Difference between revisions of "Troll"

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''This page is about the player [[species]]. For the monster, see [[Troll (monster)]]. If you were looking for monstrous trolls in general, see [[List of trolls]].''
 
''This page is about the player [[species]]. For the monster, see [[Troll (monster)]]. If you were looking for monstrous trolls in general, see [[List of trolls]].''
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{{flavour|Trolls are like Ogres, but even nastier. They have thick, knobbly skins of any colour from putrid green to mucky brown, which are covered in patches of thick fur, and their mouths are full of ichor-dripping fangs.
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{{flavour|Trolls are monstrous creatures with powerful claws. They have thick, knobbly skins of any colour from putrid green to mucky brown, which are covered in patches of thick fur.
  
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They can rip creatures apart with their claws, and regenerate very quickly from even the most terrible wounds. They learn slowly indeed - as slowly as High Elves - and need a great amount of food to survive.}}
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They are incredibly strong, and regenerate rapidly from even the most terrible wounds. However, they are hopeless at spellcasting and learn most skills very slowly.}}
  
 
==Innate Abilities==
 
==Innate Abilities==
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*[[Good mutations#Shaggy Fur|Shaggy Fur]] 1 and [[Good_mutations#Tough_Skin|Tough Skin]] 2: Trolls get +3 [[AC]].
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*Trolls are '''[[Size#Player Sizes|large]]''' species:
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*[[Good_mutations#Claws|Claws 3]]: Trolls have claws for hands, as well as an unstated to-hit bonus when using them. These claws inflict heavy [[bleeding]] and can decapitate [[hydra]]s.
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**Like all large creatures, they receive an [[EV]] and [[Dodging]] penalty.
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*[[Gourmand]]: Trolls can eat [[chunk]]s at any time.
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**Unlike regular sized species, they can use [[giant club]]s, [[giant spiked club]]s, and [[large rock]]s.
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*[[Good_mutations#Regeneration|Regeneration 2]]: Trolls heal very quickly.
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**Their bodies do not fit into [[boots]], [[gloves]], [[helmet]]s, or most [[body armour]] (they can only wear [[robe]]s, [[animal skin]]s, [[troll leather armour]], and [[dragon scales]]). In addition, [[buckler]]s are too small for them to use.
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*[[Bad_mutations#Fast_Metabolism|Fast Metabolism 3+]]: On top of the +3 hunger penalty from this mutation, trolls receive an additional +3 racial penalty, for an unmatched base metabolism of 9 food/turn.
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**They can attack and move normally in [[shallow water]].
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*[[Saprovore]] 2: Trolls can tolerate rotten meat, and have a reduced nutrition penalty from eating contaminated meat.
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*'''[[Tough Skin]] 1:''' Trolls get +1 [[AC]].
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*Trolls are [[Size#Player Sizes|large]] and can use [[giant club]]s and [[giant spiked club]]s (unlike smaller species), but their bodies do not fit into [[boots]], [[gloves]], [[gauntlets]], [[helmet]]s, or most body armour. [[Buckler]]s are too small for them to use, but they can handle [[shield]]s and [[large shield]]s easily.
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*'''[[Shaggy Fur]] 1:''' Trolls get +1 [[AC]].
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*Trolls are large enough to attack normally while standing in [[shallow water]], but they still move slowly in it.
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*'''[[Claws]] 3:''' Trolls have claws for hands, greatly improving their performance in [[unarmed combat]]. Claws deal +6 damage, though they can decapitate [[hydra]]s.
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*'''[[Regeneration (mutation)|Regeneration]] 1:''' Trolls heal very quickly (+0.8 HP/turn).
 +
 
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Trolls have a base [[Strength]] of 15, [[Intelligence]] of 4 and [[Dexterity]] of 5 (before Background modifiers) and one less base [[magic points|magic point]] than normal.
  
 
==Preferred Backgrounds==
 
==Preferred Backgrounds==
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*'''Warriors:''' [[Fighter]], [[Gladiator]], [[Monk]], [[Hunter]]
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*'''Warriors:''' [[Fighter]], [[Gladiator]]
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*'''Zealots:''' [[Berserker]], [[Death Knight]], [[Healer]]
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*'''Zealots:''' [[Berserker]]
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*'''Mages:''' [[Wizard]]
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*'''Warrior-Mages:''' [[Warper]]
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*'''Mages:''' [[Hedge Wizard]], [[Earth Elementalist]]
  
 
==Level Bonuses==
 
==Level Bonuses==
 
*+1 [[strength]] every 3rd level.
 
