Troll as PC Race [Archive] - Wizards Community

Troll as PC Race [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Laucian The Black Hearted
05-31-07, 11:52 AM Before anyone jumps on my case about the massive level adjustment, I'm not interested in using the Trolls straight out of any of the MMs. Rather, I want to create my own Troll race specifically designed for PCs. I found some great sites outlining Troll culture, language etc... but I'm looking specifically for stats. However, to give you a little background information about what I'm designing, here it is:

Troll (I'm going to think of a better, less generic name)

These trolls are a somewhat smaller, weaker version of this species. However, they're also the most civilized, out of all the various tribes they're the only to develop their own written language, though they borrow heavily from the Giant alphabet. In the last few hundred years they've evolved from a very tribal, loose culture into a more rigidly defined, humanistic way of living. This estrangement from the norms of trolldom, as well as their smaller size has earned them the nickname "Half-Trolls" among both troll and non-troll humanoids alike.

• (+2 Con, -2 Cha)
• Medium Size
• Low-Light Vision
• Double Natural Healing Rate. If a Troll gets a full night of rest, it heals double the normal amount of hit points. If a Troll spends a day bed ridden, it gains double the rate for spending a day in bed.
• A Troll automatically stabilizes if reduced to -1 to -9.
• Scent. A Troll has a keen sense of smell.
• Weapon Familiarity: Warhammers. Trolls treat Warhammers as Martial Weapons regardless of class.
• Favored Class: Ranger

Edit: I think this is my final version of the race. Please let me know if it's overpowered.
Guroth the Forsaken
05-31-07, 12:54 PM Check out the trollkin race out of the Iron Kingdoms setting.
RobbyPants
05-31-07, 12:59 PM Do you want them to have a specific LA (or no LA)?
Do you want them go have fast healing/regeneration?

About one of the easiest things I can think of doing (if you want them LA +0) is to allow them to heal twice as much per day with natural healing. A Con bonus could be a good thing.

I guess I need to know more about the specifics of what you want before I can really be of any help.
Zaistars69
05-31-07, 01:13 PM The forest troll from MM3 might be a good start. They are a dubbed down version and medium sized to boot. A target LA you would want would be a good thing too.
Seldriss
05-31-07, 01:34 PM You could use the trolls as they appear in the MMORPG Dark Age of Camelot, like I do personally :
Large creatures of stone, living in cold lands (Midgard), but not stupid as the sterotype. Many of them are even shamans or skald.
Easy to convert in D&D.
You can easily find some screenshots of the race.
Laucian The Black Hearted
05-31-07, 02:06 PM My goal is to create a Troll race that has no LA. I'm trying to create a family of related races, between Orcs, Goblins and Trolls, but I really want to them to be different. Whereas the Orc is slow and Brutish (stupid and ugly, too), the Goblin is quick and weak. I'm think this race should be a middle ground for the too. The double natural healing rate is a very good idea, and I'm pretty sure it will make it into the final version of the race. I like the Con bonus idea because Orcs get Str and Goblins get Dex, but I don't want to replicate the Orcs' minuses or the Dwarfs' stats either. Also, I think Trolls tend to go for range over melee. How about this build:

Trolls

• (+2 Dex, -2 Cha)
• Medium Size
• Low-Light Vision
• Double Natural Healing Rate
• Favored Class: Ranger
• Precise Shot Feat. Trolls undergo training on how to fight in large mobs and as such, they never take a -4 penalty when firing into melee.

Edit: I do want them to be the most intelligent of the goblinoid races, so I'm trying to keep the minus to intelligence out.
AMGriffin
05-31-07, 02:53 PM Low-light vision doesn't work like that. It basically means that when you're in a source of low-light you can see twice as far as a human can (which is 60 feet I think.)

The wisdom penalty also seems a little much.
Arrowstorm
05-31-07, 03:21 PM I like your thinking on the feat, however, its the equivalent to a humans bonus feat unless there is some other takeaway.

Arrowstorm
Rerecros
05-31-07, 03:32 PM Now this double natural healing, your going to have to more clearly define what it does.
Does long term care gain triple/quaduple/same healing?
what about ability damage and non-lethal damage?
Laucian The Black Hearted
05-31-07, 03:35 PM What might you suggest? My other minus was to wisodm, but that seem extreme for a feat.
Grizzled Gryphon
05-31-07, 04:58 PM There is a feat in Complete Warrior that makes you heal better than normal. Perhaps this race could have that instead of the double healing? The feat has all the info on how much you gain under care, complete bedrest, etc., etc.
Altar_Boy
05-31-07, 05:10 PM I would make it +2 Con, -2 Cha. It is a Troll, a being known for its regenerative factor.

