Tiamat, Ruler of Saltwater, Mother of Monsters, is one of the oldest primordial beings mentioned in any human records.[1] Babylonian in origin, her legend—like many others—grew and focused under the lens of tabletop games,[2] and was revamped under new creative works like the SCP Wiki.[3]
As the Mother of Monsters, Tiamat's legend itself holds historical/cultural/magical significance on most worldlines. Her terrifying presence should be reserved for the most dire of circumstances, when worlds are about to collapse... or new ones are about to form.
In any faithful adaptation, Tiamat is female, monstrous to some degree, and speaks Akkadian.
SCP breakdown[]
- Item #: SCP-5866
- Clearance Level: 3, Confidential
- Containment Class: Esoteric, Tiamat
- Disruption Class: 4/Amida
- Risk Class: 5/Critical
Babylonian Tiamat[]
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As per GURPS: Fantasy — 1200 points
Appearance[]
She has a horizontal body with four clawed legs and two wings; her head bears four widely spaced eyes with membranous protection, and a fanged mouth with a forked tongue. She has gills, as befits her aquatic nature, and her skin shimmers like the ocean.
She is 200’ long and weighs 300 tons. Her mere presence instills terror, which she utilizes often in her quest to avenge her husband, Apsu.
Flooding Waters[]
Babylonian-Tiamat's main attack is the ability to summon flood waters that fill a 60-yard radius centered upon Tiamat’s physical body, choking anyone in the area. This is modeled as Affliction 6 (HT-5; Area Effect: 60 yards radius, +300%; Incapacitation: Choking, +100%; Emanation, -20%) 288 points.
A possible analog may exist in the SCP multiverse as SCP-169.
AD&D1 & 2 Tiamat[]
| This is regarding an unofficial conversion of D&D material to GURPS. |
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Cost: 1920 (0+1935-15) points (not counting skills and learned spells)
While this form of Tiamat is much smaller, she makes up with it via her spells and deity powers. At 60' (20 hexes) long this version of Tiamat is a Monstrous Western Dragon in GURPS meaning she is at least 3,000 lbs.
According AD&D first and second edition Deities and Demigods she is the Babylonian Tiamat with her battles with Marduk being legendary. She also goes by the name Takhisis in Greyhawk.
Later versions have Alternate Form (Human) [15]. In some realities she uses the pseudonym "Queen Tamait".
Attributes and Secondary Characteristics[]
(Size, -60%) Section total: [0]
| Attributes | Secondary Characteristics |
Speed | Move | SM | 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST | 30 | [0] | HP | 32 | [0] | Basic | 7.25 | 7 | DR | 0 |
| DX | 14 | [0] | Will | 16 | [0] | Modifier | 0 | (-1) | Dodge | 10 |
| IQ | 16 | [0] | Per | 16 | [0] | Final | 7.25 | 6 | Parry | N/A |
| HT | 15 | [0] | FP | 15 | [0] | Cost | [0] | [0] | Block | N/A |
| Total | [0] | Total | [0] | |||||||
| Air Move | Basic Speed x 2 (dropping all fractions) | 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Water Move | Basic Move/5, rounded down | NA |
| Striking ST Bonus |
0 | Lifting ST Bonus |
Lifting ST |
Basic Lift |
Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striking ST | 30 | 0 | 30 | 180 | [0] | |
| Thrust Damage |
3d | Up to | Encumbrance Level |
Move | Dodge | |
| Swing Damage |
5d+2 | 180 lbs | None | 6 | 10 | |
| Cost | [0] | 360 lbs | Light | 4 | 9 | |
| 540 lbs | Medium | 3 | 8 | |||
| 1080 lbs | Heavy | 2 | 7 | |||
| 1800 lbs | Extra-Heavy | 1 | 6 | |||
Social Background[]
Total: [1]
- TL (3+2}^ [0]
- Cultural Familiarity: Dragon; Human [1] [1]
- Language(s) [0]: English (Native) [0]
Advantages and Perks[]
Total: [1935]
