Kuo-toa

Template:Infobox Greyhawk creature 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.

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.

Society

Religion

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

Language

Kuo-toa have their own language, Kuo-Toan. They are also known to speak Undercommon and Aquan.

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 modules Shrine of the Kuo-Toa (1978), and Vault of the Drow (1978). They made their 2nd 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 3rd 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 4th 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.

• Cordell, Bruce R., Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick. Underdark. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003.

• 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.

• Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008.

• 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.

• 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.