Beware: Trolls ahead! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Beware: Trolls ahead! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lord Lorac Silvanos
11-09-06, 09:57 AM A reference to Trolls living under bridges on another thread made me wonder if anyone actually have tried an encounter like that?

Please share your stories (even if it includes a Ram passing over a bridge).
RobbyPants
11-09-06, 10:14 AM A reference to Trolls living under bridges on another thread made me wonder if anyone actually have tried an encounter like that?

Please share your stories (even if it includes a Ram passing over a bridge).
No, but people were suspecting it once. There was a choker that lived in the sewers, and he'd hang around various entrences in remote areas and grab anyone who was walking by alone and eat them. The PCs would discovered that all the attacks happened near some utility entrance or a storm drain. One victim was last seen around a bridge, and they found a sewer entrance there. They thought for a while that it might be a troll because of the bridge.
greyhaze
11-09-06, 10:57 AM I had 3 trolls tolling a bridge. Anybody that tried to go around had to go through a swamp, where they would get pelted with large stones by the two hidden troll rock tossers, anyone that rushed the lead troll blocking the bridge (a huge fallen tree) would get smushed (he was a biggin), and if you did pay the toll (a gem), you had to pay with the exact same sized gem or larger afterwards.

It was an interesting set up in that if they forgot to buy 2 gems from town, the adventure would net them one for the return, but it was bigger than the smallest sized available. "You give larger stone last time, you no pass. You try to cheat us."

Everyone in the group was allowed to pass for the cost of one gem though, so it wasn't the most horrible encounter, and eventually they could get tough enough to deal with the trolls... eventually.
SeptimusMagistos
11-09-06, 11:03 AM I had a troll encounter on a high level. The party enjoyed chopping up the silly dumb beast.
LukiLoki
11-09-06, 02:10 PM Sure I put a troll under a bridge!

I'm running a "throwback" campaign. The original intent was AD&D feel, 3e mechanics. So most of the encounters have used classic monsters as the 'base' but I've done a lot of advancing monsters, adding class levels and templates to confound expectations and do things that you simply couldn't do in the old days. It's been fun for everybody I think. Of course as we move into the higher levels, with all the options available to PCs, the party resembles an AD&D group less and less, but the archetypes are there.

Anyway, the troll under the bridge was taking advantage of unsettled conditions along a forest frontier right outside a lawless smuggling town. The forest wilderness to the west is crawling with trolls, so it just seemed natural that as the borderland society began to break down, monsters would begin to encroach on the roads and bridges. The party was 4th level then I think, and they pretty well wiped up the troll with fire. (The druid had good knowledge (nature) so even though they'd never fought one, they knew what to do.)

The relative ease of the encounter just served to make them unwary when they came up against a half-green dragon troll barbarian with potions of fire resistance later in the campaign.
pukunui
11-09-06, 06:36 PM Hell yeah ... just a few sessions ago I had a forest troll guarding a bridge. There was a sign that said "PAy TroL oR eLs" in front of the bridge ... silly players thought it was a misspelled "pay toll or else" sign, but sure enough, there was a troll. They just stood there and watched as he came out from under the bridge and stood in front of it so they couldn't cross.

The beguiler in the group managed to swindle him, but I had the troll figure it out before it was too late and they all got into a lovely fight and the PCs eventually killed the troll without too much fuss.

I chose a forest troll for several reasons: a) lower CR, b) fast healing instead of regeneration so easier to kill, and c) the encounter was in a forest, so it seemed fitting enough.
pres_man
11-09-06, 06:49 PM Don't forget to use scrags for those really low bridges. ;)
DarkNick
11-09-06, 07:09 PM Oh this has got to go in my current game. I was pondering about what options might be for the party (including a bunch of kobolds they picked up - long story) to cross a river to get to where they are going. It forms the boundry between two areas that are at war. Maybe a tribe of trolls makes their living by being neutral trafficers and own a bridge, and have a river toll.
(the party could always build a raft - but that has its own issues).