Here's some other suggestions. Choose one, both, or none:

Endurance as a 1st level feat. Great lead-in to Diehard.

Automatic stabilization between -1 and -9 HP.
Laucian The Black Hearted
06-04-07, 08:29 AM I like the automatic stabilization because it grants the Troll a non-combat regeneration ability as well as a combat one.
RobbyPants
06-04-07, 11:56 AM I do like the flavor of the -2 Wis (if you picture them impulsive or weak-willed). Perhaps a +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Cha would work...

It's a semi-potent combo (as almost every class benifits from Dex and Con bonuses), but -2 Wis is a decent balancer (I feel). It also gives you a bit of a choice if you're going with a ranger. If you only want one set of stat bonues/penalties, I would consider +2 Con over Dex. This is mostly because I'm thinking of standard trolls. It makes a good in-game mechanical reason for the faster healing too.
ragoftag
06-04-07, 12:45 PM What is going to be the dominate feature of the race? Healing/Regeneration? Check Raptorians and consider a gradually advancing healing ability. Strength? Toughness?

A friend starts his PC Troll race as small with racial substitution levels for the few allowed classes (suckey stats and craven, think Dragonlance Gully Dwarves). A Fighter Troll ends up at Large, +10 Str, +8 Con, +7 NA and improved healing of some level, over 5 'race' levels, no BAB bump at all, only Fort as a good save, etc., I think. For this, they give up all stat other increases. O! this is only reachable at L17 or 18.
Khatoblepas
06-04-07, 02:20 PM The thing about trolls is... they're supposed to regenerate. Their whole shtick is - you stick a sword in them and dice them up, they recover within minutes. You anger them, they rip off an arm and throw it at you, only to have it grow back. I'm imagine trolls to have a very violent culture (a battle to the 'death' involving spikes and sharp pointy objects deciding who is right in an arguement) simply because no regular damage can really harm them. All this archery and stuff, the Dex bonus? That just isn't trolls o.O; I thought trolls, even civilised ones, would go for melee. After all, what have they got to fear from injury?

I'm making a race of Troll-descendants for my campaign setting, and what you got there is very similar to what I have (except, my trolls dwell in dead magic areas).

What I did for their regeneration, was to make it a racial feat (like Catfolk Pounce, etc), as it appears to be balanced at level 1 if it has drawbacks (the actual race is pretty weak without this feat, really):

Ancestral Healing [Trollkin]
You have developed some of the regenerative abilities of your ancestors.
Prerequisites: Con 17, Trollkin
Benefit: You gain Regeneration against everything except Fire, Acid, Force, Electricity and pure arcane/divine damage. You heal nonlethal damage at 1 hit point per round, and limbs regrow within 2d6 hours. You can reattach severed limbs by holding it to the stump. However, you gain only half the benefit from magical or supernatural healing abilities, due to your connection with dead magic.

Of course, other drawbacks could be nessessary, as your trolls don't seem to be magic haters. :P
Evicmar
06-04-07, 02:54 PM If you want a variant troll, take a look at The Harn World by Columbia Games. The trolls there, called nolah, do not regenerate. They instead have no bones. They can squeeze thru a crack in a wall or other small opening. This gives them an excellent escape route and the populous a reason to be terrified of them. They can get into anywhere and back out the way they got in.
Laucian The Black Hearted
06-04-07, 07:07 PM I should have stated this in my first post. I'm not interested in Troll races that have already been created. This is for a permanent race in my homebrew setting.

The reason why I don't like the minus to Wisdom is because it will hamper the Troll Ranger's spellcasting ability. These trolls do not have any problems with magic. In fact, the Deity the majority of them worship created them in a magical dream.

If I were to incorporate Ancestral Healing into my character not as a feat, but as a racial feature, would this overpower the race? Beyond this and the stat modifiers they would have no other abilities.
Thomar_of_Uointer
06-04-07, 10:46 PM • (+2 Con, -2 Cha)
• Medium Size
• Low-Light Vision
• Double Natural Healing Rate. If a Troll gets a full night of rest, it heals double the normal amount of hit points. If a Troll spends a day bed ridden, it gains double the rate for spending a day in bed.
• Favored Class: Ranger
• A Troll automatically stabilizes if reduced to -1 to -9.

