D&D (2024) "D&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified"(Gamesradar)

[Oofta]

From the illustrations of the tarrasque, it doesn't look like it's anatomy allows for throwing anything. It's a quadruped with limited shoulder mobility. A breath weapon sounds good!

The image has the tarrasque standing on it's hind feet and has long fingers, not forefeet. Am I missing something?

In any case, I prefer a breath weapon. I made it radiant since there is no "Atomic" energy type.

 

[Distracted DM]

The image has the tarrasque standing on it's hind feet and has long fingers, not forefeet. Am I missing something?
View attachment 390455

In any case, I prefer a breath weapon. I made it radiant since there is no "Atomic" energy type.

A5E has a pretty Godzilla tarrasque, complete with radiant breath weapon!

https://a5e.tools/node/1799

 

[Demetrios1453]

A5E has a pretty Godzilla tarrasque, complete with radiant breath weapon!

https://a5e.tools/node/1799

The Monster Manual Expanded did something similar as well.

Honestly, a Godzilla-style breath weapon does seem the obvious way to go, so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see it in the revision.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Yeah 4e had Godforged Collossi & Primordial Collossi.

Godforged had to be made by an epic ritual, are often in the form of a God or other powerful entity, cam function as an Idol when not in yse and functions as a big arse Golem. Demon Lords and Exarchs can make them, but otherwise it's rare ability.

Exarchs really aren't a 5e thing, Gods demoted to Exarchs are back to just being God's again, and other things are just whatever they were before, like Chosen of a God.

In 4e there was little practical difference in some cases. IIRC both Sekolah and Maglubiyet were both exarchs, but their stat blocks were comparable to the gods

 

[dave2008]

Yeah 4e had Godforged Collossi & Primordial Collossi.

Godforged had to be made by an epic ritual, are often in the form of a God or other powerful entity, cam function as an Idol when not in yse and functions as a big arse Golem. Demon Lords and Exarchs can make them, but otherwise it's rare ability.

Exarchs really aren't a 5e thing, Gods demoted to Exarchs are back to just being God's again, and other things are just whatever they were before, like Chosen of a God.

In 4e there was little practical difference in some cases. IIRC both Sekolah and Maglubiyet were both exarchs, but their stat blocks were comparable to the gods

Yep, Maglubiyet was basically as powerful as Torog:

 

[Staffan]

To be honest, I don't recall the Empyrean in 1E... but I could easily be wrong. 2E, I think, I remember it there, but that's a minor issue either way.

The 5e Empyrean is the same monster that was called a Titan in 1e through 3e (4e used the term for the biggest elemental giants instead). Since Titan is a classification in 5e, they presumably didn't want to also use it for a specific monster, in order to avoid the "Elemental" problem.

 

[Hussar]

It’s always been a chicken or the egg thing. People don’t play high level games because of a lack of options and opponents at high levels. But no one makes high level opponents because no one plays those levels.

It’s always been this way. Little to no modules or supplements or support for high level play and often lots of problems because there is so little playtesting at high levels resulting in frustration at the table for groups that actually do make it to the higher levels.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It’s always been this way

Depends what you mean by “high level”. 1st edition AD&D assumed characters would generally retire and build a kingdom at level 9, so anything over that was high level. Despite that, modules like Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and Queen of the Demonweb pits where published for characters of level 10+.

 

[TiQuinn]

Depends what you mean by “high level”. 1st edition AD&D assumed characters would generally retire and build a kingdom at level 9, so anything over that was high level. Despite that, modules like Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and Queen of the Demonweb pits where published for characters of level 10+.

That never really made sense to me. A fighter in 1e doesn’t get abilities to build a stronghold and gain followers until 9th level. Why would you retire a PC from play once you’ve gained the only ability of note that you get?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That never really made sense to me. A fighter in 1e doesn’t get abilities to build a stronghold and gain followers until 9th level. Why would you retire a PC from play once you’ve gained the only ability of note that you get?

It goes back to D&D's wargaming roots. It's not that the character stops playing, it's that they switch to playing armies.