SECRET OF THE GREATER TROLLS PART TWO

Dark Troll

FREQUENCY: Very rare

NO. APPEARING: 1-2

ARMOR CLASS: 2 (or armor worn)

MOVE: 12”

HIT DICE: 10

% IN LAIR: 5%

TREASURE TYPE: H

NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 or by weapon

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-12/4-12/2-12 or by weapon

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Degeneration, energy drain

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration

MAGIC RESISTANCE: see below

INTELLIGENCE: Average

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

SIZE: L (12' + tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IX/2550+14

Legends tell of trolls that have regenerated so many times that they've become something else. When a regular rubbery troll, of the Forces of Chaos that originated from Middle World (see Poul Anderson THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS 1953) before it spread throughout multiverse, regenerates too many times (some say 666) it becomes something else: a dark troll.

It is called a dark troll but not in appearance. In that regard it is dark in name and heart only. They have bleached white hide, chalky. bristly hair and their eyes are blank white. They are often mistaken for frost giant halfbreed trolls of which some have been seen from time to time. That is where the resemblance ends for these things who even normal trolls avoid.

They attack (claw/claw/bite) and regenerate (3 hp per rd after 3 rounds) as a normal troll but if their claws or bite connects they can drain an energy level per hit. Once this happens in the next round their hide starts to degenerate making them slower (AC: 4 MV: 6") as they transform into a bloated pile of claws and tissue. After 5 rounds, the dark troll breaks off the pile of newly created lifeform: a troll protodemon (AC: 4 MV: 6" but same stats as the dark troll that created it) a creature in a larval state that will metamorph into a troll demon after draining 666 levels. (For more on the troll demons see SECRETS OF THE GREATER TROLLS PART THREE coming soon).

These creatures are very rare but they often seek each other out and reside in castles that are entirely carved out on mountain peaks where their crude orgies of terror go on night after night. 

COPYRIGHT GENE WEIGEL 2016