*+1 [[strength]] every 3rd level.
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*30% more [[HP]] than average.
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*30% more [[hit points]] than average.
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*20% less [[MP]] than average.
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*+3 [[willpower]] per level.
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*+3 [[magic resistance]] per level.
 
  
 
==Starting Skills and Equipment==
 
==Starting Skills and Equipment==
 
Trolls start with the skills and equipment listed for their background, with these exceptions:
 
Trolls start with the skills and equipment listed for their background, with these exceptions:
 
*Incompatible body armour is replaced with an [[animal skin]] or [[robe]].
 
*Incompatible body armour is replaced with an [[animal skin]] or [[robe]].
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*[[Helmet]]s are replaced with [[cap]]s.
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*[[Helmet]]s are replaced with [[hat]]s.
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*[[Meat ration]]s replace [[bread ration]]s, and trolls receive an extra ration.
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*[[Buckler]]s are replaced with [[kite shield]]s.
 
*Any [[Armour]] skill is replaced with [[Dodging]].
 
*Any [[Armour]] skill is replaced with [[Dodging]].
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*If their background does not start with [[Unarmed Combat]] skill ''and'' offers a choice of weapon, trolls have the extra option of "claws" (and Unarmed Combat skill).
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*[[Javelin]]s are replaced with [[large rock]]s.
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*Troll [[hunter]]s are offered a choice of [[large rock]]s instead of [[javelin]]s.
 
  
 
==Difficulty of Play==
 
==Difficulty of Play==
 
{{Easy}}
 
{{Easy}}
  
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Despite terrible aptitudes in many skills, Trolls are a very easy species. They have extremely high health and regenerate quickly, and they excel in [[Unarmed Combat]]. Specifically, Trolls enjoy +6 damage in unarmed melee combat (from the Claws 3 mutation), a passive +4 [[to hit]] bonus, and their attacks occasionally inflict the [[bleeding]] condition upon warm- or cold-blooded enemies. (For a short period of time, enemies bleeding from a Troll attack will lose 9% of their health per turn.) Thanks to their large size, Trolls can also throw [[large rock]]s. With innate [[penetration]] and very high damage, even at low (or no) skill in [[Throwing]], large rocks are easily the most damaging thrown weapons in the game. Trolls' have a very fast metabolism, but their Gourmand intrinsic allows them to eat everything, at any time. Assuming you stick to eating corpses whenever possible, you can generally stay at full or above for the majority of the game and still have more than enough permafood to survive some of the optional corpse-less branches, should you choose to do them.
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Troll is a simple, generally easy, species to play. With great HP, fast regeneration, high strength, and powerful [[Claws]], Trolls are great at being [[Unarmed Combat]] bruisers. With terrible aptitudes in most other skills, they aren't good at much else. As one of the two species big enough for [[large rock]]s, [[Throwing]] is a viable secondary skill.
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While they have a huge health pool, Trolls do tend to have a harder time than most species when it comes to getting good AC and EV. Trolls can only wear caps/wizard hats and cloaks in their peripheral armor slots, and can only wear robes, animal skins, troll leather armor, and the various dragon armors on their torso. Do note that if you are relying on unarmed combat with your Troll, it is often a good idea to stick to armors with encumbrance rating of -11 or lighter.
 
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Trolls' large size gives a small, direct malus to [[ev]]asion, which is also hindered by their low [[dexterity]] and, to a lesser extent, by their poor dodging aptitude. Nonetheless, training [[Dodging]] on Trolls is typically a very good idea—it will just take a larger experience investment to reach good levels of EV. Putting one's stat up points into dexterity every three levels is highly recommended, unless you are actively relying on casting spells—and not just planning to cast spells at some point down the line—in which case going for either dexterity or intelligence would be wise.
 
  
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Trolls are too large to use bucklers, but Trolls are still extremely lethal in unarmed combat, even when wielding a [[shield]], and the added damage mitigation is generally worth it on Trolls using their claws.
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Trolls are one of the strongest species in the early game, due to the Claws and high HP. But, as the game progresses, their low [[AC]] (unable to wear most body armour) and [[EV]] (large size, poor aptitude) can become a big issue. So, despite having +30% HP, Trolls can feel flimsy by the mid game. [[Shield]]s are recommended to mitigate this.
  
