The Kuo-Toa's Secret Doomsday Weapon

[@DungeonDad]

Thanks for watching everyone! Be sure to check out this week's sponsor for all your seafaring needs! - shorturl.at/6gt63 ALSO, I totally forgot to mention this and didn't have time to add it in the video, but Stephanie Plays Games did a video for Kraken Week with a ton of aquatic encounter ideas and had some REALLY cool stuff to say about using kuo-toa in a campaign! Go check her video out here and show some love! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZ-7dqiNbd6Im8U

[@bolisops6280]

Hey, could you considee covering tha Phane in future. It's a really interesting monster from the epic level handbook and I'd love to see a 5e conversion.

[@cassidydelaney4318]

Hey have you have thought of doing any Mork Borg monsters? Because I know you done a few Pathfinder monsters, and I think it's be SO SICK to have some Mork Borg stuff in D&D.

[@CalicoShadowPlusCat]

@DungeonDad Where do you get the music for this episode? I want to use it as background music for my game!

[@pykeembers1575]

I like the idea of the Angler Kuo Toa Leviathan that I think I will use it in the one shot I am planning based off of Annihilation as a secret major threat. Hoping one day to see you cover Ethergaunts

[@TheIdealofGreed]

Day 33 if Darklight request, but in the tristanspaulding timeline it's day 115

[@BY-xd1yr]

Ohhhhhhh i love the Kuo-Toa. One of my favorite setups i had for them was a tribe of kuo-toa was thrown out of their homeland by some merfolk, so they migrated to a shoreline a few miles from a small fishing town with a lighthouse. Every night they saw the light house and interpreted it as a giant eye watching over them, and worshiped it as a god, until one day the light house just...got up. and walked away.

[@Xedlord]

That goes pretty hard

[@Salavax]

Yo that’s so funny and awesome

[@Vrikrar]

That is excellent

[@christophermitchell9739]

I saw fanart based on that concept once!

[@lax9586]

Light house was like aight imma head out.

[@cabalarcana6996]

I am unreasonably giddy that I'm not the only one who calls him Hewlett Packard Lovecraft

[@DungeonDad]

The REAL eldritch lore

[@homiedyl9726]

I was going to rewind the video but you've answered my question

[@SpinDoc420]

When I lived in RI in the late 90s, I took the tour of his home in Providence.. it was interesting for a fan but a bit of a snorefest for all but the staunchest fans.. an older English gentleman asked that very question ans legit thought that they were connected.... Have NEVER heard it since..UNTIL TODAY

[@finnsharma6331]

Lmao I completely missed that

[@maromania7]

I'm partial to "Hippo Potamus Lovecraft" atm, but there are many good ones XD

[@robertanna2693]

"This one has a scary lady on it." Right, scary. That's the emotion.

[@TheIdealofGreed]

I'm sure her personality is scary

[@Jw87563]

In all honesty, attractive women _are_ scary and intimidating.

[@Krishnath.Dragon]

I like to think that the Kuo-Toa were originally a failed creation of the Aboleth, who turned out so mentally unstable that the Aboleth eventually abandoned them.

[@SSJKirik]

It also seems like the main draw of the Kuo-Toa as a slave race would be their ability to conjure up whatever nightmares they had imagined, but focusing that seems to be impossible given their absolutely chaotic behavior.

[@Iamawsomeazing]

In my world they were originally a slave race created by the Aboleths who just have to be used very specifically, their insanity no more than a measure to keep them in check as good servents(making them easy to manipulate, granting their creators godlike powers and creating beasts of war by the design of the Aboleths)- and when the mindflayers slaved the Aboleth race they also took the Kuo'Toa, and recognizing their usefulness, spread them to every sphere they inhabited. With the downfall of the Illithid empire they spread in the wilds and created their own fractured cultures, forgetting their past and their powers, accidentally creating new gods in the process

[@lax9586]

Just imagine you are chilling in one of the godly realms and some squid looking thing just poofs into existence. It can only talk in burbles and keeps talking about some weird little fish people who keep talking about it. It is clearly confused and a bit frightened because it so old yet is zero seconds old.

