New Race: High Troll [Archive] - Wizards Community

New Race: High Troll [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
InfoStorm
04-18-07, 05:18 PM In process of designing a new race entirely for NPC purposes and wonder what level adjustment it should be.

Calling them High Trolls for want of a better name. They are the precursors to all "modern" trolls, before the race degenerated into savagery.

The race is most similar to humans, being on average between 5-6 feet tall, 100-150 pounds. The race though has very few racial abilities:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Con, -2 Cha
Darkvision 60'
Regeneration 5 (vulnerable to Fire & Acid)
+1 Bonus Feat
Preferred Class: Lowest level class is ignored

Would this be a +1 level adjustment race or a +2

Looking for opinions. Full write-up will be written once I hammer out the details.
Ozzymandias
04-18-07, 05:31 PM LA +1.

The stat adjustments are in keeping with the guidelines of the DMG. Darkvision is useful, as is a bonus feat, and both seem to be comparable to the human abilities. Regeneration is totally worth a +2 LA, IMO, because it's really freaking useful (even at higher levels). If this race is just for NPCs, however, +1 is well enough.
InfoStorm
04-19-07, 12:25 PM High Troll

High Trolls, as they are referred to in the few ancient texts that hint about their existence, are the first of the trolls to exist. How they came about has been lost to the ages, as have most records to what happened to them. Those few texts that mention them hint only that they had a vast empire that was destroyed in fire. The few high trolls that remain today exist only in small clans in the hardest to reach locations.

A high troll’s appearance is similar to that of most humanoids, standing mostly between 5 and 6 feet tall with thin builds. Their skin is a sickly green in color accompanied with numerous warts. Large noses and ears surrounding their large yellow eyes complete an ominous appearance as does their stringy black hair. They have a very high value in their appearance and normally dress in the finest garments and equipment available.

The High Trolls personality is one of pure superiority over all other beings. They are highly aware of their healing abilities and at their height exploited this to their highest advantage. They, like humans, are highly adaptable and quite able to do anything they set their minds to. They favor the martial arts, or anything to so with magic of any sort. Their society is very ordered with a clearly defined chain of command. With the inability to simply kill other high trolls to seize power, their stations and positions must be earned, and are highly coveted. They are normally lead by a triad of leaders, the most power warrior, arcane specialist, and spiritual leaders working together. It is of not that fire magic of any sort was long ago forbidden in their society.

Their Racial Modifiers are as follows:
Con +2, Cha -2
Darkvision 60’
+1 Bonus Feat
Regeneration 2 (fire/acid vulnerable)
Preferred Class: Any (Lowest class ignored)
Level Adjustment: +1 NPC-Only

Examples:

High Troll Samurai
Size/Type: Monstrous humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d10+2 (12 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 17 (+6 Banded mail, +1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3
Attack: Katana +4 melee (1d10+3) (two handed)
Full Attack: Katana +4 melee (1d10+3) (two handed)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Regeneration 2 (Fire/Acid Vulnerable)
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +1, Will -1
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 13
Skills: Concentration +6, Intimidate +5
Feats: Kiai Shout, Persuasive, Daisho Proficiency
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, Group (3-5), or Clan (25-100)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Varies
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Advancement: Per character class
Level Adjustment: +1

High Troll Wu Jen

Size/Type: Monstrous humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d4+3 (7 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 10 (none), touch 10, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-1
Attack: Dagger -1 melee (1d4-1) or by Spell
Full Attack: Dagger -1 melee (1d4-1) or by Spell
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Regeneration 2 (Fire/Acid Vulnerable), Watchful Spirit
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: Concentration +7, Knowledge:Arcane +6, Spellcraft +6, Craft:Calligraphy +6
Feats: Combat Casting, Insightful, Extend Spell
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, Group (3-5), or Clan (25-100)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Varies
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Advancement: Per character class
Level Adjustment: +1