Living under bridges!

Looks fine. It's actually a little underpowered to me.

Are they humanoids? You could easily make them giants, just to make them a little more different. Free hammer proficiency or something. Maybe stonecunning?
Knute
06-04-07, 11:32 PM I think its under powered to. Perhaps give them a 3 or 4 racial feats available only to them.

K
Ace_of_time
06-04-07, 11:53 PM Trolls in SS start with +4str,-4int, -2wis, -4cha. You could just use that. Page 199
Khatoblepas
06-05-07, 01:23 PM ....
If I were to incorporate Ancestral Healing into my character not as a feat, but as a racial feature, would this overpower the race? Beyond this and the stat modifiers they would have no other abilities.

The reason I incorporated it as a racial feat was to deny them a feat at first level as a balancing thing. Similar to how the Hobgoblin is sometimes LA+0 without their first level feat. I'm not the best judge of balance, as I also gave Orcs Powerful Build (but gave them penalties as if they were large, -1 to AC and a couple of other minor things) as a racial feat.

If you gave them Ancestral Healing as a racial feature, it would probably kick them up into LA+1, as is.
Laucian The Black Hearted
06-05-07, 02:48 PM I've decided not to grant them the Ancestral Healing ability. I might, however, use it as a race specific feat. I also thought they were slightly underpowered. Also, I thought Trolls were already considered part of the Giant family. I'm looking for one last racial ability before I call their stats good.
Maraxus
06-05-07, 02:52 PM Okay, let's first realise, there are multiple kin of Trolls:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DQ_Minis_x/MountainTroll.jpg
The nice Stone-like Troll, big musles, strong and tough and ... somewhat of stone. Think of the Pretchet Trolls for this.

http://www.howardlyon.com/images/paintings/page%203/Cave%20Troll%20Final%20Small.jpg
The typical D&D Troll on the other hand is also big but does not look to muskular - long thin arms and legs and not to much of shoulders.

http://videodetective.com/photos/011/000476_24.jpg
And here we have a Troll that's even more classic - imho - the small Troll, like he apeared in the Movie "Troll" from 1986.
Mythological, Trolls are "evil male fairies in Dwarf or Giant shape" - with a stress on Dwarf.

My idea would be:

Fairy Troll:
- Small Fey (Goblinoid) (yes, the first weird thing in the type/subtype line)
- Str -2, Con +2, Cha -2
- Small size: +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits ľ those of Medium characters.
- A fairy troll’s base land speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- +4 racial bonus on bluff, sleight of hand and hide checks.
- Quick Vanish (Ex): 3 times per day (as a free action), the fairy troll can increase his speed by 10 ft for 3 rounds. As an additional effect, during this duration he takes no penalty to his hide and move silenty checks for moving at full speed and only a -5 penalty for running.
- Somewhat Fast Healing (Ex): The Fairy Troll heals a number of hit points equal to his Constitution Modifier (at least 1) every hour.
Favored Class: Rogue

Behind the scene: ;)
I gave it below +/-0 abilitiy scores to make some space for 2 special abilities as well as the Fey type.
Somewhat fast healing is more interesting in low levels, since in the double digits, there should always be enough healing magic available to not start a fight wounded anyway.
Quick vanish is useful at all levels because the speed bonus (to an allready fast race) is unnamed and the ability to move stealthy at full speed synergises well with the racial bonus and the size bonus to hide checks.
Laucian The Black Hearted
06-05-07, 03:02 PM My Troll race looks more or less like Warcraft Trolls do. Over six feet tall, scrawny, covered in tattoos. They also have horns, but there is no standard positioning for them. The reason why I like the two regeneration abilities outlined in my first post, is that they're useful for all levels. The double natural healing rate is especially great at low-levels where magic is rare. The automatic stabilization is useful all the time.

