Monster of the Month - Trolls

Kayla Bayens

Oct 6, 2019 • 4 min read

So I grew up with movies like 'Troll in Central Park' (your first hint for the troll) but the 5e version of Trolls is decidedly not that kind of troll. These trolls are mean and don't mind attempting a TPK if disturbed. They are often feared by players and are strategically placed by DMs for a maximum effect both thematically and in combat. If nothing else is true the Trolls of 5e are highly thematic and are amazing tools to use to reinforce those.

As always we will start things off by talking about the Trolls that already exist in Wizard's official books for 5e. This is our standard bread and butter for games so its important to keep them in mind for the next few parts of this post.

This is actually a nice mix of things without being a list made impossibly long by micro-adjustments. Everything has a tight theme and a very real and sometimes viscerally imagery to invoke actions and reactions from the players.

Fearsome green-skinned giants, trolls eat anything they can catch and devour. Only acid and fire can arrest the regenerative properties of a troll’s flesh.

So these are some pretty terrifying creatures to go up against when its just a normal Troll. These are chaotic beings that just devour everything they can catch and see trespassing in their domain as the ultimate offense. If you come within their bounds you are fair game for dinner and will be attacked with a large about of prejudice and ferocity. It makes RPing a Troll pretty easy for a DM as they are dumb but ridiculously strong creatures of hunger. They are driven by that hunger on a primal level. Their low INT and WIS scores does mean its possible to trick them or if you are lucky charm them into helping the party in a fight. But even a friendly troll is one looking to devour to try and satisfy its hunger.

When they fight it is most likely going to be in a frenzied rush, we can guess this based on their high STR and CON scores compared to the rest of their stats. They could also recognize that hurling large boulders and trees at the party will help weaken their prey. Yes they aren't the brightest bulb and they definitely aren't the yellow crayon in the box, but they are master hunters. They have to be to catch and eat large game that can fight back. A troll doesn't survive long without being able to attack and fight like mad, another troll would have swooped in to steal their hunting ground if they felt the current owner was weak in any way. Most trolls, for this reason, are loners but two trolls with either enough game to satisfy them both or who are at conflict with each other both stumbling on the party could quickly ruin their day and drain some party resources.

Now everything I have said above is based on what is considered the default or nature order when it comes to Trolls. But there are always exceptions to those rules that are established. As a DM don't be afraid to subvert the trends and expected outcomes of an encounter or monster. Its one of the best things to throw your players off of their game and really make them think or question something they thought to be a universal truth in the game. I will again point to Stanely from 'Troll in Central Park' as a great example of subverting the norm in a way directly tied to story. But I'll the interpretation and implementation of those up to you awesome DMs out there reading this.

Right'o ya'll now comes the part alot of you are here for, the new Trolls for your game!

Grave Troll - This lifeless seeming troll has slacked grey skin and clouded over eyes with pieces of themselves falling off and can be found in the company of mass graves, plague outbreaks, and anywhere a large amount of death has happened. They devour the flesh of the dead and are rumored to devour souls of their victims as well. They are seen as heralds of doom and a warning of destruction to come. Their touch is said to drain the life out of their captive which the Grave Troll uses to repair some of its damaged body.

Deep Sea Troll - Found at great depths in the Ocean only the most unfortunate adventurers run into a Deep Sea Troll. Built for the massive pressures at that depth their bulky bodies hide a deathly fast predator. Using their overly widened mouth full of massive sharp rows of teeth they use hypnotic patterns that flash across their flesh to distract their prey long enough to sink those into their flesh. Once latched on the Troll is very hard to shake.

Cave Troll - Made for the darkness of deep caverns, tunnels, and caves the Cave Troll is most at home in the pitch black. It hunts by stalking its prey with its overly elongated thin form hiding in the shadows. Curved claws drip with a strange dark purple ooze as saliva dribbles from the corner of its mouth to drop and sizzle on the rocks under it. Be careful where you sleep in the dark.

Sewer Troll - Filth calls to it and festers around it, diseases grow in the disgusting piles of unidentifiable substances that seem to grow in its lair. Sickness can roll out from it in waves infecting a city and causing death. Where other creatures who live in the excrement of a society like gelatinous cubes seem to feast on the filth left behind the Sewer Troll seems to generate it. Unaware or inebriated passersby that get to close to a sewer grate often go missing to never be seen again.

Corrupted Troll - Something went horribly wrong in order to create such a twisted, grotesque form of life. Its features aren't quite right and churn the stomach to look at them. When near this Troll make a WIS save or have your greatest weakness amplified when its mad eyes fall on you. Those who cross its path aren't often heard from again but when the odd lucky soul manages to escape they have often already fallen into madness.

With that little rambling over with, I’m JustKay your regular DM Dalliance on the web and I’ll see you next post.