I just had this funny image of the 'educated' smart troll talking to the party with his stupid sidekick troll. The sidekick troll just interjects by saying "TROLL!!" all the time. That's the only word he uses (interchangable with toll). "Pay to cross or else" "TROLL!!" , how much? "TROLL!!" "what e says, lots of gold" how much gold? "TROLL!!" "wot e said". Give the educated troll a stutter and its all good. "Pa pa paaaa paaaaa paaaa give us gold"
taradusis
11-10-06, 01:47 AM I stole the idea of the GAP DRAGON from the xanth novels.The GAP DRAGON was a a steam- breathing,wingless dragon that lived at the bottom of a canyon similar to the Grand canyon.Over the Gap streched a stone arch,under the arch lived Bubba the troll.The party was first level and paid to pass Bubba for a while then threw him a party with molotov cocktails.After defeating Bubba the party thief had to swing from chain to chain under the arch to get to Bubba's treasure horde.Quite a lengthy challenge and one the party enjoyed more than the main adventure!:)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lord Lorac Silvanos 11-09-06, 09:57 AM	A reference to Trolls living under bridges on another thread made me wonder if anyone actually have tried an encounter like that? Please share your stories (even if it includes a Ram passing over a bridge).
RobbyPants 11-09-06, 10:14 AM	A reference to Trolls living under bridges on another thread made me wonder if anyone actually have tried an encounter like that? Please share your stories (even if it includes a Ram passing over a bridge). No, but people were suspecting it once. There was a choker that lived in the sewers, and he'd hang around various entrences in remote areas and grab anyone who was walking by alone and eat them. The PCs would discovered that all the attacks happened near some utility entrance or a storm drain. One victim was last seen around a bridge, and they found a sewer entrance there. They thought for a while that it might be a troll because of the bridge.
greyhaze 11-09-06, 10:57 AM	I had 3 trolls tolling a bridge. Anybody that tried to go around had to go through a swamp, where they would get pelted with large stones by the two hidden troll rock tossers, anyone that rushed the lead troll blocking the bridge (a huge fallen tree) would get smushed (he was a biggin), and if you did pay the toll (a gem), you had to pay with the exact same sized gem or larger afterwards. It was an interesting set up in that if they forgot to buy 2 gems from town, the adventure would net them one for the return, but it was bigger than the smallest sized available. "You give larger stone last time, you no pass. You try to cheat us." Everyone in the group was allowed to pass for the cost of one gem though, so it wasn't the most horrible encounter, and eventually they could get tough enough to deal with the trolls... eventually.
SeptimusMagistos 11-09-06, 11:03 AM	I had a troll encounter on a high level. The party enjoyed chopping up the silly dumb beast.
LukiLoki 11-09-06, 02:10 PM	Sure I put a troll under a bridge! I'm running a "throwback" campaign. The original intent was AD&D feel, 3e mechanics. So most of the encounters have used classic monsters as the 'base' but I've done a lot of advancing monsters, adding class levels and templates to confound expectations and do things that you simply couldn't do in the old days. It's been fun for everybody I think. Of course as we move into the higher levels, with all the options available to PCs, the party resembles an AD&D group less and less, but the archetypes are there. Anyway, the troll under the bridge was taking advantage of unsettled conditions along a forest frontier right outside a lawless smuggling town. The forest wilderness to the west is crawling with trolls, so it just seemed natural that as the borderland society began to break down, monsters would begin to encroach on the roads and bridges. The party was 4th level then I think, and they pretty well wiped up the troll with fire. (The druid had good knowledge (nature) so even though they'd never fought one, they knew what to do.) The relative ease of the encounter just served to make them unwary when they came up against a half-green dragon troll barbarian with potions of fire resistance later in the campaign.
pukunui 11-09-06, 06:36 PM	Hell yeah ... just a few sessions ago I had a forest troll guarding a bridge. There was a sign that said "PAy TroL oR eLs" in front of the bridge ... silly players thought it was a misspelled "pay toll or else" sign, but sure enough, there was a troll. They just stood there and watched as he came out from under the bridge and stood in front of it so they couldn't cross. The beguiler in the group managed to swindle him, but I had the troll figure it out before it was too late and they all got into a lovely fight and the PCs eventually killed the troll without too much fuss. I chose a forest troll for several reasons: a) lower CR, b) fast healing instead of regeneration so easier to kill, and c) the encounter was in a forest, so it seemed fitting enough.
pres_man 11-09-06, 06:49 PM	Don't forget to use scrags for those really low bridges. ;)
DarkNick 11-09-06, 07:09 PM	Oh this has got to go in my current game. I was pondering about what options might be for the party (including a bunch of kobolds they picked up - long story) to cross a river to get to where they are going. It forms the boundry between two areas that are at war. Maybe a tribe of trolls makes their living by being neutral trafficers and own a bridge, and have a river toll. (the party could always build a raft - but that has its own issues). I just had this funny image of the 'educated' smart troll talking to the party with his stupid sidekick troll. The sidekick troll just interjects by saying "TROLL!!" all the time. That's the only word he uses (interchangable with toll). "Pay to cross or else" "TROLL!!" , how much? "TROLL!!" "what e says, lots of gold" how much gold? "TROLL!!" "wot e said". Give the educated troll a stutter and its all good. "Pa pa paaaa paaaaa paaaa give us gold"
taradusis 11-10-06, 01:47 AM	I stole the idea of the GAP DRAGON from the xanth novels.The GAP DRAGON was a a steam- breathing,wingless dragon that lived at the bottom of a canyon similar to the Grand canyon.Over the Gap streched a stone arch,under the arch lived Bubba the troll.The party was first level and paid to pass Bubba for a while then threw him a party with molotov cocktails.After defeating Bubba the party thief had to swing from chain to chain under the arch to get to Bubba's treasure horde.Quite a lengthy challenge and one the party enjoyed more than the main adventure!:)