Difference between revisions of "Troll"

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'''Trolls''' are a [[monster class|class]] of [[monster]]s in ''[[NetHack]]''. They are notable because the corpses of dead trolls will [[revive]] (similar to the [[Rider]]s). For that reason, trolls are one of the more annoying monsters. Trolls can also make use of [[polearm]]s—they can [[pounding|pound]] with one at the same range as a character who is [[Skill]]ed in polearms. They have a 50% chance of [[Monster starting inventory|being generated with]] one of a ranseur, partisan, glaive, or spetum.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|442|version=NetHack 3.6.1}}
 
 
A '''troll''', {{monsym|troll}}, is also the least powerful monster of this class. Other types of troll include [[ice troll]]s, [[rock troll]]s, [[water troll]]s, and [[Olog-hai]].
 
 
Players [[polymorph]]ed into trolls should be careful around [[cockatrice]]s; attempting to attack a cockatrice in troll form will cause you to bite it and [[stoning|turn to stone]].
 
 
==Revival==
 
When a troll is killed, its revival timer is set such that it has a {{frac|37}} chance of reviving per turn, starting 2 turns after death, but not more than 50 turns after death.{{refsrc|src/mkobj.c|1184-L1219|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} This results in an approximately 74% chance that a troll will revive within 50 turns. Wielding [[Trollsbane]] when a troll attempts to revive will prevent it from doing so.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|788|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} If a troll corpse is unable to revive when the revival timer expires, it will begin to rot, and will not revive at all.{{refsrc|src/do.c|1896|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 
 
{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Trollsbane prevents the revival of trolls killed by it, instead of all troll corpses that attempt to revive while it is wielded. ({{commit|328dc5bdfa70765b698fa3ba50325b659bfef561}})}}
 
 
==Strategy==
 
 
Generally speaking, for well armed characters, trolls do not pose a major threat, but preventing them from reviving can be tricky. There are a large number of ways to kill a troll permanently, many of which involve putting the [[corpse]] inside something:
 
 
* Eat the corpse. It will disappear only when you are finished. During the meal, it may revive, or you may be interrupted, or you may become unconscious from [[rotten]] food. This is a readily available option as long as you are not [[satiated]].
 
* Let a [[pet]] eat the corpse. It will disappear as soon as the pet starts to eat, though this option is only available if you have a [[carnivorous]] pet.
 
* Tin the corpse. This is the easiest option for those with a [[tinning kit]].
 
* [[Lock]] the corpse in a [[container]]. Useful for trolls generated in [[throne room]]s, though they may revive while being carried to their destination. Nesting a container more than 2 levels deep will also prevent reviving, as will a [[bag of holding]] 97.5% of the time.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|729|version=NetHack 3.6.1}} You will receive the message "You feel less hassled" when a troll corpse stored in a container fails to revive.{{refsrc|src/do.c|1779|version=NetHack 3.6.1}}
 
* Just keep killing the troll. Each time you do, there is approximately a 25% chance that it will not revive.
 
* Place the corpse in an [[ice box]]. The revival countdown will be paused. You can take it out later when you're ready to deal with it.
 
* [[Stoning|Stone]] the living troll with a [[cockatrice]] corpse. If there is a live cockatrice nearby, [[conflict]] can also (sometimes) induce the cockatrice to stone the troll.
 
* [[Polymorph]] the corpse.
 
* Throw the corpse into [[lava]] or [[moat|water]] (if it isn't a water troll), and it will drown as soon as it revives.
 
* [[Sacrifice]] the corpse.
 
* [[Polymorph]] the troll and kill the creature. Make sure you're prepared in case the troll polymorphs to something like a [[master lich]].
 
* Find or [[dig]] a [[pit]], place the corpse in, and push in a [[boulder]] to bury it. Water can also be used in the place of a pit (90% chance if the troll in question is a water troll).
 
* Lure the troll to the [[Rogue level]], where monsters don't leave corpses, and kill it there.
 
* Crush the troll with a [[drawbridge]].
 