 
{{species_aptitudes|Troll}}
 
{{species_aptitudes|Troll}}
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
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First, a quick note: Trolls should not use unarmed combat against [[hydra]]s, as your claws will count as non-flaming, bladed weapons against them. Large rocks, powerful attack wands, god abilities, or simply retreating are your best bets.
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Beyond Unarmed Combat, Trolls have a couple of options:
 +
*Their [[Maces & Flails]] is at -1 aptitude, and Trolls are one of a few species that can wield [[giant club]]s. Unarmed is generally ''more practical'', since Claws are stronger early game, and it allows use of shield. But weapon use isn't out of the question, namely if you find an amazing [[artefact]].
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*[[Throwing]], as mentioned, is a great support skill. Even at 0 skill, large rocks can pack a punch (but are very slow to throw).
 +
*With poor [[intelligence]] and magical aptitudes, their casting isn't great. However, it doesn't mean it's impossible. Low-level support spells like [[Blink]], [[Swiftness]], and [[Mephitic Cloud]] can prove to be useful, especially if you're stuck in light armour.
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*Like with other species, [[Evocations]] can be a great resource. Trolls don't get any special bonus, but they don't get much of a penalty, either.
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Trolls should not use Unarmed Combat against [[hydra]]s - claws count as edged weapons, so they will cut and re-grow their heads. Viable options include large rocks, [[potion of lignification]] (which meld claws), [[Ice Form]], powerful attack [[wand]]s, or [[god]] abilities. Simply retreating can also work.
  
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As for skill development strategy, Trolls' [[intelligence]] and magic aptitudes are some of the worst in the game. This doesn't rule out magic, however; it simply means that Trolls will require a higher investment of experience compared to (almost) any other species. However, many level 1 and level 2 spells, such as [[Swiftness]], [[Repel Missiles]], [[Apportation]], [[Blink]], [[Summon Butterflies]], and the like, provide a lot of return for their skill investment. [[Confusing Touch]] is particularly useful to Trolls, since they will nearly always being fighting unarmed. Even higher level spells are often worth the investment on Trolls, after you have gotten your offense and basic defenses up to snuff; again, bad aptitudes mean that it just takes more experience and a bit more time.  
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Due to their large size, Trolls get a penalty to EV and the [[Dodging]] skill. Poor [[dexterity]] doesn't help. Nonetheless, it may be necessary to train Dodging to shore up your defenses.
  
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As with many species, [[Evocations]] can be a great resource. If and when you have access to some of the items such as [[sack of spiders]], [[rods]], [[wands]], and the elemental evocables ([[phial of floods]], [[stone of tremors]], etc.), evocations can provide a lot versatility and power from a single skill.  
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===God Choice===
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[[God|Religion]] tends to be a major factor in rounding out one's character, and Trolls are no exception. A few recommendations are below; note that this list is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive.
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*[[Okawaru]]'s Heroism is obtained quickly, and the +5 skill levels help Unarmed Combat the most. Armour gifts are guaranteed to fit your large body, which helps in finding a heavy body armour.
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*[[Trog]]'s abilities require no skill training to activate, and provide [[berserk]], [[willpower]], even greater health regeneration, and very strong summons.
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*[[Ignis]] provides an even stronger 'guarantee' in the early game, but fizzles out at a time where a lack of armour starts to become noticeable.
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*[[Elyvilon]] offers strong panic buttons and the ability to pacify most dangerous opponents with smite-targeting.
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*[[Jiyva]] can be a powerful and interesting god choice for Trolls, as for many other characters. Early altars are very rare, but if you see one, consider giving Jiyva a spin. However, if you cannot access Jiyva in the early dungeon, passing up on any god choices until late Lair will dramatically hurt your chances to win the game.
 +
*[[Ru]] can be a tempting choice for trolls. By sacrificing skills that you were unlikely to train anyway, you gain access to powerful and useful abilities while your aura of power makes enemies less threatening. Gather the hydras and death yaks together and reveal the annihilating truth to them! Lair has never been easier.
  
