Half-Tarrasque Template

[The_Admiral]

Half-Tarrasque Template

"Half-Tarrasque" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A half-tarrasque uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Favoured Class
A half-tarrasque's favoured class remains the same as its base race, except if the base race's favoured class is an Arcane Caster. If so, its favoured class automatically changes to Barbarian.

Size and Type

The creature’s type changes to Magical Beast. Size increases by one size category if the base creature is Large or larger, and two size categories otherwise. Do not recalculate base attack bonus or saves.

Hit Dice

Increase base creature’s racial HD size up to d10 if it was lower, if not, it remains the size it was.

Armor Class

Natural armor improves by +8

Attack

All half-tarrasques have two claw attacks and a bite attack, and the claws are the primary natural weapon. Large and larger half-tarrasques gain a gore attack. If the base creature can use weapons, the half-tarrasque retains this ability. A half-tarrasque fighting without weapons uses a claw when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead.


Full Attack

A half-tarrasque fighting without weapons uses both claws, its bite, and its gore if applicable when making afull attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack and its bite as a natural secondary attack. If it has a hand free, it uses a claw as an additional natural secondary attack.

Damage

Half-tarrasques have bite, claw and often gore attacks. If the base creature does not have these attack forms, use the damage values listed. Otherwise, use the values below or the base creature’s damage values, whichever are greater.

Tiny: Bite 1d3, claws 1d2
Small: Bite 1d4, claws 1d3
Medium: Bite: 1d6, claws 1d4
Large: Bite 1d8, claws 1d6, gore 2d6
Huge: Bite 2d6, claws 1d8, gore 2d8
Gargantuan: Bite 3d6, claws 2d6, gore 4d6
Colossal: Bite 4d6, claws 3d6, gore 6d6
Colossal Plus: Bite 4d8, claws 4d6, gore 8d6

Special Qualities

Carapace (Ex)

A half-tarrasque’s armorlike carapace is exceptionally tough and highly reflective, and has a 3% chance per each two hit die of deflecting any given ray, line, cone, or even magic missile spell. There is a 10% chance of reflecting any such deflected effect back at the caster; otherwise, it is merely negated.

Regeneration (Ex)

No nonmagical weapon deals lethal damage to a half-tarrasque, and any magical weapon being wielded against it must penetrate the half-tarrasque's SR with each successful hit (using the caster level of its creator or in the case of spells cast on the weapons, the CL of the caster) for the weapon to be classed as magical for that particular strike. A half-tarrasque gets a +8 racial bonus to saves against effects that produce incurable or bleeding wounds, such as mummy rot, a sword with the wounding special ability, or a clay golem’s cursed wound ability. Spells and supernatural abilities which ignore SR deal lethal damage, regular fire/acid/etc doesn't.

Magic Resistance (Ex)

A half-tarrasque has SR equal to its hit dice plus fifteen or that of the base creature, whichever is higher. However, a half-tarrasque's resistance to magic also impedes any spell it tries to cast, and it must succeed a spellcraft check of DC equal to its HD plus 10 to cast any arcane spell or use any spell-like abilities mimicking arcane spells. In addition its spell resistance cannot be lowered even for beneficial effects.

Deathblood Link (Ex)

Whenever a half-tarrasque dies while on the same plane as the Tarrasque itself, the Tarrasque heals 100 HP. If the Tarrasque has been slain using a Wish or Miracle, a ritually-prepared sacrifice of a half-tarrasque can return it to -9 HP. The sacrificed half-tarrasque cannot be returned to life by any means short of a Wish or Miracle.


Abilities

Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +18, Dex -4, Con +10, Int -4, Wis +2, Cha +2.

Skills

A half-tarrasque gains skill points as a magical beast and has skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier) × (HD + 3). Do not include Hit Dice from class levels in this calculation—the half-tarrasque gains magical beast skill points only for its racial Hit Dice, and gains the normal amount of skill points for its class levels. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills, and other skills as cross-class.


Alignment

Usually Chaotic (Any).

A friend of mine made this and proceeded to hijack my account to post it. I still have no idea why.

[JeminiZero]

If I had to guess, he wants to probably wants to use it on players.

Or, since nothing prevents a Tarrasque from being resurrected the normal way, the Deathblood Link method of resurrection, implies that he plans to sacrifice a half-tarrasque to perform discount resurrection of a previously slain Tarrasque.

