Kuo-toa
| Kuo-toa | |
|---|---|
| File:Kuo-toa.JPG Kuo-toa depicted in the original Fiend Folio. | |
| First appearance | D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa (1978) |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Monstrous humanoid |
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the kuo-toa are fish-like monstrous humanoids that dwell in the Underdark, and in the sea.
Publication history
The name "kuo-toa" was created by Gary Gygax, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. In their original appearance, kuo-toa are described as having once lived on land, but were driven underground by humans and other land-dwellers. However, their presentation has evolved to be more similar to the Deep Ones, creatures that appear in H. P. Lovecraft's novella "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". For example, the kuo-toa were first described as worshiping a lobster-headed sea goddess named Blibdoolpoolp; later versions have them worshiping a being called Dagon, a being that is also associated with the Deep Ones.
Lawrence Schick describes the kuo-toa as "evil fish-men".[1]: 89
The kuo-toa are considered "Product Identity" by Wizards of the Coast and as such are not released under its Open Gaming License.[2]
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977–1988)
The kuo-toa first appeared in dungeon modules D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa,[3] and D3 Vault of the Drow.[4] The first D&D manual that the kuo-toa appeared in was the original Fiend Folio.[5]
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989–1999)
The kuo-toa appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989),[6] and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).[7]
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000–2002)
The kuo-toa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).[8]
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003–2007)
The kuo-toa appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).
The kuo-toa was presented as a player character race for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in Underdark (2003).[9]
The voice of Dagon was detailed in Dragon #349 (November 2006), in the "Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Dagon."
The kuo-toa monitor and the kuo-toa whip appeared in Drow of the Underdark (2007). The crazed kuo-toa, the kuo-toa exalted whip, the kuo-toa harpooner, and the kuo-toa monitor appear in Monster Manual V (2007).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008–2013)
The kuo-toa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).[10]
Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (2014–)
The kuo-toa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2014).
Description
Kuo-toa have scaly, bipedal bodies with fish-like heads.
Society
Kuo-toa often raid seaside settlements for human victims. Most worship the goddess Blibdoolpoolp, though a few remote tribes worship Dagon.
In various campaign settings
In the Forgotten Realms
In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting kuo-toans maintain friendly relations with drow, their Underdark neighbours. Blibdoolpoolp is the focus of the kuo-toans' lives, and even has her own monstrous, deformed kuo-toa breed—the giant kuo-toa leviathan. They have total hatred for the sahuagin, another aquatic race.[citation needed]
In The Sellswords book series, Jarlaxle comments to his drow compatriots that a monk (referring to Grandmaster Kane) fights in the same manner as the kuo-toa, using their body as a weapon.
In Greyhawk
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting, kuo-toa settlements are known to exist in the Underdark, near the Vault of the Drow beneath the Hellfurnaces.
References
- ^ Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". D20srd.org. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- ^ Gygax, Gary. Shrine of the Kuo-Toa (TSR, 1978)
- ^ Gygax, Gary. Vault of the Drow (TSR, 1978).
- ^ Turnbull, Don, ed. Fiend Folio (TSR, 1981)
- ^ Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (TSR, 1989)
- ^ Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
- ^ Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
- ^ Cordell, Bruce R, Gwendolyn FM Kestrel, and Jeff Quick. Underdark (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
- ^ Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
Further reading
- Cagle, Eric. "The Minions of Darkness." Dragon #300 (Paizo Publishing, 2002).
- Stephens, Owen K.C. "By Any Other Name: Races of the Underdark." Dragon #281 (Paizo Publishing, 2001).