Whither the Tarrasque?

[Alzrius]

The Tarrasque is one of the iconic D&D monsters, and has been around for several editions now. Given that, I thought it might be fun to report on "sightings" of this bad boy monster in published adventures and sourcebooks. Sure he appears in monster books several times over, but what adventures actually want you to throw your party at this guy? What sourcebooks actually say "Oh, by the way, the Tarrasque is over here, if your party wants to go there"?

I'll start things off:

The Tarrasque appears in DL16 World of Krynn. If I remember correctly, it can be summoned to fight the party in Dargaard Keep(!). I don't have this module though, so I can't double-check this particular resource.

The Apocalypse Stone. The 2E adventure pulled out all the stops (since it was supposed to be the "transition adventure" to 3E for home-brew campaigns) and so naturally includes the Tarrasque. It's included here as an optional side-quest that the PCs can undertake if they're not focused enough on their main mission to save the world.

Reverse Dungeon. Not the true Tarrasque, a man-sized facsimile of the creature is the ninth and final form of the "boss" monster guarding the artifact at the conclusion of the second level of the dungeon (where the PCs play a group of aberrations and outcasts defending their artifacts from invading adventurers).

SJR4 Practical Planetology. Planet Falx - the planet that you sent your PCs to if they were invincible or had seriously ticked you off - has packs of Tarrasques roaming the surface.

Where else has the uber-monster of D&D appeared?

 

[DnD_Dad]

It appeared re-skinned as a young elder god in my gong session last week. It's a home brew campaign of my buddy's and we're 1-2 sessions away from ending a 2 year campaign that has been run every Monday since it started. It was nasty as we're running 2nd, and it took a lot to finally drop it. It was epic!

 

[delericho]

The Tarrasque recently appeared in my campaign - the PCs required three of its teeth in order to complete a ritual. So, they tracked down its slumbering body and got the teeth. Along the way, they fought what was, essentially, as Aspect of the Tarrasque, but being 13th level they didn't have to face the real thing.

 

[Crothian]

It along with everything else from the MM is in the World's Largest Dungeon. When I ran that it was one of two evil creatures the PCs did not defeat. The group was not well equipped and did not have the offensive ability to over come it's defenses and that battle turned into a stalemate where they eventually caved in a passage and hopefully trapped it.

If I recall correctly there is one in How the Mighty Are Fallen but that's not a book I've looked through in 15 years.

 

[steeldragons]

I couldn't tell you the actual plot arc or title, but the tarrasque had a single isue appearance in the old Forgotten Realms comic book, brought to life by some lichy guy with a staff that decapitated dragons. When he had enough heads, he was able to waken and it seems control the thing. I believe Elminster made an appearance and the book's regular cast of characters were aided by a few powerful dragons (we're talking a coupla decades go. I really don't remember the whole thing)...and I think once the lichy guy was defeated, the tarrasque basically went back to sleep.

AH! Here it is [thanks Google Images]. Apparently it was the conclusion of "The Dragonreach Saga" storyline.