Right now, the most glaring ommision is the lack of a CR adjustment for this template. There are also asterisks inserted at random points, for no apparent reason, which should probably be removed:

"Half-Tarrasque" is an inherited template*that can

or even magic missile*spell.

Regeneration*(Ex)

such as*mummy rot, a sword with the wounding special ability, or a*clay golem’s cursed wound ability.

[The_Admiral]

Asterisks were my fault, didn't catch then, as for the LA/CR increase, I'm going to quote my friend.

I really need advice for the LA or CR increase, but thinking around 6 to 10

[JeminiZero]

Right now the entry on Regeneration is quite vague. It only mentions SR vs caster level of weapon maker. What if the weapon is mundane (CL 0), but Greater Magic Weapon was cast on it? How about creatures whose natural weapons count as magic for the purpose of overcoming DR?

Also it doesn't mention whether or not spells/psionic powers, supernatural abilities (which ignore SR like Dragon Breath) or mundane elemental damage (e.g. lava or acid) deal lethal damage.

[The_Admiral]

Commentary is noted, has been sent over and corrections have been made.

[Socksy]

Quietly admits to making this template and making my friend post it

Any idea about what the LA should be?

[inuyasha]

Quietly admits to making this template and making my friend post it

Any idea about what the LA should be?

You want a playable half tarrasque? that's nuts!

*goes to work using 3rd party sources for accurate monster cr's and la's*

[JeminiZero]

Regeneration still has some gaps.

Firstly nowhere in the entry does it state how much is the regeneration (i.e. how many non-lethal HP does he recover a round).

No nonmagical weapon deals lethal damage to a half-tarrasque, and any magical weapon being wielded against it must penetrate the half-tarrasque's SR with each successful hit (using the caster level of its creator or in the case of spells cast on the weapons, the CL of the caster).

Incidentally, does this also apply to non-physical damage enchantments such as flaming?

For the weapon to be classed as magical for that particular strike.

This sentence seems incomplete.

Also what about creatures whose natural weapons count as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction (but with no explicit creator or caster level)? Perhaps use the creature's HD in lieu of CL?

Spells and supernatural abilities which ignore SR deal lethal damage

This seems odd. As written, it means that spells which do not ignore SR, but which manage to overcome it, still deal non-lethal damage. It is only spells which ignore SR entirely (e.g. Orb of X), that deal lethal damage. Perhaps phrase it as: "Spells which manage to overcome or ignore SR deal lethal damage, as do supernatural abilities."

As for LA... this gives your average medium humanoid PC +18 strength/+8 Con, TWO size increases (which according to this table adds another +16 Str/+8 Con), 4 natural attacks (including 2 that can be used even while wielding weapons).

And then there is SR of HD+15, and resistance against Rays/Lines/Cones (basically the key spells that DO ignore SR).

All of this probably put it at ~LA +7 AT LEAST. And I haven't added regen (which needs fixing as described above).

[Socksy]

Regeneration still has some gaps.

Firstly nowhere in the entry does it state how much is the regeneration (i.e. how many non-lethal HP does he recover a round).

Let's make it equal to half its HD.

Incidentally, does this also apply to non-physical damage enchantments such as flaming?

Depends if it's magical fire or if you've put a match to the tip of your greatclub before the battle.

This sentence seems incomplete.

That's because the first half of the sentence is on the other side of those brackeeets > w < there is a full-stop which does not belong.

Also what about creatures whose natural weapons count as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction (but with no explicit creator or caster level)? Perhaps use the creature's HD in lieu of CL?

That works! :D

This seems odd. As written, it means that spells which do not ignore SR, but which manage to overcome it, still deal non-lethal damage. It is only spells which ignore SR entirely (e.g. Orb of X), that deal lethal damage. Perhaps phrase it as: "Spells which manage to overcome or ignore SR deal lethal damage, as do supernatural abilities."

"Spells or supernatural abilities which manage to overcome or ignore SR deal lethal damage." seems more like what I mean, I think c:

As for LA... this gives your average medium humanoid PC +18 strength/+8 Con, TWO size increases (which according to this table adds another +16 Str/+8 Con), 4 natural attacks (including 2 that can be used even while wielding weapons).

Ahh, I meant for it to be used instead of the table. The half-tarrasque doesn't get +34 STR! :D :P

And then there is SR of HD+15, and resistance against Rays/Lines/Cones (basically the key spells that DO ignore SR).

All of this probably put it at ~LA +7 AT LEAST. And I haven't added regen (which needs fixing as described above).

7 is in the range I thought it would be in! > w < Glad I sort of got it right!