Troll

Troll
	(Creature)
Level	5
	Images of trolls
	Source: Bestiary, pg(s). 314
Type	Humanoid; (giant)
CR	5
Environment	Cold mountains
	Images of trolls
	Source: Bestiary, pg(s). 268

Sajan sparring with a troll in a monastery.

A troll is a monstrous giant with a rough, green hide, clawed hands, and a bestial face with a hideous, tusked underbite. These fearsome monsters regenerate all damage not inflicted through fire or acid, and a full-sized troll can regrow from even a tiny scrap of flesh. Scrags are a variety of aquatic troll that typically dwell in cold northern rivers and lakes.^[1]

Appearance

Male trolls typically stand 8 feet tall and weigh 300 pounds. Females are larger, weighing up to 500 pounds and sometimes reaching heights of 10 to 12 feet. Trolls have a hunched posture that can make them appear shorter than they actually are. Their skin is usually green, with females having darker shades than males.^[2]

Ecology

The young are raised by the females, who drive away adult males (as the males would otherwise eat their own young). The females live in family groups, casting out or killing (typically by drowning or starvation) any members who show weakness. The males live as solitary hunters, preferring to lair in caves or dark woods.^[3]

Society

Trolls believe they were created by the demon lord Urxehl, who loves to test them by inflicting upon them incursions of ogres and humans, storms and (worst of all) forest fires. Urxehl sometimes grants his followers the power of divination; such trolls are known as augurs, and predict the future by ripping out their own entrails and reading omens from them. Augurs are known to operate in Kaer Maga, and the Vile Fortress in eastern Vudra.^[4] Trolls are known to sometimes keep winter wolves as much-abused pets, relying on trollish regeneration to survive the wolves' sharp fangs and freezing breath.^[5]

Trolls on Golarion

Trolls are commonly encountered in the wilder areas throughout the Inner Sea region, but are particularly common in northern Avistan. The River Kingdoms, the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, and Numeria specifically have long-standing issues with trolls. In the realm of Irrisen, trolls are often part of the general population, and ice trolls are employed as guards in the city of Whitethrone.^[6] The largest tribe of trolls in Golarion lives in southern Vudra. They are known as the Mistshaper trolls, and are ruled by a massive female called Xelnud. She considers herself to be Urxehl's agent, and seeks to restore Golarion to the "perfect" condition of the Age of Darkness.^[4]

Troll variants

Variations include the alchemically enhanced rock troll, which comes to a halt in sunlight (and may even turn to stone given sufficient exposure), and the thin, plant-like moss troll.^[7] There are also blue-skinned ice trolls serving Baba Yaga in Irrisen.^[8]

Unlike most trolls, mountain trolls are associated with the First World and not inherently evil. They are huge and more powerful variants that tend to live in cold mountainous regions.^[9]

Others are the smaller sewer troll, flood troll, and chimney troll; the gigantic many-headed Jotund troll; the aquatic scrag; the ettin-like two-headed troll; and the ogre-troll hybrid known as the troggle.^{[citation needed]}

References

Paizo Inc. published a major section about trolls in Monster Codex.

For additional resources, see the Meta page.

↑ Jason Bulmahn. (2009). Bestiary (First Edition), p. 268. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-183-1
↑ Joshua J. Frost. (2008). Troll. Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 59. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7
↑ Joshua J. Frost. (2008). Troll. Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 60. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Joshua J. Frost. (2008). Troll. Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 62. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7
↑ Russ Taylor. (2013). Ecology of the Winter Wolf. The Shackled Hut, p. 73. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-493-1
↑ James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 305. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
↑ James Jacobs et al. (2008). Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 60–62. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7
↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 80. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
↑ Matthew Goodall, Jonathan Keith, Colin McComb, and Rob McCreary. (2011). Lands of the Linnorm Kings, p. 62. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-365-1

[B1-268-1] Jason Bulmahn. (2009). Bestiary (First Edition), p. 268. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-183-1

[2] Joshua J. Frost. (2008). Troll. Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 59. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7

[3] Joshua J. Frost. (2008). Troll. Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 60. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7

[CMR62-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Joshua J. Frost. (2008). Troll. Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 62. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7

[TSH-p73-5] Russ Taylor. (2013). Ecology of the Winter Wolf. The Shackled Hut, p. 73. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-493-1

[ISWG-305-6] James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 305. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2

[7] James Jacobs et al. (2008). Classic Monsters Revisited, p. 60–62. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-079-7

[8] Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 80. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1

[9] Matthew Goodall, Jonathan Keith, Colin McComb, and Rob McCreary. (2011). Lands of the Linnorm Kings, p. 62. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-365-1

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