Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Catoblepas

The legendary Death Cows of the Swamp, source of the infamous Death Cheese.
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Channel music by ARES, BRICE and EPIDEMIC SOUND

[@johngleeman8347]

Oh boy, another AJ lore vid! :3

[@johngleeman8347]

I wonder what wine pairs best with DEATH cheese? And should I have it with fruit or crackers? XD

[@AJPickett]

@@johngleeman8347 It is a richly flavored soft cheese, one does not pick a strong or forceful wine as the emphasis in this instance is on the cheese, not the wine, so a reasonably good Cormyrian Dragondew wine is just fine, if you want to present the fully exotic experience with a good balance, the floral tasting, vivid, clear-blue fine Kaorph wine sold by The Highmoon Trading Coster, served on some Elven silverware platters is perfect and fit for nobility.

[@coryburns5343]

@@AJPickett This was the nerdiest shit i have ever heard, and i love it.

[@almitrahopkins1873]

@@AJPickett I prefer the wine that has never seen sunlight, personally, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called. I guess I’ll have to dig out my copy of Aurora’s.

[@almitrahopkins1873]

@@johngleeman8347 Maztican cigars and something sweet for wine.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

“Consummate spinner of hyperbole” is the most high brow way to call someone “Full of shit” that I have ever heard. Lol

[@AJPickett]

family friendly AJ says "Weaponize the English Language, don't drag it through the gutter".

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

AJ Pickett Whenever you’re discussing the Catoblepas, you’re already in nature’s gutter.

[@bumblingbureaucrat6110]

I too cannot believe you have not spoken of Death Cheese before now.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Same here.

[@ErnestAutist]

It's little known that most cattle are opertunisticly carnivorous. Usually small things they can chew to mush. I hear this is mainly to supliment calcium intake

[@Zombied77]

I saw video once of a deer eating a mouse. It just snatched it up and swallowed it.

[@AJPickett]

@@Zombied77 That deer was a teenage male, I bet you money on it.

[@Zombied77]

@@AJPickett I'll try to find the video and see if it had pimples.

[@brettonalwood4173]

"And the cheese! To die for."

[@aaronvalentine6416]

Loving this one especially! Ran a party through a side quest, to rescue an NPC's wandering "calf". Had to bring em back without injury. :)

[@derskalde4973]

"That's less dangerous, because it doesn't really cause any damage, it's just basically petrifying you" he said about the large cow, that has a 10 ft reach morningstar/flail for a tail, with which it can probably smash rocks to dust, and lives in a swamp, where you can easily sink to be never found again...

[@purplehaze2358]

In mythology, it’s most notable trait is that it constantly looks down, and has extremely poisonous breath. It’s just like me on a Monday morning, but every day of it’s life.

[@kylethomas9130]

"Death Cheese" "Sounds spicy"

[@Plokman040]

Honest thoughts here but I think the writers of the Monster Manual, when they got to the Gorgon they thought of this beast by mistake. Catoblepas in Greek Myth were bulls with deadly breath, paralyzing gaze (Not stone inducing, but may as well be since I think only divine power could bring the person out of their magically induced Rigor, also no I did not forget Mortis there the eyes turned you into a living statue fully aware but frozen.) and a hide of Bronze. Now other than the Bull shape of the Gorgon in DnD you may ask why I think it was meant to be this not that, Simple notice how Gorgons in DnD have blue metallic looking hides Bronze turns blue when it oxidizes. Another thing is unlike Ferrous metals with rust which degrades the structure and toughness of the metal Bronze, and Copper get tougher when the turn green or blue, hence why the Statue of Liberty is kept green and not shiny the structure is tougher on the surface that way. Crazy ramble aside why are Gorgons Bulls? All myths of Gorgons I have ever heard were of humanoid females with snakes for hair, only one was thought of as beautiful Medusa the other two were typically more snake like. Never before I got into DnD had I heard of a bull like goron, Goron....it's Gorgon Moron. Heheh sorry had to do a Small Soldiers joke.

[@flibbernodgets7018]

I love the concept of "the accuracy of these rumors is completely up to you".

[@Purple.mind...Honored.one.]

I'm glad you gave matt a shout-out, you helped make the flavor of a world, matt helps it be put together

[@maxw.2579]

Thanks for uploading this one, one of my favourite monsters! I especially enjoyed the addition of the real life folklore.

[@boydbarham4278]

I DM for a group of players who are new to the game and role playing games. It is fun to spring things on them and see how they react. Everything is new! So I had given the monk in the party a set of +1 / +1 darts in preparation for the Catoblepus encounter. He rushed in to punch got caught in the death gaze and rolled a 3 on his saving throw. First character killed with this group. Now they are very afraid of the Catoblepus!!! We talk about him all the time

[@AJPickett]

what hit the ground first? His dissolved flesh, or his skeleton?

