Monster Manual Suggests Changes Are Coming to Some Playable Species

More non-humanoid playable species are coming to the new edition of Dungeons & Dragons. In videos released over the last two weeks to promote the 2025 Monster Manual, Wizards of the Coast has revealed they have reclassified several creatures that doubled as playable races in the previous version of 5th Edition as non-humanoid species. The goblin is now a fey creature, the kobold is now a dragon, and the kenku is now a monstrosity. It's likely that the hobgoblin and bugbear (both of which are goblinoid creatures in D&D) will also be reclassified in the Monster Manual. The 2024 adventure Vecna: Eve of Ruin reclassified the Warforged as a construct rather than as a humanoid, a change from the 2018 Eberron sourcebook. Lycanthropes are also reclassified as monstrosities in the 2025 Monster Manual, which could also have an impact on playable species.

There are 14 different creature types in D&D 5E, although it took D&D years to include non-humanoid creature types as an option. Centaurs (from Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica) was the first non-humanoid creature type, followed by satyrs in Mythic Odysseys of Theros. Both of those books were Magic: The Gathering crossovers and classified those races as fey creatures. The Wild Beyond the Witchlight added Fairies and Haregon as playable fey creatures. Spelljammer added playable construct, monstrosities, and oozes via the Autognome, Thri-kreen, and Plasmoid. Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse also changed the Changeling from Eberron into a fey creature.

D&D hasn't stated their plans for the goblin, kobold, kenku, and warforged playable species rules, but these classifications should be reflected if/when the D&D team updates those species for the 2024 rule set.

Creature classifications matter in 5E D&D because certain spells only impact humanoids. Hold Person, Charm Person, Dominate Person, Finger of Death's zombification effect, Reincarnate, Calm Emotion, Friends, Crown of Madness, Magic Jar, and Simulacrum are all spells that only impact humanoids, for instance. Some of these spells have equivalents that can be used on any creature type but often require a higher level spell slot to be used.

On the flip side, one immediate impact is that, once the 2025 Monster Manual comes out, a bard PC will no longer be able to Charm Person their way out of tense encounter with a goblin or a kobold. Mind manipulation is no longer in vogue (or mechanically possible) when interacting with the game's beloved trash dragons.

 

[JEB]

So these changes in the 2024 MM don't automatically mean that any updates to the playable versions of those species will also get the same change.

Not necessarily, but since we already crossed over into non-humanoid PC species before the 2024 books came out, I'd say it's very likely that they'll be keeping the types consistent across PC and monster versions.

 

[Zarithar]

I think there's been a slow drift toward "mind control = bad" for a while now, and this change might be part of that?

Funny isn't it? That's bad... but burning people to death with fire, melting them with acid, having them devoured by a swarm of insects... not bad. Silly WotC.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think there's been a slow drift toward "mind control = bad" for a while now, and this change might be part of that?

That was my read. In a modern world where taking away someone's ability to consent is (rightly) seen as a serious issue, enchanters and enchantment powers are harder to sell as the "good guy" spell school.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Funny isn't it? That's bad... but burning people to death with fire, melting them with acid, having them devoured by a swarm of insects... not bad. Silly WotC.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that burning people to death is somehow good. But handing a player character a bunch of magical roofies and saying "go nuts" isn't seen in the same light as it was in 1979.

 

[Chaltab]

Exactly. Sexual coercion was not just implied but often explicitly called out in many D&D products as an expected part of play, not just for traditionally evil creatures like orcs but for creatures of neutral alignment like dryads--having children with charmed humanoid males was literally how dryads are said to have reproduced in some D&D products. It should be pretty obvious why the topic is going to make people uncomfortable in a way that normal violence does not.

That's one of the reasons that the 5E version of Charm Person specifies that a charmed creature treats the charmer as a friendly acquaintance.

And to be perfectly clear I don't object to the existence or use of these spells by PCs; one of my favorite moments in my Dragon Heist campaign was when my trickery cleric charmed a criminal into telling her where they'd taken a kidnapped person. But they're right to be extraordinarily careful in how these spells are depicted and worded.

 

[dave2008]

Do you think the current version of charm person is equal in general effectiveness and power to other 1st level spells?

That would be highly dependent on the style of game I would think. In my game the vast majority of antagonist are human (let a lone humanoid) so it really changes very little for me.

Beyond that, I can't really tell you as I have not compared and contrasted all 1st-level spells (or spells in general). I know a few spells are OP like Fireball, but I do not have an exhaustive knowledge of 5e spells. Like I have always said, 5e is the best edition for low-magic play and that is how we play!

 

[dave2008]

I can see a path, where if Wizards doesn't wake up, those kinds of themes are removed from all but the bad guys.

I don't know what that has to do with WotC waking up, but I don't see a need to have such spells in the game. To be clear, in my game: I don't care if they stay, nor do I care if they are nerfed or buffed. Whatever, is best for the general population is fine with me. I can always play the game the way I want.

 

[Peter BOSCO'S]

It'd be nice if 2026 players option book that contains the artificer (and presumably most of the other missing 2014 edition subclasses) also included updated species, but I am guessing WotC will want to spread that out over at least one more book. Maybe we'll get lucky and some of this will be in the Forgotten Realms players guide at the end of the year.

No, they will want to save if for the (hypothetical, but likely) Eberron Players Guide for the end of 2026. Then, they will just keep rolling with the two setting books per year as long as they sell. They will include new subclasses and spells to get more players to buy them, and some setting details to get setting fans to buy them.

Expect to hear players saying things like "Well, I am not an Eberron fan, but I want to get the new Articificer, and the Warforged species, and the Invention Cleric, and the Modron Patron Warlock, so I will be buying the Eb PG."

 

[dave2008]

No, they will want to save if for the (hypothetical, but likely) Eberron Players Guide for the end of 2026. Then, they will just keep rolling with the two setting books per year as long as they sell. They will include new subclasses and spells to get more players to buy them, and some setting details to get setting fans to buy them.

Expect to hear players saying things like "Well, I am not an Eberron fan, but I want to get the new Articificer, and the Warforged species, and the Invention Cleric, and the Modron Patron Warlock, so I will be buying the Eb PG."

That is certainly possible, but doesn't seem likely to me at this point. The could always change course, but that is not the direction WotC has been plotting IMO.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

The classifications often seem arbitrary.

"Often seem" is a funny way of spelling "have always been."