The Tarrasque in D&D is colossal monster that pretty much no character has any right to stand against. It is the primal force of destruction made physical. It is the Godzilla of the D&D game. It is also based on a monster of myth and legend known as the Tarasque. While they look similar and act similar, the Tarasque was once defeated.
I can recall one time while watching some TV, likely a nature show but it could have been Star Trek the Next Generation too. I was reading my Monstrous Compendium and someone had mentioned the Pygmy Tarsier. I thought that at the time a Pygmy Tarrasque would make for a great monster.
The idea here is a Tarrasque that the characters can actually and defeat. Build up the rumors in either direction; the tarrasque is an unstoppable killing machine created to kill gods OR it's just an armored dragon like beast that a group of French villagers can kill. Which is true? Don't know and neither will your players till you spring this on them.
Fluff: Let's say the regenerative powers of the Tarrasque is such that sometimes big hunks of it's flesh are torn out. Typically this would only happen if it was in a fight with a titan or demon lord. These hunks either regenerate into smaller versions of the creature or maybe this is what happens to other monsters when they consume this flesh. Or one could even say that these smaller ones are the result of the breeding of the Tarrasque with dragons. Or it along with the Great Tarrasque are the offspring of Leviathan (as in the myths) or even Tiamat. One should not discount this angle on the story. Given the Leviathan connection it sorta behooves me to stat it up for Cinematic Unisystem.
In the village of Tarascon they still celebrate the defeat of this great monster. I am happy that we have never seen such a beast in England.
- From the Journal of Tamara Swift.
Name: Tarrasque, Pygmy
Motivation: Eat
Creature Type: Monster
Attributes: Str 18, Dex 7, Con 10, Int 2, Per 6, Will 3
Ability Scores: Muscle 40, Combat 20, Brains 10
Life Points: 750
Drama Points: 2
Special Abilities: Additional Actions +2 (3 total), Armour Value 9, Attractiveness –5, Cause Fear, Increased Life Points, Regeneration (Con per Hour), Resists Magic 3 (can deflect automatically any spell PL 3 or lower)
Manoeuvres
| Name | Score | Damage | Notes |
| Bite | +22 | 48 | Slash/stab |
| Claw x2 | +20 | 34 | Slash/stab |
| Tail | +18 | 34 | Bash |
| - stinger | +16 | Special | Poison |
Well, it did take a saint to kill the mythical tarrasque. Saint Martha, if I recall.
ReplyDeleteWe fought the Tarrasque once. We all died, but hey it was worth it! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right Wall, and Saint Martha was at least a 20th level paladin.
ReplyDeleteUsed something similar for my Averoigne campaign: St Martha subdued the Tarrasque, which the villagers exploited for their gain. The PCs explore the area, looking for something else - with the lore of the Tarrasque lurking in the background of the main plot. I might run the tilt as a GameDay event, so I'll not spoil it more than to say that another iconic D&D monster with regeneration and similar resistances ties in really well as part of the aftermath of the villagers' actions... ;)
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