I need to know *EVERYTHING* about the Tarrasque

[Jarmen4u]

I am in a relatively home-brewed game, playing with a group that has operated for a long time. We started a new-ish campaign in their established game world, which started with every player getting a fresh baby dragon of varying colors. At one point recently, our dragons became strong enough to gain their shape-shifting powers. The DM ruled that we could decide what two forms they get, but it had to be a creature the dragon has encountered (which limits choices due to how new they are). However, shortly into an early session, I was the only person to spot a sleeping Tarrasque in the distance, and had the party detour. Due to this encounter, the DM approved my choice to allow my dragon to shift into a Tarrasque at will. The other form I chose was a water snake (as it is an aquatic dragon).

At first, I thought this was insane, and I had no idea why the DM was okay with it. Later, I asked them about it, and they told me it wasn't as much a blessing as a curse. Apparently, there can only ever be a single Tarrasque in existence. According to the DM, if my dragon shifts into one, it will instantly throw the plane out of whack, and the existing Tarrasque will notice the presence of a new Tarrasque and find and attack it immediately. And if we ever manage to kill the Tarrasque, a new one will appear within a few moments somewhere on the plane, which will cause the problem to repeat itself.

My dilemma is this: I'm a relatively new player in that I've only been playing D&D on and off for some years, but the DMs and many other people in the group have been running games before D&D even was invented. They have read lots of books, lots of background information, and have lots of things that I don't have simply due to my age and lack of experience.

So, I'm seeking as much knowledge about the Tarrasque as I can. It doesn't matter what edition it's from, though we mostly play within the AD&D-3.5e realm, they often pull inspiration from other/older sources. This isn't some polymorph trick; when the dragon transforms, it gets every single ability that a Tarrasque would have. But I have no idea what that would be. So please, help me.

PS: When I say everything, I mean everything. Due to how old-fashioned the DMs are, they will often interpret fluff/lore as mechanical, I.E. allowing the basic Consecrate spell to stop demons in their tracks despite only really having a mechanical effect on undead.

[Particle_Man]

Well if you can plane shift later on you could turn into a tarrasque on a plane that doesn’t have one to avoid the problem. If you guess wrong and wake a tarrasque then plane shift away.

[erikun]

Are you telling me that your GM allowed you to take Tarrasque as a shapeshift form, when they absolutely knew that doing so will get the party killed by a rampaging Tarrasque every time you attempt to do so? Because if there is one that you've seen on your plane, and it shows up to fight whenever you shapeshift into one, and a new one is spawned if the current one ever dies, then it sounds like you have a nearly worthless shapeshift form.

[comicshorse]

Are you telling me that your GM allowed you to take Tarrasque as a shapeshift form, when they absolutely knew that doing so will get the party killed by a rampaging Tarrasque every time you attempt to do so? Because if there is one that you've seen on your plane, and it shows up to fight whenever you shapeshift into one, and a new one is spawned if the current one ever dies, then it sounds like you have a nearly worthless shapeshift form.

I suppose it could be useful if the party are surrounded by an overwhelming enemy.
" Don't make me shapeshift ! I don't want to and you REALLY don't want me to !"

[GloatingSwine]

Are you telling me that your GM allowed you to take Tarrasque as a shapeshift form, when they absolutely knew that doing so will get the party killed by a rampaging Tarrasque every time you attempt to do so? Because if there is one that you've seen on your plane, and it shows up to fight whenever you shapeshift into one, and a new one is spawned if the current one ever dies, then it sounds like you have a nearly worthless shapeshift form.

It sounds like it will only try and kill you whilst you're shapeshifted into its form, outside of that it's just general rampaging.

So what you've got is a laser guided Tarrasque, just shapeshift, wait for it to show up, shapeshift back and fly away and whomsoever has recently annoyed you now has an angry and slightly confused (but mostly angry) Tarrasque to deal with.

And if it takes a while to show up, well, you're also a Tarrasque, when you aren't a Dragon, so pretty much an unkillable hellbeast no matter what.

[Lord Torath]

You don't want to be in a head-butt situation with it. Just ask Tarquin. (reference to the OotS Mosters calendar)

I'm reasonably certain the Tarrasque was based off of Godzilla. So anything you've seen Godzilla do, your dragon can do. It's based off a French legend. See Devil's_Advocate's post below.

Also, if your dragon is really equal to the Tarrasque, then your dragon + your party > the actual Tarrasque. If the real one shows up, you can take it.

