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 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.
  
'''Trolls''' are like [[ogre]]s, but even nastier. They have thick, knobbly skins of any colour from putrid green to mucky brown and their mouths are full of ichor-dripping fangs. They also have fearsome claws, enormous strength, and the ability to regenerate from injuries. Their hunger for raw meat is just as fierce, much to the terror of anyone who crosses their path.
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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.}}
  
While trolls have poor aptitudes for everything but clawing and smashing and hurling things, they don't actually ''need'' them. Trolls are horrific monsters with monstrous stats, and they make just as formidable adventurers, especially if they are wise enough not to stray from their traditional way of life - rending their next meal (and anything else that annoys them) limb from limb!
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==Innate Abilities==
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*Trolls are '''[[Size#Player Sizes|large]]''' species:
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**Like all large creatures, they receive an [[EV]] and [[Dodging]] penalty.
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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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**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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**They can attack and move normally in [[shallow water]].
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*'''[[Tough Skin]] 1:''' Trolls get +1 [[AC]].
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*'''[[Shaggy Fur]] 1:''' Trolls get +1 [[AC]].
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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).
  
==Innate Abilities==
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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.
*Trolls have [[Good mutations#Shaggy Fur|fur]] and [[Good_mutations#Tough_Skin|very tough skin]] (AC +3).
 
*[[Good_mutations#Claws|Claws 3]]: Trolls have claws for hands. They also get a passive (hidden) to-hit bonus when using them. These claws can remove the heads of hydras.
 
*[[Gourmand]]: Trolls can eat [[chunk]]s of raw meat even when not [[hungry]].
 
*[[Good_mutations#Regeneration|Regeneration 2]]: Trolls heal very quickly.
 
*[[Bad_mutations#Fast_Metabolism|Fast Metabolism 3+]]: On top of the +3 hunger penalty from this mutation, trolls receive an additional +3 racial penalty directly. Trolls burn through satiation levels with lightning speed.
 
*[[Saprovore|Saprovore 2]]: Trolls can tolerate rotten meat, and have a reduced chance of getting [[sick]] from contaminated meat.
 
*Trolls can use [[giant club]]s and [[giant spiked club]]s (unlike smaller species), but their [[Size#Player Sizes|large]] bodies do not fit into any armour but [[robe]]s, [[cloak]]s, [[animal skin]]s, [[troll hide]]s, [[troll leather armour]]s, [[dragon armour|dragon hide]]s, or [[dragon armour]]s.
 
  
 
==Preferred Backgrounds==
 
==Preferred Backgrounds==
Trolls are among the least versatile races in the game, preferring to become [[Fighter]]s, [[Gladiator]]s, [[Monk]]s, [[Hunter]]s, [[Berserker]]s, [[Death Knight]]s, [[Healer]]s, and [[Wizard]]s.
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*'''Warriors:''' [[Fighter]], [[Gladiator]]
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*'''Zealots:''' [[Berserker]]
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*'''Warrior-Mages:''' [[Warper]]
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*'''Mages:''' [[Hedge Wizard]], [[Earth Elementalist]]
  
 
==Level Bonuses==
 
==Level Bonuses==
*Trolls gain a Strength increase every 3 levels starting at level 3.
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*+1 [[strength]] every 3rd level.
*Trolls have 30% more HP than average.
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*30% more [[hit points]] than average.
*Trolls have 20% less MP than average.
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*+3 [[willpower]] per level.
*Trolls gain 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 by [[animal skin]] or [[robe]]s.
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*Incompatible body armour is replaced with an [[animal skin]] or [[robe]].
*Any [[helmet]] is removed.
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*[[Helmet]]s are replaced with [[hat]]s.
*[[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.
*If their class 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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*Any [[Armour]] skill is replaced with [[Dodging]].
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*[[Javelin]]s are replaced with [[large rock]]s.
  
 
==Difficulty of Play==
 
==Difficulty of Play==
{{Moderate}}
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{{Easy}}
Trolls are an extremely easy race in the early game, despite first appearances. They have the worst aptitudes in almost every skill, and hunger three times faster than average. However, trolls are actually highly effective as all-out [[Unarmed Combat]] attackers; they have a decent aptitude, the highest STR in the game, +6 bonus damage (from the Claws 3 mutation), a passive +4 [[to hit]] bonus, and they occasionally inflict the [[bleeding]] condition for 9% of a living monster's health per turn. They have few problems with food in the early game because they can eat chunks anytime with a trivial chance of becoming sick. Trolls have the highest survivability in the early game with high HP, passive AC bonus, and extremely fast healing - a Berserker is almost guaranteed to make it to the [[Lair]].
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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.
  
