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{{Infobox Greyhawk creature
{{Creature
|image=
|image=[[Image:Kuo-toa01.jpg|250px]]
|caption=
|caption=A kuo-toa. Art by Andre Hou.
|name=Kuo-toa
|name=Kuo-toa
|alignment=
|alignment=Neutral evil (chaotic tendencies)
|type=Monstrous Humanoid
|type=Monstrous Humanoid
|subtype=Aquatic
|subtype=Aquatic
|source=
|source=''Monster Manual'' (2003).
|first=
|first=''[[Shrine of the Kuo-Toa]]''
}}
}}The '''kuo-toa''' are fish-like Monstrous Humanoids that dwell in the [[Underdark]].
The '''kuo-toa''' are fish-like Monstrous Humanoids that dwell in the [[Underdark]].


==Ecology==
==Ecology==
Kuo-toans maintain friendly relations with the [[drow]], their Underdark neighbours. They often raid seaside settlements for human victims.


===Environment===
===Environment===
Kuo-toa settlements are known to exist in the [[Underdark]], near the [[Vault of the Drow]] beneath the [[Hellfurnaces]], in the settlement of [[Bhal-Hamatugn]] and in the [[Sunless Sea]]. There, they are allied with the [[illithid]]s against the [[White Kingdom]] and their [[cloaker]] allies. They inhabited the city of [[J'bhulgolboth]] beneath [[Narwell]] until its recent destruction.


===Typical physical characteristics===
===Typical physical characteristics===
Kuo-toa have scaly, bipedal bodies with fish-like heads. Average specimens stand five feet tall, and weigh about 160 pounds. Scales are generally silvery-grey, but kuo-toan pigmentation is affected by mood; angry kuo-toans tend to be dark red, while fear transforms a kuo-toan's color to pale-grey or white. The creatures smell strongly of rotten fish.


===Alignment===
===Alignment===
Kuo-toa are often neutral evil with chaotic tendencies.


==Society==
==Society==


===Religion===
===Religion===
Most kuo-toans worship the goddess [[Blibdoolpoolp]], though a few remote tribes worship [[Dagon]].


===Language===
===Language===
Kuo-toa speak [[Languages|Undercommon]], the subterranean trade language. Additionally, they speak their own arcane tongue, Kuo-Toan. They also have a priestly tongue, a corrupted form of [[Languages|Aquan]], the language used on the [[Elemental Plane of Water]].


==History==
==History==
In ancient times, the kuo-toa inhabited the shores and islands of the upper world, but as [[human]]ity and those demihumans associated with them grew more numerous and powerful, they were slowly driven to more remote regions, taking refuge in sea caverns and subterranean waters. Some took refuge in the oceans, but these were mostly wiped out by aquatic predators, leaving the subterranean breeds to carry on as the last of their kind, prone to inbreeding and insanity. The word "goggler," once a racial epithet directed at kuo-toa, lost its meaning and became forgotten. The kuo-toa have not forgotten their old enemies, however.


==Creative origins==
==Creative origins==
The name "Kuo-toa" was created by [[Gary Gygax]], co-creator of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. However, the concept is thought to be inspired by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_One deep ones], creatures that appear in H. P. Lovecraft's novella ''The Shadow Over Innsmouth''. Like the Kuo-toa, the deep ones are a monstrous marine-dwelling race of fish-headed humanoids, who worship a being called [[Dagon]].
The name "kuo-toa" was created by [[Gary Gygax]], co-creator of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. However, the concept is thought to be inspired by the [[Wikipedia:Deep One|Deep Ones]], creatures that appear in H. P. Lovecraft's novella ''The Shadow Over Innsmouth''. Like the kuo-toa, the deep ones are a monstrous marine-dwelling race of fish-headed humanoids, who worship a being called [[Dagon]].


The kuo-toa is considered a "Product Identity" by Wizards of the Coast and as such are not released under its Open Gaming License.[http://www.d20srd.org/faq.htm]
The kuo-toa is considered a "Product Identity" by Wizards of the Coast and as such are not released under its Open Gaming License.[http://www.d20srd.org/faq.htm]


==Publishing history==
==Publishing history==
The kuo-toa first appeared in dungeon adventures ''[[Shrine of the Kuo-Toa]]'' (1978), and ''[[Vault of the Drow (adventure)|Vault of the Drow]]'' (1978). They made their second edition debut in the ''Monstrous Compendium Volume Two'' (1989), and were reprinted in the ''Monstrous Manual'' (1993).


