From: kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: Tarresque - Anyone killed one?
Keywords: terrasque
Date: 20 Aug 1992 01:00:02 GMT
Organization: NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
Originator: kjenks@gothamcity

In article <u894793.714246199@bruny> u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Timothy D Little) writes:
>
>I'm interested in knowing if anyone has ever actually killed a
>Tarresque in a non-Monty Haul campaign.  Any stories?

(I'm not sure how to spell it, but I think you've got it wrong, too.)

There we were, five definitely-Monty-Haul characters, level 8-11,
walking through a dungeon.  We walked down a dead-end, cavern-like
corridor, when Volcano, my 8th level MH MU, spotted an illusory wall.
(Volcano isn't TOO MH, but for the Wands of Polymorphing and Illusion,
borrowed artifact which casts Prismatic Sphere and all of the seven
spells required to bring it down, Talisman of the Sphere, and a Sphere
of Annihilation trailing slowly along behind.)

Ignoring the illusory end to the corridor, the Monk (11th level,
"Dragon Magazine" Monk rules, Girdle of Giant Strength and Gauntlets of
Ogre Power [which worked together for some unknown reason], +5
Staff-Spear, AC -7), scouted ahead.  The corridor opened up into a
larger cavern.  In the cavern were three terrasques.  Yes, I know,
there's only one, anywhere.  That's why I led off with a Dispel Magic,
thinking they were illusory or polymorphed.  Oh, well.

Our MH fighters waded in, primary and secondary weapons flashing,
backed up by Girdles of Giant Strength and (of course) specialization.
The Monk basically stood there being a target, while dishing out a
measly 30 HP/round with darts.  (Yeah, a Monk with darts.  Wanna make
something of it?)  I stayed back and concentrated on the Sphere of
Annihilation.

Terrasque #1 and #2 swiped at the AC -12 Ranger for a while, to little
effect, while he and the cleric-turned-fighter killed #1 in two rounds
with weapon hits.  I parked the Sphere in the middle of the 10'
diameter corridor and let loose with my Wand of Polymorphing for a few
rounds, to no discernible effect (Magic Resistance is adjusted by 5%
per level around 11th, so the Wand, at 6th, gave Mr. T +25% to each
MR roll).

After three rounds of melee, #3 ran AROUND my Sphere (yeah, sure, Todd)
and attacked the Monk, biting him in half.  Meanwhile, #2 bit the hand
off our Cavalier, swallowing his vorpal sword in the process.  Things
looked a little desperate, and the cleric-turned-fighter used psionic
Etherealness to bug out.  I brought the roof of the cavern in on #2 and
#3 with a Transmute Rock to Mud from a scroll, then followed up with a
Dispel Magic.  They were stuck fast, and it took several hours with the
Sphere of Annihilation to slurp up the last of them and dig out the
assorted body parts our party dropped here and there.

At the end, the fighter pulled out his second-to-last Wish and
wished the critters permanently dead, thinking that was the way
they had to be dealt with.  (I haven't checked.)

We cleaned up the mess, Resurrected our comrades with another artifact,
and went on our way.  The next stop was one of those demi-lich things
from Tomb of Horrors.  After we FOUND the thing, (it was hiding in a
tomb beneath a big, open cavern, using ranged spells and some weird
kind of scrying technique), we chewed it up in about four rounds.
We rested for the night in its lair, since we knew we had to fly
two miles straight up, to get out of the dungeon.

Monty Haul.  Lots of stupid fun.  Don't knock it until you've tried it.
Don't try it with people you respect.

-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
      kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov  (713) 483-4368

      "There is no doubt; you have come to a place of ineffable Evil.
       Still, it is most certainly a place for high adventure and 
       untold treasures.  It is time to ready spells, draw weapons,
       check equipment, and set forth into the maze of peril that
       awaits you."
         -- AD&D Module T1-4, Temple of Elemental Evil, p.36