[@knurdarcanix]

Dungeon Dad should definitely recreate the anti-phoenix into dnd 5e. It comes from a book called veins of the earth

[@santiagoparera5531]

Seconded, i really need it

[@arthurpprado]

One idea for a Kuo Toa-related warlock is someone who is reverred by a tribe of Kuo Toa, but instead of ascending into a Leviathan or an embryo of a deity, the Kuo Toa tribe accidentally creates a divine version of that character, whose powers can be partially accessed by the character due to their conflated identity. It would make sense that the divine version of the character turns out to just be a Kuo Toa leviathan

[@iliketurtles2531]

Oww a Kuo Toa origin sorcerer would be a neat concept as well.

[@dsproductions19]

Honestly, hearing about the Kuo Toa reminds me of the Warhammer Orcs that also imagine stuff into existence. That just makes me think how terrifying a hyper-intelligent Kuo Toa would be by harnessing that power in a more strategic way.

[@meeb_consumer]

BBEG time

[@nextcaesargaming5469]

Almost midnight and should be getting sleep? Nah, there's Dungeon Dad to watch!

[@MZAS2023]

same, same

[@nerdlingeeksly5192]

"Not only does it do a fish ton of damage..." I just 1d4 dad joke damage.

[@NertNeverlander]

Kuo-Toa, manifesting into existence gods, that drive sentient creatures into madness These gods, driving Kuo-Toa even more insane Profit!

[@gasparg643]

Madness fabric all steam!!

[@moshonn9318]

So, you're telling me Kuo-Toa are what happens when a 40k-Ork spreads their spores all over a batch of fish spawn... Yikes

[@gasparg643]

@@moshonn9318 that’s really funny

[@zachhessler9418]

The existence of this video is not going to deter me from another week of requesting the Anglerlich, an extradimensional entity that lures in adventurers with villainous “lures” to feast on their heroism.

[@cheatcode436]

#1. YES. He needs to cover that. #2: Where’s it from?

[@vilhelmpuddintain9295]

​@@cheatcode436It's from Veins of the Earth, a book about a reimagined Underdark filled with absolutely alien creatures and the sentient manifestation of caving-induced madness dogging your every step. Also, spending too long down there results in physical mutations and mental abberations; eventually, you won't want to leave, or even be able to leave. It's a great book overall, and is also made for old school D&D so the stat blocks included can be pretty easily ported to 5e on your own...

[@vilhelmpuddintain9295]

​@@cheatcode436Veins of the Earth, a reimagining of the Underdark filled with truly alien horrors, and the sentient manifestation of caving-induced madness dogs your every step. Light is so precious, it's the local currency. Stay too long, and you'll start to adapt. Eventually, you can't- or won't- leave. Wonderful book, and it's made for old-school D&D so it shouldn't be too hard to adapt it to 5e yourself! Don't wait for Papa to do it for you! X3x

[@MrShinjiTabris]

reminds me of the lich twins from Adventure Zone

[@canis2020]

I love these little freaks. They are like underwater 40k orks

[@harrymusson7266]

A friendly kuo toa clan that lives entirely inside a particularly gigantic leviathan would be an incredible encounter. They could have a tavern, ship builders, and of course a little temple where worshippers pray for their home to keep growing and be sustained by divine energy.

[@Calvados656]

"This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" "You gonna eat that?"

[@Kydrou]

"Delicious & Nutritious? Sold."

[@Captain1nsaneo]

I like Kuo-Toa, when you're a canonical outer god you can hijack them to give divinity to your warlock. Would have had him positioned take over Deneir's empty seat but in the DM's world the spell plague hadn't happened so it was still occupied. Was a heck of a first campaign.

[@JohanFaerie]

I can just imagine the party coming across a small group of Kua-Toagetting wrecked by Suaguin. They help the pitiful creatures and are reveared as heroes... Only to find out a week later that the group they saved have started kidnapping and sacrificing the local townsfolk for some reason.

[@WildDingoSage]

What if they've been sacrificing for the party who thanks to the powers of belief have been getting buffs from the rituals like water breathing and swim speeds and they have to choose to keep their buffs or stop the sacrificing

[@user-hs1xb9tv6e]

And just like that those crazy fish people became so much more terrifying. I love it.

