Not your typical trolls

[Indagare]

Actually, I'm not sure where the trolls started to gain their regenerative abilities from, but one of my favorite artists is Humon who does interesting and amusing illustrations on facts about various fictional (and sometimes factual) creatures.

So, Humon has done Trolls here, here, and here, and I was curious what folks might do with each of the types of trolls presented (the valravn may also be included).

I suppose the larger ones might be more monstrous humanoids, but the smaller could be humanoid (troll).

Thoughts?

[JosMartigan]

I thought trolls were giant subtype?

[Indagare]

JosMartigan wrote:

I thought trolls were giant subtype?

They could be, but I'm more wanting input as to what people think the trolls I've linked to would be than what trolls currently are.

[Boomerang Nebula]

I really like the Tolkein style of trolls where they turn to stone in sunlight. I like to place them under bridges ready to ambush unsuspecting travellers.

[Drejk]

Scandinavian trolls would be probably a category of beings somewhere between monstrous humanoids and fey. If you'd be building a setting based on Scandinavian mythology they could be their own type (or maybe monstrous humanoids, with the type renamed to trolls or jotnar, as they would be the primary members of that type in such universe).

[Sir Jerden]

So, these trolls could either be humanoid (giant)s or monstrous humanoids. If you want to play up the troll part and not confuse players too much, go giant. Sure, they have tails and horns, but I think regular trolls are so beastial that they should all be monstrous humanoids, so go with either. Or fey, but fey are d6 half bab creatures and so you'd have to give them a lot of HD to make them challenging.

Norwegian trolls would be the classic evil Tolkien troll, with DR or regeneration to make them hard to kill, but obviously they turn to stone in natural sunlight. Give them a keen sense of smell, and if you want to really mine the myths, give them a constant detect the faithful (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/detect-the-faithful) style effect, but for followers of good gods (or potentially for followers of all gods?). I actually like the idea of this ability, it makes them interesting as some sort of blasphemous giant. Maybe they worship things older than gods, and that could give them protection from divine magic and some nature shaman style abilities. They'd fill the classic troll role regardless, and they'd be great as the allies of ancient evils like aboleths, quippoleths and Great Old Ones. I just love the idea of a troll inhaling deeply, and then turning to his allies. "I smell gods. Let's eat."

Icelandic trolls are similar, and seem to be the kind of generic giant that D&D giants are built on. They don't even have tails! There is something delightfully macabre about giving monsters a preference for children, but we all knew that already. Compared to the Christian eating norse troll they're rather dull. However, apparently some are nice - do they only eat bad people? If so, are they mocked like vegetarians by all the other trolls?

Swedish trolls could be a less powerful but more intelligent version, and they would be less evil, or possibly just more reasonable. They'd be less affected by sunlight though, but would still try to sty out of it, so they'd make good miners or traders, swapping ores or lumber or furs for jewelry. In an adventure, perhaps a group of them possesses a rare and shiny magical item that the players need - but they'll be surprised to discover that the "trolls" they've been warned about are happy to hand it over - for the right price. "Do you think that looking this amazing is easy? We need that +2 minotaur bane hairbrush to manage these luscious locks!"

Danish trolls are a potential PC race (regeneration 1 or less would hardly be game breaking - maybe they just recover more with rest), or at least a low HD creature that could feature in a social encounter, possibly directing players towards a more dangerous troll nearby. They could be rather secretive though, with racial illusion spells to hide their location, perhaps. The legend that they raise abandoned children is fascinating, particularly in a game if somebody gets the wrong idea and thinks they're stealing babies, and sends the PCs after them. If nothing else, "Raised by trolls" would be an amazing trait to have on your character sheet. I don't care what it does, I just write to write it.

(That valravn is interesting as a monster as well. We already have carrionstorms, but maybe a more powerful corpse could generate this undead raven, which then must seek a babies heart to regain it's former power. By transforming into a knight or a... wereravenwolf?)

I looked up trolls on wikipedia, and apparently lightning is the reason you don't see them in scandinavia today, so if you give them regeneration, use electricity to negate it. That on it's own gives them something interesting to challenge PCs.

Wow, thanks for linking this, it's always entertaining thinking of weird ideas, and you don't get much stranger than myth.

[Drejk]

Regeneration 1 for PCs would be game breaking, especially early on - remember that part of its rule is "can't be killed while the regeneration works" (though it's debatable if it is restricted to hit point damage or other causes of death as well). Fast healing 1 would be much more manageable thought at earlier levels it still means enormous savings on healing resources.

I wrote a giant/troll-blooded race some time ago, taking some (though rather vague and very loose) inspirations from Nordic mythology and cultures: Troldhrym, but I went with very restricted ability to heal themselves (1/day, activated as a swift action, grants fast healing 1 plus 1 per five character levels, for 1 minute).

[kyrt-ryder]

Troll Blooded is a level one feat from 3.5 (or possibly 3.0) that grants regen 1 overcome by fire or acid, never disrupted any campaigns I'vw articipated in.

[Kobold Catgirl]

It's not gamebreaking. It is game changing, though, which is probably what Drejk means. Personally, I think PCs with regeneration can actually add an interesting dimension to the campaign. Can someone link that "Goblins in Sandpoint" campaign journal from a while back?

[Sir Jerden]

Yeah, I think you'd probably just want to replace regeneration with bonuses to stabilise and recover with rest. Maybe give fast healing and regeneration through feats at higher levels, as once other players start getting raise dead and giant form it isn't going to be so much of a problem. I still think they'd make interesting PCs. It's fun to play something that isn't just a variation on "hairless ape".

[Bwang]

My campaign has Troll as a 'Type' since early '77, long before Types existed. Ogres too for that matter.

The trolls were varied by region or dominant feature(s). Rock Trolls were short and covered with 'warts' that fell off as rocks. Fire Trolls belched fire and breathed flame in melee, a serious hazard till it was discovered that they were 'slowed' if the fire was extinguished (waterskin in the mouth). Smoke Trolls exuded an acidic cloud that choked and obscured in melee, vulnerable to wind. Mouthers were able to grow multiple mouths, but more were weaker. Rat Trolls ate rats and other small critters like familiars, about as bright as the rats.

Players have added variants over the years and somewhere exists a worn spiral ring notebook with most of them in it.

They became the 'go to' nuisance race, the book one being merely the most commonly seen. Some new players were aghast at how the Wizard was not upset at being invited to dinner by a troll. It was a more Danish/Pomeranian version that are more chicken thief and minor annoyances than others.