Later on, however, trolls become one of the most difficult (and least won) races. Their horrible aptitudes for everything start to catch up with them: low Fighting means they have less HP than one might expect, low Spellcasting gives them fewer escape options, low Dodging and Armour mean poor defensive abilities, even if they do find decent gear. The phrase "glass cannon" very much applies to trolls at this point - they can hit hard, but are themselves fragile. Their ultra-fast metabolism can be difficult to work with even in branches that do have corpses, and make corpseless branches such as [[Pandemonium]] or even the [[Crypt]] difficult to impossible without the assistance of something like Kiku's delivery service. Additionally, trolls level extremely slowly, at the same rate as demigods - this, combined with their inability to even think of entering certain branches, means they are often very badly prepared for the later parts of the game.
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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.
  
{{aptitudes
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{{species_aptitudes|Troll}}
|arm = -2
 
|ddg = -2
 
|sth = -4
 
|stb = -2
 
|shd = -2
 
|t&d = -4
 
|inv = -1
 
|evo = -2
 
|exp = -1
 
|fgt = -2
 
|sbl = -2
 
|lbl = -2
 
|axs = -2
 
|m&f = -1
 
|pla = -2
 
|stv = -2
 
|u_c = 0
 
|thr = -1
 
|slg = -4
 
|bws = -4
 
|crb = -4
 
|spc = -5
 
|coj = -3
 
|hex = -4
 
|cha = -4
 
|sum = -3
 
|nec = -2
 
|trl = -3
 
|trm = -3
 
|fir = -3
 
|ice = -3
 
|air = -4
 
|ear = -1
 
|poi = -3
 
}}
 
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
Trolls have a few divine options for dealing with their shortcomings. [[Okawaru]]'s Heroism ability gives a boost to your Unarmed Combat skill, which greatly increases your already impressive melee capabilities. You can also use Heroism to give yourself a modicum of competence with an actual weapon, if you need to use one (like for fighting a [[hydra]] with a [[flaming]] weapon). Just be sure to save some corpses to sacrifice to maintain piety; whenever you have a choice, sacrifice the stronger monsters while eating the weaker ones.
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Beyond Unarmed Combat, Trolls have a couple of options:
 
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*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]].
[[Trog]], being a god who despises magic, works wonderfully for Trolls, who are almost entirely crap with magic. [[Berserk]]ing, while it doesn't add much in terms of versatility, will increase your attack power to the point where you can just shred everything anyway. Brothers in Arms can give you helpful allies for the situations where just tearing into things yourself isn't quite enough, and Trog's Hand gives you a little more survivability for tough fights. Keep in mind, though that going berserk burns through lots of [[satiation]], which is compounded by your need to sacrifice corpses to Trog.
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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).
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*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.
  
[[Kikubaaqudgha]] can be called upon to give you food at any time, which allows you to explore places you normally wouldn't, such as [[The Crypt]]. Also, Trolls aren't entirely useless with [[Necromancy]], meaning you'll still be able to make some use out of Kiku's other abilities and the various Necromantic spells he'll give you.
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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.
  
[[Nemelex Xobeh]], while seemingly an odd choice, can work rather well for Trolls. While their [[Evocations]] aptitude is poor, that's par for the course for a Troll, and the various decks you'll be getting your claws on can give you a great deal of much-needed versatility; you'll also be able to make better use of the various [[wand]]s and [[rod]]s you find lying around the dungeon. If you want to be a Troll that can use anything more than the most basic of magic, drawing the Shuffle card is one of the best ways to go about doing that.
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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.
  
Letting slimes eat stuff for [[Jiyva]] will feed you, making him one of the best ways to offset your Trollish metabolism. Jiyva's mutation gifts can also provide valuable resistances and [[auxiliary attack]]s, and the various mutations that intefere with your armour have fewer downsides when you're too big to fit into most kinds of armour in the first place. Plus, your extremely high strength means you can carry more stuff with you, somewhat limiting the number of things you have to leave in a stash where they can be eaten by slimes.
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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.
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*[[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.
  
See also:
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==History==
*[[Elynae's Troll Conjurer guide]] newbie-friendly, Chei, Oka, Makh, Veh
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*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.
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*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.
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*Prior to [[0.28]], Trolls had +1 HP/turn regeneration.
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*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.
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*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.
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*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.
  
[[Category:Species]] [[Category:Troll]]
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{{species}}

Latest revision as of 00:50, 14 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

SimpleIntermediateAdvanced

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 Hill OrcMinotaurMerfolkGargoyleDraconianTrollDeep ElfArmataurGnoll
Intermediate HumanKoboldDemonspawnDjinniSprigganGhoulTenguOniBarachi
Advanced Vine StalkerVampireDemigodFormicidNagaOctopodeFelidMummy