I've added another ability: Scent. However, I still need one more. Should I go with skill bonuses, or a racial weapon? I could maybe add some Giant two, as others suggested. Let me flip through the books a little more.
Knute
06-05-07, 08:30 PM So Maraxus would your Faery Troll look something like:

http://communitiesonline.homestead.com/files/troll_2.jpg

Or is that just too ugly :)
Maraxus
06-06-07, 08:52 AM Don't underestimate the uglyness of dump-statting charisma when you have a penalty in it. ;)

Nice picture, I googled quite a bit but only found the one above and worse ones.
FoamingPipeSnake
06-06-07, 02:15 PM How about small, +2 con -int -2 cha and regenerate 1/hour.
Give him the special abilty to devour any form of organic matter as food. I'd allow this in my campaigns.
Angel Black
06-06-07, 07:13 PM My goal is to create a Troll race that has no LA. ...
Trolls

• (+2 Dex, -2 Cha)
• Medium Size
• Low-Light Vision
• Double Natural Healing Rate
• Favored Class: Ranger
• Precise Shot Feat. Trolls undergo training on how to fight in large mobs and as such, they never take a -4 penalty when firing into melee.

Edit: I do want them to be the most intelligent of the goblinoid races, so I'm trying to keep the minus to intelligence out.

Like it , you have room for some variant traits:

Scent: can take Scent as one of his bonus feats (those granted by his HD)

Weapon Familiarity: Can treat Warhammers as Martial Weapons.

Natural weapons: claw and byte attack.
Laucian The Black Hearted
06-07-07, 04:17 PM Angel Black, that is not the final version for critique. My first post has my mostcurrent build. None of you have said anything about it. Care to give it one last look?
Rerecros
06-07-07, 04:37 PM You still haven't answered how long term care effects double healing.
rasmuswagner
06-07-07, 05:31 PM D&D + Troll = Regeneration.

That's their iconic ability. And regeneration is amazingly powerful for a PC. There are a few alternatives - heck, I'll make a ladder:

Regeneration. The Bad Boy ability. Auto-resurrect with no side effects. Plot immunity to dismemberment. Gravy.
Fast healing. Nice. You won't drain resources for out-of-combat healing.
Fast healing, to a maximum of ˝ full Hp. If you're playing core only, great ability. PHBII made this attainable, and Complete Champion makes this ability worth about a mediocre feat.
Natural healing: Heal every single HP. Useful ability, would make a good feat-equivalent.
Double natural healing: Even in a low-level game, flavour, a non-ability.

For a PC, the number of HP pr. round regained from regenaration/fast healing is not really important.
ragoftag
06-07-07, 10:13 PM Like the update, still think you would do well to scale the healing as Raptorians do flying. That is, of course' if you mean for healing to be a dominant feature. Good work, so far!
ArochanoX
06-08-07, 02:07 AM There was some time ago one long thread about a race that had trollish qualities, which included regeneration 0 ability.

It functioned as follows:
All other damage (except the damage type that overrided regeneration) were non-lethal damage.
The creature healed non-lethal damage in normal rate (1/hour IIRC).

In other words: the character was invulnerable unless the specific damage type was used.

Some noted (me for instance) that regeneration 0 / energy type was too powerful, since there are only a few enemies that can hurt the creature (especially in the low levels 1-7). I suggested that the regeneration should be something like: regeneration 0 / slashing or regeneration 0 / bludgeoning. Now almost every cenemy can bypass it's regeneration with a bite attack for instance.

I think that regeneration 0 / weapon damage type would be a viable option for a LA 0 or LA +1 race.

And, by the way, all trolls presented here (even they differ much from each other) look nice and balanced. Even the Maraxus troll (which - for me atleast - seems to be an iconic gnome or menninkäinen in Finnish).

Menninkäinen is a creature that dwells in dark forests under huge rocks. They trick humans and are mean. Some of them gather huge riches in their underground caverns and those humans that are able to trick menninkäinens gain some of that gold.
Angel Black
06-10-07, 07:27 PM • (+2 Con, -2 Cha)
• Medium Size
• Low-Light Vision
• Double Natural Healing Rate. If a Troll gets a full night of rest, it heals double the normal amount of hit points. If a Troll spends a day bed ridden, it gains double the rate for spending a day in bed.
• A Troll automatically stabilizes if reduced to -1 to -9.
• Scent. A Troll has a keen sense of smell.
• Weapon Familiarity: Warhammers. Trolls treat Warhammers as Martial Weapons regardless of class.
• Favored Class: Ranger

