Rethinking Fantasy Races - Slaughtering Your Sacred Minotaurs
So, by now, it's no secret that World of Warcraft was where a lot of my early character inspiration came from. I intend to continue tweaking races to fit. We've already made our zombies, so let's tackle the trolls. Or, in this case, Trollkin.
Step 1: Concept
Essentially, trollkin are more primitive, more socially outcast orcs. We're gonna have to keep that in mind so that they don't end up just being essentially an orc subrace. This is also the first time we're gonna be scaling down a monster into an acceptable player race rather than tweaking an existing race. Let's dig in.
Step 2: Racial Qualities
TYPE - Humanoid (giant). Even though they're gonna be medium sized.
SIZE - Medium.
SPEED - Normal.
ABILITIES - Trolls are tough. I like a Con bonus here. I don't really want to give them a Wis bonus and a Cha penalty, but that's what feels right. Maybe I can be okay with an Int penalty. It seems like they have a natural inclination away from technological progress. =/
LANGUAGES - Standard. Trotang (derived from "Troll Tongue", but the heavy accent altered perception of the phrase) and Common. Allies get us Goblin and Orc. Enemies get us Elven and Dwarven. Ancestors give them Giant. We gave orcs a strong connection to the elements, but in WoW trolls have more reverence for loa*. About the closest thing we really come to loa are just outsiders, maybe giving them Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal as bonus languages works here. Or, actually, maybe they're more like fey...I think I like that better. So scratch the planar languages and add Aklo and Sylvan.
That gives us Common and Trotang as starting languages with Aklo, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan as bonus languages.
*Loa (also spelled lwa) are the spirits of Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo. They are also referred to as "mystères" and "the invisibles" and are intermediaries between Bondye (French: Bon Dieu, meaning "good God")—the Supreme Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity. Unlike saints or angels, however, they are not simply prayed to, they are served. They are each distinct beings with their own personal likes and dislikes, distinct sacred rhythms, songs, dances, ritual symbols, and special modes of service. Contrary to popular belief, the loa are not deities in and of themselves; they are intermediaries for, and dependent on, a distant Bondye.
Step 3: Racial Traits
As mentioned before, trolls aren't exactly codified the same way player races are. They aren't quite going to have the same suite of abilities to draw from so there are going to have to be modifications. Let's look at what trolls are already getting.
Darkvision (2 RP)
Low-Light Vision (1 RP)
Scent (4 RP)
Natural Armor (2 RP)
Improved Natural Armor (10 RP)
Regeneration (Not even in the race builder. Clearly too much.)
Claws (2 RP)
Bite (1 RP)
Rend (No cost, but probably around 2 RP)
So...that puts us at 24 even without the regeneration. If we knock regeneration down to fast healing, that puts us at 30 points. We can cut another 10 off by dropping the Natural Armor to +1. We can drop the Claw/Bite/Rend attacks to drop us to 15. It's a boring 15, though. There's nothing special. It's all just defenses and senses.
Let's see...Oh! So, you know how a troll's regen can only be overcome by fire or acid? Let's give these guys vulnerability to fire and acid. Which is...a huge weakness, I know. But it gets us 4 more RP to play with and is flavorful as all hell. As boring as skill bonuses are, I think I'm just gonna go with a +2 to Perception and Survival. And the Juju oracle's Natural Divination ability is pretty fucking cool, too.
Final form?
Trollkin Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Trollkin are tough both physically and mentally, but their primal culture makes it difficult to make a good first impression.
Type: Trollkin are Humanoids with the giant subtype.
Base Speed: Trollkin have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Trollkin begin play speaking Common and Trotang. Trollkin with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan as bonus languages. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Defense Racial Traits
Fast Healing: Trollkin regain 1 hit point each round. Except for where noted here, fast healing is just like natural healing. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, nor does it allow the trollkin to regrow lost body parts. Fast healing continues to function (even at negative hit points) until death, at which point the effects of fast healing immediately end.
Natural Armor: Trollkin gain a +1 natural armor bonus to their Armor Class.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Natural Hunter: Trollkin receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Survival checks.
Senses Racial Traits
Darkvision:Trollkin can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Trollkin can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.
Scent: Trollkin gain the scent ability.
Weakness Racial Traits
Elemental Vulnerability:Trollkin have vulnerability to both acid and fire.
Alternate Racial Traits
Natural Divination: Some trollkin have a deeper connection with the wild world around them. Trollkin with this racial trait can read the entrails of a freshly killed animal or humanoid to gain an insight bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier on one saving throw. Alternatively, by observing and interpreting the flight of birds, you may apply a +10 competence bonus on any one skill check. Finally, by charting marks in dirt or on stone, or observing the behavior of sand thrown into the wind, you gain a +4 insight bonus on one initiative check. These bonuses must be used during the next 24 hours, and you must declare you are using the bonus before the check or save is made. Making a natural divination takes 10 minutes. You may use natural divination (in any combination) once per day plus one additional time per day for every four levels you have attained. This alternate trait replaces the Natural Hunter racial trait.
So there. They aren't quite finished, but this is as good as they're getting today. Let me know what you think.
Until next time.
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