View source for Tiamat

{{version|026}}
{{list of | draconians}}
{{monster info}}

==Useful Info==
[[Tiamat]] is a [[unique]] [[list of draconians|draconian]] who sometimes appears in the [[Realm of Zot]]. The most powerful unique to appear outside of the extended endgame, she is a draconian who constantly changes color, giving her access to any of the draconian breath weapons. She always wears the [[dragonskin cloak]], and comes with a very large retinue of draconians.

==Location==
*The [[Realm of Zot]]

{{monster spells}}

==Tips & Tricks==
Be prepared for a long, dangerous, and difficult fight if you choose to take on Tiamat. Given her extremely high HD (22), her breath weapons will do a lot of damage on top of the unique effects that each draconian breath weapon has (see the [[Draconian]] page for details on each kind). Her unpredictable damage types make her dangerous from a distance unless you are omniresistant, but fighting up close is not much better; she hits harder than any monster in the game save [[Antaeus]] and tends to carry a good weapon.

Anyone wishing to kill her will want to lure her away from her retinue (or vice versa), as fighting both [[draconian stormcaller]]s and Tiamat is very likely to be very lethal.

Be prepared to run if things even start to go badly -- remember how much damage she can do with her breath weapons. Also keep in mind that the Realm of Zot interferes with translocative effects -- a [[scroll of teleport]] will take much longer to kick in, making it an unreliable escape option at best.

Defeating Tiamat in melee is doable with high AC and EV, but you will want to buff yourself in as many ways as possible first: [[Haste]] and [[Might]] are a good start, but don't neglect any other useful bonuses, such as god-given buffs like [[Heroism]], [[Finesse]], or [[Zin#Given Abilities|Vitalisation]]. Going [[berserk]] is a risky move; it greatly increases your damage output while it lasts, but Tiamat is durable enough to be able to weather all but the most destructive rages, and being slowed and possibly paralyzed next to Tiamat is something to be avoided at all costs.

Conjurers should drink a [[potion of brilliance]] use their most powerful spells, preferably ones that deal irresistible damage. Her cloak gives her occasional resistance to all elements, but not with such regularity that elemental casters are completely out of luck. Just keep an eye out for her current color to make sure you aren't wasting a turn and several [[MP]]. Tiamat only has moderate EV, so spells such as [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]] or [[Iron Shot]] are effective, but her high health means that most casters will need some method of restoring MP to last long enough to kill her.

Casters without powerful conjurations do still have options for killing Tiamat. As she is not a summoner and thus does not have [[Abjuration]], she can be overwhelmed with summons, preferably while fighting in the open using high-end spells like [[Summon Horrible Things]], [[Haunt]], or [[Summon Greater Demon]]. Undead or [[lichform]] casters might consider [[torment]]ing her, if they have a means of doing so. [[Hexes]], however, are not a good idea; Tiamat's [[willpower]] is high enough that you can expect most spells to require several tries, and given her extremely high damage output, this can be deadly. Furthermore, her high [[HD]] lets her recover quickly from most hexes.

Don't forget about any other items you may have picked up; a [[throwing net]] will pin Tiamat down for several turns, giving you time to flee or deal some serious [[stab]]bing damage. Using a [[phantom mirror]] can also be helpful; a friendly copy of Tiamat herself is one of the strongest allies you could ask for.

Finally, an easy and often deadly mistake to make is to simply not notice her until it's too late. Tiamat's habit of constantly changing colors means that she isn't a unique color, and thus does not visually stand out from the draconian band that invariably surrounds her. She's somewhat more recognizable when playing in Tiles Mode, but it's still an understandable mistake. One should always be vigilant in the Realm of Zot; Tiamat is one of many reasons for this.

==Trivia==
In Babylonian mythology, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiamat Tiamat] is a goddess considered to be the monstrous embodiment of primordial chaos. Although there are no early precedents for it, some sources (including Dungeons & Dragons) identify her with images of a sea serpent or dragon.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.10]], Tiamat wore [[gold dragon armour]], granting her phenomenal physical durability as well as a wide array of elemental resistances. When draconians lost access to the body armour slot, she was instead given the dragonskin cloak.