[@expychristian]

And I mean this seriously: Thank you for the penultimate encounter of my campaign (last one is a Deep Spawn, also from your document). 🙏🙏🙏

[@Lee-yl4ul]

"Hewlett-Packard Lovecraft" was one of those offhand jokes that somehow hit just right, and had me absolutely dying

[@thegameknight8916]

...Are you telling me these things managed to create their own version of an *_Elder Evil?!_*

[@Warforged644]

Leviathans go deep enough to reach the Arbyss (Realm of infinite Arby’s meats)

[@mistformsquirrel]

Even though it wasn't playing, I heard Volbeat's Leviathan playing in my head throughout. >.> Possibly a sign of the sea madness. OR ASCENSION! IT COULD BE ASCENSION!

[@ian5395]

❤ Volbeat

[@matthewsanchez7953]

They're the 40k Orcs of the D&D seas lol. Paint it red and it *_will_* go faster!

[@DungeonDad]

Literally yes!

[@thatguyboymanek1530]

Dude, watching a vid on my favorite fish folk on my birthday!? Hell of a birthday present!

[@soultron4238]

🎉

[@gyanjury6753]

"Scary lady"? All I heard was goth dommy mommy

[@DungeonDad]

Things can be two things

[@ConcerninglyWiseAlligator]

Your h0rny ahh will end up as a Drider

[@HappyGoldfis]

​@@DungeonDad petition to make the next themed week "monsters I'm concerned I'm attracted to"

[@kacbcd]

​@@HappyGoldfis Seconded!

[@custos3249]

That's certainly one way to drop your search history on people.

[@TheIdealofGreed]

0:52 I saw that they live in the Derp Ocean, and I shall reject all statements to the contrary

[@Aquanios08]

You indirectly referring to the Kuo-Toa as the Murlocs of DnD gives me life! Always wished I could play as a Murloc in WoW :D

[@soultron4238]

Or are the Murlocs the Kua-Toa of WoW?

[@patricknorris9334]

Did I miss the part where you address the brutal black eye you're rockin?

[@EXC334]

These little gremlins are my absolute favorite. They itch my chaotic itch so well. And they are perfect to have as little chaotic breaks from the norm in a campaign.

[@HerrHahnchen]

Can I just say that thing you’re doing with the thumbnail is top-tier

[@superdimentiobrolyX]

a kuotoa MLM sounds like a really funny faction if leaned into the symbolism

[@yungo1rst]

14:30 shin godzilla protective membrane. Nice

[@ian5395]

The best Godzilla

[@honestkyn718]

My silly kuo toa idea is that they basically game the system. Due to the fact most dnd gods are technically Tulpas (literally dependent on thoughts and faith... which if you ask me makes them barely worthy of the term) the Kua Toa's madness basicly gives them the ability to skip the buildup and just make a god which will start the cycle of being fed faith making it stronger making new people belivie in it. Basically if it takes thousands of years for a god to be made... they somehow get right to "Gibblesnarf Exists and demands garbage" it also implies that any reinterpretation of a god will automatically happen if not stamped out.

[@thediethrower1803]

That makes a lot of sense. And, also brings up a hilarious campaign concept. A local, good aligned priest has taught some funny fish people he found washed up on the shoreline about his good aligned goddess. The fish folk took to this very quickly and are overall having a good time of it... and yet your party has been hired by the church to stop him and kill the fish guys because they're changing the goddess. For extra fun make it so while the goddess is being made more fishy and crazy she isn't actually becoming evil. Hell, to make it a moral quandary add that they're also making the goddesses's evil sister/brother/mom/dad or whatever other relation *good* via their mad assumption that if goddess is good all things related to her must also be good. So you have to weigh the cons of the goddesses's increasing madness vs the pro of an evil God changing alignment.

[@ref3rence889]

An episode on the yitzan would be fun. On top of just outright being a xenomorph, it’s also mimic-like in the best way.

[@sparky-xz1nb]

Imagine a city of Kuo-Toa leviathans.

[@tysondennis1016]

The kuo-toa willed their gods into existence. That’s pretty badass.