[@boydbarham4278]

I had him melt like Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark!

[@newtondood]

Never thought i'd die to a cow looking at me wrong

[@Greenscyth22]

Other creatures with gaze attacks which are just as dangerous to milk as the Catoblepas included Medusa, female Chain Devils and Nymphs.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

But you can atleast reason with them.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

So I’ve visited Louisiana once to see some family. I don’t know if anyone else is experiencing this, but after living through what a Cajun Swamp smells like, I swear I can smell this beastie through the screen.

[@aubreyackermann8432]

Cattle absolutely eat carrion, and live animals when they can. Bones, snakes, whatever they can get. It's not a big part of their diet, but given the chance they supplement.

[@madaxe606]

Deer as well will sometimes eat ground-nesting birds, mice, etc. Must be an ungulate thing related to calcium deficiency or something. Neat!

[@Lh0000]

Sooo the catoblepas has a deadly gaze... and the gorgon has poison breath... I feel like some things got swapped around...

[@catoblepasomega]

They did! 'The History of Four-Footed Beasts' called the Catoblepas the Gorgon, which started the whole catoblepas/gorgon naming confusion. D&D seperated them into separate creatures as a solution, which is also why we have 'medusas', since the name gorgon was already in use by a separate monster. AJPickett actually uses the cover picture from the book as the first picture in the video, and you can see it's a very D&D-looking 'gorgon'.

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Breed them together and get both problem solved

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

I like the idea of a video (maybe series) dealing with the economics of the common D&D world.

[@fritzvoss5263]

back in the days then a cow decided, i will be badass now

[@jacobwilson8579]

Me and a buddy play a forgotten realms role-play when our dnd groups are together yesterday my character bought some death cheese made from this creature soooo am I unknowingly telepathic because that’s too fitting

[@warlich666]

I don't WANT to kill my players... but this definitely gives me much inspiration for a side quest

[@That80sGuy1972]

Killing your players is quite illegal anyway... or at least frowned upon in most civilized cultures. Unless you mean you shun killing the player's characters. ;)

[@warlich666]

@@That80sGuy1972 Ya, like most I want to challange my players but not kill them. Lucky enough that hasn't happened but there is one player who intends on having one or 2 killed off (he secretly has a shape shifting mask that posses the wearer and the party/players have no idea whats up). We did early have one trouble player (chaotic neutral means i can do anything like decapitating children, along with alot of anime inspired "m'lady" style play) but he got the ropes quick and is playing an awesome mute female human barbarian. The mute part makes for some interesting intimidation checks.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

I don't want to "spoil" (lotr refrance) my players and P.C.s but after an evil farmer comment her i'm stuck with horrorific inspiration too. 👍

[@Zombied77]

Oh damn I remember this thing. This was one of my faves from the old Monstrous Compendium

[@jakecrichton562]

Good video. I used one of these guys in a fun swamp dungeon. It was my first dungeon in my first campaign as DM. I really should have thrown in a pair of marsh trolls to help him out because the party walked all over it. I learned much from the encounter. I'm glad to have learned more about this creature as I found the entry in VG to be a little short on details. Thanks for another one AJ.

[@That80sGuy1972]

**about to log off and play video games** **gets a notice that AJ Pickett uploaded a video** Worth the watch, bro. I really under-used these monsters in my campaigns. They were mere hag cattle for the most part. Except for their physical abilities, I really reduced or eliminated their more dangerous abilities if they did not graze on the more dangerous herbs and-or eat the right carrion. I had a scammer farmer who had a dairy farm of relatively harmless ones sell their milk... and their milk was pretty much worthless. And yes, it was an alchemy quest dead-end. Also yes, I did alchemy quests. That party stopped being cautious with catoplebases when they recruited a sentient stone golem. That was a really hard thing to do that they fluked into.

[@dovakiin_beast6177]

I just introduced a few of these into the game I run to my parry on saturday so I am stoked to get more information on these. Love the content!!!

[@nullvoid4063]

D&D PSA: CATOBLEPAS DO NOT TASTE DELICIOUS I was playing a 17 level druid and had just used Shapechange to become an Adult Gold Dragon. I thought I was being clever and wanted to pick one up to drop it from 120 feet in the air. Several Con saves later, I was a sicker, but wiser, druid. This PSA was brought to you by Player Characters Anonymous.

[@dynamicworlds1]

So, what you're telling me is that using wild shape and biting down on one of these would be a way for a druid to improve their spellcasting stat?

