Tarrasque (3.5e Monster)
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Although no one present has likely ever seen it before, this hulking monstrosity is instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever heard the stories of its legendary wrath. There's only one beast that casts its shadow over entire cities, only one creature capable of striking such intense fear into all who gaze upon it. After all, there's only one tarrasque.
The tarrasque is supposed to be the most terrifying land-based creature in D&D, on a similar level to Godzilla. It’s supposed to be a creature created by the gods to strike fear into even the greatest of champions, or whatever other story the DM can concoct to make the players void their bowels. There’s only one of them, for God’s sake. Instead, it pales before the abilities even of characters who are several levels below its recommended Challenge Rating. This tarrasque is a more monstrous tarrasque that can actually scare people shitless, and actually poses more of a challenge to characters of high levels.
As mentioned above, the tarrasque's origins are essentially up to the DM to decide. And whatever they may be, it's not telling. The tarrasque never speaks and it is unknown as to whether is understands any language at all. All it does is kill, eat, sleep, and repeat.
Combat
The tarrasque’s real strength comes from being immune to almost every effect under the sun. Most mortal magic has next to no effect on it, and all both the most powerful weapons are useless before its near-impenetrable hide and miraculous healing rate. It knows no foes, except perhaps the oldest of dragons and the greatest of heroes. Its plethora of special qualities and variety of attacks make it a formidable opponent.
Carapace (Ex): The tarrasque’s armor-like carapace is exceptionally tough and highly reflective, deflecting all rays, lines, cones, and even magic missile spells. There is a 30% chance of reflecting any such effect back at the caster; otherwise, it must overcome the creature’s spell resistance.
In addition, the tarrasque’s hide is so powerful than any weapon that strikes it and has its damage reduced to 0 by damage reduction is automatically broken. The tarrasque can also take no more than 100 damage from any individual attack or effect even if it succeeds in actually harming it; any additional damage over the limit of 100 is dealt to the weapon that was used to attack the tarrasque.
Deux Ex Machina (Ex): A tarrasque can literally never, ever permanently die. If it is slain, it immediately teleports to its lair and revives within 1d10 days at its lair (wherever that is), and resumes hibernation. Casting a wish or miracle spell on the corpse delays the respawning process by a number of years equal the caster’s caster level.
If the tarrasque ever loses a limb or body part, the lost part regrows in 1d6 rounds. The tarrasque may reattach the lost part immediately by holding it to the stump.
Fury of Ages Past (Ex): The tarrasque is not of this world, and is not subject to all of the same laws that normally govern D&D. All of its natural attacks ignore hardness and damage reduction of any kind, and it can attack incorporeal creatures normally with no miss chance.
The tarrasque can score critical hits against anything, even if they are normally immune to critical hits for whatever reason. In addition, all of its critical hit ranges are doubled as if it had the Improved Critical feat for all its natural weapons and its critical multipliers are all increased to x3.
In addition, the tarrasque is allowed to make attacks of opportunity for normal movement inside its threatened space; any movement that specifically avoids attacks of opportunity, such as tumbling or 5-foot steps, still do not provoke the attacks of opportunity.
Frightful Presence (Ex): The very sight of the tarrasque is enough to make people void their bowels. Anyone who witnesses the tarrasque attack or charge must make a Will save (DC 36) or be frightened for the rest of the encounter. If they have already saved successfully, they must save again every turn in which the tarrasque attacks. This save is Charisma-based.
Immunities: The tarrasque is immune to a huge laundry list of effects: poison and disease (magical or otherwise), energy drain, ability burn, ability damage and ability drain, death effects, mind-affecting effects, blindness, dazing, paralysis, fatigue and exhaustion, petrification, polymorph, sleep, sickening and nausea, and stunning. The tarrasque is immortal and cannot be magically aged in any way. It also suffers no ill effects from being deafened.
Improved Grab: If the tarrasque hits an opponent with its bite attack, it may automatically initiate a grapple as a free action.
Regurgiate (Ex): The tarrasque may spit up a swallowed opponent as a free action, sending them flying 1d6 × 100 feet and dealing damage accordingly.
Rush (Ex): The normally slow-moving tarrasque is capable of tremendous bursts of speed. When it charges, it may move up to 200 feet before making a full attack as if it had the pounce special ability.
Spines: The tarrasque may fire one of the massive horns on its head at any target within any range, making a ranged attack roll and dealing normal horn damage. It may do this twice as a full attack action. The tarrasque may use Power Attack and other such attack options normally with these horns. Thanks to its regenerative capabilities, the tarrasque regrows these horns by its next turn.
Swallow Whole (Ex): The tarrasque can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Gargantuan size or smaller with a successful grapple check. Once inside, the swallowed creature must make a Fortitude save (DC 54) or die as it is instantly smashed by the tarrasque’s jaws. This is not a death effect, and as such instantly destroys even undead and constructs. Even if they succeed, the creature instead take 10d6 points of crushing damage per round and 10d6 points of acid damage in that round as they are buffeted and immersed in the tarrasque’s stomach. They also must begin making Constitution checks every round to avoid drowning. Creatures that die in the tarrasque's jaws or stomach cannot be resurrected by any means that require remains.
The tarrasque’s interior is under a constant antimagic field. If you use psionics in your game, they are similar;y suppressed. The only way to get out of the tarrasque’s gut is to deal at least 50 points of damage to its stomach lining with a light slashing weapon, at which point the trapped opponent is freed. The tarrasque's stomach may hold 2 Gargantuan, 8 Huge, 32 Large, 128 Medium, or 512 Small or smaller creatures (assuming they all manage to survive).
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Monsters
| Alignment | Always neutral + |
| Author | ThunderGod Cid + |
| Challenge Rating | 20 + |
| Environment | Any + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Monster + |
| Level Adjustment | — + |
| Rating | Unrated + |
| Size | Colossal+ + |
| Title | Tarrasque + |
| Type | Magical Beast + |
