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​

 

[wizard71]

Actually, you are wrong about the banshee too:
View attachment 398024

I honestly don’t see either of the banshee as male. They both look female to me, but perhaps beauty is I the eye of the beholder.

 

[Sorinth]

Because it's not written and if it's not written, it can't be assumed to be true.

Shouldn't that mean you can't assume that it is male?

 

[Charlaquin]

Because it's not written and if it's not written, it can't be assumed to be true.

That’s silly. It isn’t written that adventurers go to the bathroom either, but I think it’s safe to assume they do.

 

[Charlaquin]

I honestly don’t see either of the banshee as male. They both look female to me, but perhaps beauty is I the eye of the beholder.

Well, the intent is explicitly for banshees to come in male and female now. They talk about it in this video.

 

[wizard71]

My first experience with them, as Maedar, that I recall was in Dragon magazine, probably early into 2nd edition. After that they started to appear in other monster books. They didn't have the snake hair or petrifying gaze though.

That would make sense as I don’t have every issue of Dragon. If they don’t have snakes in their hair and lack a petrifying gaze they simply aren’t Medusa IMHO.

 

[Maxperson]

Shouldn't that mean you can't assume that it is male?

Hence why I said there are virtually no obviously male or female demons/devils in this MM.

 

[dave2008]

They were demons for 40 years (or however long until 5e).

The were devils in 4e (so 2008 was the switch not 2014 with 5e) and they switched to generic fiends in 5e. Which, IMO, is the best place for them.

 

[Maxperson]

That’s silly. It isn’t written that adventurers go to the bathroom either, but I think it’s safe to assume they do.

Then it's also safe to assume that my sword detonates a nuclear explosion when I swing it. It's not written that it doesn't do that.

While it's pretty safe to assume they go to the bathroom, there can be settings where that doesn't happen. It's a minor homebrew for the DM to make that assumption, but because it isn't written, it IS a homebrew.

 

[dave2008]

Because it's not written and if it's not written, it can't be assumed to be true.

That applies both ways of course.

Personally, I don't think one should assume something even if it is written. 2e brought a lot of lore that I never assumed was part of the game and the game works just fine. In fact, it works even better (for me)!

 

[Seramus]

Remember, nothing says you go Unconscious when sleeping for your Long Rest.