Difference between revisions of "Tiamat"

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{{list of | draconians}}
 
{{list of | draconians}}
 
{{monster info}}
 
{{monster info}}
  
 
==Useful 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.
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[[Tiamat]] is a [[unique]] [[list of draconians|draconian]] who sometimes appears in the [[Realm of Zot]]. One of the strongest uniques before [[extended]], she is a draconian who constantly changes color, giving her access to any of the draconian breath weapons (and the matching resistance). She always wears the [[dragonskin cloak]], and comes with a very large retinue of draconians.
  
 
==Location==
 
==Location==
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{{monster spells}}
 
{{monster spells}}
  
==Tips & Tricks==
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==Strategy==
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 -  the [[Draconian]] page has details on each kind. Her unpredictable damage types make her dangerous from a distance, unless you are omniresistant. Fighting up close isn't much better; she hits harder than any monster in the game, save [[Antaeus]], and tends to carry a good weapon.
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Be prepared for a long, dangerous, and difficult fight if you chose to take on Tiamat. With high HP and extreme [[HD]], it's difficult to kill her quickly. She changes colour often, allowing for a variety of breath attacks (see the [[Draconian]] page for each kind). Her melee is no slouch, either.
  
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.
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If you do decide to take on Tiamat, make sure to clear her entourage first.
 +
*Melee/ranged fighters should have great defenses ([[AC]], [[EV]], [[SH]]). Most characters will want to buff up; [[Might]] and [[Haste]] are easy. [[Berserk]] is dangerous; since she has such good defenses, it's likely that berserk will run out before she dies.
 +
*Magic users often have a tough time killing her before running out of [[MP]]. A [[potion of brilliance]] can alleviate that issue, but Tiamat is still a tough foe. She can gain elemental resistances (from colour and cloak), which can make it difficult if you rely on an elemental spell. However, these resistances aren't regular, so you can wait them out.
  
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.
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If nothing else, remember that you don't have to kill everything in Crawl. Tiamat is a 10-speed enemy, so under normal circumstances, you can run away. If you do decide to fight, be prepared to run if things go badly. Her breath weapons can do a lot of damage, and [[teleport]]s are delayed in Zot.
  
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.
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An easy (and often deadly) mistake is to simply not notice her until it's too late. She's very recognizable in Tiles mode, but console players can make the mistake. 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.
  
Conjurers should drink a [[potion of brilliance]] to spam 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.
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===Tips & Tricks===
 
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*Pay attention to what's near Tiamat. [[Draconian shifter]]s can teleport her (and 7 other draconians) directly adjacent to you. A [[moth of wrath]] can berserk Tiamat, which you really don't want.
As she is not a summoner and thus does not have [[Abjuration]], she can be overwhelmed by your own allies. Swarm her in the open with high-end spells like [[Summon Horrible Things]] or [[Haunt]]. Undead or [[lichform]] casters might consider [[torment]]ing her. [[Hexes]], however, are not a good idea; Tiamat's [[willpower]] and [[HD]] makes casting and mantaining them extremely difficult, at best.
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*Like other draconians, Tiamat is [[cold-blooded]]. She can get rC+ from colour or the dragonskin cloak. Otherwise, she can be slowed by [[cold]] attacks.
 
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*Tiamat only has moderate EV, so spells such as [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]] or [[Bombard]] are effective. But her high health means that most casters will need some method of restoring MP to last long enough to kill her.
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.
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*Don't forget about any other items you may have picked up:
 
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**[[Throwing net]]s will pin Tiamat down for several turns, giving you time to flee or deal some serious [[stab]]bing damage.
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.
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**A [[phantom mirror]] creates a clone for a few turns; a friendly version of Tiamat is one of the strongest allies you can ask for.
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**A [[scroll of vulnerability]] can make it reasonable to [[paralyse]], polymorph, or otherwise hex her. Just beware the usual risks of this scroll.
  
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
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==History==
 
==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.
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*In [[0.28]], Tiamat got a much more impressive tile. Previously, she blended into other draconians.
 +
*Prior to [[0.10]], Tiamat wore [[gold dragon armour]], granting her phenomenal AC. As player [[Draconian]]s lost the body armour slot in this version, her armour was replaced with the [[dragonskin cloak]].

Latest revision as of 21:13, 12 May 2024

Version 0.31: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

For a list of all draconians, see list of draconians.

