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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dave2008" data-source="post: 9174369" data-attributes="member: 83242">[ATTACH=full]318290[/ATTACH]Tiamat by Chris Rahn[spoiler=Designer Notes]I am always looking for new and more interesting ways to stat my favorite dragon and recently I was think about her OG stat block and the recent artwork from the MTG set (see image above) and they inspired me to make this new ultimate version of the Queen of the Dragons. Unlike previous versions of Tiamat, with this version I am treating her more like she was in 1e and even more specifically 5e (post Fizban's) where she is a dragon of immense power similar to a god's, but a dragon fist.  Here are my other versions in this thread:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Takhisis: <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/5e-updates-monstrous-compendium.672508/post-8821561" target="_blank">Dragon Queen</a> (Mythic, CR 30)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/5e-updates-monstrous-compendium.672508/post-8368786" target="_blank">Tiamat</a> (Elite, CR 32)</li> </ul>Tiamat (1e Monster Manual)[ATTACH=full]318992[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]318993[/ATTACH][/spoiler]CHROMATIC DRAGON (Tiamat) - WIP[HR][/HR]The progenitor of chromatic dragons, Tiamat embodies the vices of her evil dragon offspring. She rules the first plane of the Nine Hells (this is disputed by the archdevils in charge of the infernal bureaucracy of Hell) from her mountainous domain where she spawns all of evil dragonkind. She hates all good as fiercely as she loves cruelty and hoards wealth. She is seldom (10%) outside her lair, but occasionally she comes to earth to Prime Material to place a new dragon or to seek more treasure. Though she seldom engages directly in conflicts, she is a terror on the battlefield, capable of annihilating whole armies with her five breath weapons, her formidable spellcasting, and her fearsome claws.Tiamat is an enormous dragon with five heads, one for each type of chromatic dragon, massive wings, and a long tail that ends in a barbed tip. Her body alone (not including her necks, wings, and tail) is over 120 feet long and a creature forty feet tall or less can easily pass between her legs. Although her sheer size prevents claw attacks, Tiamat can bite with all five of her heads and sting with her tail at the same time, breathe with one or more of these heads or cast spells with one or more of her heads at the same time. Tiamat's heads are white, black, green, blue, and red. Her breath weapons correspond to the color of each head. These colors run the length of each neck and into the forepart of her body as stripes, blending into  deep red-purple wing color over her shoulders, torso, and hind quarters, and merging into a muddy dark brown tail. Her underbelly and legs are brownish yellow fading into her upper body colors.Primordial Dragon. Tiamat is a primordial dragon, one of two such creatures in existing. She is entity of unfathomable age and immense power, originally surpassing that of even the great deities of the Outer Planes. Although her precise origin is unclear, she existed before the Prime Material Plane and was, in concert with her brother Bahamut, instrumental in creating the it. When Tiamat and Bahamut forged the First World together they imparted it with a good portion of their essence, their will, and their power. When it was destroyed and the scattered bits of their treasured paradise exploded out into the Void it created the foundations of what would become the Prime Material Plane.Though the First World's destruction weakened Tiamat personally, it has also made he virtually impossible to destroy. She imparted so much of her immortal essence in the First World that as it became the Prime Material Plane, she to became a part of the Material Plane. Unless every fragment of the First World, and in fact the entire Prime Material Plane, is destroyed she herself cannot be destroyed. If the Prime exists, then Tiamat's essence will persist and eventually be able to reconstruct her corporeal body.As a primordial dragon, Tiamat displays all the traits and characteristics of mortal dragons, but often on an inflated scale. Her greed and hoard are unmatched throughout the Multiverse and she has the arrogance to defy the gods. She has a cruel, calculating, and scheming mind; but her wrath knows no bounds when she suffers an offense. She is the epitome of the powerful and vile nature of the chromatic dragons she created.Queen of Evil Dragons. Tiamat epitomizes the avarice, tyranny, and unwavering wrath of evil dragons. However, she was not always of this temperament. When Tiamat and Bahamut crafted the First World there was no great conflict or animosity between the many types dragons. They lived in balance with each other and their draconic paradise. It was only after the betrayal of the gods and the destruction of the First World, and her beloved Sardior, that Tiamat succumbed to her rage. She would become wrath, she would become vengeance, she would become whatever she needed to be to bring down the lords of the Outer Planes. Thus, she was forged into one