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God choice tends to be a major factor in rounding out one's character, and Trolls are no exception. A few recommendations are below; note that this list is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive.  
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==History==
 +
*Prior to [[0.30]], [[size#Large|large]] species, including Trolls, could wield [[shield]]s more easily, received slightly less SH from [[kite shield]]s, and moved slowly in shallow water.
 +
*Prior to [[0.29]], Trolls had a -2 [[Shields]] aptitude. This was buffed due to the nerf to large-size shield wearing in 0.28.
 +
*Prior to [[0.28]], Trolls had +1 HP/turn regeneration.
 +
*Prior to [[0.27]], Trolls had [[Shaggy Fur]] 1 and two levels of [[Tough Skin]] (for net 2 AC), but Regeneration only gave +0.4 HP/turn.
 +
*Prior to the removal of the [[hunger]] system in [[0.26]], trolls had an innate [[gourmand]] intrinsic, which helped offset their incredibly fast metabolism (+3 from [[Fast Metabolism]] 3, as well as an additional +3 for being a troll). They started with an extra [[ration]] to compensate.
 +
*Prior to [[0.17]], only races with innate Claws mutation had the extra +2 [[to-hit]] bonus. That bonus now applies to anyone with the mutation.
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*Prior to [[0.16]], Trolls started with the [[Saprovore]] 2 mutation.
  
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'''Recommended'''
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{{species}}
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*[[Okawaru]]'s Heroism is cheap in piety cost (so use it liberally), comes online extremely fast, and the temporary +5 to skill level is a greater boon to Unarmed Combat than to other melee. Finesse uses more piety and can't be spammed, but it more or less doubles your melee damage output when active. One should not hang too much hope on Okawaru's random gifts, but at least any armour he gives you is guaranteed to be something that your species can wear (though this does not by any means guarantee it will be something you will ''want'' to wear).
 
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*[[Trog]]'s abilities require no skill training to activate, and provide [[berserk]], [[magic resistance]], even greater health regeneration, and very strong summons.
 
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*[[Elyvilon]]'s normal hunger restraints are less of a concern for the voracious troll, who benefits immensely from excellent panic buttons and the ability to pacify most dangerous opponents with smite targeting.
 
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*[[Jiyva]] can be a powerful and interesting god choice for Trolls, as for many other characters. Early altars are very rare, but if you see one, consider giving Jiyva a spin. However, if you cannot access Jiyva in the early dungeon, passing up on any god choices until late Lair will dramatically hurt your chances to win the game.
 
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*[[Ashenzari]] provides sizable boosts to your skills through cursed equipment. Scry is a powerful ability, and the other passive bonuses one enjoys from worshiping Ashenzari are nice. For unarmed trolls, the lack of a weapon to [[curse]] may make it harder to gain [[piety]], however, especially in early game.
 
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*[[Kikubaaqudgha]] guarantees an easy means to branch out into [[Necromancy]], a spell school that gives a lot of utility and power within a single skill.
 

Latest revision as of 23:50, 13 January 2024

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

This page is about the player species. For the monster, see Troll (monster). If you were looking for monstrous trolls in general, see List of trolls.

Trolls are monstrous creatures with powerful claws. They have thick, knobbly skins of any colour from putrid green to mucky brown, which are covered in patches of thick fur.

They are incredibly strong, and regenerate rapidly from even the most terrible wounds. However, they are hopeless at spellcasting and learn most skills very slowly.

Innate Abilities

Trolls have a base Strength of 15, Intelligence of 4 and Dexterity of 5 (before Background modifiers) and one less base magic point than normal.

Preferred Backgrounds

Level Bonuses

Starting Skills and Equipment

Trolls start with the skills and equipment listed for their background, with these exceptions:

Difficulty of Play

Simple • Intermediate • Advanced

Troll is a simple, generally easy, species to play. With great HP, fast regeneration, high strength, and powerful Claws, Trolls are great at being Unarmed Combat bruisers. With terrible aptitudes in most other skills, they aren't good at much else. As one of the two species big enough for large rocks, Throwing is a viable secondary skill.

Trolls are one of the strongest species in the early game, due to the Claws and high HP. But, as the game progresses, their low AC (unable to wear most body armour) and EV (large size, poor aptitude) can become a big issue. So, despite having +30% HP, Trolls can feel flimsy by the mid game. Shields are recommended to mitigate this.

Skill aptitudes

The higher the value, the better the aptitude.

