D&D 5E Anybody actually TRY soloing the Tarasque...?

[Paraxis]

I have decided that it is going to be pointless to use the Tarrasque to threaten the PCs.

Instead, if I ever decide to use the Tarrasque, the PCs' job will not be to destroy it before it kills them, but to destroy it before it levels a town or city and eats the inhabitants.

Death is not the only way to fail.

This is great advice.
The Tarrasque is more like a natural disaster than something that needs to be fought. Like Godzilla the Tarrasque is a symbol of destruction and apocalyptic force.

 

[Elderbrain]

Paraxis, your math assumes that because it can't counterattack (assuming rock throwing, etc is barred), the Tarasque is just going to stand there while you slowly whiddle down its H.P.... but why would it? Imagine an animal (say, a pig) being stung by a wasp. If it can't kill the wasp, what is that animal going to do, sit there and take it? NO! It's going to flee and try to get away from the little varmit. And so will the Tarasque. At some point, your Fly spell(s) will expire and you will have to land... and that is when the Tarasque will eat your character. Remember, your Wizard can only cast so many Fly spells before having to take a long rest to prepare spells again. He can't remain airborne indefinitely...

 

[Nebulous]

I love many things about 13th Age, and they have the tarrasque in their bestiary.

This ability is particularly neat:

Leveler: When the escalation die is even, as a move action the tarrasque can demolish any ordinary structure it can reach, such as a house, castle wall, temple, or ship. The beast automatically reduces the structure to rubble, rendering it useless. Each creature on top of or within the structure is subject to a collapse attack.

Like many powers in 13th Age, this is one i would steal wholesale for 5e.

 

[Elderbrain]

5th ed. Tarasque has the Siege Engine trait, letting it do double damage against structures. So it too can destroy a castle, just not instantly...

 

[Elderbrain]

Well, nobody has refuted my assertion that the Wizard is screwed once his Fly spell(s) wear off (chasing the Tarasque the whole while... and good luck hitting it when it won't stand still and can outpace you). The big T just has to wait patiently for his meal to land, and dinner is served! No wonder nobody is willing to test their theories with an actual character life at stake... c'mon, if you're really that sure the Tarasque is dead meat, you shouldn't mind using your favorite Wizard PC to prove your theory. After all, you can't lose, RIGHT...???

 

[SilverfireSage]

Well, nobody has refuted my assertion that the Wizard is screwed once his Fly spell(s) wear off (chasing the Tarasque the whole while... and good luck hitting it when it won't stand still and can outpace you). The big T just has to wait patiently for his meal to land, and dinner is served! No wonder nobody is willing to test their theories with an actual character life at stake... c'mon, if you're really that sure the Tarasque is dead meat, you shouldn't mind using your favorite Wizard PC to prove your theory. After all, you can't lose, RIGHT...???

Why would they bother casting fly when they could just use a magic carpet?

 

[Elderbrain]

No DM in his right mind, having read this or similar threads, is going to have the Tarasque show up when the Wizard is actually PREPARED for it with Fly (or a Flying Carpet, etc.) Why even let the Wizard TRY soloing the Tarasque in a actual game? Hit the PCs with Mr. T when they aren't expecting it... or someplace that flying scheme won't work, such as an underground cavern with a ceiling low enough that the Wizard can't evade the Tarasque's reach. And no matter how bad the Tarasque might be at throwing rocks, it's only gotta hit once and it's bye, bye Wizard. I certainly plan to have Mr. T throw rocks if I'm DMing a game and some Wizard PC tries that stunt.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Why would they bother casting fly when they could just use a magic carpet?

Why assume they have access to such a thing? If we're limiting the tarrasque to RAW, then we have to do the same for the PC in question--and RAW, there's no way to get a magic carpet unless the DM has chosen to give them one. It's not a fair assumption for the hypothetical as presented.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

First thing, the tarrasque brings with him a bag of rats. While being hit constantly with acid from a flying wizard, the tarrasque will consder everything its enemies, giving it more legendary actions each turn. Then the tarrasque outruns the wizard easily.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

I think it's a bit of a luxury to assume the Tarrasque will show up at level 20, on cue, with plenty of warning. Although it could well enough I guess.

Nope, I think if it showed up in my game it'd probably have something like a bunch of followers loving it's destructive power, baiting it towards cities and otherwise being a 5th column.

I like the idea of heroes having to raise a big enough army, and steady the morale as they take insane losses trying to bring it down. I think big T's speed is not be sniffed at though, I suspect it'd be very hard to get good numbers to bear as too few will result in rout. Being able to demolish structures would give it a big advantage as the defenders would have to contend with mountains of rubble, dust clouds, and suddenly either being out of position or being ab-so-lute-ly slaughtered. Should morale shatter, that's it because disorganised resistance would be ineffectual.

Wouldn't be surprised if any flying 5th level mages got taken out by flying cultists, crushed by a collapsing steeple, or accidentally caught in a shower of arrows. Terrain is part of the game.