Troll vs. Coup de Grace

[Rakoa]

Can a coup de grace kill a Troll?

[Flickerdart]

A coup de grace must be delivered with lethal damage, so unless you're able to bypass its regeneration, you cannot even attempt one.

[lagninja]

A regenerating creature that has been rendered unconscious through nonlethal damage can be killed with a coup de grace.

According to the SRD, you may. Also, I don't see anywhere that specifies Coup de Grace must be done with a lethal weapon, but I didn't look past the CdG and Regeneration entries on the SRD.

[Barbarian Horde]

You automatically hit and score a critical hit. If the defender survives the damage, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die

[TypoNinja]

Regenerating creatures are only subject to Coup de Grace if the weapon you are using for it also bypassed their regeneration.

With that little hurdle in mind, yes its entirely possible to do it.

We usually just beat it to pulp and then feed the bits to a camp fire though.

[Zanos]

According to the SRD, you may. Also, I don't see anywhere that specifies Coup de Grace must be done with a lethal weapon, but I didn't look past the CdG and Regeneration entries on the SRD.
You missed the next line, which is fairly critical.


The creature’s descriptive text describes the details. A regenerating creature that has been rendered unconscious through nonlethal damage can be killed with a coup de grace. The attack cannot be of a type that automatically converts to nonlethal damage. An attack that can cause instant death only threatens the creature with death if it is delivered by weapons that deal it lethal damage.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

It appears the CDG rules have been well covered.

I'll just note that most regenerating creatures have various kill methods which are easy to apply when the creature is KO'd, including the campfire method mentioned above. Trolls can also drown, but my favorite squicky method for the hungry adventurer is to chop up the troll into bite-sized bits and use good ol' stomach acid. This is probably only a good not terrible idea for the party members with high fortitude saves.

[torrasque666]

It appears the CDG rules have been well covered.

I'll just note that most regenerating creatures have various kill methods which are easy to apply when the creature is KO'd, including the campfire method mentioned above. Trolls can also drown, but my favorite squicky method for the hungry adventurer is to chop up the troll into bite-sized bits and use good ol' stomach acid. This is probably only a good not terrible idea for the party members with high fortitude saves.

Nah bro, use a Warforged. Then have him swallow some acid/puke/something. Or alchemist's fire.

[TypoNinja]

It appears the CDG rules have been well covered.

I'll just note that most regenerating creatures have various kill methods which are easy to apply when the creature is KO'd, including the campfire method mentioned above. Trolls can also drown, but my favorite squicky method for the hungry adventurer is to chop up the troll into bite-sized bits and use good ol' stomach acid. This is probably only a good not terrible idea for the party members with high fortitude saves.

Did this with a dragon PC. Fang Dragons flavour text says they enjoy the taste of intelligent humanoids, I figured a troll was close enough on both counts.

[atemu1234]

Regenerating creatures are only subject to Coup de Grace if the weapon you are using for it also bypassed their regeneration.

With that little hurdle in mind, yes its entirely possible to do it.

We usually just beat it to pulp and then feed the bits to a camp fire though.

My group usually tries to eat it, after cooking it.

Of course, it takes a DC 10 + Troll Hit Dice Profession (Chef) to make sure it doesn't grow inside your stomach.

Which led to the following line: "Does hydrochloric acid bypass regeneration?"

[Flickerdart]

Of course, it takes a DC 10 + Troll Hit Dice Profession (Chef) to make sure it doesn't grow inside your stomach.
Everlasting Trollstobbers, anyone? The Only Meal You'll Ever Need to Eat TM.

[PaucaTerrorem]

Everlasting Trollstobbers, anyone? The Only Meal You'll Ever Need to Eat TM.

Thank you for this.

[Zaq]

It appears the CDG rules have been well covered.

I'll just note that most regenerating creatures have various kill methods which are easy to apply when the creature is KO'd, including the campfire method mentioned above. Trolls can also drown, but my favorite squicky method for the hungry adventurer is to chop up the troll into bite-sized bits and use good ol' stomach acid. This is probably only a good not terrible idea for the party members with high fortitude saves.

My preferred anti-troll technique is similar, but not identical. Instead of eating the troll, you cut open the unconscious troll and use its own stomach acid against it. The stomach will keep regenerating until the troll is dead, after all, so you'll have enough. Might take a few minutes, and it's definitely messy, but it WILL eventually kill the troll.

[Flickerdart]

My preferred anti-troll technique is similar, but not identical. Instead of eating the troll, you cut open the unconscious troll and use its own stomach acid against it. The stomach will keep regenerating until the troll is dead, after all, so you'll have enough. Might take a few minutes, and it's definitely messy, but it WILL eventually kill the troll.
Do we know for sure that trolls digest by means of stomach acid?

[KillianHawkeye]

You would think that a creature which is vulnerable to acid would get a pass when it comes to its own internal acids.

[Svata]

You would think that a creature which is vulnerable to acid would get a pass when it comes to its own internal acids.

Are you immune to your stomach acids outside of your stomach?

[Sith_Happens]

Are you immune to your stomach acids outside of your stomach?