[@nullvoid4063]

@@dynamicworlds1"Intelligence is knowing that a Catoblepas is poisonous, wisdom is knowing not to eat the catoblepas. And I did use my 19th level up to cap Wisdom.

[@SageofCancer]

A lot of Warlocks are going to be pulled over by the local guard for "riding dirty" on one of these god awful Catoblepas things.

[@zacharyspires8271]

This is absolute gold, as usual AJ. I have a swamp session this weekend and oh boy does this sound just right

[@jgr7487]

1) Evil Paladin uses Find Steed 2) a Catoplebas appears 3) ... 4) win the D&D

[@wallpello_1534]

Thanks for this lore, it is well timed, they put a mini in the reaperbones Kickstarter and I hadn't heard of it before

[@wallpello_1534]

Shame the mini doesn't match the lore :/

[@volstadgermaine2510]

Oh yes. I love these guys. The rhino cows of the marsh/swamplands. My old DM threw a heard of them at us. We laughed(thanks for the free exp) then the rogue insta died........ We laughed less after that...... still a good creature.

[@NarutoUzumaki-jg4pw]

I mean, domestication doesn't seem too hard to me. The dangerous bits of the Catoblepas aren't necessary for survival, so if a particularly cruel individual REALLY wanted to start that death cheese ranch......................

[@Fluffkitscripts]

That’s no monster, that’s Eeyore on crack!!!

[@thedarkmaster4747]

*Dies from laughter* 😂🤣😭💀⚰👻 i'm having an amazing day.

[@dawntherin2833]

This has been one of my favourite creatures since my bard rolled a nat 20 on an animal handling check with one, befriended him, and named him Cookie.

[@maxx8362]

The BBEG of my current campaign is an ancient black dragon, and now I know what kind of creatures his kobold minions tend for his food stock. Also, I am definitely adding death cheese to my campaign.

[@XXX_xxxxxxxx]

I had no idea the catoblepas was actually a documented creature; for the longest time I thought it was a monster Gary Gygax just made up.

[@AJPickett]

Truth is stranger than fiction. Well, maybe not in this case.

[@Thornspyre81]

Never played a Castlevania game?

[@dboot8886]

Half listening as Im doing this or that the one thing my brain picked was "cheese wars". I mean when you go back a few hundred years and look at how much tulips could fetch...

[@chaunceyshearinjr5997]

I look forward to this every day

[@Zasek2112]

The power of belief in the DnD world is important, gods die without it, so it probably shouldn't be understated that people widely believe these things are unlucky. Maybe lady luck turns her gaze away from these things for some reason? Maybe there is some hidden lore connecting them to gorgons lost to history?

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Zasek2112 I’ve never liked the idea that belief is required for a God I’m more on the opinion that they just like having sacrifices for Shear vanity

[@ToBeSchooled]

@@charlottewalnut3118 a god would be dead without belief. for such god wouldnt be known without the mythos

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Oberstruhmfuhrer Schrodinger They're both good tropes(psychic manifestation and wanton egomania).

[@kittn831]

Just subscribed for a kid who borrows my phone. He just got into d&d so great to be part of handing down the torch

[@AJPickett]

Awesome! :)

[@nicholassandmann7350]

The first time I heard of this creature was in "Aurora's whole realms catalogue" were you could order the cheese. :)

[@BigsZone]

Woot Woot More Lore for me to forget when i am running these monster.

[@zacharyhawley1693]

A voporal blade makes it easier after all. Its hard to miss all that neck.

[@zakosist]

Real life cows can have pretty bad breath as well, from experience visiting a farm. Kinda fitting. This is an interesting monster, the design resembles certain dinosaurs

[@Reddotzebra]

So in other words, my gnome druid could make a KILLING in the cheese business! He may not have as many ridiculous defensive spells as a cleric, but he can most certainly impersonate a floating mound, plus if I'm not mistaken the Regenerate spell **can** restore sight to those blinded. So he could settle down in that area for a few years, learn the tricks of the locals in exchange for healing those stricken, and then set up his own cheese making business.

[@CthulhuSauce]

Since nobody seems to be saying it, I'll say it... I think you misspelled the name on the title. Will definitely give this one a listen though, such a cool monster!

[@AJPickett]

THANK YOOOOUUUU! What would I do without helpful people like you Jon Snow? no sarcasm, thank you very much.

[@CthulhuSauce]

@@AJPickett just glad to be of service my lord. Thank you for all the great content!

