How to handle a troll in the party?

[lxion]

So, the party in a campaign I'm DM'ing has saved a troll and the troll is now a friend of theirs. They can use it as a mule, but they'll expect to use it in combat as well. I'm already planning to make it a character sheet, because letting it fight with the HP and other stats from the MM would be overpowered (campaign has just begun). The troll has a shy personality and doesn't enjoy fighting, but when his friends are in danger, he will help.
I'm also going to let them find out that the troll heals through his bodily fluids, but that they need to be purified to work well (otherwise they will get fungus on their faces etc). A potion maker could use the fluids to provide potions etc.
For in combat, I'm going to let them use him as a sort of pet. Giving him command will cost an action, but he will keep on doing this (eg attack: he will attack the nearest enemy).

Any advice on this? Should let the players control him or do it myself? I've got a plan, but always nice to have some tips.

[hymer]

Any advice on this? Should let the players control him or do it myself? I've got a plan, but always nice to have some tips.
My first thought was to have the troll use grapples and shoves to help. Its strength should let it be fairly successful, the melee PCs will like their enemies held down to the ground so they're easy to hit, and the backline PCs like enemies who don't move up in their faces.

[Unoriginal]

Alright, first question: how did a party of beginner manage to save a troll? Anything capable of threatening a troll would wreck them hard, usually.

My advice: don't do the "healing potion dispenser" stuff. That's not a typical troll power, and there is really no reason to give them free healing potions like that.

In combat, just treat the troll as a NC underling: he gets his own turn, choose what to do himself, etc.

Yes, a troll is powerful, but there is no reason to nerf him. Beings who plan to mess with the party will account for him, while those who don't plan but still do it will have a nasty surprise to deal with.


My first thought was to have the troll use grapples and shoves to help. Its strength should let it be fairly successful, the melee PCs will like their enemies held down to the ground so they're easy to hit, and the backline PCs like enemies who don't move up in their faces.

Troll wrestler? Could be fun, but it doesn't account for how the troll would be much more efficient using his claws, and he'd be aware of that.

[lxion]

They found him, mad and sad because his pet wolf was killed. They chose to comfort him and rolled high, so he's a friend now. In the city though, they're not really comfortable with having a troll walk around. I'm probably going to make a side quest of letting him go, back to the wild.
They can make good use of him. Like I said, he can be a mule. Since the party has a gnome warlock and a halfling ranger, he could even be used as a shooting platform. I'm curious what they plan om using him for.


My first thought was to have the troll use grapples and shoves to help. Its strength should let it be fairly successful, the melee PCs will like their enemies held down to the ground so they're easy to hit, and the backline PCs like enemies who don't move up in their faces.

seems fun indeed. Any more suggestions are more than welcome.

[hymer]

Troll wrestler? Could be fun, but it doesn't account for how the troll would be much more efficient using his claws, and he'd be aware of that.
Being shy, he may be worried about overshadowing the heroes. If he did that to his brothers, they used to beat him up? So he is used to holding the prey down while his bigger brothers do the actual killing. As the PCs level, he gets over this fear gradually, so he can stay relevant longer. Eventually, he may actually help them more by going back to setting up their attacks.

[opaopajr]

Does the troll have a mind of its own?

Do you trust your players to play with impartiality, even to their PCs' own detriment?

Are you also OK with sharing Out-Of-Character knowledge with them, as they will need it in order to faithfully discharge the duty of roleplaying the NPC?

... Or you could just, y'know, manage the role of the NPC already and save everyone the headache. :smalltongue:

[Kane0]

Hmm. No relation to Zhong the ox-carrier?

In any case, just use the standard troll statblock and roll initiative for him normally. PCs can call out to him but let him decide his actions, the PCs can do the rolling if they like.

No need to do anything fancy, the people in your world will be sure to note him and accomodate if they intend to get into a fight with the party.

Just keep it simple and roll with it, if anyone is going to shoot the PCs in the foot it will be the PCs.

Edit: if he’s not super into fighting give him a big lump of wood that he carries around as a shield. Couple that with his natural healing and either dodging or shoving on his turn and you have a formiddable movable obstacle for enemies and cover for the party without stealing the thunder of the PCs.

[sithlordnergal]

So, I have a similar problem with my party. As of now, my party has:

Gained the allegiance of a small bandit group consisting of 4 Bandits and a Bandit Captain with a massive Persuasion check. Since the bandits were just out for money, the party convinced the bandits to join them to get money.

Charmed a T-Rex with Animal Friendship, then used a massive Handle Animal check to get it to help

Awakaened an Allosaurus, who is now the party mascot/friend

Had two npcs that they were escorting who happened to be a paladin and cleric.


So, what did I do when the party had an army? First off, they lost some exp and gold. Second, when the party became too powerful I sent them against an encounter designed to thin the number of NPCs they had with them.

