The rothé is a primarily subterranean herd animal, resembling a small hairy ox. It is popularly raised for its meat by species inhabiting the Underdark.
Variant breeds include the white ghost rothé, which can produce magical silence; and deep rothé, which can manifest dancing lights.
"Rothé" is pronounced "ro-THAY".[5]
Description[]
Appearance[]
The rothé is a small cattle species covered in shaggy black hair. They possess horns, which they can use to defend themselves.[1] They have dark green or black horns which are ivory on the inside. They often have yellow or pink eyes. Male and female rothé are difficult to tell apart.[2]
Personality and alignment[]
They are shy, and have an aversion to bright light.[1] They are not particularly intelligent. They scout the area where they graze to avoid dangers such as cliffs, and have an instinct to avoid being surrounded or herded around. They also dislike being immersed in water, and are easily corralled on small islands.[2]
Abilities and traits[]
Most rothé have little in the way of special abilities, although they can regenerate missing horns easily, and within a season even regenerate lost limbs. They can also be particularly dangerous on a charge with their horns, as well as in mass stampedes. They are so strong-willed that mind-affecting charm spells used against them have markedly delayed effect.[2]
The rare white ghost rothé can deploy silence, and has particularly deadly horns, and the exceptional ability to jump.[3]
The stocky deep rothé can create dancing lights in order to communicate with others at a distance, with the color and movement of the lights conveying different concepts. Deep rothé can also see in the dark, and are resistant to mold, fungi, spores, and cold damp. The surface rothé, also called high rothé, are somewhat larger.[2]
Ecology[]
Environment[]
Ghost and surface rothé are most commonly found in cold lands. The deep rothé have an aversion to bright light, and so generally live underground. They prefer to live near water sources, such as an underground lake or river.[1][3]
Diet[]
Their preferred food is lichen and moss.[1] They especially enjoy sweetgrass, berries, and flowers.[2]
Society and culture[]
Relationships and family[]
Organization[]
Rothé live in herds, which work together peacefully for the common welfare. They assist each other by having some keep lookout while others eat and sleep. They sleep standing up.[2]
Enemies[]
Deep rothé often have to contend with subterranean predators, such as stirges.[2]
Treasure[]
Harvesting[]
Deep rothé meat is a major food source for drow, duergar and other species of the Underdark.[2] Rothé meat is tasty, even by human standards.[6]
In addition to serving as a source of meat, their hide can be dyed and used to bind books.[7][8] Their hair and milk also valuable staples.[9] Their hide can be used to make such things as tents, shields, and warm cloaks, and their horns are highly prized. Rothé bone is strong and durable, but dries out and becomes brittle after a few years.[2]
Rendered rothé fat can be used to make a potion of vitality.[2]
Trained rothé are also used as mounts, particularly in the winter, and can be trained to do other tasks such as hauling or pulling a plough. Training one to pull a plough takes around ten days, and to serve as a mount takes 40 to 70 days.[10][2] They are particularly rare in wildspace, where they are worth as much as 150 gp.[11]
Cultural significance[]
The tavern called The Drunken Rothé in Mulmaster is so named because it was nearly destroyed by a drunken rothé unloaded from a ship. How the rothé got drunk is unknown.[12]
Publication history[]
AD&D 1st edition[]
The rothé first appeared in the Fiend Folio (1e) (1981), p.76.
AD&D 2nd edition[]
Full statistics for the rothé appear in FOR2 The Drow of the Underdark (2e) (1991), including the surface rothé, ghost rothé and deep rothé, although only the deep rothé is fully detailed. The missing descriptions for the ghost and surface rothé appear in The Everwinking Eye, Polyhedron #75 (Sep 1992), p.11.
D&D 3rd edition[]
The rothé are detailed in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (3e) (2001), p.313-314. They make an official 3.5 appearance in Expedition to Undermountain (2007), p.169.
D&D 4th edition[]
Deep rothé are briefly mentioned in Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue (2012), but do not receive full game statistics, presumably as fourth edition players are not expected to fight herds of cattle.
D&D 5th edition[]
Rothé are briefly mentioned in such books as Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (2015) and Out of the Abyss (2015). They receive statistics in Volo's Guide to Monsters (2016), where they are the same as the cow, but with darkvision, and the deep rothé have additional abilities.
Creative origin[]
The rothé is likely inspired by real-life cattle such as the musk ox.
Reception and influence[]
The rothé appears as a common early-game enemy in NetHack. They provide 100 nutrition.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Fiend Folio (1e) (1981), p.76.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 FOR2 The Drow of the Underdark (2e) (1991).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (3e) (2001), p.313-314.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Volo's Guide to Monsters (2016), p.207-208.
- ↑ Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd, Dragon #93 (Jan 1985), p.24-30.
- ↑ TSR Jam 1999 (1999), p.22.
- ↑ FR4 The Magister (1988), p.26.
- ↑ FOR8 Pages from the Mages (1995), p.50.
- ↑ Slavers (2000), p.30.
- ↑ FR5 The Savage Frontier (1988), p.31.
- ↑ An Artist's Errand, Dungeon #45 (Jan/Feb 1994), p.23.
- ↑ Everwinking Eye, Polyhedron #67 (Jan 1992), p.23.