I really like the idea of summoning the real one to your enemies' strongholds, though. Then have your dragon turn back to a dragon, wait until the BBEG is super distracted fighting the beast, and then have your entire party swoop in and nail him. Once the threat is over, you can have your dragon turn back into a tarresque and lure the real one back to an uninhabited wasteland.

Here are some specifics I recall from 2E: Immune to rays and beams and bolts (lightning bolt, cone of cold, disintegrate, ray of feebleness, etc), and has a chance of reflecting them back at you. Immune to fire. Immune to psionic powers that directly affect it. Regenerates something fierce. Sections of shell make excellent shields. Darn hard to kill permanently. Requires like, -30 hp and a Wish or something.

[Malak'ai]

His name is Terrance, but his friends call him Terry.

He likes quite summer afternoons lounging around in the sun with a nice cold glass of cola.

Favourite food is everything.

Dislikes prey that suddenly starts flying.

Not so fond of everything.




Okay... Kidding aside, this sounds awesome, but terrifying at the same time. Damn... The only thing I could really think of using it as is a giant get out of jail free card... Near TPK, poof Dragon is now a Tarrasque and eliminates immediate threat, then a number of rounds the real Terry shows up to give your enemies an even bigger headache while your Dragon is now back in it's original form.

[JeenLeen]

You can probably find a statblock for it with its movement speed somewhere. Or just test it, based on its last location and your location when you first have your dragon shift. Once you have that, you can derive the "safe time" between shifting and it arriving. Even if it's very fast, you probably have a few minutes, and most combat ends before that time limit.

By which I'm implying that you should, in most cases, have a significant time (at least in respect to D&D combat) to have your dragon in that form before needing to withdraw.

---

As a side note: if you are unhappy with this, I could see asking the DM to let you retcon your choice, as you didn't have the in-universe knowledge (that maybe your character would have) about how curse-like this power is.

[Devils_Advocate]

Did someone ask for Tarasque lore?

Apparently, there can only ever be a single Tarrasque in existence. According to the DM, if my dragon shifts into one, it will instantly throw the plane out of whack, and the existing Tarrasque will notice the presence of a new Tarrasque and find and attack it immediately. And if we ever manage to kill the Tarrasque, a new one will appear within a few moments somewhere on the plane, which will cause the problem to repeat itself.

Well, that's just inconsistent! If there can only be one Tarrasque, then turning into a Tarrasque should cause the existing Tarrasque to turn into something else, or disappear, or something. It definitely shouldn't cause a new Tarrasque to appear, although changing back into a dragon might do that if there always has to be exactly one Tarrasque.

[BWR]

Apparently, there can only ever be a single Tarrasque in existence.

Only if you don't count Spelljammer, which had a planet (Falx) full of them, though to be absolutely precise the creatures are said to be "indistinguishable from" and "there might be subtle differences" from the 'unique' tarrasques of other worlds.

[Lord Torath]

My dilemma is this: I'm a relatively new player in that I've only been playing D&D on and off for some years, but the DMs and many other people in the group have been running games before D&D even was invented. They have read lots of books, lots of background information, and have lots of things that I don't have simply due to my age and lack of experience.

You will come back and tell us how it goes, won't you? We love to see how our (sometimes terrible) advice works out!

[Jarmen4u]

You will come back and tell us how it goes, won't you? We love to see how our (sometimes terrible) advice works out!

Definitely, though I'm not sure how long it will be before I am forced to/feel safe enough to use it. The game is going a little sideways so I might do it sooner rather than later, however.

[Mordar]

Here's what I think you need to know:

The Tarrasque is a creature that was created as an object lesson for power-players that became the edgelord popular choice for "cool monster". Beware DMs or players that namedrop it.

Too late, you say? Well, the nuclear option people have mentioned is a useful thing to keep in your back pocket. Just means you don't get a humanoid form for your dragon.

- M

[the_david]

Simply put, Tarrasques have two settings: Sleepy and hungry. If your dragon transforms into a Tarrasque he'll default to one of those settings. Neither is very productive so I'd skip on the Tarrasque if I were you.

[Duff]

Also, apparently based on a real world myth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4sVmnfz9Wk

[Lord Torath]

Also, apparently based on a real world myth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4sVmnfz9Wk

Devils Advocate already linked that video.

Did someone ask for Tarasque lore?