I also had the Bandit Captain they befriended get kidnapped by a villain in my campaign. This has motivated the party to find and deal with this villain. They are out for Ras Nsi's blood for kidnapping their friend.

[Sigreid]

Little bit of garlic. Little bit of butter. Delicious!

[ZorroGames]

My first thought, “Trip Fred, he is slow, and run like hell!” But he is a quasi-official party member? How do the players interact with him and his um, cultural expectations?

There is the whole problem of feeding, social interactions, the whole idea of “not yours,” when he is bored... so much potential DM fun here.

[MaxWilson]

Little bit of garlic. Little bit of butter. Delicious!

That is repulsive. I'd sooner eat a bucket of mud.

[hymer]

That is repulsive. I'd sooner eat a bucket of mud.

With sugar! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSg2cq5xx2Y)

[Joe dirt]

cool npc, i think the PC's will enjoy such a friendly tank. should also make for awkward social situations as normal townfolk might attack the PC's on site if the troll is with them... after all trolls are "bad" to society in general.

even if u made the troll non evil he might get the party into trouble... trolls enjoy the taste of X, X being anything u want ;) cows, dogs, children... and it would be up to the PC's to figure out how to avoid social conflicts.

as far as combat, trolls tear into things, they are generally fearless but probably not great tacticians.

[Sigreid]

cool npc, i think the PC's will enjoy such a friendly tank. should also make for awkward social situations as normal townfolk might attack the PC's on site if the troll is with them... after all trolls are "bad" to society in general.

even if u made the troll non evil he might get the party into trouble... trolls enjoy the taste of X, X being anything u want ;) cows, dogs, children... and it would be up to the PC's to figure out how to avoid social conflicts.

as far as combat, trolls tear into things, they are generally fearless but probably not great tacticians.

In Runequest trolls viewed elves as salad.

[MaxWilson]

With sugar! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSg2cq5xx2Y)

...substitute.

:)

[XIX]

Being shy, he may be worried about overshadowing the heroes. If he did that to his brothers, they used to beat him up? So he is used to holding the prey down while his bigger brothers do the actual killing. As the PCs level, he gets over this fear gradually, so he can stay relevant longer. Eventually, he may actually help them more by going back to setting up their attacks.

So...it doesnt make sense IMO to have a troll thats essentially a pet. Maybe the Troll has a deeper purpose. He’s sent there by an evil wizard, he is to gain their trust and then betray them at a key point in time...after all, trolls are EVIL! Chaotic evil no less, or one day he gets hungry...too bad they set him on night watch for them. Teach the players that actions have consequences and that evil creatures are EVIL, not just misunderstood tender hearted goofs.

[Asmotherion]

-It may be less help than it's worth, due to being dump. Make it completelly iresponsible, more interested in playing practical jokes than providing actual help in combat. It could have finished off that Orc, but it thought it would be "hillarious to instead burp in it's face" (using it's action) wile it was trying to pick up it's sword. At the same time, it was in the middle, so the Archer could not properly Aim, and the Orc got away with his hostage.

-Inocent and Dump as it may be, it may be married to an actual Hag; Tell the Party he'll bring them home for Dinner. Because he has a weak personality were his wife tells him what to do, she'll tell him that they are to become dinner, and he won't put much of a fight, because he doesn't want to be scoled by his wife. He'll tell the party he's sorry for betraying them though.

-Make him think every plan a BBEG the campain has "makes sence" and "that's what I'd do... if I had the brains to think like that". Make him sympathise with the bad guys in an innosent way, and potentially make a goofy comment now and then that is much deeper than meets the eye.

Trolls are evil creatures. If they were to have friends, they would be crappy friends who would make everything about themselves, and care little about the concequences or impact their actions have on those around them. Imitate this Toxic Friendship, giving them a life lesson of why you have to choose better friends and put boundries on your friendships. XD

[KorvinStarmast]

So...it doesnt make sense IMO to have a troll thats essentially a pet. Maybe the Troll has a deeper purpose. He’s sent there by an evil wizard, he is to gain their trust and then betray them at a key point in time...after all, trolls are EVIL! Chaotic evil no less, or one day he gets hungry...too bad they set him on night watch for them. Teach the players that actions have consequences and that evil creatures are EVIL, not just misunderstood tender hearted goofs. The DM/OP appears not to prefer that flavor of campaign (though your idea isn't a bad one). Also, evil creatures are EVIL, not just misunderstood tender hearted goofs is a good point lost on some readers of the OoTS strip in re Thog. :smallcool:

[SirGraystone]

I would keep control of it, and remember that it's still a Troll. First I would forget the potion thing, next I would give him a fear of fire after all that's one of the thing that can kill it, a fire camp make it nervous, a fireball would make it panic and run away. Have it do weird thing like drag a dead corpse with him for later lunch. If in town, attacks some horse because it's hungry. Not because it's evil because it doesn't understand it's wrong.

[lxion]

Allright, a lot of useful things to work with. Thanks everyone for contributing :)