Breaking News: Kuo-Toa Not Froggy Anymore

[Aeolius]

So the bactrian Deep Ones have two humps, right?

Yes. As opposed to the dromedary Deep Ones.

"Ah well, a dromedary has one hump and a camel has a refreshment car, buffet, and ticket collector."

 

[Desdichado]

Curse you, mmadsen! Batrachian! I knew that didn't sound right when I typed it.

 

[Kunimatyu]

Batrachian:

ba·tra·chi·an
adj.
Of or relating to vertebrate amphibians without tails, such as frogs and toads.
n.
A vertebrate amphibian.

 

[small pumpkin man]

People are thinking way too narrowly if they think the game only has room for one fish-person race.

Kuo-toa are the hideous dwellers in the dark deapths, creatures of madness who shun the light and revile suface-dwellers. They're clerics and psionicists and wizards and sorcers, spellcasting creatures of alien knowledge. They are deep-sea fanglyfish Lovecraftian horrors.

Shahagin are the predators in the shoals, murderers who delight in blood and get driven into a frenzy at the promise of prey. They're rangers and fighters and barbarians, warriors of tooth and fin. They are shark-people, barracuda-people, piranha-people.

Locathah are the foreigners, the "people of the sea," locals who don't trust the PC's, but who trust the sea devils even less. They just want to be left alone to be fishy in peace. They're not really combatative classes, and when they are, they're more like rangers and druids -- hunters and gatherers, not warriors and madmen.

Merfolk are the intermediaries, the "betwixt two worlds" people, who have an affection and kinship with the landbound races, but who delight in their oceanic existence all the more. They are the artisans and the muses, the romance of the sea. They're the bards and the artists, masters of pearl and waterfall and grotto.

Nereids are the aquatic fey, inscrutable creatures who represent the mystery of the world beneath the waves. They represent the water itself, they are the spirits of lakes and rivers, creatures who will destroy you if you taint them, creatures who will amuse themselves by drowning you, creatures who want to flood the world, if they can. They're faerie spellcasters, full of elemental wrath.

Ixixachitl are the demonic bottom-dwellers, the "devil rays" who exist entirely independant of the land-dwellers, who don't care about what goes on beyond the waves of their ocean, and who demand absolute loyalty and affection inside of it. They represent the vast evil beyond the PC's grasp, an evil that doesn't even concern itself with land-bound activities except as incidentals, an evil whose goals are not going opposed by the PC's because it is unknown. They are secret and dangerous, undead, demonic, fiend-worshipping masters of dark magic.

There's plenty of room to make these guys distinct in all three major ways.

Of course, I wouldn't expect the MM1 to focus on 'em. Aquatic campaigns aren't common enough to get instant core support, I'd think. Kuo-toa are good fishy enemies, and I'd hope to see Merfolk for the mythological value, but beyond that, they can probably wait for future MMs.

All of those are good, except the Locathah, who don't seem to have anything interesting to do or to interact with the PCs about. I'd prefer for the Merfolk to kill them and take their stuff, that is, make them a bit more alien, a bit more "they look the same but are actually really wierd" and you're good to go.

 

[Aeolius]

All of those are good, except the Locathah, who don't seem to have anything interesting to do or to interact with the PCs about.

If you envision them as Creatures from the Black Lagoon, coupled with a bit of "Humanoids from the Deep", you'll know how they wish to interact with the PCs:

In my games, the offspring of locathah and humans are known as garibaldi.

 

[Desdichado]

Batrachian:

ba·tra·chi·an
adj.
Of or relating to vertebrate amphibians without tails, such as frogs and toads.
n.
A vertebrate amphibian.

Uh... yes. That's why I used that word.

Although I accidentally left a syllable off the first time I posted it.

 

[Desdichado]

Also, your games look like fun!

If I were in that game, I'd have a hard time stopping myself from singing everytime he described treasure we'd found.

"Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you say my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you say I'm a girl... a girl who has... everything?"

 

[Aeolius]

Wouldn't you say I'm a girl... a girl who has... everything?"

That's it... no banded bulbous snarfblatts for you!

"Get your head out of the clouds and back in the water where it belongs." - Sebastian

 

[Kunimatyu]

Uh... yes. That's why I used that word.

Although I accidentally left a syllable off the first time I posted it.

::shrug:: I posted at the same time you posted your clarification.

I think Darkest of the Hillside Thickets wins the award for best use of the word, though:
http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/d...s_52469/the_innsmouth_look_lyrics_547641.html

 

[Stogoe]

I'm loving all the 4e art so far. I love the new Kuo-Toa, compared to the froggy mess that was the 3e art.

Except for the quickling. Blech. That one is just outright horrible.