For the premise of a homebrew adventure that I will run at some point, an ambitious Ulitharid-led mind flayer colony managed to capture a troll, and experimented on it. They were able to capitalize on the regeneration of the troll, cloning it, and enabling them to control the regeneration of the troll, enabling them to create different "models" of troll, by redirecting regeneration to make a troll stronger, faster, or increasing another attribute, at the cost of some other ability. The problem is, I don't know how to implement this. Does anyone have any ideas that could help me?
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I don't know how to create the regeneration-based changing of trolls "models". I want it to work relatively quickly, so I can create a dynamic battle (A mind flayer changing the troll's abilities over the course of the battle). I want it to be a gradient change, so the full transformation takes several rounds. However, I don't know how the gradient will work. I want a spectrum of levels between "skirmisher" and "heavy hitter", that the troll could shift between. Do you have any ideas for the levels between the two?
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Pronouns: he/him/his.
My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
You basically have “light infantry” and “heavy infantry” as your two current Troll models, in between would be “medium infantry.” I’m not entirely sure what else to suggest.
You basically have “light infantry” and “heavy infantry” as your two current Troll models, in between would be “medium infantry.” I’m not entirely sure what else to suggest.
In terms of stats, what do you think this would look like?
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My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
It sounds like you want an ability in which the Mind Flayer can point at a Troll and then institute a change in its abilities and the change takes time to occur, the Mind Flayer has a number of options (Hvy, Med, Light infantry) to pick from for each Troll selected to change (probably institute 1 target per round with a save).
How long does the change take? Do they get intermediate abilities during the change or do they only get abilities at the end? What can they do during the change (nothing to the other extreme full combat)? Does the change always go the same or is there a chance of having a negative effect (ie change into frightened troll or weak troll)?
Then determine what mechanism you use for the change, simple count up/down, random % change, other and make rules to do so. Then create a new monster for each type of troll mutation with them may or may not having the same CR.
Or the easy way is to just have the troll form be an illusion* and the true form be what you make. * by illusion I mean it is just a disguise of the creatures true ability and it is always the other form it juts does not use its full ability until the GM says so. Note my last comment is a style that in general I do not like to use when I play as it tends to lead to a break down of how the players perceive the game in that they say "oh that is just a ribbon in the hair of creature X and not new creature Y that I should be concerned with and then have them view quite a few things in the game using the same thought train (ie that encounter is from Game of Thrones and that one is like Alien and that one is from Sponge Bob Episode XXXXMMMDDD, etc.
The good news for you is that there are more than ten official trolls to play with. As the fight progresses, I could see a troll becoming a four-armed troll and then a five-armed troll before finally growing into a dire troll.
If it were me, I would first figure out what the medium infantry version of a Mind Flayer Troll looks like, and then I’d make a lighter, faster version and a slower, heavier version from that. I would start from the middle and work outward from there. But since I have no idea what you are envisioning in your concept, I don’t know how to offer any specifics.
Heartofjuyomk2 makes a good point, you could simply develop a template for what the Mind Flayers do to the trolls and then just apply that template to various versions of the standard Trolls.
You basically have “light infantry” and “heavy infantry” as your two current Troll models, in between would be “medium infantry.” I’m not entirely sure what else to suggest.
In terms of stats, what do you think this would look like?
I mean, there a lot of ways you could take it.
But basically just create separate statblocks and change aspects of them. So for example you could have the skirmisher have +10 walking speed and +2 dexterity, and maybe an ability like rogue's evasion. Then your "heavy infantry" could have +1 AC, +2 strength, and something like the siege monster feature that many monsters have. Then you fast reneging one could have am extra hit die and have the regeneration feature heal by 15 instead of 10.
Essentially, my middle point is a normal troll, with thrall intelligence changes, a new alignment, and some sort of psychic lash trait, where the troll's fury at being damaged by acid or fire causes it to deal psychic damage to those around it as a reaction, with a recharge. My strong troll would be slower, and less dexterous, but gain higher strength, temporary hp during regeneration, and perhaps a "mighty throw" feature, that allows it to throw a character across the room, dealing damage. The nimble troll would be less strong, and might heal slower, but would be faster, stealthier, have a climbing speed, and have an ambush trait. I want some steps, where a mind flayer can use an action to shift a thrall troll one way or the other, causing both benefits and drawbacks each time. However, I don't have this table. I could also use more ideas for steps.
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My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
Depends on the battle. A larger fight with the party against 10 CR 1 creatures will take more than 3 rounds, even if the party can kill a single CR 10 creature in 1 round.
Legendary actions also tend to make for longer battles.
I would consider these Trollithids to be elite troops, possibly guarding an Elder Brain, or worse, an Elder Brain Dragon. That would make for a horrible fight.
Ok. I could simply make seven or so stages of troll(super strong, strong, kinda strong, normal, kinda nimble, nimble, and super nimble), that, unless a battle last a long time, won't be able to be switched. I don't think I need any more help, but I will post the link to my final product here for feedback.
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Pronouns: he/him/his.
My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
Depends on the battle. A larger fight with the party against 10 CR 1 creatures will take more than 3 rounds, even if the party can kill a single CR 1 creature in 1 round.
Legendary actions also tend to make for longer battles.
I would consider these Trollithids to be elite troops, possibly guarding an Elder Brain, or worse, an Elder Brain Dragon. That would make for a horrible fight.
Oh, sure. Some fights definitely can go the distance, I’ve had some go 10 rounds for sure. I was speaking more of an average fight length. An average fight only typically lasts 3 - 4 rounds. I was thinking an Illithid with a single troll out on patrol somewhere. If they’re for a boss battle, it could conceivably go 7 rounds or more.
