Mythological Figures heads to the ancient world and the nation of Georgia two centuries after the first millennium, taking a look at one of history’s most fierce and accomplished rulers: Queen Tamar!
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Tamar the Great was appointed the Queen of Georgia by her father George III in 1178 and ruled on her own for 29 years (1184–1213 AD) over the Georgian Golden Age. Despite her royal appointment there were many who sought to stop her ascension, but she managed them well enough and proved to be more than a competent steward for the kingdom she inherited. As part of the process of securing her rule Tamar agrees to wed Yury Bogolyubsky but he soon found himself divorced and exiled to Constantinople for drunkeness and sodomy (afterward he makes two failed coup attempts). Her next husband is Tamar’s choice: David Soslan, a prince from Alania that she marries in 1189. They have two children (George-Lasha around 1193 and Rusudan in 1195) and he remains a subordinate to her rule throughout. With her powerbase solidified Tamar starts expanding Georgia’s borders, taking over the Caucasus for two decades after she dies of disease in 1207 (or 1210, or 1213—the precise year of her death is not certain). This is a brief summary of a very complex woman’s complicated expansion of her realm, and more detailed information about her army’s many exploits can be found in the hyperlinks below.
Design Notes: We’ve already got several savvy Queens and Kings on the list (and for that matter several downright badasses) so with that in mind, Queen Tamar has one foot in each bin. She has some military general qualities thanks to the Warlord fighter archetype—after reading through her history, she certainly seems like the kind of woman who wouldn’t shy away from the battlefield (although it must be noted that I did not find any accounts to that effect). As usual to cover the social talents of a ruler Tamar has the Mastermind rogue archetype. Between that, her feat selection, and her Tactical Focus (and her relatively lacking physical ability scores) she really shines when commanding allies or in a court of nobles.
So—let’s do the numbers! The DMG puts Tamar at an 8.5 and the Blog of Holding rubric a 9.4 which averages out to 0.05 under 9. Since it’s almost certain she’s going to be encountered with some allies around to make use of her many companion-focused features, like some of the other Warlord entries in this column she’s getting bumped up.
Queen Tamar
Medium humanoid (human), neutral rogue (genius) 6/fighter (warmaster) 8
Armor Class 19 (half plate, shield, defensive fighting style)
Hit Points 99 (6d8+8d10+28)
Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +8
Skills Deception +13, History +13, Insight +13, Intimidation +8, Perception +8, Persuasion +13; thieves’ tools +6
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Latin, Georgian, Russian
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Background: Noble - Queen. Due to her position as a ruler, Tamar is treated with a measure of respect wherever she goes. She is treated as royalty (or as closely as possible) by most peasants and traders, and as an equal when meeting other authority figures (who make time in their schedule to see her if requested to do so).
Action Surge (1/Short Rest). On her turn, Tamar can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Cunning Action (1/Turn). Tamar can take a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, Help, or Hide action.
Fast Learner. After Tamar has heard a creature speak for 1 minute or longer, she can mimic its manner of speaking as long as she knows the same language as the creature (allowing her to seem like she is local to a given region).
Feat: Brilliant. Tamar always knows how long it will be before the next sunset or sunrise, the northerly direction, and can perfectly remember anything she’s experienced within the last 31 days.
Feat: Diplomatic. Tamar can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by the Wisdom (Insight) check of a creature that can understand what she says during 1 minute of talking. On a success, as long as Tamar remains within 60 feet of it (and for 1 minute afterward) the target is charmed by her. Tamar automatically fails on the check if she or her companions are fighting the target.
Feat: Leader’s Words. Tamar can inspire up to six creatures friendly to her (or up to five creatures and herself) that are within 30 feet of her and can see her, or hear her and understand her. Any that listen to Tamar speak inspirationally for 10 minutes gain 17 temporary hit points. Temporary hit points can only be gained from this feature once per short rest.
Second Wind (1/Short Rest). On her turn, Tamar can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+8 hit points.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Tamar deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Tamar that isn’t incapacitated and Tamar doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Tactician. Tamar is able to use the Help action to aid an ally attacking a creature as long as the target of the attack is able to see and hear Tamar and is within 30 feet of her.
Tactical Focal Point. Tamar selects a 10-foot square to be her tactical focal point as a bonus action or as part of the attack action, choosing one of the following benefits to apply to it. This lasts until she cannot take actions or uses this feature again. Each time Tamar completes a long rest, she can swap one of these benefits for a different one.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Tamar attacks twice when she takes the Attack action.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or thrown 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage.
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker Tamar can see hits her with an attack, she can use her reaction to halve the attack’s damage against her.
