DnD Aberrations & Oozes Get Nasty in 2025 Monster Manual
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Dungeons & Dragons is a game with literally thousands of official and unofficial monsters. One way to organize this hefty horde is by creature type, a classification which influences both the rules and lore of the game. Two of the most unique (and terrifying) creature types are Aberrations and Oozes. The former are creatures that are influenced by the Far Realm, a mind-bending dimension of cosmic horror that exists outside the confines of the DnD multiverse. The latter are (as the name suggests), a catch all of carnivorous and barely-sentient slimes, puddings, jellies, ochres and blobs.
Now, two of DnD’s most vile creature types are getting some delightfully revolting revisions in the pages of the new 2025 Monster Manual, which is available for now on D&D Beyond and Amazon. This includes new variants, enhanced lore, reclassifications and a more diverse range of Challenge Ratings.
So just what can players expect when these creatures slither, crawl and ooze their way out of the Monster Manual? Below, we unveil all the horrifying details.
What’s changed with Aberrations and Oozes in the 2025 Monster Manual?
Below are the changes that Wizards of the Coast has made to these two creature types in the new rules.
Reclassification of creatures as Aberrations
One of the most notable changes in the new 2025 Monster Manual is that several creatures that were previously categorized as Humanoids have been moved to the Aberration category. This includes the fish-like Kuo-toa and the Githyanki, both of which are species that have been shaped by the otherworldly powers of the Far Realms.
This reclassification also applies to creatures including the Roper and Piercer, both of which were previously categorized as Monstrosities. These updates are designed to reflect the more horrific, Lovecraftian nature of these beings. These changes, however, also have a significant in-game impact in terms of mechanics, as certain weapons and spells may no longer apply. For example, the Charm Person spell, which targets Humanoids, would no longer be effective on Kuo-Toa or Githyanki.
Mindflayers get new lore and statblocks
Mindflayers remain one of the most iconic DnD Aberrations and in the 2025 Monster Manual are getting new lore that emphasizes the cosmic horror aspect of their existence and origins in the Far Realms. This includes some new details on their infamous “Great Plan” (also known as The Grand Design), a mysterious, eons-spanning goal to create an Illithid empire that will rule the multiverse.
The update also brings new stat blocks for Mind Flayers, refining their psionic powers to better reflect their alien origins and hive mind thinking. In addition, the Wizards of the Coast design team has made some tweaks to their damage output and presented a more streamlined organization of key abilities to make them easier for Dungeon Masters to run at the table.
New abilities and origins for Oozes
The 2025 Monster Manual will also introduces significant changes to how Oozes perform in combat. This includes the new Gray Ooze variant, which possesses powerful psychic abilities, making it more dangerous and unpredictable than some of its more familiar ooze counterparts.
The category has also be expanded with enhanced lore and includes new random tables that provide details on how these creatures were created. For example, a pudding might be the result of magical pollution while an ooze could be the physical manifestation of the thoughts of a dark god. The goal is to make these creatures more than just mindless sludge and instead showcase the true terrifying nature behind their existence.
Revised Beholder mechanics and Challenge Ratings
The Beholder is another iconic DnD Aberration that’s been redesigned in the 2025 Monster Manual. In particular, the Wizards of the Coast team has overhauled their eye ray attacks to make them more balanced and consistent. This is largely because the random nature of eye attacks found in the previous 2014 version of the Beholder could potentially make an encounter more deadly than it should be.
The book has also introduced or tweaked several Beholder variants to offer a wider range of Challenge Ratings. This includes the new Beholder Spectator (a lesser, lower CR variant) and the Death Tyrant, an undead variant that has appeared in previous materials, but has been refined to better work with the new DnD stat block format.
Expanded Githyanki Lore and stat blocks
The Githyanki have also received a substantial update in the 2025 Monster Manual, including new and more detailed lore. In particular, the book will introduce more information on their enmity with Mindflayers and the eons-old civil war that split the original species into the Githyanki and their counterparts the Githzerai (notably, the former are more warlike in nature, while the latter is more introspective and benevolent).
The book will also include new variants, including the Githyanki Dracomancer, a CR 16 creature with close ties to red dragons and the Lich Queen (the enigmatic ruler of the Githyanki). The new Monster Manuals also features several Githzerai variants, including the Monk, Psion and Guardian, all of which have stat blocks that reflect their psionic abilities and spiritual nature.
New Legendary Monsters
The new Monster Manual will also include a number of new never before seen Legendary Aberrations and Oozes that are designed for higher levels of play and which feature a range of unique Legendary and Lair actions that reflect their scaled Challenge Ratings.
One of the most interesting of these new Legendary options is the Blob of Annihilation, a terrifying, world-killing ooze that grows to massive proportions and is capable of swallowing entire towns or even worlds. It’s a new cosmic scale villain that seems perfect for a Spelljammer or Planescape setting or as the ultimate BBEG.
Final Thoughts
Aberrations and Oozes are two of Dungeons & Dragons’ most terrifying and unique creature types, so it’s great to see Wizards of the Coast being so thoughtful about how their being used. The reclassification of some of these creatures seems like a smart move, both narratively and mechanically. The new variants also offer up a ton of potential, particularly with the Githyanki and Githzerai. It remains to be seen if players also dig these changes, but from what we’ve seen, the new options for these two creature types seem slimy and satisfying.
For a complete look at all the changes you can pick up the new Monster Manual now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.
Below is also a recent video from Wizards of the Coast on the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel which offers more detailed on changes to Aberrations and Oozes.
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Ollie Delano is a Staff Writer who lives in Chicago, Illinois where he majored in Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 10 years and currently plays in a weekly game group where he rolls way too many natural 1s and chugs way too much Mountain Dew. His favorite D&D campaign setting is Eberron and his favorite character to play was a Tiefling rogue named Draxiss who enjoys both literal and figurative backstabbing.