[@AliasEliahus]

sees thumbnail* sweet Jesus he's bringing out the big guns this year

[@snorgonofborkkad]

I don’t know why but I love this creature. It’s just so bizarre. I also love how it’s not just a monster or two normal animals mixed together. I feel like that’s always the default for fantasy creatures which gets boring.

[@TerrariaGolem]

If you become a patron for AJ on Patreon, he does a plot twist, & gives you Eldritch Blast.

[@AJPickett]

You can also select vicious mockery.

[@TerrariaGolem]

@@AJPickett :o I already have it. It's how I cope with being unable to become your patron without a disposable income.

[@zacharyweaver276]

I could see someone using constructs or undead to milk them

[@iainzo7]

Give me that good lore into my veins.

[@bobross9016]

Feeding on carrion highly unusual? You can tell he doesnt live out west cows eat road kill all the time

[@AJPickett]

That ain't right

[@NethanielShade]

Hell yeah its 6:40 am and I’m listening to this on my drive to work

[@a.z.pantera5577]

I first saw this creature in FF15, when Prompto has Noctis take a selfie with one without dying.

[@HeartLockHex]

I love them. Such fantastic inspiration for my own videos and world.

[@greatconfabulator]

Just made a Legendary variant of this as a beef gate. They learned after the wizard got dropped.

[@AJPickett]

Great name by the way ("SPOON")

[@nicholasschoonbeck6866]

I never thought of Pliny's work as a youtube video, but you're exactly right. That's pretty great.

[@Jarethenator]

Thanks for covering this. There is a mini of this in the current Reaper Bones Kickstarter and I wasn't really sure what these were. For the record, it's a pretty cool mini and it's in the core set so it's going for cheap.

[@T3nch1]

Too bad this exotic beast rarely shows up in campaigns, I've actually yet to see one in a 5e game. So no Faerûn Limburger for me yet.

[@robertwilson2516]

Excellent I was wondering when you would do a video on the anti-Ki-rin. Yes I see the Catoplebas as the opposite of the Ki-rin.

[@griffdaddy5579]

Any thoughts on the benefits of Death cheese, maybe a +2 or +1d4 for con saves (Advantage seems way over powered) for 24 hours, Thanks to the healthy gut microbes

[@AJPickett]

Nope, it just tastes good and is expensive (5 gold per one pound loaf anywhere that borders the sea of fallen stars)

[@sanguiniusonvacation1803]

The roman who died in a volcano is back !

[@mytzyxptlyx]

Fucking Glorious

[@worldbigfootcentral3933]

Well done, Great job of covering one of my favorite swamp horrors!

[@krispalermo8133]

3 minutes in " Death Cheese, " 2gp/lb. made from Catoblepas milk. Had a green hag in one game which had two milk cows for cheese making, one was a half black dragon and the other was a green dragon. Guest it says more about the dragons, or the DM then it does about the hag or cows. Oh yeah, don't forget about the goats and sheep. Half black dragon mosquito swarms dealing acid damage each round was murderous.

[@Bossaru9000]

Half black dragon mosquitoes??? You're a twisted bastard and I love it.

[@Lazycandle]

Death cheese now I’d like to me a table of food buffs that last for a day or two might be a bit tedious tho keeping track of provisions and buff durations

[@maxthepaladin2147]

Deth cheese Brutal

[@beastwarsFTW]

Catoblepas and troglodyte both have the stench trait. Could trogs have catoblepases as livestock?

[@AJPickett]

They would most likely just smash their skull in and eat them... actually that applies to both species.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

AJ Pickett That was beautifull... ✨🦋💐🧚‍♀️🏞😪😈😂👌

[@ancientsway55]

The man of a million intros

[@YtubeSB]

Hmm so these monsters aren’t ideal challenges to a party with plenty of ranged options? Maybe I’ll give the catoblepas a Hag rider who casts the infestation cantrip to throw off positioning

[@saeyabor]

That is so perfectly horrible lmao

[@jacobfreeman5444]

Well, why wouldn't an entrenched hag have a herd of these beasts? Keep in mind that hags, while malevolently evil, are given to conducting trade. Maybe this is the legitimate trade the hag partakes in to get the more difficult to acquire items without alerting those busybody tramps known as adventurers?

[@Mournforthelost96]

I always thought it was pronounced like cat-toe-bull-pass.

[@williamkeith1180]

AJ says he makes videos in the morning for car rides ect. Me: you know me, all too well wise sage

[@alexandersmith9144]

Thinking about designing a world for Dungeons & Dragons “Basic” and using this series for inspiration! Maybe we could meet up one day and test out this brand new realm! 😁.

[@AJPickett]

I've been known to always carry some dice on me....

