DCC trolls

There are over 50 DCC Adventures in print, including the main line (DCC #66.5 and up), the Holiday adventures, the Free RPG Day adventures, the new Horror line, and more! Suss them all out here!

Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, michaelcurtis, Harley Stroh

Post Reply
User avatar
beermotor
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1222
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 6:01 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

DCC trolls

Post by beermotor »

My party of level 2 characters is playing through People of the Pit, and they're sort of just romping all over it. It was kind of boring, honestly. I scaled up the monsters a bit but even the big group in area 2-14 through 17 wasn't a huge challenge, until the cleric fumbled a heal check and incurred some serious deity disapproval (-4 to healing?! Oof!). They decided to leave and camp with the rescued peasants. And because the dwarf had taken a fair bit of strength damage from the shadowy tentacle of the higher level cultists, he wanted to rest for a few days.

Out came the d6s, and finally after the second day of resting, along came the troll.

Now, I hadn't really looked at it in detail, mind you. I saw that it had 8 hit dice, but I figured - these guys have been mowing through stuff pretty easily, so they need something challenging.

Of course the dwarf charged up at engaged, but missed. The cleric joined him (he has the flaming flail from SotSS), but also missed. ("Hmm, this thing has AC 19. How interesting," I thought.)

Next the troll practically one-shots the dwarf with a single bite, and nearly takes out the cleric with a single claw. I generously let the critical hit on the bite go away, because for some ridiculous reason I could not, for the life of me, find the monster critical table in the book.

At this point they realize this is a pretty dangerous creature. The thief has already positioned himself to run away. And all three other players are urging the elf to invoke her patron, Azi Dahaka, and spellburn the hell out of it to get a decent result.

Then the dwarf gets smacked to 0 by a bite and a claw, but healed nearly to full in the same round by the cleric, who's moved right behind him. There's palpable fear in the air at this point. I'm loving it.

The elf spellburns her physical stats to 4 or 5, and rolls a 34 or whatever it is, summoning the spectral hydra for something like 5 rounds. But the first round, she has it breathe fire once (+15 to hit, but only 2d6 damage, plus chance of more damage), then misses with all but one of the remaining bite attacks. It's still very much alive, and even saves against the DC 20 fire!

Again the dwarf goes down and is healed, and this time the spectral hydra just breathes fire, and hits all 7 times, so the troll is toast.

But, wow, what a monster. Can't wait to bring out another one of those things when it's least convenient for the party! Granted, it may be a bit out of their league, and I'm glad they overcame it in the end, but I really enjoyed putting some FEAR back into the, because they'd really been missing that lately I think.
User avatar
Raven_Crowking
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 3159
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:41 am
FLGS: The Sword & Board
Contact:

Re: DCC trolls

Post by Raven_Crowking »

That sounds like it was a lot of fun.
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
User avatar
GnomeBoy
Tyrant Master (Administrator)
Posts: 4126
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
FLGS: Bizarro World
Location: Left Coast, USA
Contact:

Re: DCC trolls

Post by GnomeBoy »

I want to go to there.
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.

Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters

bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Post Reply

Return to “DCC RPG Adventure Modules”