* [[Disintegration|Disintegrate]] the troll by standing between it and a [[black dragon]], or just polymorph into a black dragon and fire a disintegration ray at it.
 
* [[Digest]] the troll.
 
* [[Sliming|Turn the troll to slime]].
 
* [[Genocide]] trolls.
 
* Put the corpse in a cursed [[bag of holding]] and repeatedly #[[loot]] the bag until it disappears.
 
* Completely fill the level with monsters so that the troll has nowhere to revive.
 
* Destroy the container with the corpse in it: a [[magical explosion]] for bags of holding, or [[polymorph]] for any container.  Probably not worth wasting a container, though.
 
* Leave the corpse near a [[gelatinous cube]]. Cubes will readily eat corpses, with no regard to hunger, whether they are hostile, peaceful, or pets.
 
 
{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|[[Cancel]]ling a troll or its corpse will prevent it from reviving. ([https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/commit/fae75f5930bf8e7707a31b019f7fe415c6705cdd commit])}}
 
 
=== As pets ===
 
 
While not as strong as some other tamable creatures, higher-level trolls are still reasonably strong, can make use of some weapons, and can auto-revive when killed. Even though they do not always revive tame, the chance is small for them to revive hostile as long as you do not abuse them or kill them yourself. While they are not exactly so powerful that they're worth going out of your way to tame, a tame troll may still be worth keeping.
 
 
== Messages ==
 
{{message|The <troll> rises from the dead!|A troll revived, and you could see it.}}
 
{{message|The bite-covered <troll> rises from the dead!|A troll revived from a partly eaten corpse (possibly while you were eating it), and you could see it.}}
 
 
== Individual information ==
 
 
=== Troll ===
 
 
 
{{monster
 
{{monster
 
  |difficulty=9
 
  |difficulty=9
Line 70: Line 18:
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line1798]]
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line1798]]
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{for|the monster class|Troll (monster class)}}
  
Ordinary trolls are the weakest monsters in the troll monster class. They have no special abilities beyond reviving themselves, and they are often generated in [[throne room]]s.
+
A '''troll''', {{monsym|troll}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is the most basic type of [[Troll (monster class)|troll]] and generally the first that [[you]] will encounter. A troll has enhanced [[regeneration]] and will [[follow]] you to other levels if adjacent, and can often [[revive]] from its corpse when killed.
<br clear="right">
 
  
=== Ice troll ===
+
A troll has a weapon attack, a claw attack, and a bite attack.
  
{{monster
+
==Generation==
|name=ice troll
+
Randomly generated trolls are always generated hostile.
|symbol={{white|T}}
 
|tile=[[Image:ice troll.png]]
 
|difficulty=12
 
|level=9
 
|experience=205
 
|speed=10
 
|AC=2
 
|MR=20
 
|align=&minus;3
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Weapon 2d6, claw 2d6 [[cold]], bite 2d6
 
|weight=1000
 
|nutr=300
 
|size=Large
 
|resistances=Cold
 
|resistances conveyed=Cold (60%)
 
|attributes={{attributes|An ice troll|=
 
|humanoid=1|regen=1|carnivore=1|strong=1|stalk=1|hostile=1|infravisible=1|infravision=1}}
 
|refline=1805
 
}}
 
  
[[Ice troll]]s are immune to cold, and one of their attacks deals cold damage. They hit slightly harder than regular trolls if the cold attack isn't resisted. They have a slightly lower AC and some MR.
+
Trolls may appear among the hostile {{white|T}} that generate in [[throne room]]s, as well the monsters randomly generated by [[looting]] a throne while [[confused]] and carrying gold (provided there is no [[chest]] on the level).{{refsrc|src/mkroom.c|745|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
<br clear="right">
 
  
=== Rock troll ===
+
Trolls are the second [[quest]] monster for [[Barbarian]]s, and make up {{frac|24|175}} of the monsters that randomly generate on the [[Barbarian quest]] - they can also generate among the random {{white|T}} that are part of the second quest [[monster class]] and make up {{frac|6|175}} of the monsters that are randomly generated there.
  