[@piedpiper1185]

I can never have a fight with Kuo-Toa without hearing the WoW murlock aggro sound in my head.

[@BlackSkul143]

New Dungeon Dad just dropped, everybody stop what your doing! This man's cooking ✋️

[@sylph4252]

The optional rules were exactly what I was waiting for the whole video - something to take it from fish Godzilla to an angel of a deep sea goddess

[@thomastalamini7801]

Great stuff DD. Quick fix, in the doc, the "Swallow" feature shows Tarrasque still in the description.

[@Shoyro]

Just for the unaware, people these days refer to giant monsters like Godzilla as "Kaiju" as a catch-all word to describe Godzilla sized monsters.

[@GarGhuul]

Beware the Ranger whose “Favoured Enemy” is Kaiju.

[@custos3249]

Sounds antisemitic

[@Icefox96-5]

​@@custos3249what the fuck are you on that a Japanese term is anti-Semitic

[@Shoyro]

@@custos3249 Kaiju is Japanese for Giant Monster.

[@custos3249]

@@Shoyro >>>the joke>>>> You

[@Dinidan]

I do like the idea of wrapping up a characters story by having them be part of a ritual to become a kaiju for the final battle before the call of the ocean forces them to leave.

[@thediethrower1803]

In a campaign I played in once, due to some amazing persausion rolls, and handing them some of his weed - our druid gained a Kuotoa following. He therefore became a god, and slowly gained more powers throughout the campaign.

[@chrispyk4456]

11/10, thank you for putting a functional Magic Eye in your video.

[@cernunnos_lives]

This reminds me about Warhammer 40K Orc Wah psychic effects caused by their beliefs. Like their beliefs in red painted vehicles going faster (or how their weapons and mechanics shouldn't work but incredibly do). This gives me an idea about how Kuo-Toa could believe in a powerful weapon or golem they believed into existence. This is a fantastic upload brother.

[@whoadude30]

Koa-Toa are always some of my favorite creatures. I remember paging through my fathers old Fiend Folio trying to find new monsters to fill a campaign I was making and settling on its rendition of the Koa-Toa, they're always just such fascinating creatures.

[@alyxtheexorcist]

Imagine this thing along with a siege crab attacking a modestly sized coastal settlement.

[@blights5468]

“Let them fight”

[@dudeguy1049]

Huh. I remember the thing I heard was what drove Kuo-Toa insane was the Aboliths, and their obsession with Gods comes from the Gods defeating the Abolith originally. Neat to know their own lore is just as crazy as themselves.

[@luiken3]

I've been using Kua-Tuo as minions of an Aboleth in my D&D game. Except, they are in a coastal swap instead of the sea, meaning I can use the Angler Lure out in the dark woods, where a giant angler fish would not be expected. Thank you for this!

[@Nonamearisto]

From this day onwards, everyone's impression of Kuo-Toa is irreversibly affected by the Baldur's Gate 3 BOOOAL scene. If they pray hard enough they can will all sorts of things into existence. Like a giant space millipede. Or the Oomoo.

[@sandyramhoff8137]

in my head: those monsters look like they sound that one monster from hearth stone exact sound I'm thinking of plays 10 seconds later

[@pedrobmf262]

Definitely gonna use this for the Underdark equivalent of my Undersea Kingdoms setting

[@flare1172]

I have a homebrew Kuo-Toa character ready to go at the moment. His name is Karlos and he is a sorcerer who got his powers by simply saying he is magical, his tribe believed him and just like that he got sorcerer powers… he unfortunately forgot to specify WHAT magic powers he had and ended up with wild magic… and promptly blew his tribe up with a wild magic surge. He now adventures partially to control his powers, and mostly to put as much distance between him and the remainder of his tribe that wasn’t in the blast radius.

[@Howlflame]

I'm getting a game together, and coupling a Kuo-Toa Leviathan up with meeting Reef Giants would probably be REALLY COOL!

[@joshuakanapkey6570]

Absolutely LOVE the Angler Leviathan!

[@theblackoutexplorer2658]

I am immediately being reminded of 40k orks after that prelude

[@skeepodoop5197]

The Underdark wouldn't be D&D's Australia without (giant) deadly creatures just off the coast, would it?

