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« on: March 27, 2018, 06:56:58 PM »
I just recently learned of this wonderful beast from Dragon Magazine 299. Oh, how I would have loved to have known about this back when I was running my Norse-themed Mythic Sagas campaign.
This is a 3.5 converted stat block, incorporating a bonus feat to account for the utter mechanical discrepancies of the 3.0 stat block found in the magazine (primarily related to Improved Grab's usefulness and the Tree Troll's grapple modifier).
TREE TROLL - 3.5
Small Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 2d8+8 (17 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 19 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d3+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d3+1), and bite –1 melee (1d3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab (claw)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Regeneration 3, Scent, Uncanny Dodge
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Balance +5 (+13 in forests), Climb +9 [Take 10], Hide +15, Jump –3, Listen +3, Spot +3, Tumble +8
Feats: Alertness, Improved GrappleB
Environment: Temperate forest
Organization: Solitary, gang (2–4), or band (6–11)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: –
Tree trolls are small arboreal trolls created by magic gone awry. They live in thick forests, hiding among the trees and working together to take down prey. Despite their size, they have proven as ravenous as their larger ancestors.
Tree trolls stand 3 feet tall and weigh about 30 pounds. Their rubbery, mottled-green hides are almost completely covered in thick moss-like hair. They have overlong arms and sharp claws that help them move among the trees. Their faces appear squashed with long proboscis-like noses extending past their lower jaws.
Tree trolls speak Giant.
COMBAT
Tree trolls prefer to use their stealth and tumbling abilities to get close to opponents and then latch on, gnawing away at their foes. Tree trolls have no fear except for fire, which eats away at their treetop homes and flesh. Tree trolls have simple tactics of attacking one foe after another. Gangs of tree trolls often swarm out of trees to fall upon one victim. Even large numbers don’t dissuade them as they relentlessly swarm over one foe after another.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a tree troll hits [a Medium or smaller opponent] with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +3). If it gets a hold, it deals automatic bite damage. In subsequent rounds, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals claw damage.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Tree trolls have the ability to react to danger before their senses would normally allow them to do so. Tree trolls retain their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.
Regeneration (Ex): Fire and acid deal normal damage to a tree troll.
If a tree troll loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 3d6 minutes. The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.
Skills: Tree trolls have a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks in forested areas, and a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks.
With the recent addition of Huge-sized Giant miniatures, I was giving thought to how to go about using them if I even run another live Mythic Sagas campaign again. In the opening post of this thread, I mentioned basing Legendary Fire and Frost Giants off of Eldritch Giants from the MMIII. I will admit this idea was based somewhat upon brainstormed plans to buy Eldritch Giant miniatures, and paint them to get Huge Frost Giants... Well, now there is no need, and there may be a simpler solution that I hit upon when devising how to use some of the monsters from the MM2, which can have wonky CR vs HP ratios. For example, the Phoenix seems quite lackluster for its CR. But if one were to take such creatures, increase their size category by 1 (along with the ability stat and natural armor changes that entails), and increase its Hit Dice by 50%, that would be appropriate for the CR of something like the Phoenix.
With the looming release of yet more Huge Giant mini's in tomorrow's Monster Menagerie 3, I applied that line of thinking to Fire and Frost Giants. It's simple, and allows easy use of the Huge mini's. But, the Eldritch Giant chassis did have some advantages that were appropriate for depicting the Frost Giants from Norse myth, who were known for their magic use. It shores up the lacking Will save, and gives them a few SLA's, and the ability to use Arcane magic items as if they were wizards. For a future return to a Mythic Sagas campaign, I'll probably still go the Eldritch Giant chassis route, but for a simpler approach, here is the application of my above Phoenix philosophy to Fire and Frost Giants.
Increase each species by 7 HD, adding the two stat bumps those provide to Dexterity (to offset the size increase's –2 Dex), increase the size category by one, to Huge, and add +2 to the CR. You end up with these (plus a few rearranged feats).
GREATER FIRE GIANT
Huge Giant (Fire)
Hit Dice: 22d8+154 (253 hp)
Initiative: –1
Speed: 30 ft. in half-plate armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft.
Armor Class: 25 (–2 size, –1 Dex, +11 natural, +7 half-plate armor) touch 7, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+38
Attack: Greatsword +28 melee (4d6+21) or slam +28 melee (1d6+14) or rock +14 ranged (2d8+14 plus 2d6 fire)
Full Attack: Greatsword +28/+23/+18/+13 melee (4d6+21) or 2 slams +28 melee (1d6+14) or
rock +14 ranged (2d8+14 plus 2d6 fire)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Immunity to fire, low-light vision, rock catching, vulnerability to cold
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +6, Will +11
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 9, Con 25, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +15, Craft (any one) +10, Hide –16, Intimidate +6, Jump +17, Move Silently –8, Spot +18
Feats: Cleave, Combat Brute, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder,
Iron Will, Power Attack, Shock Trooper
Environment: Warm mountains
Organization: Solitary, gang (2–5), band (6–9 plus 35% noncombatants plus 1 adept or cleric of
1st or 2nd level), hunting/raiding party (6–9 plus 1 adept or sorcerer of 3rd–5th level plus
2–4 hell hounds and 2–3 trolls or ettins), or tribe (21–30 plus 1 adept, cleric, or sorcerer of
6th or 7th level plus 12–30 hell hounds, 12–22 trolls, 5–12 ettins, and 1–2 young red dragons)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: –
This giant resembles a mammoth dwarf with coal-black skin, flaming red hair, and a prognathous jaw that reveals dirty ivory teeth.
