Homebrew Half-Troll Species Details

Half-trolls are a race that has crossover from the Fay Wild and are a relatively new addition to the material plans. Half-troll are particularly unique and how short their life span is, this has led to a lack of culture and most look at them as beasts rather than a people. 

No one is quite sure how half-trolls came to be but it is rumored a powerful wizard created them to be his guards while living in the Fay wild. This wizard sought protection from the roving beasts and thus created the half-troll to be his guards.

Almost half of all male half-trolls are sterile, and females only about one in fifty can bear children. The small tribes that do exist are considered savage and shunned by civilian for their appearance, ferocious hunger, and foul odor. Half-trolls tend to live in small tribes ruled by a birthing matriarch. This matriarch primary responsibility is the propagation of the tribe. All others in the tribe serve to provide, raise, and protect the matriarch and her offspring.

Half-troll society is a class-based society. The breeding female is the undisputed matriarch of the tribe. Other females who have the ability to breeding have the next highest place in society, remaining in the tribe until they have their first child, then taking the child and a few of breading males to start their own tribe. Next breeding males make up the middle class, learning skills and trades to better their position in the tribe.  The breading males are also responsible for all outside interaction if the tribe. Sterile males are responsible for the rearing of offspring and manual labor. Last, are the "nonbreeders", sterile females make up the majority of the tribe and are hunters and gatherers whose primary responsibility is to feed the tribe.

Half-trolls gestate in just one month and reach maturity in as little as 6 years but seldom live longer than their early 20s, The exception being fertile females who can live as long as 35 years. The short life span is attributed to a genetic defect that leads to a type of primal insanity as the half-troll age. This insanity is called "The Wild" and tends to hit in the late teens or early 20s.

When The Wild  begins most half-trolls leave their tribe because of the risk they pose to the matriarch and offspring, wandering off never to see the tribe again. The Wild is marked by a gradual increase in hunger to the point that half-trolls can longer control themselves. The wild leads to them feed on whatever they can find including their own kind.

Some half-trolls (usually ones that are sterile) try to connect with other races but are not usually accepted. Half-trolls struggle to understand the nuances of civilization. The few who do enter into towns are almost always relegated to some sort of manual labor away from the eyes of people. Because their culture does not have lying or sarcasm, half-trolls do not understand it which makes them easy victims to those who would take advantage.

Half-Troll Traits

Your half-troll character has certain traits deriving from your troll ancestry.

Dark Vision

Thanks to your troll blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1. Your Intelligence score is -2

Age

Half-trolls mature a much faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 6. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than their early 20s.

Alignment

Half-Trolls heavily lean to being lawful. Weather endowed to them by their creator or the constructs of their society the world may never know. 

Size

Half-Trolls range from 7 to 8 feet tall, and weigh 200 to 240 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and base climbing speed is 20 feet.

Keen Smell of the Smelly

Half-trolls have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Half-trolls have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks that are scent based.

Long-Limbed

When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach is 5 feet greater than normal.

Rejuvenate

Your ancestry grants you healing power that resides deep inside. As a bonus action you can expend one hit dice plus your Con modifier and add the amount to your HP. Additionally you regain half your level (minimum 1) in hit dice at the end of a short rest. 

Primal Attack

Your long nails are natural weapons, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike

Vulnerable Ancestors

The troll blood that courses through your veins has amazing benefits, this is not one. Because of your troll ancestry, your body is vulnerable to fire and  acid damage. When you are struck by fire or acid damage you take double damage and you can not use your rejuvenation ability for one round.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant. Giant is a low, slow spoken language with drawn out consonants.

Natural Armor

You have tough, rubbery skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Veracious appetite

You have an unquenchable hunger that needs to be satisfied. You requier twice as much food as the average person.