[@octaviawakeman1080]

Thank you for letting me beat Elden ring, i was grinding against Elden beast for like five hours cuz im bad at this game, but your video in the background allowed me to focus and beat it.

[@rickn6923]

So do we have your blessing… or do we have BOOOOOOOOOOAAALLL’s blessing!

[@MZAS2023]

Hot damn @DungeonDad, I recently got back into some youtube creators I hadn't watched in a minute. I gotta say, I have always loved your content and humorous bits (the EVA opening for the Spirit Warrior video had me in physical pain from how good that was) but your latest intros and production are SO well done! Don't know how you keep giving us great content this consistently, but thank you!

[@DungeonDad]

Thanks so much!

[@kpeckham1]

I LOVE Blipdoolploop's name! I can't say where but I read the name came from purposely making it sound like bubbling water and have embraced that as a pronunciation guide. So fun to say!!!

[@Hey.imabeluga]

Cool kraken week 👍

[@cody1570]

they are literally deep ones from cthulhu and so insane i love them. one of my top 3 favorite races! also. the leviathan toa, i gave him the ability to not only scoop up smaller toas but to shoot them like a spit wad. they show up spitting them out in a cone of 40 ft and he keels a couple of em for spit wad shots....

[@OMGSAMCOPSEY]

Kua Toa are just feel like in game players. If everyone at the table agrees it exists. It exists.

[@maxthompson1997]

I'm Irish and just hearing fish n chips made me hungry. But only if it's from a random shop on the harbor coated in vinegar and salt wrapped in newspaper

[@ChrisTheWeak]

Just so you know, the google doc has a couple of errors. The swallow attack refers to the tarrasque when talking about total cover against attacks and other effects outside. There is a second space between the word "The" and "kuo-toa" at the start of the Swallow attack. The insight and perception skills are not calculated using proficiency bonus correctly. Using the given perception bonus the passive perception should be 22, using an expected proficiency bonus it should be 20, and using expertise it should be 25. The corresponding perception skill scores are 12, 10, and 15. Reflexive Dodge is written in language not standard to 5e, in more 5e terms it should be written closer to, "When the kuo-toa is hit by an attack while it is submerged in water, the kuo-toa moves up to half its swim speed in a straight line in any direction without provoking attacks of opportunity." The language regarding trigger and response is not a convention in typical 5e statblocks. In any case, great video, hope there's more cool creatures on the way!

[@seth8121]

Plot twist. What if the Kuo-toa gods were always in existence but Kuo-toa were the first beings to discover them without going completely insane to the point of dying.

[@MoonGoblin]

A Kuo Toa Leviathan vs Aboleth fight would be epic. Kaiju battles are rad. Krakens are a bit tougher on average but a younger kraken would probably be a close enough fight

[@derskalde4973]

Was a while since I last read it, but I think the unfathomable patron could work for such a warlock.

[@jgr7487]

Hot (or mild) take: the Kuo-Toa don't have gods, they have patrons.

[@anonomusperson]

insane fish people. they somehow materialize gods... bbeg makeing up gods they want, introduceing them to kuo-toa, gets sacrifiesed in the name of new god, and now party has to deal with a new god

[@theDeanDanger]

From Beyond is truly wild

[@lidular]

Im planning a campaign where the kua toa are used as foot soldiers by the aboleths. This is perfect

[@cameronpearce5943]

Badass alternate timeline where a Kuo-Toa hero sacrificed themselves to become a Leviathan and fight Demogorgon during Rage of Demons/Out of the Abyss in an epic kaiju battle. Fish Vs Monke

[@GarGhuul]

I DO consider myself a land-lubber. And there is a good reason for that.

