Troll kind for DnD

My idea of trolls is more like John Bauer, Moomintrolls and Brian Fraud. I do quite like RuneQuest trolls and always felt the green ones in dnd were a bit basic. In my setting they are heretic chaos trolls who took regenerative abilities but became insane living cancerous clones enraged with hatred.

In my setting gods and jotun or titans appeared first on the world and were at war long before man existed. Trolls descend from yotun or even spontaneously grew from the remains of the great giant whose corpse made the world (some say a dragon). Trolls evolved into many variants big and small and are the ancestors of dwarves, gnomes, halflings and elves. Humans came at the end of the dawn age to be servants of the gods.

The extent of this is to make trolls in my BX based game you can reskin the basic races

House Trolls = Gnome (stove trolls, barn trolls, cellar trolls, attic trolls)
Hedge Trolls = Halfling (hill trolls, bush trolls, garden trolls, marsh trolls)
Cave Trolls = Dwarfs (mountain trolls, pit trolls, bearded trolls, rock trolls)
High Trolls = Elves (arcane trolls, elder trolls, moon trolls, star trolls)

You can also reskin goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, ogres and giants

Trolls have tails which is the main identifying feature rather like a cow tail
Many have horns, tusks, huge teeth, hair, big eyes
Some have pointy ears, other are less visible or more human
Many have pot bellies and huge noses
Most are covered in fuzzy soft down, some are shaggy all over
Some have long hair from heads down to their waist
Most prefer to be naked but wear loin cloths, hats, fur capes, jewelry sometimes robes

High Trolls are most human or elf like, and even attractive at a glance but facial features are smoother and simpler

Trolls are slow to anger or react at times. They can remain still and hide for hours but can be angered by swearing, destruction of property or trespassers. Some are stupid greedy and evil. Most are harmless and possibly helpful but best avoided as some can be moody. The larger ones tend to be more belligerent.

As trolls don't like clothes or armour much but have basic armour like leather
They also heal a extra HP per level per day which makes them dangerous skirmishers

Trolls are more populous in the north replacing the ecology of elves and goblinoids in the frozen mountainous north. But trolls are returning. Occupying bridges, caves, ruins or old mines. They know they are ancient and kin to old magic of giants and gods. They regard many lands as theres since prehuman times. Huge trolls are more likely to think of lesser beings as food. Smallest trolls don't mind living near humans and humans might leave them offerings. House trolls live inside humans homes often helping humans out of sight. It is best to ignore them and leave them some food or milk out but exposing them might drive them away. They might be offended by bad language and beat a foul mouth child or drunken parent. Forest trolls might tolerate hunters but they also might expect good behaviour, respect to game and might punish swearing. Swearing is blasphemy to trolls, especially those mock the divine. Trolls dislike lightning or storms or the thought of the sky falling. Trolls worship elements, ancestors and titans of old. The know the gods of man and respect them but might not like them. Some gods drove trolls away to make room for man.

Trolls know elder magic and do make magic items, weapons and potions. Many trolls being long lived might adopt a magical character class. Troll language is deep, poetic, profound and long winded. Troll rock carvings can be found everywhere.

Are Trolls coming back. In recent years many elder races have returned and demihumans are common sights. Trolls have been seen in the wilds more and more and rural folk have increased contact. Some humans fear trolls and insist on hunting and killing them all as if they are all horrible killing machines. In these areas the nastier trolls swarm. Bad trolls might think some of their kin are soft but will avenge them and wage war on man happily. Most of the older demi human races no longer fight having battled too much to their mutual destruction long ago. This is why man rules now.



Random Trolls
d10 Size
1 Gnome - tiny trolls often live around humans or in houses helping their hosts
2 Goblin - small troll folk often live in caves or woods, quite shy and wary of man
3 Halfling - smaller friendly trolls mostly live in holes under hills in comfort
4 Dwarf - resilient fighting trolls at war with goblins and humanoids in underground places
5 Elf - high trolls, the arcane and mystical race who are masters of magic
6 Hobgoblin - humanoid also called troll men, compete with humans for room in wilds
7 Bugbear - large trolls but curious to occupy human lands like settling under a bridge
8 Ogre - dwell in caverns, hills, mountains hunting smaller creatures to eat
9 Giant - mostly roam mountains fighting and throwing rocks
10 Gargantuan - tend to resemble land features and many are hidden and sleeping in plain sight

d6 Troll Characteristics
1 Horns often ram or goat like or short lumps
2 Tusks sometimes curled and large or just short stubs
3 Teeth or fangs or a overbite, some have rows of blunt stubby grinding teeth
4 Pointed ears, huge ears, human ears, long hanging ears
5 Wooly long hair or shaggy hair all over
6 Webbed feet, bird feet, huge ugly human feet or goat hooves

d10 Troll Decor
1 Loincloth or rope belt
2 Ear or nose rings
3 Necklaces or teeth or gold rings or torc or beads
4 Arm rings or bangles
5 Ankle rings
6 Fur cape
7 Tattoos often runes or spirals
8 Hat or circlet or wreath
9 Trinkets of all kinds hanging from hair or straps
10 Tattered robes or shirt or vest often of fur

d6 Reactions
1 Hates humans and newborn races
2 Humans are food animals and fair game
3 Humans and their gods cant be trusted
4 Humans are best avoided
5 Humans can be dealt with
6 Humans need help and kindness like any animal

d6 Troll Magic (1in6 chance for smarter breeds)
1 Clerical magic, priest of a god or titan
2 Wizard spells with a ancient wooden book or spells on cave walls
3 Shaman deals with local spirits
4 Druidic priest deals with nature
5 Sorcerer has innate magic from bloodline
6 Alchemy knows several potion recipes or magic item formula




Trolls have often like to employ curses and one of these is to make men into trolls or taint them. Part troll children are often mighty and strange. If neglected by human kin will grow vindictive and dangerous. I will do troll mutations sometime.