Saturday, July 11, 2009

Troldfolk (3e)

I had been saving this post for a special occasion, but I also wanted to get something up tonight, and this was the first thing I came across. I'll have to search out the 2e rules for these guys. ;)

Troldfolk
Bridge trolls live side by side with humans, in the barely settled marchlands where they easily escape notice by the larger folk. They dwell in ditches and hedgerows, catching rabbits and chickens, or living off of the fruit of the land (and the orchard). Bridge trolls are considered pests and vermin by those around them, but rarely cause enough trouble to make it worthwhile to hunt them down.
Personality: Bjergfolk are curious and inquisitive, prone to sticking their large noses where they don't belong. They move quickly from one interest to another, as the latest bauble catches their fancy, but are resolute in pursuit of something they really want. They enjoy the earthy delights of simple living, and eschew the cultured ways of other races (including such sophisticates as goblins, orcs, and ogres.)
Description: Bridge trolls, often call bjergfolk or common troldfolk, are a diminutive, unattractive race. They stand 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall, and weigh 40 to 70 pounds. They are lean and lanky in frame, with long arms, knobby joints, and gnarled fingers. Their hair is dark brown or black, and skin color may be dark green, brown, or black. Skin color is individual, and members of the same family may have differing skin colors. They are rough-featured, with large brows, broad cheeks, and low, flat noses. Most troldfolk have little clothing, and dress in rags and cast-offs from the larger races.
Relations: Bridge trolls are despised by dweorh and domovii, disliked by korrigan, ignored by jotunar, and disdained by humans. About the only race to respect bridge trolls are goblins, and then only when the trolls are close enough to beat the goblins.
Alignment: Bridge trolls are unabashedly chaotic neutral. The central concern of a bridge troll is the bridge troll, and the rest of the world lags far behind. They rarely seek to harm other people, but they rarely help them either.
Bridge Troll Lands: Bridge trolls live in places unclaimed by other races, usually near a source of water. They prefer overgrown riverbanks and tangled fens, but lair in bramble-covered hillsides and dense woodlands as well. They are uncomfortable living in stone structures and almost never inhabit ruins or old structures, preferring to dig their own lairs (troll-holes) into the hillside or to construct mud-and-stick huts with a concealed entrance. These dens are universally damp, dark, and foul-smelling.
Bridge trolls do not have their own realms, and most trolls seek out settlements of other races (preferable human) to den near.
Religion: Bridge trolls are not a religious race, and only two bjergfolk gods are known. Rumbletrolgskil is venerated by male bridge trolls as a god of eating, stealing, and hitting, while female bridge trolls worship Mormua, the goddess of food, earth, and telling off male trolls.
Language: Bridge trolls speak a guttural, glottal language. It has certain similarities to Goblin, but qualified researchers note strong links to the Sylvan language. Troll has no written form. Nearly all bridge trolls know the most common local language.
Names: Bridge trolls have given names and family names. Trolls value their family lineage, and often add honorifics and descriptive titles to their family names. Their given names often have a "wet" sound, like something thrown into the water.
Male Names: Borbon, Flod, Glabbin, Horb, Norpin, Thombolundolf.
Female Names: Anda, Apelo, Dorga, Eota, Murga, Ploshie.
Family Names: Fluir, Gulgo, Nolsh, Porpin.
Adventurers: Bridge trolls rarely crave adventure; instead they seek what adventure can give them, usually riches and land. Young bridge trolls in particular are dissatisfied with their circumstances and take up adventuring to get out of the family hole.
Troldfolk Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -4 Charisma: Troldfolk are quick and agile, and their fortitude rivals that of the dwarves. They are also rude, ignorant, and unattractive.
Small: As small creatures, troldfolk gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus to attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium-sized creatures.
• Bridge troll base speed is 20 feet.
Darkvision: Troldfolk can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and troldfolk can function just fine with no light at all.
• +2 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks - troldfolk are experts at getting into places they're not wanted.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws vs spells and spell-like effects: The fey heritage of troldfolk grants them a small measure of immunity to magical spells.
Bonus Class Skill: Knowledge (local)
Automatic Languages: Common and Troll.
Bonus Languages: Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
Favored Class: Thief.. Troldfolk survive by sneaking and thieving, the hallmarks of the thief class. Troldfolk who pursue the path of a thief gain a bonus skill point at each level.

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