{{monster
+
The [[Wizard of Yendor]] may create a clone of himself in the guise of a troll via the [[Double Trouble]] [[monster spell]].{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|51|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
|name=rock troll
 
|symbol={{cyan|T}}
 
|tile=[[Image:rock troll.png]]
 
|difficulty=12
 
|level=9
 
|experience=198
 
|speed=12
 
|AC=0
 
|MR=0
 
|align=&minus;3
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Weapon 3d6, claw 2d8, bite 2d6
 
|weight=1200
 
|nutr=300
 
|size=Large
 
|resistances=None
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|A rock troll|=
 
|humanoid=1|regen=1|carnivore=1|strong=1|stalk=1|hostile=1|collect=1|infravisible=1|infravision=1}}
 
|refline=1812
 
}}
 
  
[[Rock troll]]s are basically more powerful versions of ordinary trolls. They hit slightly harder than trolls and ice trolls, but have no remarkable attribute otherwise besides reviving themselves. They have lower AC than ice trolls, but no MR.
+
Trolls have a {{frac|2}} chance of [[Monster starting inventory|being generated with]] a [[ranseur]], [[partisan]], [[glaive]], or [[spetum]], with an equal probability of each polearm.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|439|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
  
In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', they are described as trolls with an affinity for earth that possess natural camouflage in areas of stone.
+
==Strategy==
<br clear="right">
+
Trolls hit hard, move as fast as an unhasted unburdened player, and will often need to be fought multiple times before they are fully defeated. However, they have no elemental [[resistance]]s or [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] to speak of, making them vulnerable to many type of magical attacks including [[sleep]] or [[slowing]].
 
 
=== Water troll ===
 
  
{{monster
+
While a player may be capable of fighting a troll once or twice, repeated fights can whittle down your HP over time if the troll revives quickly enough, and it is risky to rely on a troll simply failing to revive eventually. To get rid of them permanently, you can [[eat]] them (though they may still revive as you are doing so), throw them into [[pool|water]] or [[lava]], or turn them to [[stoning|stone]]. You can also lure them to the [[Rogue level]], where corpses do not drop, as they can follow you up or down stairs. A meat-eating [[pet]] or a [[tinning kit]] will reliably dispose of a troll corpse, and you can also lug the corpse to a nearby [[container]] that you can lock it in.
|name=water troll
 
|symbol={{blue|T}}
 
|tile=[[Image:water troll.png]]
 
|difficulty=13
 
|level=11
 
|experience=246
 
|speed=14
 
|AC=4
 
|MR=40
 
|align=&minus;3
 
|frequency=0
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Weapon 2d8, claw 2d8, bite 2d6
 
|weight=1200
 
|nutr=350
 
|size=Large
 
|resistances=None
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|A water troll|=
 
|humanoid=1|regen=1|carnivore=1|swim=1|strong=1|stalk=1|hostile=1|infravisible=1|infravision=1}}
 
|refline=1819
 
}}
 
  
[[Water troll]]s have higher MR than other trolls, but their AC is only on par with regular trolls. They don't hit as hard as rock trolls, but they can swim, so dumping their corpse in water isn't effective at getting rid of them.
+
==History==
 +
The troll first appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, both based on [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], and is included in the initial bestiary for [[Hack 1.0]].
  
Water trolls are not randomly generated; the only natural water trolls in the game are two of them that appear in one version of [[Medusa's Island]].
+
==Origin==
<br clear="right">
+
{{wikipedia|Troll}}
 +
A troll is a being that appears in Norse mythology and later Scandinavian folklore. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rock, mountains, or caves, living together in small family units, and were rarely helpful to human beings - the Old Norse nouns ''troll'' and ''trǫll'' are variously used to mean "fiend", "demon", "werewolf", and "jötunn". The trolls of ''NetHack'' are derived from ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', whose portrayal of them is partly inspired by [[wikipedia:Poul Anderson|Poul Anderson]] novel ''[[wikipedia:Three Hearts and Three Lions|Three Hearts and Three Lions]]''.
  