• (+2 Con, -2 Cha), fair
• Low-Light Vision,feat like
• Double Natural Healing Rate. ...fair
• Scent....feat like
• stabilization...fair?
• Weapon Familiarity...fair
• Favored Class...right

seems to be ok, no more powerful than a dwarf,and half-elf still is the weakest.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Laucian The Black Hearted 05-31-07, 11:52 AM	Before anyone jumps on my case about the massive level adjustment, I'm not interested in using the Trolls straight out of any of the MMs. Rather, I want to create my own Troll race specifically designed for PCs. I found some great sites outlining Troll culture, language etc... but I'm looking specifically for stats. However, to give you a little background information about what I'm designing, here it is: Troll (I'm going to think of a better, less generic name) These trolls are a somewhat smaller, weaker version of this species. However, they're also the most civilized, out of all the various tribes they're the only to develop their own written language, though they borrow heavily from the Giant alphabet. In the last few hundred years they've evolved from a very tribal, loose culture into a more rigidly defined, humanistic way of living. This estrangement from the norms of trolldom, as well as their smaller size has earned them the nickname "Half-Trolls" among both troll and non-troll humanoids alike. • (+2 Con, -2 Cha) • Medium Size • Low-Light Vision • Double Natural Healing Rate. If a Troll gets a full night of rest, it heals double the normal amount of hit points. If a Troll spends a day bed ridden, it gains double the rate for spending a day in bed. • A Troll automatically stabilizes if reduced to -1 to -9. • Scent. A Troll has a keen sense of smell. • Weapon Familiarity: Warhammers. Trolls treat Warhammers as Martial Weapons regardless of class. • Favored Class: Ranger Edit: I think this is my final version of the race. Please let me know if it's overpowered.
Guroth the Forsaken 05-31-07, 12:54 PM	Check out the trollkin race out of the Iron Kingdoms setting.
RobbyPants 05-31-07, 12:59 PM	Do you want them to have a specific LA (or no LA)? Do you want them go have fast healing/regeneration? About one of the easiest things I can think of doing (if you want them LA +0) is to allow them to heal twice as much per day with natural healing. A Con bonus could be a good thing. I guess I need to know more about the specifics of what you want before I can really be of any help.
Zaistars69 05-31-07, 01:13 PM	The forest troll from MM3 might be a good start. They are a dubbed down version and medium sized to boot. A target LA you would want would be a good thing too.
Seldriss 05-31-07, 01:34 PM	You could use the trolls as they appear in the MMORPG Dark Age of Camelot, like I do personally : Large creatures of stone, living in cold lands (Midgard), but not stupid as the sterotype. Many of them are even shamans or skald. Easy to convert in D&D. You can easily find some screenshots of the race.
Laucian The Black Hearted 05-31-07, 02:06 PM	My goal is to create a Troll race that has no LA. I'm trying to create a family of related races, between Orcs, Goblins and Trolls, but I really want to them to be different. Whereas the Orc is slow and Brutish (stupid and ugly, too), the Goblin is quick and weak. I'm think this race should be a middle ground for the too. The double natural healing rate is a very good idea, and I'm pretty sure it will make it into the final version of the race. I like the Con bonus idea because Orcs get Str and Goblins get Dex, but I don't want to replicate the Orcs' minuses or the Dwarfs' stats either. Also, I think Trolls tend to go for range over melee. How about this build: Trolls • (+2 Dex, -2 Cha) • Medium Size • Low-Light Vision • Double Natural Healing Rate • Favored Class: Ranger • Precise Shot Feat. Trolls undergo training on how to fight in large mobs and as such, they never take a -4 penalty when firing into melee. Edit: I do want them to be the most intelligent of the goblinoid races, so I'm trying to keep the minus to intelligence out.
AMGriffin 05-31-07, 02:53 PM	Low-light vision doesn't work like that. It basically means that when you're in a source of low-light you can see twice as far as a human can (which is 60 feet I think.) The wisdom penalty also seems a little much.
Arrowstorm 05-31-07, 03:21 PM	I like your thinking on the feat, however, its the equivalent to a humans bonus feat unless there is some other takeaway. Arrowstorm
Rerecros 05-31-07, 03:32 PM	Now this double natural healing, your going to have to more clearly define what it does. Does long term care gain triple/quaduple/same healing? what about ability damage and non-lethal damage?
