armed humanish female from the waist up; while in the 2025 book, the picture is far more bestial in nature.

Not only is the imagery more demonic, it also features the creature in action, simultaneously beheading, stabbing, and entwining its foes with its six arms and snake-like tail.

Left 2025 Marilith / Right 2014 Marilith​

 

[Micah Sweet]

Well someone wanted it changed as it was changed!

That's true. It was changed, on purpose, for a reason. We just don't know what that reason is.

 

[Incenjucar]

I'm not a big fan of the new marilith look. But I don't think WotC is afraid of depicting sexy women monsters.

What I do think they're afraid of is any hint of sexual dimorphism. If any monster gave them the opportunity for an interesting "males are one way and females are another way" take, it's the medusa and maedar, which are absolutely sticking around as depicted in older editions in my game. Heck, I've already used such a pair in 5e a couple of years ago. It's a super cool bit of lore and removing it doesn't improve the game; it takes away something awesome.

For those of you who don't know, in early editions, male medusae- maedar- didn't turn you to stone, but instead pulverized your petrified body and turned the chunks back into flesh. That's how medusae eat their prey!

While I liked maedar enough that I even named a pet snake after them, I don't mind male-dusas. However, they could also make maedar the full spectrum as well to maintain the relationship and simply up the complexity.

 

[Chaltab]

That's what I suggested. Medsuae and maedars both have M and F configurations, and to have offspring you need to have a female medusa and male maedar or a female maedar and male medusa.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Also Male Medsuae already existed for all of 2014 a major villain in Princes of the Apocalypse was one.

 

[Corinnguard]

There is very little lore in the marilith entry, but they do sound more savage.

Marilith​

Demon of Cruelty and Viciousness

Habitat: Planar (Abyss); Treasure: Armaments

Mariliths are six-armed, serpentlike demons that wield lethal, Abyss-forged blades. With these cursed weapons and experience from countless battles, they lead other demons to slaughter virtuous souls. They often command droves of weaker demons.

There is also very little lore for the other monsters in the new Monster Manual. Each monster entry has a single piece of artwork and a very big stat block taking up most of the page.

Marilith | Level Up

This is what Level Up's Monstrous Menagerie 1 has on the Marilith. Lots of useful stuff for the Narrator to use in the run-up to an encounter with this particular demon.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Wow. Color me surprised. I had thought 5.5e would not produce reimagined art for a creature that I could actually like. After the dragon rework that I almost exclusively hated, this is a surprising twist.

 

[DragonLancer]

I'm not a fan of it but I'll just use the classic imagery. It's something I have noticed with this Monster Manual - changing established appearances, lore/creature types and genders when there is no need to. For me, I'll just stick to the classic imagery that has been D&D for decades.

 

[kigmatzomat]

That's what I suggested. Medsuae and maedars both have M and F configurations, and to have offspring you need to have a female medusa and male maedar or a female maedar and male medusa.

That really depends on lore.

2024 lore says you're wrong. An elf can be born of the pairing of an elf with any other species that can result in offspring. Same goes for dwarves, humans, halflings, orcs, etc. So no, a race doesn't need multiple sexes if there is another species that can interbreed.

2024 racial rules allow for all elves to be male and all dwarves to be female.

In Greek mythology, gorgons were born of the goddess of sea monsters and the god of sea hazards. They were named Stheno and Euryale (aka the mermaid Ariel). Their siblings included nymphs, the Grey Sisters (3 hags who share a tooth and eye), and probably Scylla and Charybidis. It was implied their siblings were immune to the petrification effect. They were all timeless beings, who did not feel the effect of time. (The Grey Sisters were born "old")

Medusa was a human turned into a gorgon by a god.

So in that lore, powerful curses could turn people into gorgons.

The same lore had nymphs as mothers to non-nymphs so if you go with children looking like their aunts/uncles, possibly the offspring of a hag or nymph could wind up being a gorgon.

 

[UnknownDyson]

I'll be the one to say it, I hate the new art. Previous design was not only iconic but peak.

 

[Mecheon]

Medusa was a human turned into a gorgon by a god.

I mean, she was only that in one alleged tale.

Every other one, she's one of the three Gorgon sisters and never was a human