of the greatest evils in all of the Multiverse.So great was Tiamat's wrath that her vile attitude infected the dragons she had the largest hand in creating, the chromatic dragons. As her nature was twisted and warped by her hatred, rage, and thirst for vengeance, so too were her children corrupted as her will seeped into their being. In homage to this bond, Tiamat reconstructed her own flesh and bone to reflect her chosen children more closely, giving rise to the massive 5-headed dragon she is now. Where Tiamat had been the Queen of Dragons, she became the Queen of Evil Dragons and forever altered her relationship with brother the King of Dragons: Bahamut.After Tiamat’s fall her most hated enemy, akin to the gods that destroyed her paradise, is her co-creator Bahamut the Platinum Dragon, with whom she shared the rulership of dragonkind.  She could not fathom his understanding of the catastrophe, nor his ability to forgive the gods who instigated it. She cast aside her one time partner and targeted Bahamut foremost in her wrath. She views the Platinum Dragon as the linchpin in her plan to annihilate the gilded palaces of the gods. Surely once he is out of the way rulership of all dragonkind will once again be hers she will become simply the Queen of Dragons. Then she shall lead her winged armies to lay waste to the Outer Planes, the gods, and their minions.As the Queen of Evil Dragons, Tiamat is often accompanied by her royal consorts. Her consorts are ancient chromatic dragons of great stature, one each of the white, black, green, blue and red types respectively. They are fiercely loyal to Tiamat and follow her commands without fail. They serve has guards, enforcers, scouts and advisors to Tiamat. The are also the generals of her armies and will lead them into battle when needed. In addition to their considerable innate personal power, each draconic guardian has been bestowed a supernatural gift by their Queen to assist them in serving their duties.Goddess of Greed, Tyranny, and Vengeance. Tiamat has a fundamental connection to the Prime Material Plane and is therefore ontologically distinct from the gods that hail from the Outer Planes.  Nonetheless, Tiamat has power similar to the mightiest of deities and is both ageless and immortal. Additionally, she can grant spells to clerics, bestow boons to her champions, and grant supernatural gifts to those her seek her assistance. Therefore, for practical purposes, in the eyes of most mortals she is divine. On many worlds she is worshiped as the god of greed, wealth, and vengeance and mortals who hunger for power and wealth often swear fealty to Tiamat in pursuit of those goals. Tiamat has been known to send her avatar to those she deems worthy. A follower with enough power and anger, and with a hoard worthy of ancient dragons, can sacrifice it all to unleash the wrath of the dragon queen on a world.It is unclear precisely what Tiamat gains from allowing mortals to align her with deities she despises; however, without a doubt, it plays some role in her vast and intricate plans to overthrow the deities she is mistaken to be one of. Perhaps when those plans finally come to fruition and she makes her move to eliminate the source of her ire, the reason for her following of worshipers will become clear.The Devil's Bargain. When Tiamat withdrew from the cataclysm of the First World she searched the Outer Planes for a new home to reestablish her power. She was not eager to find refuge in the realms of the gods and the denizens of the Lower Planes did not suit her tyrannical and ordered mind. Eventually she found her way to the Nine Hells of Baator where she came across a being of great power and ambition who shared her hatred of the gods. Asmodeus, the Lord of Hell, was a power she could align herself with.Asmodeus, seeing the opportunity to gain a powerful ally in his schemes against heaven and, perhaps more importantly, an immeasurably powerful soldier in his never ending war with the foul spawn of the Abyss, was eager to court the Chromatic Dragon to his services. For, unlike his fiendish minions, Tiamat was not of the Hells and she could not be slain defending his empire. So Asmodeus offered her refuge, power, resources, and rulership of Avernus, the first layer of Hell. Accepting the offer, Tiamat came to reside in Avernus, building her lair at the mouth to entrance to Dis as Asmodeus requested.However, no contract with the Lord of the Nine comes without fine print. Though Asmodeus promised much to the Dragon Queen, what he didn't illuminate was the fact that the ultimate authority in the Nine Hells, including Avernus, resides with Asmodeus and Asmodeus alone.  He is Baator and always has final say in anything and everything regarding its governance. Thus, when Tiamat and Asmodeus eventual and inevitable came to odds, Asmodeus used his authority: he revoked Tiamat's rulership of Avernus, blocked her from leaving Baator (or even its first layer), and banished her dragons armies.Asmodeus assumed that would be the end of Tiamat's insurrection. However, he did not realize that just has he had a loophole in their contract, Tiamat had also planned for the dissolution of their partnership. Hidden within her bastion was a artifact of great power that subverted even Asmodeus's iron grasp. She may not be able to roam Baator or rule its peoples, but she retained power in her fortress and from their had access to the rest of the Multiverse. Respecting each others schemes the former partners eventually came to a truce that persists today. Tiamat no longer rules Avernus, but she retains control of her personal forces and in exchange she protects the road to Dis and the lower layers of Hell.