Laucian The Black Hearted 05-31-07, 03:35 PM	What might you suggest? My other minus was to wisodm, but that seem extreme for a feat.
Grizzled Gryphon 05-31-07, 04:58 PM	There is a feat in Complete Warrior that makes you heal better than normal. Perhaps this race could have that instead of the double healing? The feat has all the info on how much you gain under care, complete bedrest, etc., etc.
Altar_Boy 05-31-07, 05:10 PM	I would make it +2 Con, -2 Cha. It is a Troll, a being known for its regenerative factor. Here's some other suggestions. Choose one, both, or none: Endurance as a 1st level feat. Great lead-in to Diehard. Automatic stabilization between -1 and -9 HP.
Laucian The Black Hearted 06-04-07, 08:29 AM	I like the automatic stabilization because it grants the Troll a non-combat regeneration ability as well as a combat one.
RobbyPants 06-04-07, 11:56 AM	I do like the flavor of the -2 Wis (if you picture them impulsive or weak-willed). Perhaps a +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Cha would work... It's a semi-potent combo (as almost every class benifits from Dex and Con bonuses), but -2 Wis is a decent balancer (I feel). It also gives you a bit of a choice if you're going with a ranger. If you only want one set of stat bonues/penalties, I would consider +2 Con over Dex. This is mostly because I'm thinking of standard trolls. It makes a good in-game mechanical reason for the faster healing too.
ragoftag 06-04-07, 12:45 PM	What is going to be the dominate feature of the race? Healing/Regeneration? Check Raptorians and consider a gradually advancing healing ability. Strength? Toughness? A friend starts his PC Troll race as small with racial substitution levels for the few allowed classes (suckey stats and craven, think Dragonlance Gully Dwarves). A Fighter Troll ends up at Large, +10 Str, +8 Con, +7 NA and improved healing of some level, over 5 'race' levels, no BAB bump at all, only Fort as a good save, etc., I think. For this, they give up all stat other increases. O! this is only reachable at L17 or 18.
Khatoblepas 06-04-07, 02:20 PM	The thing about trolls is... they're supposed to regenerate. Their whole shtick is - you stick a sword in them and dice them up, they recover within minutes. You anger them, they rip off an arm and throw it at you, only to have it grow back. I'm imagine trolls to have a very violent culture (a battle to the 'death' involving spikes and sharp pointy objects deciding who is right in an arguement) simply because no regular damage can really harm them. All this archery and stuff, the Dex bonus? That just isn't trolls o.O; I thought trolls, even civilised ones, would go for melee. After all, what have they got to fear from injury? I'm making a race of Troll-descendants for my campaign setting, and what you got there is very similar to what I have (except, my trolls dwell in dead magic areas). What I did for their regeneration, was to make it a racial feat (like Catfolk Pounce, etc), as it appears to be balanced at level 1 if it has drawbacks (the actual race is pretty weak without this feat, really): Ancestral Healing [Trollkin] You have developed some of the regenerative abilities of your ancestors. Prerequisites: Con 17, Trollkin Benefit: You gain Regeneration against everything except Fire, Acid, Force, Electricity and pure arcane/divine damage. You heal nonlethal damage at 1 hit point per round, and limbs regrow within 2d6 hours. You can reattach severed limbs by holding it to the stump. However, you gain only half the benefit from magical or supernatural healing abilities, due to your connection with dead magic. Of course, other drawbacks could be nessessary, as your trolls don't seem to be magic haters. :P
Evicmar 06-04-07, 02:54 PM	If you want a variant troll, take a look at The Harn World by Columbia Games. The trolls there, called nolah, do not regenerate. They instead have no bones. They can squeeze thru a crack in a wall or other small opening. This gives them an excellent escape route and the populous a reason to be terrified of them. They can get into anywhere and back out the way they got in.
Laucian The Black Hearted 06-04-07, 07:07 PM	I should have stated this in my first post. I'm not interested in Troll races that have already been created. This is for a permanent race in my homebrew setting. The reason why I don't like the minus to Wisdom is because it will hamper the Troll Ranger's spellcasting ability. These trolls do not have any problems with magic. In fact, the Deity the majority of them worship created them in a magical dream. If I were to incorporate Ancestral Healing into my character not as a feat, but as a racial feature, would this overpower the race? Beyond this and the stat modifiers they would have no other abilities.
