Kuo-toa

Kuo-toa
Kuo-toa depicted in the original Fiend Folio.
Characteristics
Type	Monstrous humanoid
Image	Wizards.com image

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the kuo-toa are fish-like monstrous humanoids that dwell in the Underdark, and in the sea.

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.

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

The kuo-toa first appeared in dungeon modules D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa, and D3 Vault of the Drow. The first D&D manual that the kuo-toa appeared in was the original Fiend Folio.

The kuo-toa appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The kuo-toa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).

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).