Spells / Day: 0-Level – 3 , 1st-Level - 2
Spells Normally Prepared: 0-level - Daze, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand,
1st-level – Sleep, Hail of Stone
Spell-like Abilities: 1/day – Detect Magic, Read Magic, Detect Secret Door

High Troll Shugenja

Size/Type: Monstrous humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d6 (6 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+1
Attack: Spear +1 (1d8+1) or Sling +0 (1d4+1) or by Spell
Full Attack: Spear +1 (1d8+1) or Sling +0 (1d4+1) or by Spell
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spells
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Regeneration 2 (Fire/Acid Vulnerable),
Element Focus: Earth, Sense Earth 3/day
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +4
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 12
Skills: Concentration +4, Knowledge:Arcane +5, Knowledge:Religion +5, Diplomacy +7, Spellcraft +5,
Sense Motive +4
Feats: Negotiator, Scribe Scroll
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, Group (3-5), or Clan (25-100)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Varies
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Advancement: Per character class
Level Adjustment: +1

Order of the Perfect Sculpture
Spells / Day: 0-Level – 5, 1st Level – 4
Spells Known: 0-Level -- Mending, Create Water, Mage Hand, Detect Magic, Read Magic
1st-Level – Magic Stone, Endure Elements, Sanctuary
Khatoblepas
04-19-07, 01:03 PM Looks more like a 2RHD +1 LA race to me. The regeneration should be less, probably around 1, 2 or 3 with more weaknesses (electricity?). Regen probably shouldn't enter a game before ECL3, anyway.

Why are you giving it an LA if it's not meant to be playable, anyway? Don't give an LA+1 race only to NPCs that travel with the party! That's.. cruel. Since Trolls have racial hit die, so should these trolls, as it's a more natural progression.

Why do they get a bonus feat? Why is their favoured class ambiguous? They don't seem like they need to be adaptive - they have regeneration! They don't need to be adaptive because their wounds heal so easily. I'd go so far as to give them more penalties.
The_Geek
04-19-07, 01:28 PM By the FP system, it's around 69 pts, which is very high end LA +2 , verging on +3.

Regen 5? Knock it back to 2 or 3, otherwise every melee combatant will want it.

Not to mention, this looks very un-troll like. Where's the armour? Where's the size? Where's the scent? The claws?

Seriously, this looks more like a combat optimized template to slap on, not a race related to trolls.
InfoStorm
04-19-07, 01:30 PM I could see reducing the Regeneration from 5 down to 1 or 2. I just grabbed the 5 from existing trolls.

The only reason I was including the LA, if I intended to only use the race for NPC's was to determine what was required to keep the NPC's balanced when they were written. I plan of wholely using them as "bad guys", an evil that just kept coming relentlessly.

The Bonus Feat & Preferred Class-Any was to show that they were highly into multi-classing, with the bonus feat to enhance that trait. I chose "lowest class" to show they are more likely to round out their skills by learning a little, here or there.
RobbyPants
04-19-07, 01:31 PM If you want to knock down the LA a bit, consider changing regeneration to fast healing. Fast healing is still pretty nice, but it is not nearly as powerful as regeneration. Even fast healing 1 is pretty potent (espescially at lower levels). Even at higher levels, a PC with fast healing 1 can probably return to full HP within 10 minutes without any external healing.
Squirrelloid
04-19-07, 04:27 PM Make it Fast Healing 2 and it isn't worth any LA. Healing between combats just isn't an issue in D+D, its that simple.