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-04-07, 10:46 PM	• (+2 Con, -2 Cha) • Medium Size • Low-Light Vision • Double Natural Healing Rate. If a Troll gets a full night of rest, it heals double the normal amount of hit points. If a Troll spends a day bed ridden, it gains double the rate for spending a day in bed. • Favored Class: Ranger • A Troll automatically stabilizes if reduced to -1 to -9. Living under bridges! Looks fine. It's actually a little underpowered to me. Are they humanoids? You could easily make them giants, just to make them a little more different. Free hammer proficiency or something. Maybe stonecunning?
Knute 06-04-07, 11:32 PM	I think its under powered to. Perhaps give them a 3 or 4 racial feats available only to them. K
Ace_of_time 06-04-07, 11:53 PM	Trolls in SS start with +4str,-4int, -2wis, -4cha. You could just use that. Page 199
Khatoblepas 06-05-07, 01:23 PM	.... If I were to incorporate Ancestral Healing into my character not as a feat, but as a racial feature, would this overpower the race? Beyond this and the stat modifiers they would have no other abilities. The reason I incorporated it as a racial feat was to deny them a feat at first level as a balancing thing. Similar to how the Hobgoblin is sometimes LA+0 without their first level feat. I'm not the best judge of balance, as I also gave Orcs Powerful Build (but gave them penalties as if they were large, -1 to AC and a couple of other minor things) as a racial feat. If you gave them Ancestral Healing as a racial feature, it would probably kick them up into LA+1, as is.
Laucian The Black Hearted 06-05-07, 02:48 PM	I've decided not to grant them the Ancestral Healing ability. I might, however, use it as a race specific feat. I also thought they were slightly underpowered. Also, I thought Trolls were already considered part of the Giant family. I'm looking for one last racial ability before I call their stats good.
Maraxus 06-05-07, 02:52 PM	Okay, let's first realise, there are multiple kin of Trolls: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DQ_Minis_x/MountainTroll.jpg The nice Stone-like Troll, big musles, strong and tough and ... somewhat of stone. Think of the Pretchet Trolls for this. http://www.howardlyon.com/images/paintings/page%203/Cave%20Troll%20Final%20Small.jpg The typical D&D Troll on the other hand is also big but does not look to muskular - long thin arms and legs and not to much of shoulders. http://videodetective.com/photos/011/000476_24.jpg And here we have a Troll that's even more classic - imho - the small Troll, like he apeared in the Movie "Troll" from 1986. Mythological, Trolls are "evil male fairies in Dwarf or Giant shape" - with a stress on Dwarf. My idea would be: Fairy Troll: - Small Fey (Goblinoid) (yes, the first weird thing in the type/subtype line) - Str -2, Con +2, Cha -2 - Small size: +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits ľ those of Medium characters. - A fairy troll’s base land speed is 30 feet. - Darkvision out to 60 feet. - +4 racial bonus on bluff, sleight of hand and hide checks. - Quick Vanish (Ex): 3 times per day (as a free action), the fairy troll can increase his speed by 10 ft for 3 rounds. As an additional effect, during this duration he takes no penalty to his hide and move silenty checks for moving at full speed and only a -5 penalty for running. - Somewhat Fast Healing (Ex): The Fairy Troll heals a number of hit points equal to his Constitution Modifier (at least 1) every hour. Favored Class: Rogue Behind the scene: ;) I gave it below +/-0 abilitiy scores to make some space for 2 special abilities as well as the Fey type. Somewhat fast healing is more interesting in low levels, since in the double digits, there should always be enough healing magic available to not start a fight wounded anyway. Quick vanish is useful at all levels because the speed bonus (to an allready fast race) is unnamed and the ability to move stealthy at full speed synergises well with the racial bonus and the size bonus to hide checks.
Laucian The Black Hearted 06-05-07, 03:02 PM	My Troll race looks more or less like Warcraft Trolls do. Over six feet tall, scrawny, covered in tattoos. They also have horns, but there is no standard positioning for them. The reason why I like the two regeneration abilities outlined in my first post, is that they're useful for all levels. The double natural healing rate is especially great at low-levels where magic is rare. The automatic stabilization is useful all the time. I've added another ability: Scent. However, I still need one more. Should I go with skill bonuses, or a racial weapon? I could maybe add some Giant two, as others suggested. Let me flip through the books a little more.
