Tarrasque (3.5e Monster)
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Note: This is a homebrew version of the SRD Tarrasque, and is intended as a replacement. You may be looking for the SRD Tarrasque instead.
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[edit]
The more player characters become magical, the more their monster opponents must do the same or be able to deny that magic from them. That’s the problem that the tarrasque has had since its introduction: it’s just a big lug that reflects loads of attacks but has no way of reliably killing a competent opponent.
Because it is always encountered alone, the tarrasque cannot be instantly beaten by save-or-die effects or similar tools used in spades by high-level characters. Most mortal magic has next to no effect on it, and all but the most powerful weapons are useless before its near-impenetrable hide and miraculous healing rate. It knows no foes in any mortal coil, except perhaps the oldest of dragons and the greatest of heroes. Its plethora of special qualities and variety of attacks finally make it a formidable opponent.
Antimagic Arsenal (Ex): The tarrasque—and anything that comes out of it—seems to repel magical energies. As a standard action, the tarrasque may unleash a massive roar of anti-magic spittle that coats all creatures in a 100 foot cone, replicating the effects of greater dispel magic and making dispel checks against all active effects within (and negating them if successful). Furthermore, the area of the cone is treated as an antimagic field for 1 round after its use.
This greater dispel magic effect is also applied to the targets of the tarrasque's successful melee attacks; in this scenario, the tarrasque's attack roll is used for its dispel check.
Carapace (Ex): The tarrasque’s armor-like carapace is exceptionally tough, rendering it immune to any effect that does not specifically deal damage; any such effect instead deals 1d6 points of damage per Hit Die of the source to the tarrasque. If there are two parts to an effect (one that deals damage and one that does not), only the damage-dealing component applies. The tarrasque is also immune to death from massive damage.
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, its body begins to disintegrate into countless motes of flesh, finally withering to nothingness five minutes after its 'death'. It revives 1d10 days later in a new 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 to 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 or ethereal creatures normally with no miss chance. When it moves or attacks, the tarrasque automatically destroys any obstacle in its path regardless of hardness or structure, including magical effects such as force effects. It is also immune to any effect that would be be negated by a freedom spell.
The tarrasque's combat prowess is supernatural, almost peerless; it gains an inherent +6 enhancement bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and Armor Class. Despite its massive size, it never suffers size-related penalties of any kind (all bonuses to size are still added normally).
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 35) 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 Constitution-based.
Improved Grab: If the tarrasque hits an opponent with its bite attack, it may automatically initiate a grapple as a free action.
Spines: The tarrasque may fire one of the massive horns on its head at any target within any range with unbelievable force, making a ranged attack roll and dealing normal horn damage. It may do this as a move 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 immediately take 20d6 points of crushing damage and 20d6 points of acid damage as they are buffeted and immersed in the tarrasque’s stomach. The swallowed creature also takes this damage for each of the tarrasque's turns that pass with them inside. They also must begin making Constitution checks every round to avoid drowning. Creatures that die in the tarrasque's 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 similarly 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 in a single turn, at which point the trapped opponent is freed. Attacking the lining is easy enough (treat as an automatic hit), but the suppression of magic inside spells doom for many who are swallowed. The tarrasque's stomach may hold 2 Gargantuan, 8 Huge, 32 Large, 128 Medium, or 512 Small or smaller creatures.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Monsters
| ThunderGod Cidv |
|---|
| 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 + |