[Saved for future sigging]

[Lord Vukodlak]

Here's how you handle a troll if you lack fire or acid.... water a simple bucket of water. Sure you can't overcome his regeneration but once he's unconscious you can hold his head underwater until he drowns.


Are you immune to your stomach acids outside of your stomach?
Your stomach acid isn't that acidic.

[TheCrowing1432]

It appears the CDG rules have been well covered.

I'll just note that most regenerating creatures have various kill methods which are easy to apply when the creature is KO'd, including the campfire method mentioned above. Trolls can also drown, but my favorite squicky method for the hungry adventurer is to chop up the troll into bite-sized bits and use good ol' stomach acid. This is probably only a good not terrible idea for the party members with high fortitude saves.

....Except the troll would regenerate inside you and burst out of your stomach........

[holywhippet]

Everlasting Trollstobbers, anyone? The Only Meal You'll Ever Need to Eat TM.

One of the Icewind Dale PC games had a troll chef who would chop of his own fingers then fry them up as "sausages". Since they'd be taking fire damage they wouldn't regenerate.

[Rijan_Sai]

....Except the troll would regenerate inside you and burst out of your stomach........

Trolls can't regenerate from lethal damage, and acid causes leathal damage to them.

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Still, while there is a character in one of my group's campaings that would probably not think twice about eating a troll, (he eats just about everything else we kill...,) the thought of doing so and not being a Thing-That-Should-Not-Exist...*blarg*

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

....Except the troll would regenerate inside you and burst out of your stomach........
Fire and acid deal normal damage to a troll.
stomach acidEmphasis mine.

To be fair, the acid in your stomach isn't too strong. Maybe it only deals 1 damage per minute, and only then if something under your skin is exposed to it. But that's enough to stop the regeneration.

Also:
Severed parts die if they are not reattached.So I guess the big part is doing enough damage to the "main troll" via acid damage after you've chopped the rest to bits.

[TypoNinja]

Everlasting Trollstobbers, anyone? The Only Meal You'll Ever Need to Eat TM.

We did this with an advanced version of Big T from a dragon mag. Still had all the the same problems plain old Big T did, so after beating it down, we levitated it mid air over a mountain high enough for their to be no air, then set up a teleportation circle from that location to a Kitchen.

We opened a Steak house. The DM was shaking his head the whole time.


Do we know for sure that trolls digest by means of stomach acid?

Yes, lacking rules text specifying otherwise default assumption is that the natural world behaves the way one would expect based on reality. DMG managed to slip that rule in when talking about the Planes.



To be fair, the acid in your stomach isn't too strong. Maybe it only deals 1 damage per minute, and only then if something under your skin is exposed to it. But that's enough to stop the regeneration.


Dude, its Hydrochloric acid. Its hilariously strong. What saves us is that in our stomach its also hilariously diluted. Around a 0.5% concentration. Note that is still strong enough to eat holes in your guts if your natural mechanisms for shielding you from it don't work right.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Dude, its Hydrochloric acid. Its hilariously strong. What saves us is that in our stomach its also hilariously diluted. Around a 0.5% concentration. Note that is still strong enough to eat holes in your guts if your natural mechanisms for shielding you from it don't work right.Indeed, it's weak because it's diluted. And note that 1 damage per minute is 1440 damage per day.

[Flickerdart]

Yes, lacking rules text specifying otherwise default assumption is that the natural world behaves the way one would expect based on reality. DMG managed to slip that rule in when talking about the Planes.
Doesn't that only apply to physics?

[Extra Anchovies]

Indeed, it's weak because it's diluted.

Still a pH of 1.5 to 3.5, and that's for a human. Troll stomach acid, I'd assume, would be stronger.

[atemu1234]

Doesn't that only apply to physics?

To be fair, how do you think trolls metabolize things? I don't think magic qualifies, because then they wouldn't be able to survive in a Antimagic Field.

[Necroticplague]

They could very plausibly digest by using large amounts of enzymes that speed up liquidation of food (essentially, rotting to mush), with their own flesh having microscopic projections that make it an unsuitable substrate for the enzymes. AFAIK, they never specify, so we can't really make any assumptions. Just because most animals on earth use acid in their stomachs, no reason to assume ones in dnd do.

[atemu1234]

They could very plausibly digest by using large amounts of enzymes that speed up liquidation of food (essentially, rotting to mush), with their own flesh having microscopic projections that make it an unsuitable substrate for the enzymes. AFAIK, they never specify, so we can't really make any assumptions. Just because most animals on earth use acid in their stomachs, no reason to assume ones in dnd do.

Then it's simple; We eat the troll.

[Psyren]

While swallowed you take bludgeoning damage and acid damage every round, not every minute. The amount varies by creature but these two combined should cancel out the troll's regen.

In Pathfinder this is even easier - you only need a point of lethal damage to shut off their regen for a round and let normal attacks get through. For killing the troll, this means you can can sear a limb with your torch before hacking it off, or burn a vital area before running it through. It also means that a troll will never be able to regen inside someone's stomach, because their regen will never activate as long as they take a single point of acid damage each round.