Knute 06-05-07, 08:30 PM	So Maraxus would your Faery Troll look something like: http://communitiesonline.homestead.com/files/troll_2.jpg Or is that just too ugly :)
Maraxus 06-06-07, 08:52 AM	Don't underestimate the uglyness of dump-statting charisma when you have a penalty in it. ;) Nice picture, I googled quite a bit but only found the one above and worse ones.
FoamingPipeSnake 06-06-07, 02:15 PM	How about small, +2 con -int -2 cha and regenerate 1/hour. Give him the special abilty to devour any form of organic matter as food. I'd allow this in my campaigns.
Angel Black 06-06-07, 07:13 PM	My goal is to create a Troll race that has no LA. ... Trolls • (+2 Dex, -2 Cha) • Medium Size • Low-Light Vision • Double Natural Healing Rate • Favored Class: Ranger • Precise Shot Feat. Trolls undergo training on how to fight in large mobs and as such, they never take a -4 penalty when firing into melee. Edit: I do want them to be the most intelligent of the goblinoid races, so I'm trying to keep the minus to intelligence out. Like it , you have room for some variant traits: Scent: can take Scent as one of his bonus feats (those granted by his HD) Weapon Familiarity: Can treat Warhammers as Martial Weapons. Natural weapons: claw and byte attack.
Laucian The Black Hearted 06-07-07, 04:17 PM	Angel Black, that is not the final version for critique. My first post has my mostcurrent build. None of you have said anything about it. Care to give it one last look?
Rerecros 06-07-07, 04:37 PM	You still haven't answered how long term care effects double healing.
rasmuswagner 06-07-07, 05:31 PM	D&D + Troll = Regeneration. That's their iconic ability. And regeneration is amazingly powerful for a PC. There are a few alternatives - heck, I'll make a ladder: Regeneration. The Bad Boy ability. Auto-resurrect with no side effects. Plot immunity to dismemberment. Gravy. Fast healing. Nice. You won't drain resources for out-of-combat healing. Fast healing, to a maximum of ˝ full Hp. If you're playing core only, great ability. PHBII made this attainable, and Complete Champion makes this ability worth about a mediocre feat. Natural healing: Heal every single HP. Useful ability, would make a good feat-equivalent. Double natural healing: Even in a low-level game, flavour, a non-ability. For a PC, the number of HP pr. round regained from regenaration/fast healing is not really important.
ragoftag 06-07-07, 10:13 PM	Like the update, still think you would do well to scale the healing as Raptorians do flying. That is, of course' if you mean for healing to be a dominant feature. Good work, so far!
ArochanoX 06-08-07, 02:07 AM	There was some time ago one long thread about a race that had trollish qualities, which included regeneration 0 ability. It functioned as follows: All other damage (except the damage type that overrided regeneration) were non-lethal damage. The creature healed non-lethal damage in normal rate (1/hour IIRC). In other words: the character was invulnerable unless the specific damage type was used. Some noted (me for instance) that regeneration 0 / energy type was too powerful, since there are only a few enemies that can hurt the creature (especially in the low levels 1-7). I suggested that the regeneration should be something like: regeneration 0 / slashing or regeneration 0 / bludgeoning. Now almost every cenemy can bypass it's regeneration with a bite attack for instance. I think that regeneration 0 / weapon damage type would be a viable option for a LA 0 or LA +1 race. And, by the way, all trolls presented here (even they differ much from each other) look nice and balanced. Even the Maraxus troll (which - for me atleast - seems to be an iconic gnome or menninkäinen in Finnish). Menninkäinen is a creature that dwells in dark forests under huge rocks. They trick humans and are mean. Some of them gather huge riches in their underground caverns and those humans that are able to trick menninkäinens gain some of that gold.
Angel Black 06-10-07, 07:27 PM	• (+2 Con, -2 Cha) • Medium Size • Low-Light Vision • Double Natural Healing Rate. If a Troll gets a full night of rest, it heals double the normal amount of hit points. If a Troll spends a day bed ridden, it gains double the rate for spending a day in bed. • A Troll automatically stabilizes if reduced to -1 to -9. • Scent. A Troll has a keen sense of smell. • Weapon Familiarity: Warhammers. Trolls treat Warhammers as Martial Weapons regardless of class. • Favored Class: Ranger • (+2 Con, -2 Cha), fair • Low-Light Vision,feat like • Double Natural Healing Rate. ...fair • Scent....feat like • stabilization...fair? • Weapon Familiarity...fair • Favored Class...right seems to be ok, no more powerful than a dwarf,and half-elf still is the weakest.