The only good thing about Regeneration is that, unless your opponents have access to fire and acid, they can't kill you (or at least not easily). If you insist on keeping Regen, I'd slap some racial HD on it rather than giving it LA. 2 RHD should be enough to keep it balanced - especially as those are going to probably be Monstrous Humanoid RHD, which are decent, but don't really compare with class levels at all.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
InfoStorm 04-18-07, 05:18 PM	In process of designing a new race entirely for NPC purposes and wonder what level adjustment it should be. Calling them High Trolls for want of a better name. They are the precursors to all "modern" trolls, before the race degenerated into savagery. The race is most similar to humans, being on average between 5-6 feet tall, 100-150 pounds. The race though has very few racial abilities: Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Con, -2 Cha Darkvision 60' Regeneration 5 (vulnerable to Fire & Acid) +1 Bonus Feat Preferred Class: Lowest level class is ignored Would this be a +1 level adjustment race or a +2 Looking for opinions. Full write-up will be written once I hammer out the details.
Ozzymandias 04-18-07, 05:31 PM	LA +1. The stat adjustments are in keeping with the guidelines of the DMG. Darkvision is useful, as is a bonus feat, and both seem to be comparable to the human abilities. Regeneration is totally worth a +2 LA, IMO, because it's really freaking useful (even at higher levels). If this race is just for NPCs, however, +1 is well enough.
InfoStorm 04-19-07, 12:25 PM	High Troll High Trolls, as they are referred to in the few ancient texts that hint about their existence, are the first of the trolls to exist. How they came about has been lost to the ages, as have most records to what happened to them. Those few texts that mention them hint only that they had a vast empire that was destroyed in fire. The few high trolls that remain today exist only in small clans in the hardest to reach locations. A high troll’s appearance is similar to that of most humanoids, standing mostly between 5 and 6 feet tall with thin builds. Their skin is a sickly green in color accompanied with numerous warts. Large noses and ears surrounding their large yellow eyes complete an ominous appearance as does their stringy black hair. They have a very high value in their appearance and normally dress in the finest garments and equipment available. The High Trolls personality is one of pure superiority over all other beings. They are highly aware of their healing abilities and at their height exploited this to their highest advantage. They, like humans, are highly adaptable and quite able to do anything they set their minds to. They favor the martial arts, or anything to so with magic of any sort. Their society is very ordered with a clearly defined chain of command. With the inability to simply kill other high trolls to seize power, their stations and positions must be earned, and are highly coveted. They are normally lead by a triad of leaders, the most power warrior, arcane specialist, and spiritual leaders working together. It is of not that fire magic of any sort was long ago forbidden in their society. Their Racial Modifiers are as follows: Con +2, Cha -2 Darkvision 60’ +1 Bonus Feat Regeneration 2 (fire/acid vulnerable) Preferred Class: Any (Lowest class ignored) Level Adjustment: +1 NPC-Only Examples: High Troll Samurai Size/Type: Monstrous humanoid Hit Dice: 1d10+2 (12 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft. Armor Class: 17 (+6 Banded mail, +1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+3 Attack: Katana +4 melee (1d10+3) (two handed) Full Attack: Katana +4 melee (1d10+3) (two handed) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: None Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Regeneration 2 (Fire/Acid Vulnerable) Saves: Fort +5, Ref +1, Will -1 Abilities: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 13 Skills: Concentration +6, Intimidate +5 Feats: Kiai Shout, Persuasive, Daisho Proficiency Environment: Any Organization: Solitary, Group (3-5), or Clan (25-100) Challenge Rating: 1 Treasure: Varies Alignment: Lawful Evil Advancement: Per character class Level Adjustment: +1 High Troll Wu Jen Size/Type: Monstrous humanoid Hit Dice: 1d4+3 (7 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft. Armor Class: 10 (none), touch 10, flat-footed 10 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-1 Attack: Dagger -1 melee (1d4-1) or by Spell Full Attack: Dagger -1 melee (1d4-1) or by Spell Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Spells Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Regeneration 