- Monstrous Western Dragon (DR 7 (Cannot Wear Armor); Enhanced Move 1/2 (Air); Teeth (Fangs); Claws (Talons); Flight (Winged, -25%); High Pain Threshold; Immunity to Disease; Nictitating Membrane 2; Night Vision 9; Temperature Tolerance 6 (+2 HT at bottom of range, +4 HT at top); Unaging; Burning Attack 3d (Cone, 1 yard; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP; Reduced Range, 1/5) [20]; Increased Consumption 2 [-20]) [460]
- Four Extra Heads [60]
- Head attacks (all built along Innate Attacks) (default 1/2D 10, Max 100, Acc 3, RoF 1, Shots N/A, Recoil 1) [NA]
- Red - Burning Attack 3d (Cone, 1 yard; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP; Reduced Range, 1/5) [NA]
- Green - Toxic Attack 3d (Respiratory Agent 1, +50%; Area Effect (2 yards), +50%) [24]+Corrosion Attack 2d (Respiratory Agent 1, +50%; Area Effect (2 yards), +50%) [40] [64]
- Blue - Lightning Attack 3d; (burn 3) [15]
- Black - Acid Attack 3d; (Cor 3; Area Effect (2 yards), +50%;) [45]
- White - Frost Breath (+240%): Crushing Attack 3d (Cone, 2 yards, +70%; No Blunt Trauma, -20%; No Knockback, -10%; Side Effect, Paralysis, +200%) [51]
- Power Investiture +2 [20]
- Object of Power (Major) [520]: Sanctity Enhancer 2 [100] + Wild Sanctity Generator [100] (560%: Cosmic - lingering Sanctity effect +100%; Ranged +40%; Increased Range x5 +20%) (see note) [620]
- Unkillable 3 [150]
- Standard Divine Abilities [450]
Disadvantage and Quirks[]
Total: [-15]
- Enemies (Bahamut, Deity King of Metaliic Dragons, Marduk; 6 for either) [-5]
- Reputation (Deity Queen of Chromatic Dragons) +4 to Chromatic Dragons (1/2) [+10]; -4 to everybody else [-20] [-10]
Skills[]
- Thaumatology (skill) (VH) (IQ±0) — 16 (+2) [8]
Standard Divine Abilities (meta trait)[]
The base package assumes IQ 10 + Power Investiture 1 [10] - Tiamat will have +8 due to her IQ and Power Investiture +2
- Command ("no saving throw vs. this divine ability"): Mind Control [50]
- Comprehend languages: Gift of Tongues and Gift of Letters combined (special spell, VH) - 15 [28]
- Detect alignment: Aura (spell) - 15 [24]
- Gate: Planar Summons (spell, limited to mythos) - 15 [24]
- Geas: Great Geas (VH spell) - 15 [28]
- Quest (no saving throw): Lesser Geas (VH spell) - 20 [48]
- Teleport: Jumper [100] and Warp [100]
- True Seeing: Dark Vision [25] + See Invisible (True Sight, Magical, +50%) [23] — [48]
Notes[]
- As a goddess Tiamat is effectively a living Object of Power effectively crippling any divine based magic used in her presence.
- What They Don't Tell You About Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragons - D&D
Speculation[]
While it is easy to see ancient gods as "emergency levers" to pull when things get risky, it's important to understand that they all have their own motivations, which may already bring them in line with enemy forces.
Tiamat's one desire in the old legends was the quietness of a world untouched by man and monster, her main trait (aside from enjoying and personifying saltwater) is enjoying the cold of winter before being slain by Marduk in the early rains of spring.
If one wakes up the Mother of Monsters to beseech her to fight the likes of the Lord Beneath the Ice, they may be disappointed when she finds the cold and quiet the Lord brings to be exactly what she'd prefer. Worse, that the Lord Beneath the Ice was Tiamat all along.
See Also[]
- Classic: Religion
- Kaliya — Classic: Fantasy Bestiary may have pulled from D&D Tiamat for some ideas.
References[]
- GURPS Fantasy, p. 56
- Deities and Demigods 1st edition 1st printing (1980) p. 8
- ↑ GURPS Fantasy, p.56
- ↑ For instance, AD&D 1's "Deities and Demigods", 1980
- ↑ SCP-5866 in particular