=== Olog-hai ===
+
''D&D'' trolls are typically nine feet tall on average, with rubbery green or gray hide, gaunt and deceptively-thin builds, and long arms that drag across the ground and dangle when running. A troll's hunched posture and uneven gait masks great physical strength and agility: they are fearless fighters that attack relentlessly with their claws and teeth, rarely using weapons, and have the ability to rapidly heal wounds and even animate disembodied parts of themselves, as well as a weakness to fire. Trolls hunt most other living creatures for prey and have no natural predators, though they respect groups that are known to wield fire - both fire and acid were the only ways of counteracting a troll's regenerative abilities.
  
{{monster
+
==Variants==
|name=Olog-hai
+
===SLASH'EM===
|tile=[[Image:olog-hai.png]]
+
In [[SLASH'EM]], trolls [[Hits creatures as +x weapon|hit as a +1 weapon]], and tame trolls may turn [[traitor]].
|difficulty=16
 
|level=13
 
|experience=325
 
|speed=12
 
|AC=&minus;4
 
|MR=0
 
|align=&minus;7
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Weapon 3d6, claw 2d8, bite 2d6
 
|weight=1500
 
|nutr=400
 
|size=Large
 
|resistances=None
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|Olog-hai|=
 
|humanoid=1|regen=1|carnivore=1|strong=1|stalk=1|hostile=1|collect=1|infravisible=1|infravision=1}}
 
|refline=1826
 
}}
 
 
 
Olog-hai are the most powerful type of trolls, having lower AC than all other trolls (but no MR), and they hit as hard as rock trolls. They have no special attributes beyond reviving themselves.
 
  
The name is derived from J.R.R Tolkien's works, in which the Olog-hai were a species of trolls that served the Witch-King while he ruled in Angmar. Olog-hai did not turn to stone in sunlight as other trolls did.
+
[[Grund's Stronghold]] has a {{frac|4|5}} chance of generating a troll at level creation.
<br clear="right">
 
  
==Mythology==
+
===dNetHack===
Trolls originate from from Scandinavian folklore. ''NetHack''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s depiction of trolls is more directly based on ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''.  
+
In [[dNetHack]], two trolls are generated in the forested area on the Ancient Temple level of the [[Chaos Temple Quest]] at level creation.
  
In the folklore, a troll is typically large, very strong, and dim-witted. It fears light or is turned to stone by it. Trolls in ''D&D'' have regenerative abilities.
+
Trolls may appear in the court of a [[Throne room#dNetHack|throne room]] ruled by an [[ogre king]].
  
== Encyclopedia entry ==
+
===The November NetHack Tournament===
 +
In [[The November NetHack Tournament]], [[the DevTeam Office]] has a {{frac|5}} chance of generating a peaceful troll named MR SHOUTY at level creation.
  
===Troll===
+
==Encyclopedia entry==
 
{{encyclopedia|
 
{{encyclopedia|
 
The troll shambled closer.  He was perhaps eight feet tall,
 
The troll shambled closer.  He was perhaps eight feet tall,
Line 221: Line 82:
 
}}
 
}}
  
===Water troll===
+
==References==
{{encyclopedia|
+
<references/>
It wasn't that the troll was _horrifying_. Instead of the
+
{{nethack-367}}
rotting, betentacled monstrosity he had been expecting
 
Rincewind found himself looking at a rather squat but not
 
particularly ugly old man who would quite easily have passed
 
for normal on any city street, always provided that other
 
people on the street were used to seeing old men who were
 
apparently composed of water and very little else. It was as
 
if the ocean had decided to create life without going through
 
all that tedious business of evolution, and had simply formed
 
a part of itself into a biped and sent it walking squishily up
 
the beach. The troll was a pleasant translucent blue color.
 