For the premise of a homebrew adventure that I will run at some point, an ambitious Ulitharid-led mind flayer colony managed to capture a troll, and experimented on it. They were able to capitalize on the regeneration of the troll, cloning it, and enabling them to control the regeneration of the troll, enabling them to create different "models" of troll, by redirecting regeneration to make a troll stronger, faster, or increasing another attribute, at the cost of some other ability. The problem is, I don't know how to implement this. Does anyone have any ideas that could help me?
Pronouns: he/him/his.
My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
What need you help with?
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I don't know how to create the regeneration-based changing of trolls "models". I want it to work relatively quickly, so I can create a dynamic battle (A mind flayer changing the troll's abilities over the course of the battle). I want it to be a gradient change, so the full transformation takes several rounds. However, I don't know how the gradient will work. I want a spectrum of levels between "skirmisher" and "heavy hitter", that the troll could shift between. Do you have any ideas for the levels between the two?
Pronouns: he/him/his.
My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
You basically have “light infantry” and “heavy infantry” as your two current Troll models, in between would be “medium infantry.” I’m not entirely sure what else to suggest.
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In terms of stats, what do you think this would look like?
Pronouns: he/him/his.
My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
It sounds like you want an ability in which the Mind Flayer can point at a Troll and then institute a change in its abilities and the change takes time to occur, the Mind Flayer has a number of options (Hvy, Med, Light infantry) to pick from for each Troll selected to change (probably institute 1 target per round with a save).
How long does the change take? Do they get intermediate abilities during the change or do they only get abilities at the end? What can they do during the change (nothing to the other extreme full combat)? Does the change always go the same or is there a chance of having a negative effect (ie change into frightened troll or weak troll)?
Then determine what mechanism you use for the change, simple count up/down, random % change, other and make rules to do so. Then create a new monster for each type of troll mutation with them may or may not having the same CR.
Or the easy way is to just have the troll form be an illusion* and the true form be what you make. * by illusion I mean it is just a disguise of the creatures true ability and it is always the other form it juts does not use its full ability until the GM says so. Note my last comment is a style that in general I do not like to use when I play as it tends to lead to a break down of how the players perceive the game in that they say "oh that is just a ribbon in the hair of creature X and not new creature Y that I should be concerned with and then have them view quite a few things in the game using the same thought train (ie that encounter is from Game of Thrones and that one is like Alien and that one is from Sponge Bob Episode XXXXMMMDDD, etc.
I have no idea what your light or heavy options look like, so I don’t know
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The good news for you is that there are more than ten official trolls to play with. As the fight progresses, I could see a troll becoming a four-armed troll and then a five-armed troll before finally growing into a dire troll.
If it were me, I would first figure out what the medium infantry version of a Mind Flayer Troll looks like, and then I’d make a lighter, faster version and a slower, heavier version from that. I would start from the middle and work outward from there. But since I have no idea what you are envisioning in your concept, I don’t know how to offer any specifics.
Heartofjuyomk2 makes a good point, you could simply develop a template for what the Mind Flayers do to the trolls and then just apply that template to various versions of the standard Trolls.
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I mean, there a lot of ways you could take it.
But basically just create separate statblocks and change aspects of them. So for example you could have the skirmisher have +10 walking speed and +2 dexterity, and maybe an ability like rogue's evasion. Then your "heavy infantry" could have +1 AC, +2 strength, and something like the siege monster feature that many monsters have. Then you fast reneging one could have am extra hit die and have the regeneration feature heal by 15 instead of 10.
Just simple changes like that could work.
I am an average mathematics enjoyer.
>Extended Signature<
Is this the first time you are trying to do this?
The reason why I remember someone posting almost the exact same Q about 6 years ago on a different game companies forums.
Essentially, my middle point is a normal troll, with thrall intelligence changes, a new alignment, and some sort of psychic lash trait, where the troll's fury at being damaged by acid or fire causes it to deal psychic damage to those around it as a reaction, with a recharge. My strong troll would be slower, and less dexterous, but gain higher strength, temporary hp during regeneration, and perhaps a "mighty throw" feature, that allows it to throw a character across the room, dealing damage. The nimble troll would be less strong, and might heal slower, but would be faster, stealthier, have a climbing speed, and have an ambush trait. I want some steps, where a mind flayer can use an action to shift a thrall troll one way or the other, causing both benefits and drawbacks each time. However, I don't have this table. I could also use more ideas for steps.
Pronouns: he/him/his.
My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
I think you might be over complicating it for yourself. Most combats only last 3 rounds, so you likely won’t use most of those stages anyway.
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Depends on the battle. A larger fight with the party against 10 CR 1 creatures will take more than 3 rounds, even if the party can kill a single CR 10 creature in 1 round.
Legendary actions also tend to make for longer battles.
I would consider these Trollithids to be elite troops, possibly guarding an Elder Brain, or worse, an Elder Brain Dragon. That would make for a horrible fight.
Ok. I could simply make seven or so stages of troll(super strong, strong, kinda strong, normal, kinda nimble, nimble, and super nimble), that, unless a battle last a long time, won't be able to be switched. I don't think I need any more help, but I will post the link to my final product here for feedback.
Pronouns: he/him/his.
My posting scheduled is irregular: sometimes I can post twice a week, sometimes twice a day. I may also respond to quick questions, but ignore harder responses in favor of time.
My location is where my character for my home game is (we're doing the wild beyond the witchlight).
"The Doomvault... Probably full of unicorns and rainbows." -An imaginary quote
Oh, sure. Some fights definitely can go the distance, I’ve had some go 10 rounds for sure. I was speaking more of an average fight length. An average fight only typically lasts 3 - 4 rounds. I was thinking an Illithid with a single troll out on patrol somewhere. If they’re for a boss battle, it could conceivably go 7 rounds or more.
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