[@lelandgroutt8342]

The old ones had a death gaze in 2 e and was also found in the abysd

[@elflordyt6830]

I see this monster in ever castlevania since symphony of the night and now i know its lore

[@thegnarledpirate9198]

Good morning AJ Pickett! Also, video suggestion: Homebrew monsters Or The False Hydra

[@ernestlam5632]

It was describing a wildebeest AKA gnu.

[@AJPickett]

That's the other theory, I think it's less likely, there is also a theory they were describing the warthog.

[@Janshevik]

dunno why, but this monster was always interesting to me when I saw it in volo's

[@JayLeePoe]

Aw the more wicked depictions dang near look a bit like OG Smaug _My teeth, swords!_ *_My claws, spears!_*

[@TheMightyBattleSquid]

I never noticed the page turn at 12:18 before, you should try including that on purpose in your current videos. Very flavorful!

[@AJPickett]

Oh that is just me putting down one of my script pages (I accidentally printed this script out on 200 GSM paper because I had not swapped back to 80 GSM paper after printing off some papercraft terrain to cut and paste together), but now you mention it, heh, thanks for the feedback, I will be less concerned about such organic noises in future.

[@TheMightyBattleSquid]

@@AJPickett yeah, it adds to the ambiance! The only one I've ever found distracting was one where you did a LOUD slurp of your drink, seemingly on purpose. 😂 Not sure which older video specifically anymore, since I've been binging your stuff again, but it made me laugh at least.

[@ngcastronerd4791]

Unless my memory fails, in 2ed. Did they not have a death gaze? Save vs Death I believe? Crazy to think someone would milk that thing.

[@AJPickett]

Nerves of steal, and that is just tolerating the mosquitos.

[@spoonyluv19]

I imagine this is what you get when you cross a havalena with a giraffe.

[@AJPickett]

a Peccary eh? I would think more along the lines of a cursed warthog

[@leekyb3837]

Between Castlevania and Heroes of Olympus, I def knew how irritating these things are. But death cheese is new

[@almitrahopkins1873]

Death Cheese is from Aurora’s Catalog of the Realms. It was for 2nd edition and based on the Sears & Roebuck catalog from the very early parts of the 1900s. It’s an amazing book, if you can find one.

[@mrl9418]

A catoblepa is a black dragon's puffer fish

[@XXX_xxxxxxxx]

Aggggh! Honey, get the broom and the gas mask!!! There's a catoblepas in the house! Dammit, we'll never get that stench out!

[@AJPickett]

Smelly cow, smelly cow, what are they feeding you? Smelly cow, smelly cow, it's not your fault.

[@MsGhoulz]

Forgotten Realms may as well be renamed the Stinky Realms.

[@AJPickett]

The Farsea Marsh, aka, Bog of Eternal Stench.

[@homestar328]

I never thought I’d be entertained by a video about the catoblepas, but I was wrong.

[@jameswilliams2075]

Could a foolish young black dragon get killed by a group of catoblepas

[@loganmarshall5414]

Mount!!!!!!

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

🤢 For whom? A lich? Lizardfolk?

[@thedarkmaster4747]

*pictures every army running away in horror*

[@RighBread]

Cat-Oh-Blep-Us? I always read it in my head as Cat-Oh-Bull-Poss.

[@BlackWingedSeraphX]

I remember an enemy in FFX called this xD

[@AJPickett]

The image with the skeleton is that exact critter.

[@Melantrist]

Strange, I could swear that I've heard you talk about the catoblepas... Also, 3 int isn't that bad. Most animals have 1 or 2.

[@mrl9418]

This was called Nekrozon in ODnD! I think

[@ichaukan]

I think the first I ever heard of these was in a Castlevania game.

[@HerrKopplin]

Final Fantasy VI for me.

[@jameswilliams2075]

Gives it the breath and the death gaze

[@dragonballtalk8527]

I smell death cheese .you smell that .or is it half orc again

[@mal35m]

Half orc frantically waving his hands around himself. " No fair, not me, why u always blame me?".

[@dragonballtalk8527]

@@mal35m lol

[@omega311888]

im not trying to pick a fight but i believe your map is not up to date. the map you showed was 4e during the spell plague time. since 5e has come around, pretty much all of it is back to the way it was. found that info on forgotten realms wiki. otherwise, another great video, sir.

[@AJPickett]

Correct, I should be using the Sword Coast Adventures map instead (which I much prefer actually, I am a fan of Mike Schley's work and purchase his maps from his website. prints.mikeschley.com/p858006957

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

omega311888 Maybe the video is set in 4e Faerûn???

[@chriscalvin5083]

good video AJ