Rotgrip

Rotgrip is a giant albino crocolisk that swims the lake beneath Zaetar's Grave, the deepest chamber of Maraudon. He is an optional boss: most groups kill him after Princess Theradras by jumping off the bridge to her island into his water. He heals himself with every bite, so groups that are slow to kill him have a long fight on their hands.

Background

Crocolisks are the big reptiles of Azeroth's rivers and swamps. Rotgrip is an unusually old and pale one, living in the dark water under the princess's sanctum. The Dungeon Journal added in Cataclysm says he has lived in Maraudon's underground waters for thousands of years. The famous dwarf hunter Hemet Nesingwary once declared that nobody could find the beast; plenty of would-be trackers took that as a challenge, and none of them came back. A later in-game calendar line describes him as a great white crocolisk of myth.

His lake lies below Zaetar's Grave, the bright green chamber where Theradras waits. He swims through the water around her island rather than standing in one place.

Abilities

• Fatal Bite: a bite that heals Rotgrip for twice the damage it deals.
• Puncture: a bleed that deals Physical damage every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.

He has no magic, so the fight comes down to damage against healing.

Strategy

• Most groups deal with him last. After Theradras dies, jump from the bridge into the lake and pull him to the shore, so nobody fights him while swimming.
• He heals with each Fatal Bite, so bring all your damage at once instead of trickling it in. Effects that reduce healing, such as a warrior's Mortal Strike, help.
• The tank takes steady bleed damage from Puncture; the healer should keep them high, since a bite on a low tank followed by a Puncture tick can kill.

Loot

Rotgrip's three blue items each drop about a third of the time in our data, along with the usual [Theradric Crystal Carving].

All three need level 48. The axe [Gatorbite Axe] is a slow two-handed weapon whose hits can make the target bleed, much like Rotgrip's own Puncture. The [Albino Crocscale Boots] are leather boots with Stamina and Nature resistance, and the [Rotgrip Mantle] is a cloth mantle for casters.

Quests

No quest asks for Rotgrip in Classic. His Theradric Crystal Carvings count toward Twisted Evils for Willow.

Later history

Cataclysm (patch 4.0.3a) lowered his level to 39, and patch 7.3.0 updated his loot.

Sources

• Rotgrip - Warcraft Wiki