===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)===
The first appearance of the kuo-toa in third edition was in the ''Monster Manual'' (2000). The entry was updated for 3.5 in the revised ''Monster Manual'' (2003). They were presented as a player character race for the ''Forgotten Realms'' campaign setting in ''Underdark'' (2003).
The kuo-toa first appeared in dungeon modules ''D2 [[Shrine of the Kuo-Toa]]''<ref>[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]]. ''[[Shrine of the Kuo-Toa]]'' (TSR, 1978)</ref>, and ''D3 [[Vault of the Drow]]''<ref>Gygax, Gary. ''[[Vault of the Drow]]'' (TSR, 1978).</ref> The first D&D manual that the kuo-toa appeared in was the original ''[[Fiend Folio]]''.<ref>Turnbull, Don, ed. ''[[Fiend Folio]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1981)</ref>


<!--===Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)===
The kuo-toa made their fourth edition debut in the ''Monster Manual'' (2008).
As far as I know, the kuo-toa did not appear in this edition. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me!
-->
===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)===
The kuo-toa appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989),<ref>[[David "Zeb" Cook|Cook, David]], et al. ''Monstrous Compendium Volume Two'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], [[1989]])</ref> and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).<ref>Stewart, Doug, ed. ''Monstrous Manual'' (TSR, [[1993]])</ref>


===Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)===
==Bibliography==
The kuo-toa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).<ref>[[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]], [[Jonathan Tweet]], and [[Skip Williams]]. ''[[Monster Manual]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], [[2000]])</ref>
*[[Wolfgang Baur|Baur, Wolfgang]]. "Kingdom of the Ghouls" ''[[Dungeon]]'' #70. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.


===Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)===
*Cagle, Eric. "The Minions of Darkness." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #300. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2002.
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).<ref>[[Bruce Cordell|Cordell, Bruce R]], Gwendolyn FM Kestrel, and Jeff Quick. ''Underdark'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], [[2003]])</ref>
*[[David "Zeb" Cook|Cook, David]], ''et al.'' ''Monstrous Compendium Volume Two''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989.


The '''voice of [[Dagon (Dungeons & Dragons)|Dagon]]''' was detailed in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #349 (November 2006), in the "Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Dagon".
*[[Bruce R. Cordell|Cordell, Bruce R.]], Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick. ''[[Underdark]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003.


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).
*[[Gygax, Gary]]. ''[[Descent into the Depths of the Earth]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981.
:———. ''[[Queen of the Spiders]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1986.
:———. ''[[Shrine of the Kuo-Toa]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1978.


===Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)===
*[[James Jacobs|Jacobs, James]]. "[[Demonomicon]] of [[Iggwilv]]: [[Dagon]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #349. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006.
The kuo-toa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).<ref>Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. ''[[Monster Manual]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2008)</ref>
:———. "Lord of the Scarlet Tide." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #85. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.


==Description==
*Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and [[James Wyatt]]. ''Monster Manual''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008.
Kuo-toa have scaly, bipedal bodies with fish-like heads.


==Society==
*[[Erik Mona|Mona, Erik]]. "Ancient History: The Great Embarkation." Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, unpublished. Available online:[http://www.www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=225]
Kuo-toa often raid seaside settlements for human victims. Most worship the goddess [[Blibdoolpoolp]], though a few remote tribes worship [[Dagon (Dungeons & Dragons)|Dagon]].
 
==Kuo-toa in various campaign settings==
===Kuo-toa in the Forgotten Realms===
In the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' [[campaign setting]] kuo-toans maintain friendly relations with [[Drow (Dungeons & Dragons)|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 race of fish-like beings{{Who|date=October 2007}}.
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.
 
===Kuo-toa 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==
*[[David Noonan|Noonan, David]]. "Zenith Trajectory." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #102. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2003.
{{reflist}}


==Additional reading==
*Stephens, Owen K.C. "By Any Other Name: Races of the [[Underdark]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #281. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2001.
*Cagle, Eric. "The Minions of Darkness." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #300 ([[Paizo Publishing]], 2002).


*Stephens, Owen K.C. "By Any Other Name: Races of the Underdark." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #281 ([[Paizo Publishing]], 2001).
*Stewart, Doug, ed. ''Monstrous Manual''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.


*Turnbull, Don, ed. ''Fiend Folio''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981.


{{D&D creatures}}
*[[Tweet, Johnathan]], [[Monte Cook]], and [[Skip Williams]]. ''Player's Handbook''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
:———. ''Player's Handbook Core Rulebook I v.3.5''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003.




[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons monstrous humanoids]]
[[Category:Creatures]]{{index}}
[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons standard creatures]]
[[Category:Forgotten Realms creatures]]
[[Category:Greyhawk creatures]]

Latest revision as of 10:19, 18 December 2024

Greyhawk Creature
Kuo-toa
A kuo-toa. Art by Andre Hou.
General information
Alignment:Neutral evil (chaotic tendencies)
Type:Monstrous Humanoid
Subtype:Aquatic
First appearance:Shrine of the Kuo-Toa

The kuo-toa are fish-like Monstrous Humanoids that dwell in the Underdark.

Ecology

Kuo-toans maintain friendly relations with the drow, their Underdark neighbours. They often raid seaside settlements for human victims.

Environment

Kuo-toa settlements are known to exist in the Underdark, near the Vault of the Drow beneath the Hellfurnaces, in the settlement of Bhal-Hamatugn and in the Sunless Sea. There, they are allied with the illithids against the White Kingdom and their cloaker allies. They inhabited the city of J'bhulgolboth beneath Narwell until its recent destruction.

