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​

 

[Azzy]

2e made them explicitly beautiful tempters starting in MC 8 and continuing into their portrayal in 3e as beautiful tempter devils, but I think 1e is pretty strongly fury oriented with a focus on physically kidnapping mortals.

Here is the text of the 1e erinyes:

The erinyes are the devils common to Hell’s second plane as well as the kind
most commonly sent forth to garner more souls. They are female but can appear
as male. They are armed with a magical dagger which drips a caustic venom
and causes terribly painful wounds (save versus poison or faint for 1-6 melee
rounds). They also carry a rope of entanglement with which to bind their
victims. Erinyes can be struck with normal weapons. They can, at will, cause
fear in all who look at them (saving throw versus wand is applicable). In
addition, they have the power to do any one of the following during any turn or
melee round, as applicable: detect invisible, locate object, invisibility, polymorph
self, produce flame, or summon another erinyes (25% chance of success).
Erinyes are strong — 18/01, but no hit/damage bonuses are applicable.
They will pursue evil persons unceasingly in order to take them alive into Hell.
They will sometimes bargain with others, hoping to tempt them into evil doing.

Yeah, some more changes of lore that were disappointing. With the amount of lore pumped out during 2e, there was always going to be stuff that didn't measure up.

 

[Iry]

Why does anyone believe this art replaces all other art of mariliths? This exaggeration would obviously make one unhappy.

The general position of WotC is that nothing before 2014 is canon. I have no idea if this means the 2014 Marilith is just as canon as the new Marilith, but it does imply something about any Marilith art prior to 2014. Or any other monster art, for that matter.

Of course, I have no intention of letting this influence my own games, which will continue to be saturated by 30+ years of lore and nostalgia.

 

[Mecheon]

Also I will say in regards to the new Marilith, don't forget the Kraken situation

The Kraken got a whole massive redesign that turned it from "Giant squid" into "Huge sea monster" in 5E. But, despite this, in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, where there's a baby kraken? Its based on the old 3E artwork, even replicating the colours

This Marilith might look like this, but future ones might look like anything

 

[Incenjucar]

Hopefully there is, somewhere, "Mariliths have a variety of appearances." etc.

 

[Hussar]

I know that, which is why I said fiend. Fiends are demons, devils, succubi, etc. You still didn't answer the questions, though.

Why would demons have the biology, both male and female, to have babies with mortals, but not each other? What sense does that make?

Because they are not making babies to perpetuate the species or through any biological drive but because they are corrupting souls and sowing destruction.

 

[dave2008]

The general position of WotC is that nothing before 2014 is canon. I have no idea if this means the 2014 Marilith is just as canon as the new Marilith, but it does imply something about any Marilith art prior to 2014. Or any other monster art, for that matter.

View attachment 398918

Of course, I have no intention of letting this influence my own games, which will continue to be saturated by 30+ years of lore and nostalgia.

Technically WotC position was nothing for 5e is canon for 5e except what has been printed in 5e. What was printed for 4e is still canon for 4e, what was printed for 3e is still canon for 3e, etc. They said each edition has its own canon.

 

[dave2008]

Also I will say in regards to the new Marilith, don't forget the Kraken situation

The Kraken got a whole massive redesign that turned it from "Giant squid" into "Huge sea monster" in 5E. But, despite this, in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, where there's a baby kraken? Its based on the old 3E artwork, even replicating the colours

And now the Kraken in the 5e24 MM looks like a giant squid again!

 

[Hussar]

I do like the hunger drive thing. Hadn’t thought of that before but I do like it.

Makes demons basically fast zombies.

 

[Incenjucar]

And now the Kraken in the 5e24 MM looks like a giant squid again!

View attachment 398925

That is clearly a marilith.

 

[Hussar]

Really?

Yes, all of that sounds like potential good storytelling. The idea of demonic farms, demonic armies needing supply chains . . . yes, all sounds interesting to me.

But in TTRPG stories about war . . . demonic or otherwise . . . those details are often overlooked. Which is okay, but calling them out as "missing" in Descent of Avernus is kinda ridiculous.

While yes I made the mistake of giving a single example, I would point out that I’ve never, ever in any supplement, in Dragon magazine or any module seen a single hint that demons need to eat.

No farms, no kitchens, nothing. Not so much as a suggestion that demons require any sort of nourishment.

So no I don’t think it’s ridiculous. What I find ridiculous is people leaning on decades old material from several editions ago that have zero relevance today as “proof” of anything.