Troll

> *“One time, I was walking over a big stone bridge. Like you would any other. Then, suddenly this big Troll came out from under it. I swear his eyes were as big as plates, his nose as big as a poker, his teeth as long as daggers. I thought he was gonna eat me, but it turns out he just wanted directions. Shows what I know, I guess…” -* Terin Wildeyes, a Halfling farmer, recounting his meeting with a Troll.
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   Trolls once used to dominate much of the continent of Morrion. They preyed on livestock and agriculture as well as the occasional traveller, should no other food be present. However, their race was purged, culled, and pushed out of many regions. Today, Troll populations are still relatively high. But they are nowhere near as widespread as they used to be. Many Trolls live in the Red Expanse with the Orcs, or in isolated pockets dotted across Morrion. Luckily, their race’s ability to evolve rapidly has allowed the Troll species to continue despite having to move to radically different environments. It has also led the creation of many subspecies of Troll - such as Cave Trolls, Snow Trolls, and Swamp Trolls.

## **Physical Description - Rapid Adaptation**

Though Trolls vary in their physical description due to the many varieties of subspecies, all Trolls are large and bulky beings. All Trolls average at about 12 feet in height, give or take 1 or 2 feet, and weigh hundreds upon hundreds of pounds - in part due to their dense builds and thick skin.

Due to their race’s ability to rapidly adapt to their environment, there are a variety of Troll subspecies. These often look drastically different to one another. Common Trolls have thick, scaly skin that is often a variation of dark green or grey. Snow Trolls, though, have thick, white hair that covers their entire bodies - an adaptation to the cold and windy climate. Swamp Trolls have slimy skin, similar to that of a frog or newt, as an adaptation to their damp environment. The details of a Troll’s physical appearance ultimately depends on what kind of Troll they are.

## **Mentality - Misunderstood and Underestimated**

   Many consider Trolls to be fundamentally stupid and ‘mentally behind’ the other races. These people are wrong. Indeed, the Trolls are misunderstood as brainless brutes - for they are capable of intelligence just as any other race is. Admittedly, they are typically not going to win any chess championships however Trolls are capable of speech, social interaction, tool creation, and have an understanding of language and mathematics. Unfortunately it was many of these stereotypes of inferiority that lead to the purging of Trolls in the first place - and have solidified themselves as truthful in many societies.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many Trolls are very sceptical of new people and very slow to trust. Those that decide to live outside of other societies typically choose to live isolationist lives - taking comfort in being alone. They simply want to eat, sleep and enjoy their simple comforts. However, many nations consider Trolls invasive, aggressive individuals that seek to raid farms and devour the inhabitants. This is not necessarily untrue, as Trolls have been known to eat members of the intelligent races when they have to, but Trolls are actually quite a docile race in reality. In many cases they are forced to violence due to being attacked.

Most Trolls understand that they will not fit in most ‘regular’ societies and so choose to live alone in the wilderness. They go out of their way to avoid conflict, though this might not always work, so to find Trolls in populated areas is extremely rare. One might occasionally find a Troll mercenary or bodyguard, but even these cases are incredibly sparse - if they happen at all.

## **Society - Isolation or Submission**

Most Trolls live solitary lives in isolation or in very small family groups. Larger groups used to exist, but were quickly wiped out or forced apart due to violence from hostile countries. As a result, most Trolls are content with living alone - enjoying their simple lives of eating and sleeping. A Troll will often establish a sort-of ‘lair’ in a quiet spot. These lairs vary, from underneath bridges to deep caves to small glades. These places are often unsuitable for growing crops or rearing livestock of their own, so these Trolls must devour the food of others, fuelling even more hostility.

Though most live alone, some Trolls choose to live in the few countries and societies that accept them. Most of these travel to the Red Expanse and join up with an Orc Horde. The Orcs, who value strength above all else, acknowledge the innate strength of the Trolls and so treat them with a surprising amount of respect. The Nords of Vaggaland, to, are known to employ and work with Snow Trolls on occasion as well - making them a candidate for settlement and integration.

## **Troll Adventurers - Simple Belonging**

As one might expect, Troll adventurers are incredibly rare. Those that do join the adventuring life, however, typically do it for one simple reason - simple belonging. Maybe they were sick of living alone and wanted to find a group that accepts them. Maybe they did not like the way they were being treated by the Orcs or Nords and so joined an adventuring group where they can be treated as individual equals.

## **Troll Names**

Living in isolation, most Trolls do not actually have names. After all, there is no point in having a name if you don’t intend on meeting any people to tell it to. As a result, the Trolls that live in other societies, amongst the population, typically adopt names from that culture. Trolls living with Orcs will typically adopt Orc names, for example.

## **Troll Traits**

Your Troll character has certain traits deriving from your radical and adaptive biology.

* ***Ability Score Increase -*** your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Strength score increases by 1.
* ***Age -*** Trolls are able to feed and fend for themselves just a year after birth, though they only become fully mature at about 10 years. Trolls live for about a century on average.
* ***Alignment -*** forced into isolation, most Trolls take a strictly neutral approach to affairs - though their want of freedom and raiding of farmland might push some towards the chaotic side. It is uncommon to find an inherently ‘good’ Troll, as most just want to be left alone. Some will turn to evil though.
* ***Size -*** Trolls average at about 12 feet tall and can weigh hundreds and hundreds of pounds. Your size is Large.
* ***Speed -*** your base walking speed is 25 feet.
* ***Keen Smell -*** you have advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell.
* ***Superior Darkvision -*** you can see in dim light and darkness within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.
* ***Natural Weaponry -*** you can roll 1d6 for the damage of your unarmed strikes, which can inflict slashing damage if you claw or piercing damage if you bite.
* ***Regeneration -*** as a bonus action, you can regenerate, healing yourself for a number of hit points equal to 1d12 + your Constitution modifier. Once you have used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
* ***Troll Toughness -*** your hit point maximum increases by 2, and it increases by 2 whenever you gain a level.
* ***Languages -*** you can speak and understand Common and the language of your country of origin. Trolls typically speak with deep, almost bestial, voices. They might incorporate grunts and other noises into their sentences or speak in a simplistic manner, something that no doubt fuels the stereotypes about them.