2 (Fire/Acid Vulnerable), Watchful Spirit Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +3 Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 10 Skills: Concentration +7, Knowledge:Arcane +6, Spellcraft +6, Craft:Calligraphy +6 Feats: Combat Casting, Insightful, Extend Spell Environment: Any Organization: Solitary, Group (3-5), or Clan (25-100) Challenge Rating: 1 Treasure: Varies Alignment: Lawful Evil Advancement: Per character class Level Adjustment: +1 Spells / Day: 0-Level – 3 , 1st-Level - 2 Spells Normally Prepared: 0-level - Daze, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand, 1st-level – Sleep, Hail of Stone Spell-like Abilities: 1/day – Detect Magic, Read Magic, Detect Secret Door High Troll Shugenja Size/Type: Monstrous humanoid Hit Dice: 1d6 (6 hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 30 ft. Armor Class: 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 10 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+1 Attack: Spear +1 (1d8+1) or Sling +0 (1d4+1) or by Spell Full Attack: Spear +1 (1d8+1) or Sling +0 (1d4+1) or by Spell Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Spells Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, Regeneration 2 (Fire/Acid Vulnerable), Element Focus: Earth, Sense Earth 3/day Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +4 Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 12 Skills: Concentration +4, Knowledge:Arcane +5, Knowledge:Religion +5, Diplomacy +7, Spellcraft +5, Sense Motive +4 Feats: Negotiator, Scribe Scroll Environment: Any Organization: Solitary, Group (3-5), or Clan (25-100) Challenge Rating: 1 Treasure: Varies Alignment: Lawful Evil Advancement: Per character class Level Adjustment: +1 Order of the Perfect Sculpture Spells / Day: 0-Level – 5, 1st Level – 4 Spells Known: 0-Level -- Mending, Create Water, Mage Hand, Detect Magic, Read Magic 1st-Level – Magic Stone, Endure Elements, Sanctuary
Khatoblepas 04-19-07, 01:03 PM	Looks more like a 2RHD +1 LA race to me. The regeneration should be less, probably around 1, 2 or 3 with more weaknesses (electricity?). Regen probably shouldn't enter a game before ECL3, anyway. Why are you giving it an LA if it's not meant to be playable, anyway? Don't give an LA+1 race only to NPCs that travel with the party! That's.. cruel. Since Trolls have racial hit die, so should these trolls, as it's a more natural progression. Why do they get a bonus feat? Why is their favoured class ambiguous? They don't seem like they need to be adaptive - they have regeneration! They don't need to be adaptive because their wounds heal so easily. I'd go so far as to give them more penalties.
The_Geek 04-19-07, 01:28 PM	By the FP system, it's around 69 pts, which is very high end LA +2 , verging on +3. Regen 5? Knock it back to 2 or 3, otherwise every melee combatant will want it. Not to mention, this looks very un-troll like. Where's the armour? Where's the size? Where's the scent? The claws? Seriously, this looks more like a combat optimized template to slap on, not a race related to trolls.
InfoStorm 04-19-07, 01:30 PM	I could see reducing the Regeneration from 5 down to 1 or 2. I just grabbed the 5 from existing trolls. The only reason I was including the LA, if I intended to only use the race for NPC's was to determine what was required to keep the NPC's balanced when they were written. I plan of wholely using them as "bad guys", an evil that just kept coming relentlessly. The Bonus Feat & Preferred Class-Any was to show that they were highly into multi-classing, with the bonus feat to enhance that trait. I chose "lowest class" to show they are more likely to round out their skills by learning a little, here or there.
RobbyPants 04-19-07, 01:31 PM	If you want to knock down the LA a bit, consider changing regeneration to fast healing. Fast healing is still pretty nice, but it is not nearly as powerful as regeneration. Even fast healing 1 is pretty potent (espescially at lower levels). Even at higher levels, a PC with fast healing 1 can probably return to full HP within 10 minutes without any external healing.
Squirrelloid 04-19-07, 04:27 PM	Make it Fast Healing 2 and it isn't worth any LA. Healing between combats just isn't an issue in D+D, its that simple. The only good thing about Regeneration is that, unless your opponents have access to fire and acid, they can't kill you (or at least not easily). If you insist on keeping Regen, I'd slap some racial HD on it rather than giving it LA. 2 RHD should be enough to keep it balanced - especially as those are going to probably be Monstrous Humanoid RHD, which are decent, but don't really compare with class levels at all.