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View Full Version : All hail the Troll Prince! (and campaign brainstorming)


true_shinken
2010-08-07, 08:01 PM
Hey, guys.
My current almost 2 years long D&D campaign is coming to an end in a few months, so I started thinking on what I'd do for the next one.
I know for sure I'm using the rod of seven parts, drows as antagonists (they were in war with the dwarves - when the campaign starts, they'll have won) and trolls as brutes (I didn't get to use them at the last campaign).

I'll have two player groups: one with heroic characters, the other with mercenary types. My last campaign was supposed to be heroic but many players simply coulnd't get themselves to enjoy the idea of playing heroes, so I believe this will help solve this issue.

For the first BBEG, I'll try a variation of the Joker Bard. Love the concept.
For his Dragon (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDragon), I was thinking of a troll prince. Some kind of hybrid troll with the spells Sadism, Masochism and Blade of Blood. With high CA and saves, regeneration and damage reduction (still don't know how I'll get that), this guy will be a pain in the ass for the players and a really climatic boss fight.

Thing is, I don't really know how I'd stat the troll prince. I want him to be CR 8 at most. Should I go for a Half-fiend Troll Wizard? I myself love the idea of a half-troll tiefling, but how would I get the spells without getting the CR too high?

Any help on the troll prince build or more ideas for more campaign would be greatly appreciated.
Thurbane
2010-08-07, 08:21 PM
Spellwarped Forest Troll might work...decent mental stats, and CR 5 before class levels. Assuming non-associated class CR rules, he could be a level 5 or 6 Wizard and be CR 8. Spellwarped Forest Troll gets STR +10, DEX +8, CON +14, INT +4 and CHA -4.

Or 1/2 Troll template on a human or similar.

http://i35.tinypic.com/an0enr.jpg
true_shinken
2010-08-08, 03:41 PM
Thanks for the suggestions, Thurbane. I still can't decide >.<
If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be glad to hear it.
Runestar
2010-08-08, 06:14 PM
Troll barb2/frenzied berserker1 (ducks).
true_shinken
2010-08-08, 06:25 PM
Troll barb2/frenzied berserker1 (ducks).

I... don't get it, really. Does it do anything the concept should?
Critical
2010-08-08, 06:34 PM
Use homebrew! LA 0 trolls over here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162443). But I assume it's the regeneration ability that you want, not fast healing.

How about making this a plot hook for your players and making the troll prince actually a shapechanged(make it an item that's either a troll-only shapechange or functions only for that one guy if you don't want your players to have it) wizard? No problems with it's building and it should be pretty decent.
true_shinken
2010-08-08, 06:40 PM
Use homebrew! LA 0 trolls over here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162443). But I assume it's the regeneration ability that you want, not fast healing.
I don't use homebrew, but thanks for the suggestion.


How about making this a plot hook for your players and making the troll prince actually a shapechanged(make it an item that's either a troll-only shapechange or functions only for that one guy if you don't want your players to have it) wizard? No problems with it's building and it should be pretty decent.
Well, it could be. Does not ring the dragon (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDragon) bell for me, though...
The Glyphstone
2010-08-08, 07:00 PM
Use homebrew! LA 0 trolls over here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162443). But I assume it's the regeneration ability that you want, not fast healing.

How about making this a plot hook for your players and making the troll prince actually a shapechanged(make it an item that's either a troll-only shapechange or functions only for that one guy if you don't want your players to have it) wizard? No problems with it's building and it should be pretty decent.

Why would he need LA +0 anyways? It's a NPC, so CR would be the defining calculation.
Critical
2010-08-08, 07:02 PM
Why would he need LA +0 anyways? It's a NPC, so CR would be the defining calculation.
Well, it's HD free, too.
Runestar
2010-08-08, 08:13 PM
I... don't get it, really. Does it do anything the concept should?

What exactly does the concept entail? All I see is that you want a tank who can soak up damage and dish out loads of it. Spells like sadism can be supplied by a caster. :smallconfused:

I think your options are really quite limited at cr8, since a troll is already cr5.
true_shinken
2010-08-08, 08:18 PM
What exactly does the concept entail? All I see is that you want a tank who can soak up damage and dish out loads of it. Spells like sadism can be supplied by a caster. :smallconfused:
Hm, not at all. I wanted him to have high AC, high saves, damage reduction and regeneration. An opponent with high hp is not that irritating - one that does not get hit and when hit regenerates... well, that's damn annoying.


I think your options are really quite limited at cr8, since a troll is already cr5.
Yeah, that's why I thought of a half-troll.
A troll Wizard 6 is CR 8 and gets what I want, but seems... wonky at best.