D&D 5E Is the Tarrasque tough enough?

[Quartz]

Big T is CR 30, but it seems to me to be easy meat for even mid-level archers, as long as they have magic arrows.

Consider a 11th level Dex 16 archer-style fighter with a +1 bow and +1 arrows. She attacks at +11 (+4 proficiency, +3 stat, +2 style, +2 weapons), hitting on a 14+ or 35% of the time, hitting for 8.5 damage (plus criticals). As long as she stays out of the way and doesn't run out of arrows she can keep plinking, getting an average of 1 hit a round. It will take ~75 rounds to down the beast but down it will go.

Bump the bow and arrows to +2 or bump the Dex to 20 and she hits on 12+ or 45% of the time. A 20th level Dex 20 archer with +3 bow and +3 arrows hits on a 6+ or 75% of the time. The latter archer will be hitting for 46.5 HP per round (plus criticals), so Big T will go down in ~15 rounds.

Not so tough really, is it?

 

[KarinsDad]

Hire a Young White Dragon. Problem solved.

 

[SigmaOne]

That's a lot of magic arrows, and the Tarrasque can use its bonus action to move twice as fast as any PC, meaning it can chase a person down and knock just about any obstacle out of the way without losing time. So, unless the PC is dashing, it should catch them pretty quickly. Certainly within 10-15 rounds. Of course, having a 4-5 member group of similarly capable creatures balances the odds significantly toward the party's favor.

Not to mention, having a +3 bow and a ton of +3 arrows is an extraordinary circumstance with magic items scaled as they are in 5e.

 

[Tormyr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb5U_JgZFxQ

Use fear effect to scatter party.
Use legendary actions to close distance.
Pick up one character and chuck it into the next zip code.
Attack next character.
Bite, swallow, done.

 

[Astrosicebear]

The Tarrasque will decimate the party the first time, as it should. It shouldnt be used "theres a tarrasque attacking waterdeep". It should be an "OMG what is that thing?!" moment.

Let the party get slaughtered, then have them regroup and figure out a way to take it down.

Tarrasque has 1 weakness... the DM.

 

[KarinsDad]

That's a lot of magic arrows, and the Tarrasque can use its bonus action to move twice as fast as any PC, meaning it can chase a person down and knock just about any obstacle out of the way without losing time. So, unless the PC is dashing, it should catch them pretty quickly. Certainly within 10-15 rounds. Of course, having a 4-5 member group of similarly capable creatures balances the odds significantly toward the party's favor.

Not to mention, having a +3 bow and a ton of +3 arrows is an extraordinary circumstance with magic items scaled as they are in 5e.

I agree that magic weapons tend to be rare. Hence the reason I suggested hiring the white dragon. On the whole, it might just be cheaper.

But, a single archer with a Levitate spell on him would suffice. Sooner or later, even the 3 Int Tarrasque is going to figure out to move on.

And I am not sure how the Magic Weapon spell would work with bows yet without the DMG. Is the normal arrow shot from a magic bow magical? If not, then it would be costly to purchase enough +1 or better arrows.

Levitating and the Magic Weapon spell combined (if this worked) would require two spell casters (concentration), but they could be 3rd level casters.

 

[Derren]

As I have said in the preview, a guy with a flying carpet and lots and lots of alchemist fire would be enough to kill the Tarrasque.

Or send a single clay golem after it. Big Ts can only run away then.
Actually there are a lot of things in the MM which can defeat the Tarrasque.

Tarrasque has 1 weakness... the DM.

Objectively it has a lot of weaknesses. Low int, no ranged attack, no magical weapons (more of a problem versus other monsters than the PCs) and, compared to its previous incarnations, no regeneration.

 

[Sunseeker]

75 rounds is a long time. Even if the entire 5-man party is made up of this theoretical archer, you're still looking at 15 rounds. That's +/-15 turns for the Tarrasque, which given it's abilities will likely be plenty of time to annihilate the party.

 

[Quartz]

A longbow has a huge range - 150 before you get disadvantage, and 600 if you take the feat. The Tarrasque only has a speed of 40. So the archer is utterly safe.

 

[Zaukrie]

Needs lair, terrain, type effects......and trample, really needs trample.