Tiamat dTiamat.png
HP 254-513
HD 22
XP 5100
Speed 10
AC 30
EV 10
Will 140
Attack1 60 (hit: plain)
Attack2 45 (tail slap: plain)


Resistances rF+
rPois+
Vulnerabilities Silver
Habitat Land
Intelligence Human
Uses Weapons & armour
Starting equipment
Open doors
Holiness Natural
Size Large
Type draconian, draconian
Flags Cold-blooded
See invisible
Flying
Speaks
Unique
Female
The earthly avatar of Tiamat, deity of dragonkind, here incarnated as a mighty draconian warrior. Her scales seem to shimmer and change colour as you watch.

“He saith that Tiamat our mother hath conceived a hatred for us,
With all her force she rageth, full of wrath.
All the gods have turned to her,
With those, whom ye created, they go at her side.
They are banded together, and at the side of Tiamat they advance;
They are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.
They prepare for battle, fuming and raging;
They have joined their forces and are making war.
Tiamat who formed all things,
Made in addition weapons invincible; she spawned monster-serpents,
Sharp of tooth, and merciless of fang;
With poison, instead of blood, she filled their bodies.
Fierce monster-vipers she clothed with terror,
With splendor she decked them, she made them of lofty stature.
Whoever beheld them, terror overcame him,
Their bodies reared up and none could withstand their attack.”
-Enuma Elish, Third Tablet. circa 668 BCE.

Useful Info

Tiamat is a unique draconian who sometimes appears in the Realm of Zot. One of the strongest uniques before extended, she is a draconian who constantly changes color, giving her access to any of the draconian breath weapons (and the matching resistance). She always wears the dragonskin cloak, and comes with a very large retinue of draconians.

Location

Spells

Spell set I
Slot1 Cold Breath (3d44) Natural flag,
Breath flag
Spell set II
Slot1 Lightning Bolt (3d25) Natural flag,
Breath flag
Spell set III
Slot1 Poisonous Cloud (3d13) Natural flag,
Breath flag
Spell set IV
Slot1 Quicksilver Bolt (3d20) Natural flag,
Breath flag
Spell set V
Slot1 Searing Breath (3d28) Natural flag,
Breath flag
Spell set VI
Slot1 Spit Acid (3d14) Natural flag,
Breath flag

Strategy

Be prepared for a long, dangerous, and difficult fight if you chose to take on Tiamat. With high HP and extreme HD, it's difficult to kill her quickly. She changes colour often, allowing for a variety of breath attacks (see the Draconian page for each kind). Her melee is no slouch, either.

If you do decide to take on Tiamat, make sure to clear her entourage first.

  • Melee/ranged fighters should have great defenses (AC, EV, SH). Most characters will want to buff up; Might and Haste are easy. Berserk is dangerous; since she has such good defenses, it's likely that berserk will run out before she dies.
  • Magic users often have a tough time killing her before running out of MP. A potion of brilliance can alleviate that issue, but Tiamat is still a tough foe. She can gain elemental resistances (from colour and cloak), which can make it difficult if you rely on an elemental spell. However, these resistances aren't regular, so you can wait them out.

If nothing else, remember that you don't have to kill everything in Crawl. Tiamat is a 10-speed enemy, so under normal circumstances, you can run away. If you do decide to fight, be prepared to run if things go badly. Her breath weapons can do a lot of damage, and teleports are delayed in Zot.

An easy (and often deadly) mistake is to simply not notice her until it's too late. She's very recognizable in Tiles mode, but console players can make the mistake. 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.

Tips & Tricks

  • Pay attention to what's near Tiamat. Draconian shifters can teleport her (and 7 other draconians) directly adjacent to you. A moth of wrath can berserk Tiamat, which you really don't want.
  • Like other draconians, Tiamat is cold-blooded. She can get rC+ from colour or the dragonskin cloak. Otherwise, she can be slowed by cold attacks.
  • Tiamat only has moderate EV, so spells such as Lehudib's Crystal Spear or Bombard are effective. But her high health means that most casters will need some method of restoring MP to last long enough to kill her.
  • Don't forget about any other items you may have picked up:
    • Throwing nets will pin Tiamat down for several turns, giving you time to flee or deal some serious stabbing damage.
    • A phantom mirror creates a clone for a few turns; a friendly version of Tiamat is one of the strongest allies you can ask for.
    • A scroll of vulnerability can make it reasonable to paralyse, polymorph, or otherwise hex her. Just beware the usual risks of this scroll.

Trivia

In Babylonian mythology, 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

  • In 0.28, Tiamat got a much more impressive tile. Previously, she blended into other draconians.
  • Prior to 0.10, Tiamat wore gold dragon armour, granting her phenomenal AC. As player Draconians lost the body armour slot in this version, her armour was replaced with the dragonskin cloak.