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Tamar the Great was appointed the Queen of Georgia by her father George III in 1178 and ruled on her own for 29 years (1184–1213 AD) over the Georgian Golden Age. Despite her royal appointment there were many who sought to stop her ascension, but she managed them well enough and proved to be more than a competent steward for the kingdom she inherited. As part of the process of securing her rule Tamar agrees to wed Yury Bogolyubsky but he soon found himself divorced and exiled to Constantinople for drunkeness and sodomy (afterward he makes two failed coup attempts). Her next husband is Tamar’s choice: David Soslan, a prince from Alania that she marries in 1189. They have two children (George-Lasha around 1193 and Rusudan in 1195) and he remains a subordinate to her rule throughout. With her powerbase solidified Tamar starts expanding Georgia’s borders, taking over the Caucasus for two decades after she dies of disease in 1207 (or 1210, or 1213—the precise year of her death is not certain). This is a brief summary of a very complex woman’s complicated expansion of her realm, and more detailed information about her army’s many exploits can be found in the hyperlinks below.
Design Notes: We’ve already got several savvy Queens and Kings on the list (and for that matter several downright badasses) so with that in mind, Queen Tamar has one foot in each bin. She has some military general qualities thanks to the Warlord fighter archetype—after reading through her history, she certainly seems like the kind of woman who wouldn’t shy away from the battlefield (although it must be noted that I did not find any accounts to that effect). As usual to cover the social talents of a ruler Tamar has the Mastermind rogue archetype. Between that, her feat selection, and her Tactical Focus (and her relatively lacking physical ability scores) she really shines when commanding allies or in a court of nobles.
So—let’s do the numbers! The DMG puts Tamar at an 8.5 and the Blog of Holding rubric a 9.4 which averages out to 0.05 under 9. Since it’s almost certain she’s going to be encountered with some allies around to make use of her many companion-focused features, like some of the other Warlord entries in this column she’s getting bumped up.
Queen Tamar
Medium humanoid (human), neutral rogue (genius) 6/fighter (warmaster) 8
Armor Class 19 (half plate, shield, defensive fighting style)
Hit Points 99 (6d8+8d10+28)
Speed 30 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
11 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) |
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +8
Skills Deception +13, History +13, Insight +13, Intimidation +8, Perception +8, Persuasion +13; thieves’ tools +6
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Latin, Georgian, Russian
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Background: Noble - Queen. Due to her position as a ruler, Tamar is treated with a measure of respect wherever she goes. She is treated as royalty (or as closely as possible) by most peasants and traders, and as an equal when meeting other authority figures (who make time in their schedule to see her if requested to do so).
Action Surge (1/Short Rest). On her turn, Tamar can take an additional action on top of her regular action and a possible bonus action.
Cunning Action (1/Turn). Tamar can take a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, Help, or Hide action.
Fast Learner. After Tamar has heard a creature speak for 1 minute or longer, she can mimic its manner of speaking as long as she knows the same language as the creature (allowing her to seem like she is local to a given region).
Feat: Brilliant. Tamar always knows how long it will be before the next sunset or sunrise, the northerly direction, and can perfectly remember anything she’s experienced within the last 31 days.
Feat: Diplomatic. Tamar can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by the Wisdom (Insight) check of a creature that can understand what she says during 1 minute of talking. On a success, as long as Tamar remains within 60 feet of it (and for 1 minute afterward) the target is charmed by her. Tamar automatically fails on the check if she or her companions are fighting the target.
Feat: Leader’s Words. Tamar can inspire up to six creatures friendly to her (or up to five creatures and herself) that are within 30 feet of her and can see her, or hear her and understand her. Any that listen to Tamar speak inspirationally for 10 minutes gain 17 temporary hit points. Temporary hit points can only be gained from this feature once per short rest.
Second Wind (1/Short Rest). On her turn, Tamar can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+8 hit points.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Tamar deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Tamar that isn’t incapacitated and Tamar doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Tactician. Tamar is able to use the Help action to aid an ally attacking a creature as long as the target of the attack is able to see and hear Tamar and is within 30 feet of her.
Tactical Focal Point. Tamar selects a 10-foot square to be her tactical focal point as a bonus action or as part of the attack action, choosing one of the following benefits to apply to it. This lasts until she cannot take actions or uses this feature again. Each time Tamar completes a long rest, she can swap one of these benefits for a different one.
- Area Clear. When an ally inside Tamar’s focal point hits a creature with an attack, the ally can move that creature 5 feet.
- Cover the Flank. As many as three target creatures of Tamar’s choice can use a reaction to move up to their speed when an enemy that she can see enters her focal point, so long as that movement does not end in the focal point. If a target creature is ending their movement adjacent to the enemy that triggered this feature, they do not have to use their reaction.
- Phalanx Sidestep. An ally inside of Tamar’s tactical focal point doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks as long as they move from a square adjacent to an ally and into another square adjacent to an ally. In addition, Tamar and her allies can end their movement in space occupied by an ally. The ally immediately moves 5 feet away from the direction they came in and must end movement inside of her tactical focal point.
- Run Away! When an ally inside of Tamar’s tactical focal point is forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, they move up to their speed by using their reaction and are no longer subjected to the triggering effect if their movement takes them outside of the area or range.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Tamar attacks twice when she takes the Attack action.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or thrown 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage.
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage.
REACTIONS
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker Tamar can see hits her with an attack, she can use her reaction to halve the attack’s damage against her.
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