Homebrew Half-Troll Species Details

Half-trolls are the result of genetic mingling between other races of humanoids, usually humans, and the race of mutant giants called trolls; usually done by magical experimentation, but also due to natural procreation, though this usually kills the humanoid parent in different ways... Like their troll parents, they have tremendous appetites and powerful metabolic abilities. However, despite still having a passionate and mercurial temperament, the average half-troll is markedly less chaotic and murderous than a full-blooded troll.

Physical Description

Half-trolls bear visible signs of their giant heritage. Like goliaths, they tower over most other medium humanoids, but unlike goliaths their proportions are distinctly non-humanoid. A half-troll's arms are very long compared to the rest of his or her body, and they walk with a small hunch above their powerful shoulders. They tend to grow thick, sharp fingernails, though still noticeably blunter and shorter than a troll's, and tough growths on their shoulders and backs that resemble stones. While troll skin is generally green or a grey color, their half-troll children however are actually pink in color for those magically born, and green in color for those naturally born. Their eyes retain humanoid characteristics; having white sclera, while having a dark round pupil in the center of a colored iris.

Additionally, most half-trolls have larger noses, smaller eyes, and sharper teeth than humanoids without troll blood. Half-trolls tend to have thick hair that grows out very quickly. Dreadlocks and braids are very common hairstyles, although facial and body hair is uncommon. Their pectorals are also considered quite large in relation to the rest of their muscles.

Society

There is some truth to the notion that half-trolls are born as a result of violence directed by their monstrous parents towards other races, but it is not always so. In wilder regions, individual trolls may engage in trading with isolated communities, exchanging protection for food and treasure. Frontier folk may also find that troll tribes with particularly fruitful territories are more interested in easier prey than humans. 

Half-trolls often experience prejudice growing up, not only because of their resemblance to a dangerous and monstrous race but because they are often seen as impulsive. Due to shared experiences and similar outlooks, urban half-trolls almost always gravitate towards half-orc neighborhoods, where they find they fit in better, if not perfectly. Rural half-trolls will have very different experiences depending on how dangerous and aggressive the local troll tribes are.

Even in peaceful circumstances, few troll parents stay long with their offspring, as their capricious nature get the better of them. Most leave the child with the other parent. It is not unheard of for a half-troll to never see their troll parent again after reaching adolescence. It is rare for half-trolls to be raised among trolls, but as one of the strongest taboos in troll culture forbids the consumption of one's own progeny until they are grown, half-trolls born into the tribe are usually left as foundlings in places the trolls regard as too dangerous to attack.

For those magically born, they are instead usually raised with the humanoid parent and the help of the mage that helped bear them into the world, usually killing the troll parent for safety reasons. Either way, natural or magic born, most half-trolls will only have a single blood related parent, if any at all.

All half-trolls have known hunger at least once in their lives. They require huge amounts of food to maintain their bodies, and they starve much more quickly than other humanoids when deprived of it. This fact, combined with their difficulty finding high-paying employment and natural restless temperament, means that many half-trolls choose to supplement their caloric intake through unconventional means. Few outsiders, even among half-orcs, can easily understand the sight of a hungry half-troll nipping a quick snack out of some carrion on the road or half-rotten garbage from a gutter, but the answer has some basis in troll biology. Like dogs, trolls find very few smells naturally unpleasant, and their half-troll relatives don't taste all the nasty flavors of rot that normal humanoids have adapted to stay away from. After all, their bodies can handle the strain.

Half-Troll Traits

Tough, fierce, and hungry, half-trolls combine the best traits of both their parents' biology.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 1 and your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age

Half-trolls age more quickly than humans, reaching physical adolescence at around 11 years old and maturity at about 16 years old. Though their powerful metabolism grants them good health and staves off the physical decline of old age, it also reduces their overall lifespan, and they usually don't live as long as their human counterparts do, at 60 years old.

Size

Half-trolls are smaller than full-blooded trolls, but are noticeably larger than most humanoids, standing from 7 to 7.5 feet tall, with as much as an extra foot of height gained from straightening up. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Iron Gut

You have immunity to disease and resistance to poisons. In addition, you can eat, and live off of more types of foods that most creatures cannot. Such as soft metals, bark, and stone. You're almost always hungry, and you must eat twice as much as a Medium creature each day to stave off starvation. You may go up to half your Constitution modifier in the amount of days you can go without food before getting 1 exhaustion point.

Keen Nose

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Thick Skin

A half-troll's skin is absurdly hard to penetrate. You have a +1 to AC as well as resistance to Piercing damage

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.

Regeneration

You can tap into the trolls greatest ability to regenerate damage. As a reaction, when you take damage you can expend a Hit Die to reduce the damage by the amount rolled. As a Bonus action you may also expend a hit die to regain hit points up to the amount rolled. If you lose a limb, it takes 1 minute to regrow.

You cannot reduce the damage if it is acid or fire damage.