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Kuo-Tua are one of the ten or so kinds of fish-people who have graced D&D’sbestiaries over its history. The first time they appeared on a core monster bookwas in AD&D 2nd Edition, but I guess they must show up in a 1st editionsupplement somewhere. They appear on the Monster Manual and get a MonsterVault-style update in Dungeon 193.
The Lore
Kuo-Toa are “loathsome fish-people” who live in the lakes and seas of theUnderdark, where they worship sinister alien gods. They build shrines on themargins of these watery bodies, and their settlements around these shrines.
Kuo-Toa think little of other sapients, viewing them as potential slaves orsacrifices. They’re led by their priestly caste, whose members are known as“whips”. There’s also an elite warrior caste who serves and protects the whips,and whose members are known as “monitors”.
Whips and monitors lord over the general kuo-toa populace, but they also watchthem closely. You see, they’re very succeptible to the sort of dangerousdestructive madness that often afflicts those who spend too much timeworshipping Lovecraftian entities. Whips and monitors practice mentaldisciplines that (mostly) protect them from this, but for some reason thesearen’t shared with the commoners. There’s more than one story about a kuo-toavillage that’s been destroyed by its own inhabitants in a frenzy of senselessviolence.
This entry doesn’t say much about who these sinister gods are, but kuo-toa areright at the level range for being aboleth servitors and the sample encountersin both entries bear this out. So it’s quite possible they worship the abolethsthemselves, or see them as avatars of whatever chtonic deity they cults arecentered around.
Kuo-Toa: for all your fishy cultist needs! Also the Underdark has actual seas,which is awesome.
The Numbers
As inhabitants of the medium-to-deep Underdark, kuo-toa levels cluster aroundthe mid-Paragon tier. They’re all Medium Natural Humanoids with the Aquatickeyword plus land and swim speeds of 6. They also have Darkvision.
Their signature power is Slick Maneuver, a move action that’s ratherconfusingly worded in the MM. The text makes me think they can spend a moveaction to essentially slide an ally 1 square around an enemy. The updatedversion is a lot cleader: a kuo-toa adjacent to an enemy can spend a move actionto shift 3 squares to another square adjacent to that enemy. They’re slipperyand can give you the run-around, clearing the way for their buddies to close inand surround you.
Other than that, the only change between versions is the fixed damage. If youhave Dungeon 193, you can go ahead and use the kuo-toa there without losinganything. Otherwise, update their damage and use the new version of SlickManeuver and you should be good to go.
Kuo-Toa Guard
This is a Level 16 Minion who I think is meant to be a Skirmisher. It wearsleather, fights with a shield and spear, and its only special trick is SlickManeuver.
They fight to the death when in the presence of a strong leader, but run awayimmediately if the leader dies before they do.
Kuo-Tua Marauder
This Level 12 Skirmisher has 119 HP and the same gear as a guard. It also coversits shield in slime!
Its basic melee attack is a Skewering Spear that does the usual physicaldamage, plus ongoing damage on a hit (save ends). When missed by a melee attack,the marauder can bash with its Sticky Shield as a reaction (vs. Reflex). Ahit does no damage, but it disarms the target!
While bloodied, marauders can use Quick Step to shift as a minor action, andthey also have the standard Slick Maneuver.
That’s more mechanical flavor than I expected!
Kuo-Toa Harpooner
This Level 14 Soldier has 137 HP and trades the standard spear for a harpoon.
The basic Harpoon attack also grabs on a hit, and deals 5 ongoing damageuntil the target escapes. The harpooner can’t use the weapon on anyone elsewhile the grab continues.
The weapon can also be thrown in a Reeling Harpoon attack (Ranged 5/10vs. AC), which does the same damage as a melee hit and allows a secondary attackagainst Fortitude. A hit here does more damage and pulls the target 3 squares.
Harpooners have the same slimy, sticky shields as marauders, as well as SlickManeuver.
Kuo-Toa Monitor
Smarter and stronger than their plebeian compatriots, Monitors use crossbows tofight at range and unarmed combat to pound fools into submission up close. Theyare Level 16 Skirmishers with 153 HP.
The monitor’s basic melee attack is a respectable slam, and their ranged attacka crossbow shot. They can also use a Leap Kick as a standard action, whichallows them to shift 2 squares before making a slam attack.
Once per encounter, they can use their ultimate technique: Lightning Fisttargets Reflex and does a goodly amount of lightning damage with a stun rider(save ends). They keep this in reserve until they have combat advantage over atarget. Slick Maneuver rounds out their repertoire.
Kuo-Toa Whip
These priests are Level 16 Controllers with 156 HP. They wield pincer staffs incombat, and also cast spells.
The Pincer Staff is a Reach 2 exotic weapon whose strikes do damage and grabthe target, who takes 1d10 damage every time the whip sustains the grab. This isa little better than the flat ongoing damage of the harpooner. Instead ofsustaining the grab, the whip can slide the target to any square within staffreach and release them.
Whips fight at range with Lightning Strike spells (Ranged 10 vs. Reflex)which do lightning damage and blind the target for a turn. Once per encounterthey can summon a Slime Vortex (Area Burst 4 within vs. Fortitude; enemiesonly) that’s likely to do a whole bunch of unpleasant stuff to its victims.
A hit from the vortex does damage, inflicts a -2 attack penalty for a turn,slides 3 squares, and knocks prone. A miss inflicts half damage and slides 1square. Cast this spell and watch as the whole battle turns into a Three Stoogesskit.
Slick Maneuver rounds out their arsenal.
Sample Encounters and Final Impressions
We have two encounters here:
- Level 12: 3 marauders and 1 foulspawn hulk.
- Level 18: 2 monitors, 4 guards, 1 aboleth overseer and 8 aboleth servitors. Aslave-catching party.
There’s a sentence saying sometimes kuo-toa escape this cultish existence andbecome mercenaries or even leaders in other Underdark communities.
I think 4e has done a lot of good for these fishy cultists. My memories of themfrom 3e were just another type of “fish person with spear”, with little todistinguish them from locatah or saguahin. Sahuagin are also present in the MM,so when we get there we’ll see how unique each of them really is.
