D&D (2024) "D&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified"(Gamesradar)

[Kobold Avenger]

4e Primordials were a concept similar to Titans of Greek myth, but they barely fleshed them out and only bothered to provide a list near the end of that editions lifetime.

5e titans would likely cover a bunch of the things in the 4e Epic Level Handbook, it's after all where the Atropal and Colossi originally appeared.

 

[dave2008]

4e Primordials were a concept similar to Titans of Greek myth, but they barely fleshed them out and only bothered to provide a list near the end of that editions lifetime.

That is not completely accurate. They provided information about the primordials in most major splat books and a few Dragon/Dungeon articles. It was just never collected in one place.

 

[Upper_Krust]

There is a CR20 stat block for Iggwilv in the current rules. Of course she is medium, but there isn’t much point in being huge if you use magic in combat.

There is Gryla from Icelandic myth, who was recently featured in Red One.

I watched that movie last week*, her final form appeared Huge (as in giant size).

*It was okay, guessing kids would enjoy it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I watched that movie last week*, her final form appeared Huge (as in giant size).

*It was okay, guessing kids would enjoy it.

If it encourages people to go an look up the original myth, then that's a good thing! Disappointed the Yule Cat didn't get into the movie though! None of the protagonists appeared to be wearing new clothes.

In D&D terms Gryla would be a giant troll/hag. The shapeshifting is a movie addition.

 

[Upper_Krust]

If it encourages people to go an look up the original myth, then that's a good thing!

True, especially if it inspires the next generation of roleplayers.

Disappointed the Yule Cat didn't get into the movie though! None of the protagonists appeared to be wearing new clothes.

Probably saving that for "Red Two".

In D&D terms Gryla would be a giant troll/hag. The shapeshifting is a movie addition.

The tentacles were an interesting addition.

I'm just envisioning a gigantic witch stomping about her home while minuscule (by comparison) PC's evade Gargantuan (size) Cats (black obviously) and even bigger Animating Brooms.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

True, especially if it inspires the next generation of roleplayers.



Probably saving that for "Red Two".



The tentacles were an interesting addition.

I'm just envisioning a gigantic witch stomping about her home while minuscule (by comparison) PC's evade Gargantuan (size) Cats (black obviously) and even bigger Animating Brooms.

The Yule Lads (ogres/trolls) are part of the original myth. The Yule Cat is bigger than a house.

 

[dave2008]

The Yule Lads (ogres/trolls) are part of the original myth. The Yule Cat is bigger than a house.

I did a little wiki dive and according to wikipedia, the first recorded mention of the Yule cat wasn't until 1862, hundreds of years after the first recorded stories of Grýla. Also:

"The establishment of the Yule cat as part of classic Icelandic Christmas folklore came in 1932, when Jóhannes úr Kötlum published his poetry collection Jólin koma ('Christmas is Coming'). One of the poems, Jólakötturinn, centered on the eponymous man-eating monster which subsequently became a common part of Christmas festivities and decorations in Iceland.

While the poem did not associate Jólakötturinn with Grýla, Leppalúði, or the Yule Lads, the characters were also featured in the collection. This commonality led to connections in later stories."

So it doesn't seem to me it is part of the "original myth."

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I did a little wiki dive and according to wikipedia, the first recorded mention of the Yule cat wasn't until 1862, hundreds of years after the first recorded stories of Grýla. Also:

"The establishment of the Yule cat as part of classic Icelandic Christmas folklore came in 1932, when Jóhannes úr Kötlum published his poetry collection Jólin koma ('Christmas is Coming'). One of the poems, Jólakötturinn, centered on the eponymous man-eating monster which subsequently became a common part of Christmas festivities and decorations in Iceland.

While the poem did not associate Jólakötturinn with Grýla, Leppalúði, or the Yule Lads, the characters were also featured in the collection. This commonality led to connections in later stories."

So it doesn't seem to me it is part of the "original myth."

Well, depends what you mean by “original”. Myths accrete additional lore all the time. The association of Gryla with Christmas seems to be pretty recent, but since historians aren’t very good at recording myths it’s hard to be sure. I suspect in a hundred years she* will be a shapeshifter, forgetting that it originated in a cheesy movie.

*Gryla’s gender also may be a fairly recent addition to the myth.

The Yule Cat is the best part of the story anyway.

 

[dave2008]

Well, depends what you mean by “original”. Myths accrete additional lore all the time. The association of Gryla with Christmas seems to be pretty recent, but since historians aren’t very good at recording myths it’s hard to be sure. I suspect in a hundred years she* will be a shapeshifter, forgetting that it originated in a cheesy movie.

*Gryla’s gender also may be a fairly recent addition to the myth.

The Yule Cat is the best part of the story anyway.

I agree these things change and it is impossible to know the depth and breadth of these original oral stories or what they meant to the people that told them.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

If it encourages people to go an look up the original myth, then that's a good thing! Disappointed the Yule Cat didn't get into the movie though! None of the protagonists appeared to be wearing new clothes.

In D&D terms Gryla would be a giant troll/hag. The shapeshifting is a movie addition.

The shape shifting kind of gave Gryla a night hag feel honestly, but with her normal form being bigger and adding some tails. I loved it.

That movie had a very D&D Modern feel IMHO.

I'm hoping Archhags have shape shifting powers like Night Hags.

I am curious if Archhags will have a Fiend option for former Night Hags or if they are all Archfey.