Dark Trolls Information Needed

[makofan]

I'm starting to work on the Fungus Forest, and I have decided that the Dark Trolls are attempting to tame and cultivate a small patch of it for food and medicine. Thus they are going to need a garrison of some sort.

Do we have any info on the trolls other than they ride brontosauruses?

[calithena]

PM sent.

[snorri]

Though reading Chainmail 'btt' (by-the-text). , I discovered there was some interesting clues about trolls: it seems they're linked to ogres, and if 'true trolls' with the regeneration power does exists, it suggests that there also 'false trolls' without it.

It open many possibilities: these 'trolls' could have the same stats than ogres, same than trolls without regeneration, or be some mix. For my french version, I add 'lesser trolls', which have stats between trolls and ogres, and look somewhere between the two. It gives stockier, wider trolls with long ears, which looks pretty much as Tolkien or even Runequest trolls.

[labsenpai]

I had also wanted the Dark Troll basic info for a "house guest" at the Fane. If they are too powerful, I can substitute another monster.

[sham]

I went back and forth on this topic, and ended up making up waaaay too much crap on Dark Trolls. I came to my senses, changed the name at the top of the page to Dim Trolls, and dropped the whole thing into my own megadungeon for future work on lower levels.

Dark Trolls are Wandering Monsters on Level Five (the Highway rolls right through the middle of the map), so I did write this up on them:

"Dark Trolls: Intelligent trolls who wear armor and prefer to attack with weapons (dealing +2 damage due to their strength). Dark Trolls consider themselves the ‘Lords’ of The Darkness Beneath, and frequently emerge from their citadel beneath the Lower Caves to remind the other denizens within this dungeon of that fact. Dark Trolls are not quick to attack, normally preferring to parley or intimidate those they might encounter. In fact, many of their kind consider ‘breaking a sweat’ when dealing with surface folk an insult, and will typically insist on some sort of monetary tribute before moving along. Most Dark Trolls encountered in the Lower Caves will be travelling the Troll Highway, simply passing through, while mounted on a Cave Raptor. Dark Trolls will be described in detail in a forthcoming issue of Fight On!, for now use whichever version of Troll you prefer, with the above additions."

There's even an NPC Troll as a wandering monster: Tagart, Troll Envoy. He's essentially the tax-man for the upper levels:

"Tagart, Troll Envoy: Tagart is a Dark Troll Envoy, charged with collecting tribute from various intelligent denizens of The Darkness Beneath. Every three Clutches, Tagart will arrive at the West Entrance of the Halfway Inn, and demand his tribute. Jalen has a tenuous truce with the Dark Trolls, as long as he continues to fork over this tribute, the Dark Trolls allow him to conduct business here. Tagart views every surface dweller he encounters outside of the inn fair game, and will demand a hefty tax before allowing them to go free. Tagart is fairly crafty, and will not risk his neck if he feels such a confrontation might go poorly. Tagart is an obese but ferocious Dark Troll, mounted on a particularly thick Cave Raptor (add HD to both standard types), and is always accompanied by a pair of muscular Dark Troll Bodyguards likewise astride raptors, decked out in the finest arms and armor. Tagart will have a considerable amount of gold in his saddle bags, the exact amount to be determined by the Referee. The Troll Envoy is no easy target, and slaying him, should he fail to escape, will certainly enrage both Jalen and the Trolls in the citadel below."

Anyhow, that's what I plan to submit in the very near future, as Level Five is down to details and editing now. Hope that helps or fits into everyone else's vision of the Dark Trolls.