D&D 5E Tarrasque Modifications.

[SkidAce]

I kinda hate that the terrasque is higher CR than the most dangerous ancient dragons.

I kinda agree, and kinda look at Tiamat's stats as her avatar.

But its CR does blow away the ancient dragons, etc. I'm torn.

 

[SkidAce]

My problem with the 5e Terrasque ....snipped for brevity

Every bit valid. Good thoughts.

 

[NotAYakk]

I'm going to mostly agree with NotAYakk that the beam might as well be unlimited range, though giving it a range more like 1000 feet or some such would keep it from being turned into some sort of Starkiller Base nonsense. 120 is also not far enough for the existing "frightful presence" which should effect anyone who can see it.

I'm genuinly ok with the Tarrasque blasting at the moon.

But ok, maybe some kind of range limitation.

Actions

Breath of Death (Recharge 456): The Tarrasque breaths a 10' beam of destruction from its mouth. Creatures in the beam take 10d8 (45) fire, necrotic and force damage (total 135) unless they make both a Dex and Con saving throw (DC 20). If you pass both saving throws, you take half damage. If you fail both, you are reduced to 0 HP (unless protected by death ward or similar magic). Creatures reduced to 0 HP by this effect die and have their soul destroyed and their body reduced to dust; they cannot be resurrected, even by a wish or clone spell, there is nothing to bring back. Every 100' away creatures gain a +1 bonus to the saving throw and the beam becomes 10' wider, until at 2000' the DC is 0 and the beam is 210' wide.

Legendary Actions:

Breathe Death (Costs 3 actions): Use the Breath of Death (if available) on a creature who cast a spell or damaged the Tarrasque. This works even if the creature is invisible or otherwise hidden from the Tarrasque.

Traits

Armor Plates: When the Tarrasque takes 100 points of damage since they last used this ability, its Armor Plates automatically harden. The Tarrasque gains resistance to all damage until the end of its next turn. If it already has resistance to all damage from Armor Plates, it becomes immune to all damage until the end of its next turn.

Regeneration: The Tarrasque heals 30 HP at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 HP. The Tarrasque can only be killed if it is reduced to 0 HP and a Wish is used to stop its regeneration (this results in the caster having a 33% chance of never being able to use Wish again) before it recovers. If it has 0 HP at the start of its turn, 1 minute later it comes back to life with half maximum HP.

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Design notes. Breath of Death is close to a full attack routine in damage, and does that double-saving-throw thing. At the level you fight it, you should have Death Ward up on fragile PCs.

As this is CR 30, risking permadeath seems reasonable.

The 3 use legendary action consumes the recharge on Breath of Death. But it does mean that entire forms of long-range cheese no longer work.

Armor Plates makes it nearly impossible to one-round the Tarrasque. It is intended to go off after it breaks the 100 point limit, so you can do more than 200 damage in a round, but only by a bit. That means you are going to have to face the Tarrasque for at least 4 rounds no matter what.

The regeneration is mostly a ribbon. The wish part is intended to be plot based. Getting a 1 minute breather for taking it down means you can run away and maybe hide before it wakes up and kills you.

 

[Fenris-77]

Snack Attack (Reaction): If you feed the Tarrasque after midnight he poops out a whole bunch of little baby Tarrasques. Place 2d10 Juvenile Tarrasques within 20' of the Terrasque. Each Juvenile Tarrasque has stats equal to 1/3 of it's parent.

 

[Jediking]

Any DM that would allow a situation where a tier 1 wizard can fly around like a mosquito to kill the CR 30, world-ending terror of the Tarrasque, without improvising or allowing any deviations from a monster’s stat block, is not a game I would ever play in and IMO is a poor DM who needs to radically change his mindset.

YMMV

 

[Asisreo]

The level 1 wizard flying is under the assumption that the flying is free and won't run out while the tarrasque's reflective carapace reflects the firebolt.

A level 1 Aarocka cleric, though, can prove an issue. With unlimited flight and long range dex saving throw, the Tarrasque doesn't have a RAW counter.

The one fix is obviously a ranged attack. The kaiju breath beam is nice but my players might laugh more than be terrified. I've been thinking of having him able to suck in the air when making a bite attack that pulls all creatures that fail a Str save up to 240 ft.

Though, I might just add the Kaiju beam anyways, maybe on a recharge 5-6

 

[TwoSix]

If you've never read this about the Tarrasque, you should. Creative - [D&Dish] The city built around the tarrasque.

Used this a centerpiece for my PF game a few years back, loads of fun.

 

[dave2008]

The level 1 wizard flying is under the assumption that the flying is free and won't run out while the tarrasque's reflective carapace reflects the firebolt.

A level 1 Aarocka cleric, though, can prove an issue. With unlimited flight and long range dex saving throw, the Tarrasque doesn't have a RAW counter.

The one fix is obviously a ranged attack. The kaiju breath beam is nice but my players might laugh more than be terrified. I've been thinking of having him able to suck in the air when making a bite attack that pulls all creatures that fail a Str save up to 240 ft.

Though, I might just add the Kaiju beam anyways, maybe on a recharge 5-6

A roar attack that does thunder damage and knocks you prone might be appropriate. Flying creatures knocked prone fall if I remember correctly.

 

[Inanity]

Regen: 20 is tiny, 80 might be a bit much. 50 is nice and round.

Any DM that would allow a situation where a tier 1 wizard can fly around like a mosquito to kill the CR 30, world-ending terror of the Tarrasque, without improvising or allowing any deviations from a monster’s stat block, is not a game I would ever play in and IMO is a poor DM who needs to radically change his mindset.

YMMV

Yes of course, hence the popularity of the idea to give it a beam attack. But I thnk those that say this (maybe like myself) are asking: CAN a low level (level 1 wiz, lets say), Kill the Tarrasque as writteN? If so, then that wuld seemigly be a reason to augment the beast. A level 1 whatever is NOT taking on a pitfiend; if it can take on a Tarrasque, well that points to the idea the T was badly designed. EDIT: and such thought expeiriments (can lv 1 X kill Y) is fun for suriousity sake

 

[Asisreo]

Yes of course, hence the popularity of the idea to give it a beam attack. But I thnk those that say this (maybe like myself) are asking: CAN a low level (level 1 wiz, lets say), Kill the Tarrasque as writteN? If so, then that wuld seemigly be a reason to augment the beast. A level 1 whatever is NOT taking on a pitfiend; if it can take on a Tarrasque, well that points to the idea the T was badly designed. EDIT: and such thought expeiriments (can lv 1 X kill Y) is fun for suriousity sake

A level 1 wizard cannot kill a Tarrasque as written. The Tarrasque has reflective carapace and a wizard doesn't have access to fly. The best option the wizard has is to shoot acid splash which doesn't work well because of magic resistance. Then the Tarrasque approaches and eats a light snack.

Even at 5th level, a wizard's fly only lasts for 10 minutes and a Tarrasque can survive for that long, then eat Wizardmeal.

Magic items and Aarocka messes this up, though. Anything that allows indefinite flight gives any full caster the ability to chip the Tarrasque down without retaliation, which is why you have to be careful with your adjudication of magic items and which races are appropriate for your campaign.

If I were to run a no homebrew Tarrasque, I'd have him start underground in a tight cave resting (I wouldn't awaken the Tarrasque at level 1, the players would have to do that.) The players wouldn't have much vertical space to run and the Tarrasque would be too fast to catch. The end. Now, at higher levels, they can do whatever shenanigans they wish.