<table style='width: 100%'><tr><th>FIGHTING TIAMAT</th></tr><tr><td>An encounter with Tiamat is not a typical event. If it goes poorly, the group may be forced to fight the Chromatic Dragon. If it comes to that, there are several things the DM should be prepared for. Tiamat is enormous. Her body is over 120 feet long (not including her necks or tail) and the underside of her belly is approximately 40 feet above the ground when she is standing and creatures of Huge size and smaller can enter her space. Attacks targeting her heads must either have a range or reach exceeding 40 feet, or make use of the ready action to make an attack when a head is within range, or use the <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/dungeon-masters-workshop#CombatOptions" target="_blank">Climb onto a Big Creature</a> rules from the DMG. Additionally, all of her attacks and breath weapons deals double damage to objects, structures, and creatures of Large size or larger. Tiamat is so massive that it doesn't make sense to represent her in a single stat block. Therefore, she is presented below with 8 statblocks (Parts): one for each head (5) and one each for her body, wings, and tail. Each of these Parts act on their own initiative count and have their own set of actions. If any of her Parts is reduced to 0 hit points (after all uses of Chromatic Recharged are used for that Part) it is disabled and has the Unconscious condition. All disable parts regenerate fully after a Short or Long Rest. If a Part is reduced to negative hit points equal to its maximum hit points it is destroyed and can only regenerate after a Long Rest (or magic). If Tiamat's Body is destroyed, she discorporates and her essence returns to her Domain in the Nine Hells and cannot take physical form for some time. A group is reward XP for each Part that is disabled as noted in the statblock. Finally, Tiamat is more than just a series of statblocks. She is the progenitor of all chromatic dragons and their power and might flow from her. A statblock, no matter how many we use, cannot encompass all of what she is capable. They (the statblocks) are a starting point, a guide to help you bring her to life. They are not meant to be shackles to restrict you. Be sure to familiarize your self with her entry entry and feel free to give her access to any power, trait, or ability available to any chromatic dragon that feels appropriate to you, she is that powerful.</td></tr></table>TIAMAT'S LAIR[HR][/HR]Tiamat is intrinsically connected to the Prime plane, drawing strength and power from it. Therefore, she can gains the benefits of her Lair anywhere and everywhere within the Prime.  However, since the destruction of the First World, Tiamat has relocated to the Outer Planes and established her stronghold on Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells.Azharul. Tiamat's domain in Avernus, Azhural is a jagged, crown-shaped mountain fortress with five watchtowers. These massive towers are carved in the shape of the heads and necks of dragons, one for each type of chromatic dragon, their baleful glare a threat to all who approach. Because the fortress’s primary entrance is through its roof, it is accessible only to flying creatures, such as the abishais, dragonborn, dragons, and other servitors that reside within as well as the flying citadels used by the infernal armies of Avernus.The secondary entrance into Azhural is a gigantic cavemouth in the sheer rock wall of the mountains and abutting a massive fissure of wretched souls called the Maggot Pit from which lemures emerge. To reach the terrestrial entrance to Azharul one must know the ritual to raise the Bridge of Woe or, horribly, swim across the Maggot Pit for powerful magicks prevent entrance to the cavemouth by flight, pulling any who try directly in the Pit and the clutches of the masses of lemures within.Past the Maggot Pit, and the entrance to Azhural, lies the main gate to the second of the Nine Hells, Dis. This massive gate is the only entrance to the lower layers of Baator that could possible allow a large army to pass and, as required of her agreement with Asmodeus, Tiamat and her underlings protect the other layers of the Nine Hells from potential invaders by guarding this passage vigilantly. The first line of defense is a mile long chamber know as the Cave of Greed, which is filled with cursed treasure that compels the weak-willed to try to steal it. Those who stray and reach for these forbidden treasures rarely survive to speak of their foolishness.The fortress lair of Azhural is many times larger within than its external appearance would suggest. Its upper floors, know as the Caverns of Fiery Splendor, resemble a sumptuously appointed royal castle, scaled to accommodate a dragon of Tiamat’s immense size. Here Tiamat greats guests and plans here Multiverse spanning schemes with her generals and advisors. Additionally, beneath the Cave of Greed are miles of winding corridors and caverns collectively know as the Dragonspawn Pits.  