[@peepopopo7140]

Regardless of the cosmology of your world, Kuo-Toa present an existential crisis to the people and gods of it. Sure, it's easy for most people to dismiss them as just another violent monster race, but those who have looked into it may learn about Blipdoolpoolp and some of the other gods they have created. This begs the question: if gods can be created by mortals, can they truly be called gods? Are the Kuo-Toa reality warpers who can't fully control their powers? Or maybe they aren't that special. We were all raised to believe the gods created us, but maybe it's the other way around... Anyway, cool video! Love big fish guy

[@KDoodleNoodle99]

Convincing the Kuo Toa I was their god was my favorite part of BG3

[@alexoxotv]

kuo-tao vs 40k orks would be madness

[@torazely]

i actually have a goddess who was born from the kuo-toa in my homebrew world. the world held a balance between four gods, each with their own domain and history. the kuo-toa, however, didn't seem to follow any of them. but after being saved by a firbolg monk once, they saw her as a powerful god, thus accidentally granting her apotheosis into godhood.

[@rinthewolf]

Did anyone else see the thumbnail and think "what Is a mutant Magikarp doing in DnD"?

[@OmneAurumNon]

"The Kua-Toa are so crazy that they invented gods that don't exist and then actually believe in them" As humans, I'm not sure we have much room to judge them for that

[@philippschmidt9499]

One of my players rolled a 26 on a history check and I had to improvise some lore about a fish cult. I made the mistake of calling their deity "the great swallower", but at least I can just use the leviathans stats for it now.

[@BenGreen-ys6cm]

I like that in the cover art the guy is doing the surfer dude symbol🤙

[@morgantellez758]

I only just now pieced together that Kua toa are just d&d's 40k orks

[@netherwalker1762]

That's right, and Arby's will take you on anytime! WE HAVE DA MEATZ! AND APPARENTLY KUO-TOA'S LEVIATANS!

[@Kakkarot211]

kuo-toa mlm scheme is such an amazing idea

[@nascenticity]

i like that the kuo toa basically work like most human societies irl (deities not provably real, nobody sure how much of their history is made up) but bc it’s in a dnd setting it seems crazy and ridiculous. makes me wonder if someone transported to our world from a dnd world would think we’re crazed and ridiculous too.

[@Manandmonkey]

Kua Toa are such a whacky enemy, I love seeing content for them!

[@DominusHydra40k]

The Kuo-Toa are so fun.

[@cyanfudge5642]

All hail the fish people

[@Comrade2261]

Damn this is a pleasant surprise. I was watching Ed Greenwood's recent vid, when I caught this. Lol.

[@nikolibarastov4487]

So you're telling me for the better part of 20 years I have failed to use the kuato as 40K orks in D&D?

[@charlesrockafellor4200]

I saw the same parallel, but didn't think of obvious possibilities. Dude, I love it! Just picture Kuo-toa building rickety Spelljammers from regular shipwrecks lashed together with seaweed and barnacles, yet plying the aether with them by sheer bloody-minded-insistent belief -- maybe even breaking through to the Astral and causing trouble for the Gith. (I'm familiar with 3.x and earlier, so I can only hope that this makes sense in 5.x language.)

[@thermalvision203]

This channel has introduced me to a lot of cool monsters, so I'd like to return the favor: you should research the Gem Dragons for a future video. My favorite of them is the Obsidian Dragon, though I think what little lore it got in 2E and 3E didn't do a good job of exploring the concept of a psionic, fire-breathing dragon with a god-like inellect, primarily because the Obsidian Dragons were a victim of the rather rigid morality system of old DnD which pigeonholed all Obsidian Dragons into being le evil mustache twirling villains even though realistically, their immense minds should if anything, make them more alien cosmic entities than outright evil. Leave it to WotC to invent something as cool as Obsidian Dragons only to completely forget about them for 20 years.

[@Axioanarchist]

Interesting timing! My NWN server's Underdark just had one of these guys accidentally released from its ancient prison and is now wandering around somewhere.

[@pikapuffin368]

I had a game with an underwater section that would’ve loved these guys and the kuo-toa in general. Now I know!

[@ThatReplyGuy]

For those wondering, the Magic Eye image is a small group of fish.

[@wordsofwinter]

All i can think of now is someone tricking the Kua-toa into believing this rando is a warlock, thereby making the whole tribe the Patron. Just gotta return to the village once a year or so to remind them what a powerful warlock s/he is to keep the magic coming

[@rxdice]

A friend and I revamped kuotoa to be so imaginative that they can summon dreams into physical being ❤ love those little guys