Kuo-Toa (5e Race)

## **Kuo-Toa**

"They invent their own gods... The very definition of insanity."

-Sabal Mizzrym of Menzoberranzan

### Physical Description

Kuo-Toa are humanoid piranhas, with very slippery skin, and are around the same height and weight as humans, though they tend to be a little bit shorter most of the time. They have rubbery skin, which can be a very distilled purple, yellow, steel-grey, a bluish color, distilled red, or almost completely black. Their eyes can be red, yellow, green, or black, and they are large like the eyes of non-humanoid fish. They possess no hair of any kind, however, they have both fins on the tops of their heads, and the males have beard-like bits of flesh on their chins.

### History

Kuo-toa are degenerate fishlike humanoids that once inhabited the shores and islands of the surface world. Long ago humans and their ilk drove the kuo-toa underground, where they dwell in madness and everlasting night. Kuo-toa can no longer abide daylight. At the height of the illithid empire, the mind flayers captured kuo-toa by the thousands and forced them into bondage. The kuo-toa were simple creatures, never meant to endure the oppressive mental force the illithids unleashed against them. By the time the mind flayers abandoned them, the prolonged psychic subjugation endured by the kuo-toa had driven them mad.

### Society

Kuo-toa create their own gods, by a process in which the energy of their collective subconscious manifests a being the kuo-toa worship into reality. Their gods are served by archpriests, which are the leaders of kuo-toa societies, and just below the archpriests and kuo-toa warriors, known as whips, that command the other kuo-toa. Below the whips are officers, known as monitors, which use deadly unarmed strikes to subjugate other kuo-toa to the archpriest's will.

### Relationships

Kuo-toa are disliked by many races, but the ones who hate them the most are the drow. Ever since the day the two races met, they have tried to kill one another on sight, making kuo-toa and drow friendships be close to impossible. Illithids also have a disdain towards kuo-toa, believing them to simply be slaves that should have died out long ago.

### Kuo-Toa Names

Kuo-toa names consist of three parts, a first name, a family name, and a clan name. The first name is often used like a nickname for the individual, the family name is similar to humanity's last names, and clan names are from their society. They are all strung together into one name when spoken together, such as Galiefeddlemosh. Clan names are typically four letters long, but the other names have no such restrictions.

**Male First:** Chiros, Kernan, Screll, Fernios

**Female First:** Galie, Arachi, Wara, Quenti

**Family Names:** Feddle, Carion, Rebar, Forion

**Clan Names:** Mosh, Rein, Quar, Piak

### Kuo-Toa Traits

Insane god-creators, kuo-toa can be very versatile allies, especially when they have reached epic power levels.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength, Constitution, and Intelligence scores increase by 1.

***Age.*** Kuo-toa live for twice as long as humans, however, due to the hatred towards them, as well as their own fragmented minds, many do not live for that long. They are considered mature by 10 years of age.

***Alignment.*** Kuo-toa's insanity drives them towards Chaotic alignments, leaning towards Evil.

***Size.*** Kuo-toa are only slightly smaller than humans on average, and weigh about the same. Your size is Medium.

***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Your base swimming speed is 30 feet.

***Amphibious.*** You can breathe both air and water.

***Superior*** ***Darkvision.*** You have 120 ft. of Darkvision.

***Slippery Skin.*** You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to escape a grapple.

***Otherwordly Perception.*** You can sense the presence of any creature within 30 feet of it that is invisible or on the Ethereal Plane. You can pinpoint such a creature that is moving. Additionally, you have proficiency in Perception.

***Sunlight Sensitivity.*** You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, and Undercommon.

## Race-Exclusive Feats

### **Monitor Training**

*Prerequisite: You must be a kuo-toa.*

You have trained your body to allow you to strike with ferocity that most are unable to, with your fists. Other kuo-toa will recognize your abilities as a monitor, and fear you.

* Your unarmed strike damage die is increased to a d6, if it is lower.
* While not wearing armor, your armor class is equal to 12 plus your Dexterity modifier. You may wield a shield and still benefit from this.

### **Archpriest Training**

*Prerequisite: You must be a kuo-toa.*

Your mind has been blessed by a god, granting you divine abilities beyond other kuo-toa. Other kuo-toa will recognize your abilities as a archpriest-in-training, and respect or fear you.

* You learn two cantrips from the cleric spell list, and can cast them at will.
* You can cast *detect magic, sanctuary,* and *shield of faith*. After casting any combination of them twice, you must take a long rest before using them again. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.