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​

 

[Maxperson]

True. Athasian monsters for 5e deserve their own book.

And setting.

 

[Corinnguard]

And setting.

I agree. There needs to be an official 5e take on the Dark Sun setting. Like the FR books being debuted this November, there needs to be a Dark Sun Player's Guide and a Dark Sun DM's Guide.

 

[Maxperson]

If you're going to appeal to the original mythology/folklore, I assume you will, in turn, be tiilting at the windmill that gorgons shouldn't be bulls, and so on? Because D&D has put folklore and mythology through a meat grinder and what has come out often has been quite different from the actual original source material, from 1e onward. Male hags and the like are pretty minor changes compared to other folklore/mythology changes the game has made over the last 50 years.

Nope! The gorgon being a bull has bothered me for decades, but it's not tilting at windmills to be bothered by it.

 

[Maxperson]

If that is the case for Male Medusa, I have never heard of them. Was it a specific module? There has been nothing said of male hags. What would be the reason to save them for a future update when you can simply include a Gargamel looking dude I the current MM?

They snuck the word "men" into one sentence in the lore. You could remove it and you wouldn't have to alter any of the rest of the lore, or the artwork.

 

[Maxperson]

Make Medusae with Snakes have been around for a decade at this point. The Marilith is not from Myth.

Poor wording on my part. I didn't mean to imply that they were.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm cool with Mariliths having male and female and non-binary versions, but I like my sexy marilith miniatures and will continue to use them. I don't like this new version - it's boring and generic. IMO. And the cheesecake is its own reward, as long as it doesn't go from "sexy" (in a freaky, multi-limbed, snake-bottomed demon kind of way) to "sexist" (in that these are depicted as qualities that are representative of a particular gender).

Sexy things are okay. Sexist things are not. I recognize that this can be a somewhat subjective line, but I don't think that depicting a sexy torso, of any gender, is automatically sexist. While recognizing that women have historically been objectified far more than men.

A reasonable take. I generally prefer my monsters (and aliens for that matter) on the very inhuman side, so the new Marilith design is an improvement for me. Though, the 3e one was better IMO.

 

[Charlaquin]

I agree. There needs to be an official 5e take on the Dark Sun setting. Like the FR books being debuted this November, there needs to be a Dark Sun Player's Guide and a Dark Sun DM's Guide.

Be careful what you wish for. I think they’re likely to try it given that it was name-dropped in the new PHB and they seem very into settings right now. But I think it’s unlikely to be good, if the doomspace debacle is any indication.

 

[Parmandur]

Be careful what you wish for. I think they’re likely to try it given that it was name-dropped in the new PHB and they seem very into settings right now. But I think it’s unlikely to be good, if the doomspace debacle is any indication.

It was also listed in the DMG as one of the Settings of D&D...strong odds it is at least being planned.

 

[dave2008]

They snuck the word "men" into one sentence in the lore. You could remove it and you wouldn't have to alter any of the rest of the lore, or the artwork.

Actually male medusae have been around since at least the 4e MM (2008). Though they were different from female medusa.

 

[Corinnguard]

Be careful what you wish for. I think they’re likely to try it given that it was name-dropped in the new PHB and they seem very into settings right now. But I think it’s unlikely to be good, if the doomspace debacle is any indication.

I think I better wish an A5e take on the Dark Sun setting then.