Typical physical characteristics

Kuo-toa have scaly, bipedal bodies with fish-like heads. Average specimens stand five feet tall, and weigh about 160 pounds. Scales are generally silvery-grey, but kuo-toan pigmentation is affected by mood; angry kuo-toans tend to be dark red, while fear transforms a kuo-toan's color to pale-grey or white. The creatures smell strongly of rotten fish.

Alignment

Kuo-toa are often neutral evil with chaotic tendencies.

Society

Religion

Most kuo-toans worship the goddess Blibdoolpoolp, though a few remote tribes worship Dagon.

Language

Kuo-toa speak Undercommon, the subterranean trade language. Additionally, they speak their own arcane tongue, Kuo-Toan. They also have a priestly tongue, a corrupted form of Aquan, the language used on the Elemental Plane of Water.

History

In ancient times, the kuo-toa inhabited the shores and islands of the upper world, but as humanity and those demihumans associated with them grew more numerous and powerful, they were slowly driven to more remote regions, taking refuge in sea caverns and subterranean waters. Some took refuge in the oceans, but these were mostly wiped out by aquatic predators, leaving the subterranean breeds to carry on as the last of their kind, prone to inbreeding and insanity. The word "goggler," once a racial epithet directed at kuo-toa, lost its meaning and became forgotten. The kuo-toa have not forgotten their old enemies, however.

Creative origins

The name "kuo-toa" was created by Gary Gygax, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. However, the concept is thought to be inspired by the Deep Ones, creatures that appear in H. P. Lovecraft's novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Like the kuo-toa, the deep ones are a monstrous marine-dwelling race of fish-headed humanoids, who worship a being called Dagon.

The kuo-toa is considered a "Product Identity" by Wizards of the Coast and as such are not released under its Open Gaming License.[1]

Publishing history

The kuo-toa first appeared in dungeon adventures Shrine of the Kuo-Toa (1978), and Vault of the Drow (1978). They made their second edition debut in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), and were reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The first appearance of the kuo-toa in third edition was in the Monster Manual (2000). The entry was updated for 3.5 in the revised Monster Manual (2003). They were presented as a player character race for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in Underdark (2003).

The kuo-toa made their fourth edition debut in the Monster Manual (2008).

Bibliography

  • Cagle, Eric. "The Minions of Darkness." Dragon #300. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2002.
  • Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989.
———. Queen of the Spiders. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1986.
———. Shrine of the Kuo-Toa. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1978.
———. "Lord of the Scarlet Tide." Dungeon #85. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
  • Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008.
  • Mona, Erik. "Ancient History: The Great Embarkation." Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, unpublished. Available online:[2]
  • Stephens, Owen K.C. "By Any Other Name: Races of the Underdark." Dragon #281. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2001.
  • Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.
  • Turnbull, Don, ed. Fiend Folio. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981.
———. Player's Handbook Core Rulebook I v.3.5. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Located in: Hellfurnaces, D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth 2
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Located in: Hellfurnaces, D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth 1
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Located in: Hellfurnaces, D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa All
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Located in: Hellfurnaces, D3 Vault of the Drow (adventure) 2
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Located in: Hellfurnaces, Deities & Demigods (1st & 2nd printing), AD&D 1e 110
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Located in: Hellfurnaces, Deities & Demigods (3rd+ printing), AD&D 1e 95
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Located in: Hellfurnaces, Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e 5
J'bhulgolboth (Kuo-Toa) Settlement Settlement, Dungeon magazine #085 34, 35, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 64, 66
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Caves of Ancient Secrets: RttToEE Web Enhancement, D&D 3.0e 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25 - 27, 28
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster D3 Vault of the Drow (adventure) 25
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster DMGR4 - Monster Mythology 61, 99, 128
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Into The Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook, D&D 4e 3, 53, 131, 140-141, 156, 158, 159
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster EX1 Dungeonland 13
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Fiend Folio, AD&D 1e 57 - 59
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess 56
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders 3, 50, 53, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 73, 74, 77, 82, 125, 126, 127
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders: Map/Monster Booklet 15
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Ivid the Undying 132
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster MC2 - Monstrous Compendium Volume 2 Insert (Kuo-Toa)
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster MC5 Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix Encounter Tables
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Monster Manual 1, D&D 3.5e (Premium Edition) 163-165
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Monster Manual 1, D&D 4e (Deluxe Edition) 172-173
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Monster Manual 1, D&D 5e 198-200
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Monster Manual 2, AD&D 1e 42
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e 46
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Player's Guide to Greyhawk 39
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, D&D 3.0e 38, 42, 49, 50, 67, 68, 70, 75, 89, 90, 92, 93, 96, 130, 170, 173, 174, 175, 177
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, Book Two 10
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Spelljammer Boxed Set: Lorebook of the Void 90
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster SJR6 Greyspace 10, 12, 13
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Slavers, AD&D 2e 30
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster Stormwrack, D&D 3.5e 6, 7, 49, 55, 213, 215, 216, 220, 221
Kuo-Toa {Goggler} Monster World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) 6
Kuo-Toa, Shrine of Building Shrine, Against The Giants: The Liberation of Geoff 42
Shrine of the Kuo-Toa Adventure Reference SEE D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa
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