Let’s Convert the Fiend Folio: TROLLS! Giant Troll, Giant Two-Headed Troll, Ice Troll, and Spirit Troll

Trolls in Dungeon Crawl Classics are very much cut from the mold of Poul Anderson’s Troll in Three Hearts and Three Lions. Trolls in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons were sort of a mixture of qualities: Anderson’s Troll smooshed together with the Trolls in The Roaring Trumpet (part of The Incompleat Enchanter by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt). Michael Curtis introduced yet another take on Trolls – a more folkloric take somewhere between the DCC core rulebook Troll and the AD&D Trolls – in The Chained Coffin. And that is not all. Tales From the Smoking Wyrm introduces three playable Troll sub-classes in Issue #4, and these are taking straight from Scandinavian folklore!

So what does that mean when converting these Trolls? Are Giant Trolls just core rulebook Trolls, but bigger? Or should they appear more like they did in the Fiend Folio? There isn’t any one answer that is going to please everyone. Nor should there be. Let Make Monsters Mysterious be your watchword, and adjust any and every creature you wish until it is exactly what you want it to be, and your players are confounded. 

Ultimately, I went with the illustrations, and they show trolls with at least a glimmer of intelligence.

The end is in sight. At this point, there should be seven more posts to do, and the Fiend Folio conversions will be complete.

If you feel like tipping, here is a way to do so.

Troll

Giant Troll: Init +6; Atk Enormous spiked club +10 melee (2d8+6) bite +8 melee (2d8+6) or claw +10 melee (2d6); AC 16; HD 10d8+8; MV 40’; Act 3d24; SP Infravision 90’, acute senses, regeneration (1d6/round), vulnerable to fire, crit as giant (20-24 crit range); SV Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +8; AL C.

Giant trolls are similar to normal trolls, but which have crossbred with hill giants of questionable standards. They are more intelligent than normal trolls, certainly have better hygiene, and lack a normal troll’s hideous stench. Because they are not mindless, they are not immune to mind-affecting spells.

Giant trolls have the rubbery flesh of their lesser kin, but have differentiated organs, and can be affected by critical hits. They regenerates only 1d6 points of damage at the end of each round, including the round it they are killed. Like normal trolls, only if their regeneration fails to bring them above 0 hp can they be truly killed. Severed limbs from giant trolls also continue to attack, and can crawl back and re-attach, but a severed head is beyond the creature’s ability to deal with. They do not regenerate fire damage.

Giant trolls are as tall as hill giants, but heavier, being about 12 feet tall and weighing an average of 14,000 pounds. They can be found in nearly any clime, and are noted for their acute senses – and in particular, their acute sense of smell.

Giant Two-Headed Troll: Init +4; Atk Bite +9 melee (2d8+6) or claw +11 melee (2d6); AC 16; HD 12d8+10; MV 40’; Act 4d24; SP Infravision 60’, regeneration (1d4/round), two saves vs. mind-affecting spells, never surprised, vulnerable to fire, crit as giant (20-24 crit range); SV Fort +14, Ref +4, Will +10; AL C.

These ferocious creatures are similar to giant trolls, but somewhat larger, and they sport two heads. They regenerate only 1d4 hp each round, and cannot re-attach severed limbs. When faced with mid-affecting spells (or similar), they are allowed two saving throws – one for each head – and takes the better of the two results.

These nocturnal creatures stand 14 feet tall and weigh 15,000 pounds on average. They prefer darkness, dwelling in underground caverns where possible. They wear moth-eaten and filthy animal skins, which is certainly an indication that they are smarter than normal trolls.

Ice Troll: Init +3; Atk Claw +3 melee (1d6); AC 14; HD 2d8; MV 30’ or swim 30’; Act 2d20; SP Infravision 90’, keen senses, water-dependent regeneration (1d3/round), immunity to cold, half damage from non-magical weapons, vulnerable to fire (x2 damage); SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +5; AL C.

Ice trolls are smarter, weaker relatives of trolls with extremely cold semi-transparent bodies. These creatures dwell in moist areas, usually near running water as they can only regenerate (or re-attach severed limbs) if the regenerating body parts can immerse themselves in water. A severed limb can move a distance of 1d5 rounds in search of water (at a rate of 10’ per round) and will always move towards water if there is some in range. After it stops crawling, the limb is dormant for 2d6 rounds, and then expires.

Although they are immune to cold, and take only half damage from non-magical weapons, ice trolls take twice normal damage from fire, and cannot regenerate these attacks.

 

Spirit Troll: Init +8; Atk bite +4 melee (1d6+2 plus heal) or claw +6 melee (1d4 plus strength drain); AC 18; HD 5d8+5; MV 40’; Act 3d20; SP Infravision 120’, invisibility, heal, strength drain, regeneration (1d4/round), immune to cold and non-magical weapons, 30% magic resistance, vulnerable to fire; SV Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +6; AL C.

These odious creatures are said to be the product of some perverse breeding experiment whose details have been lost to antiquity. These beings are invisible and can only be hit by magical weapons or fire (which does only normal damage, but does not regenerate). Creatures who cannot see invisible beings suffer a 50% miss chance even on a successful hit. Spirit trolls can ignore spells and their effects 30% of the time, rolled before any applicable saving throw.

When a spirit troll hits with its bite, it immediately heals the amount of damage inflicted on its opponent. When it strikes with a claw, its target must succeed in a DC 12 Fort save or take 1 point of Strength damage (which heals normally).