Fire giants are brutal, ruthless, and militaristic.
Some fire giants have bright orange hair. An adult male is 18 feet tall, has a chest that measures 12 feet around, and weighs about 7,500 pounds. Females are slightly shorter and lighter. Fire giants can live to be 350 years old.
Fire giants wear sturdy cloth or leather garments colored red, orange, yellow, or black. Warriors wear helmets and half-plate armor of blackened steel.
A typical fire giant’s bag contains 1d4+1 throwing rocks, 3d4 mundane items, a tinderbox, and the giant’s personal wealth. Everything a fire giant owns is battered, dirty, and often singed by heat.
Combat
Fire giants heat their rocks in a nearby fire, geyser, or lava pools, so that they deal extra fire damage. They favor magic flaming swords in melee (when they can get them). They are also fond of grabbing smaller opponents and tossing them somewhere very hot.
Rock Throwing (Ex): The range increment is 120 feet for a fire giant’s thrown rocks.
Rock Catching (Ex): A giant of at least Large size can catch Small, Medium, or Large rocks (or projectiles of similar shape). Once per round, a giant that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex save to catch it as a free action. The DC is 15 for a Small rock, 20 for a Medium one, and 25 for a Large one. (If the projectile provides a magical bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount.) The giant must be ready for and aware of the attack in order to make a rock catching attempt.
GREATER FROST GIANT
Huge Giant (Cold)
Hit Dice: 21d8+147 (241 hp)
Initiative: –1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (–2 size, –1 Dex, +12 natural, +4 chain shirt) touch 7, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+36
Attack: Greataxe +26 melee (4d6+19/×3) or slam +26 melee (1d6+13) or rock +27 ranged (2d8+13)
Full Attack: Greataxe +26/+21/+16 melee (4d6+19/×3) or 2 slams +26 melee (1d6+13) or
rock +27 ranged (2d8+13)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Immunity to cold, low-light vision, rock catching, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +6, Will +9
Abilities: Str 37, Dex 9, Con 25, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +19, Craft (any one) +10, Hide –10, Intimidate +6, Jump +23, Spot +18
Feats: Brutal Throw, Cleave, Combat Brute, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder,
Power Attack, Shock Trooper
Environment: Cold mountains
Organization: Solitary, gang (2–5), band (6–9 plus 35% noncombatants plus 1 adept or cleric of
1st or 2nd level), hunting/raiding party (6–9 plus 35% noncombatants plus 1 adept or
sorcerer of 3rd–5th level plus 2–4 winter wolves and 2–3 ogres), or tribe (21–30 plus
1 adept, cleric, or sorcerer of 6th or 7th level plus 12–30 winter wolves, 12–22 ogres, and
1–2 young white dragons)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: –
This giant looks like a beefy, muscular human with snow-white skin and light blue hair and eyes.
Frost giants are justifiably feared as brutal and wantonly destructive raiders.
A frost giant’s hair can be light blue or dirty yellow, and its eyes usually match its hair color. Frost giants dress in skins and pelts, along with any jewelry they own. Frost giant warriors add chain shirts and metal helmets decorated with horns or feathers.
An adult male is about 21 feet tall and weighs about 8,000 pounds. Females are slightly shorter and lighter, but otherwise identical with males. Frost giants can live to be 250 years old.
A frost giant’s bag usually contains 1d4+1 throwing rocks, 3d4 mundane items, and the giant’s personal wealth. Everything in a frost giant’s bag is old, worn, dirty, and smelly, making the identification of any valuable items difficult.
Combat
Frost giants usually start combat at a distance, throwing rocks until they run out of ammunition or the opponent closes, then wading in with their enormous battleaxes.
A favorite tactic is to lay an ambush by hiding buried in the snow at the top of an icy or snowy slope, where opponents will have difficulty reaching them.
Rock Throwing (Ex): The range increment is 120 feet for a frost giant’s thrown rocks.
Rock Catching (Ex): A giant of at least Large size can catch Small, Medium, or Large rocks (or projectiles of similar shape). Once per round, a giant that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex save to catch it as a free action. The DC is 15 for a Small rock, 20 for a Medium one, and 25 for a Large one. (If the projectile provides a magical bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount.) The giant must be ready for and aware of the attack in order to make a rock catching attempt.