Lore: Enemies of the Elves
Climbing the chasms deep within the Underdark, quaggoths are savage, brutal creatures. Despite their lack of intelligence, they used to reside upon the surface as nocturnal hunters. Elves appeared and drove the quaggoths to near extinction, forcing them to flee into the Underdark for survival.
Their time in the dark did more than change the color of their fur. The exposure to constant danger and bizarre magics transformed them, making them far more brutal and savage – not to mention cannibalistic. Eventually, their own history vanished, and all that remained were the monsters.
Because of their conflict with surface elves, drow elves have an easy time making use of quaggoths. They’ve even taken to breeding them, strengthening their obedience and ferocity, as well as their hatred. The richest drow own hordes of the monsters, using them to attack surface elf enclaves.
Among the quaggoths, there are those that absorb psionic energy. When a tribe discovers one with such abilities, they’re pressed into the role of shaman, otherwise called a Thonot. They are in charge of keeping the tribe’s lore and ensuring their tribe’s superiority. Should they slain, they will be devoured in the hope that their power passes to a more worthy member.
They’re also immune to poison. So there’s that.
This lore is… just okay. You can write some pretty decent encounters with it, maybe a sidequest or two, but nothing ambitious or exciting beyond that. At best, these guys are a spice to add flavor to a drow-themed campaign.
Design: Death is Sickly Green
These guys could use a bit more sunlight. Their complexion is even worse than mine.
Honestly? I’m not entirely sure what to make of this design. It’s not the least creative or interesting we’ve ever seen. But at the same time, I feel like I’ve seen it a thousand times before.
It doesn’t really leave much to talk about. It sure is a monster. But all that really sets it apart from your standard lycanthrope is its coloring. Sure, it’s a unique color for a beast like this, but it really doesn’t do a whole lot in the grand scheme of the look.
Is it intimidating? Yeah, sure. But compared to some of the more iconic designs in the Monster Manual, it definitely leaves something to be desired. I’d still rather face this than a Beholder or a Gibbering Mouther.
Again: it’s not a bad design. But it’s still far from exceptional. It’s not the kind of look that’s going to stick with you after the encounter ends.
Speaking of encounters…
Stats: Activating Rage
Another boring brute. Hooray. Well, at least it has one ability of note.
For the most part, this monster is as simple as it gets. Neither its AC or HP are particularly impressive, so killing it isn’t that hard. Though it’s immune to poison damage, so there’s that. Aside from that, all its got is its claws, which don’t do all that much damage. It’s far from a dangerous creature.
That is, until you drop its HP beneath 10.
Wounded Fury is its final trump card. With this, it gains advantage on all attack rolls and deals an extra 7(2d6) damage to any target it hits.
Oh god, it’s got Marvel VS Capcom 3 X-Factor!
While simple, this can make for a decent enough early-game boss fight. You know, like the ones in video games that eventually become normal enemies. What better way to scare the players than have the enemy they just spent six rounds whittling down suddenly go Super Saiyan? Aside from that, it’s as bland as it gets.
Now, if you want to spice things up, there is a variant of this monster. The Quaggoth Thonot is a version of this creature capable of casting magic. Spells such as:
- At will: feather fall, mage hand
- 1/day each: cure wounds, enlarge/reduce, heat metal, mirror image
Does that add the flavor we’re looking for? That it does! Those few extra spells add a whole new layer of challenge and strategy to the fight. Once those spells are up, though, its back to the same slugfest.
Placement
This is an okay entry. Its lore is pretty good and its stats make for a pretty decent early game fight, but it’s design is lacking. Even the areas in which it’s strong aren’t especially good. It passes every grade, but it ain’t gonna win any awards.
With all that in mind, the Quaggoth is going to #118 on the Best of the Bestiary!
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- Quaggoth <————
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