Here Tiamat and her minions perform all manner bizarre and torturous experiments to create new and terrifying draconic soldiers and servants.  Riddled throughout the expansive structure of Azhural are a multitude of treasure chambers both above and below the road to Dis. These chambers carefully categorized by treasure type and fantastically guarded by illusions, traps, and of course a covetous chromatic dragon.Lord of the First. When Tiamat erected her domain in Avernus she used her greatest treasure, a fragment of the First World, in its foundations. The primal energies of the fragment have so thoroughly infused her domain with the essence of the Prime Material Plane that while inside its boundaries Tiamat has ultimate authority and not even Asmodeus can do anything about it!Tiamat draws power from the Prime Material Plane and its echoes (including her domain in Avernus). While in her lair Tiamat gains the following attributes:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">She can use her Lair Actions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">She has advantage on all d20 tests.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">All of her Parts regenerate 50 hit points at the start of their turn if they have at least 1 hit point.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Each of her Parts gains one additional use of Chromatic Recharge.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Her attacks deal maximum damage on a hit or failed saving throw.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">She scores a critical hit on a roll of 18 or greater.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward PCs an additional 200,000 XP for each Part that is disabled.</li> </ul>Lair ActionsOn initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Tiamat can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; she can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dragon Magic. Tiamat cast a spell using her Dragon Magic action.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dragon Queen. Tiamat uses a lair action available to any chromatic dragon. If applicable, the range and area of the effect is ten times what is listed for the dragon.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Elemental Fissure. Elemental energy erupts from a point on the ground Tiamat can see within 500 feet of her, creating a 100-foot-high, 20-foot-radius geyser of elemental energy. Each creature in the geyser’s area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage, Tiamat's choice, on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Summon Consort (5/Day). Tiamat summons one of her consorts. The consort appears in an unoccupied space within 120 feet of Tiamat and acts as her ally. The consort remains until dismissed by Tiamat with bonus action.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Trap (5/Day). Tiamat casts the Imprisonment spell.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Teleport (5/Day). Tiamat teleports to any location within her lair.</li> </ul>Regional EffectsWhen Tiamat resides in area for an extended amount of time, her innate magic warps the area around her lair, creating one or more of the following effects:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Creatures who sleep within 10 miles of the Tiamat's lair have disturbing dreams of greed and vengeance. If the dreamer is good aligned, the do not get the benefits of a long rest.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Except for dragons, the land and sky within 10 miles of the lair take twice as long as normal to traverse. The terrain is filled with overgrown thickets, dense forest, fetid swamps, broken fissures and similar difficult terrain.  Additionally, the sky is buffeted by violent winds, freezing rains, and turbulent thunderstorms.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Beast, Monstrosities, and Fiends living within 10 miles of the lair develop draconic characteristics: horns, claws, scales, or simply the coloration of chromatic dragons.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A creature that takes a Short or Long Rest within 10 miles of the lair must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or gain vulnerability to one of the following damage types (roll a d6 or choose one): 1. acid; 2. cold; 3. fire; 4. lightning; 5. necrotic; 6. poison</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tiamat’s visage appears in cloud formations above the lair, giving the impression that the dragon is watching intruders.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If Tiamat's name is spoken within 10 miles of her lair, she instantly knows it and can perceive (hear and see) everything within 100 feet of the that spot for the next hour.</li> </ul>If Tiamat dies, or is absent from her lair for at least 1,000 years, these effects fade over 10d10 days.[HR][/HR]</blockquote>

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