Skill Aptitude Skill Aptitude Skill Aptitude
Attack Miscellaneous Magic
Fighting -2 Armour -2 Spellcasting -5
Dodging -2
Maces & Flails -1 Shields -1 Conjurations -3
Axes -2 Stealth -5 Hexes -4
Polearms -2 Summonings -3
Staves -2 Invocations -1 Necromancy -2
Unarmed Combat 0 Evocations -3 Translocations -3
Throwing -1 Shapeshifting -1 Alchemy -3
Fire Magic -3
Short Blades -2 Ice Magic -3
Long Blades -2 Air Magic -4
Ranged Weapons -4 Experience -1 Earth Magic -1

Strategy

Beyond Unarmed Combat, Trolls have a couple of options:

  • Their Maces & Flails is at -1 aptitude, and Trolls are one of a few species that can wield giant clubs. Unarmed is generally more practical, since Claws are stronger early game, and it allows use of shield. But weapon use isn't out of the question, namely if you find an amazing artefact.
  • Throwing, as mentioned, is a great support skill. Even at 0 skill, large rocks can pack a punch (but are very slow to throw).
  • With poor intelligence and magical aptitudes, their casting isn't great. However, it doesn't mean it's impossible. Low-level support spells like Blink, Swiftness, and Mephitic Cloud can prove to be useful, especially if you're stuck in light armour.
  • Like with other species, Evocations can be a great resource. Trolls don't get any special bonus, but they don't get much of a penalty, either.

Trolls should not use Unarmed Combat against hydras - claws count as edged weapons, so they will cut and re-grow their heads. Viable options include large rocks, potion of lignification (which meld claws), Ice Form, powerful attack wands, or god abilities. Simply retreating can also work.

Due to their large size, Trolls get a penalty to EV and the Dodging skill. Poor dexterity doesn't help. Nonetheless, it may be necessary to train Dodging to shore up your defenses.

God Choice

Religion tends to be a major factor in rounding out one's character, and Trolls are no exception. A few recommendations are below; note that this list is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive.

  • Okawaru's Heroism is obtained quickly, and the +5 skill levels help Unarmed Combat the most. Armour gifts are guaranteed to fit your large body, which helps in finding a heavy body armour.
  • Trog's abilities require no skill training to activate, and provide berserk, willpower, even greater health regeneration, and very strong summons.
  • Ignis provides an even stronger 'guarantee' in the early game, but fizzles out at a time where a lack of armour starts to become noticeable.
  • Elyvilon offers strong panic buttons and the ability to pacify most dangerous opponents with smite-targeting.
  • Jiyva can be a powerful and interesting god choice for Trolls, as for many other characters. Early altars are very rare, but if you see one, consider giving Jiyva a spin. However, if you cannot access Jiyva in the early dungeon, passing up on any god choices until late Lair will dramatically hurt your chances to win the game.
  • Ru can be a tempting choice for trolls. By sacrificing skills that you were unlikely to train anyway, you gain access to powerful and useful abilities while your aura of power makes enemies less threatening. Gather the hydras and death yaks together and reveal the annihilating truth to them! Lair has never been easier.

History

  • Prior to 0.30, large species, including Trolls, could wield shields more easily, received slightly less SH from kite shields, and moved slowly in shallow water.
  • Prior to 0.29, Trolls had a -2 Shields aptitude. This was buffed due to the nerf to large-size shield wearing in 0.28.
  • Prior to 0.28, Trolls had +1 HP/turn regeneration.
  • Prior to 0.27, Trolls had Shaggy Fur 1 and two levels of Tough Skin (for net 2 AC), but Regeneration only gave +0.4 HP/turn.
  • Prior to the removal of the hunger system in 0.26, trolls had an innate gourmand intrinsic, which helped offset their incredibly fast metabolism (+3 from Fast Metabolism 3, as well as an additional +3 for being a troll). They started with an extra ration to compensate.
  • Prior to 0.17, only races with innate Claws mutation had the extra +2 to-hit bonus. That bonus now applies to anyone with the mutation.
  • Prior to 0.16, Trolls started with the Saprovore 2 mutation.
Species
Simple Mountain Dwarf • Minotaur • Merfolk • Gargoyle • Draconian • Troll • Deep Elf • Armataur • Gnoll
Intermediate Human • Kobold • Demonspawn • Djinni • Spriggan • Ghoul • Tengu • Oni • Barachi
Advanced Coglin • Vine Stalker • Vampire • Demigod • Formicid • Naga • Octopode • Felid • Mummy
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