As Rincewind stared a small shoal of silver fish flashed
 
across its chest.
 
|[ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
 
}}
 
 
 
===Olog-hai===
 
 
 
{{encyclopedia|
 
But at the end of the Third Age a troll-race not before seen
 
appeared in southern Mirkwood and in the mountain borders of
 
Mordor.  Olog-hai they were called in the Black Speech.  That
 
Sauron bred them none doubted, though from what stock was not
 
known.  Some held that they were not Trolls but giant Orcs;
 
but the Olog-hai were in fashion of body and mind quite unlike
 
even the largest of Orc-kind, whom they far surpassed in size
 
and power.  Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will
 
of their master:  a fell race, strong, agile, fierce and
 
cunning, but harder than stone.  Unlike the older race of the
 
Twilight they could endure the Sun....  They spoke little,
 
and the only tongue they knew was the Black Speech of Barad-dur.
 
|[ The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
 
}}
 
 
 
==Variants==
 
===UnNetHack===
 
 
 
In [[UnNetHack]], if you genocide trolls, you get a [[YAFM]]:
 
 
 
* *plonk* (for actual genocide)
 
* S3n7 1n s0m3 7r0llz!!! (for reverse genocide)
 
 
 
== References ==
 
<references />
 
 
 
{{nethack-361}}
 
 
[[Category:Monsters]]
 
[[Category:Monsters]]

Latest revision as of 00:04, 17 March 2024

For the monster class, see Troll (monster class).

A troll, T, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is the most basic type of troll and generally the first that you will encounter. A troll has enhanced regeneration and will follow you to other levels if adjacent, and can often revive from its corpse when killed.

A troll has a weapon attack, a claw attack, and a bite attack.

Generation

Randomly generated trolls are always generated hostile.

Trolls may appear among the hostile T that generate in throne rooms, as well the monsters randomly generated by looting a throne while confused and carrying gold (provided there is no chest on the level).[1]

Trolls are the second quest monster for Barbarians, and make up 24175 of the monsters that randomly generate on the Barbarian quest - they can also generate among the random T that are part of the second quest monster class and make up 6175 of the monsters that are randomly generated there.

The Wizard of Yendor may create a clone of himself in the guise of a troll via the Double Trouble monster spell.[2]

Trolls have a 12 chance of being generated with a ranseur, partisan, glaive, or spetum, with an equal probability of each polearm.[3]

Strategy

Trolls hit hard, move as fast as an unhasted unburdened player, and will often need to be fought multiple times before they are fully defeated. However, they have no elemental resistances or MR score to speak of, making them vulnerable to many type of magical attacks including sleep or slowing.

While a player may be capable of fighting a troll once or twice, repeated fights can whittle down your HP over time if the troll revives quickly enough, and it is risky to rely on a troll simply failing to revive eventually. To get rid of them permanently, you can eat them (though they may still revive as you are doing so), throw them into water or lava, or turn them to stone. You can also lure them to the Rogue level, where corpses do not drop, as they can follow you up or down stairs. A meat-eating pet or a tinning kit will reliably dispose of a troll corpse, and you can also lug the corpse to a nearby container that you can lock it in.

History

The troll first appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, both based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial bestiary for Hack 1.0.

Origin

A troll is a being that appears in Norse mythology and later Scandinavian folklore. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rock, mountains, or caves, living together in small family units, and were rarely helpful to human beings - the Old Norse nouns troll and trǫll are variously used to mean "fiend", "demon", "werewolf", and "jötunn". The trolls of NetHack are derived from Dungeons & Dragons, whose portrayal of them is partly inspired by Poul Anderson novel Three Hearts and Three Lions.

D&D trolls are typically nine feet tall on average, with rubbery green or gray hide, gaunt and deceptively-thin builds, and long arms that drag across the ground and dangle when running. A troll's hunched posture and uneven gait masks great physical strength and agility: they are fearless fighters that attack relentlessly with their claws and teeth, rarely using weapons, and have the ability to rapidly heal wounds and even animate disembodied parts of themselves, as well as a weakness to fire. Trolls hunt most other living creatures for prey and have no natural predators, though they respect groups that are known to wield fire - both fire and acid were the only ways of counteracting a troll's regenerative abilities.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, trolls hit as a +1 weapon, and tame trolls may turn traitor.

Grund's Stronghold has a 45 chance of generating a troll at level creation.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, two trolls are generated in the forested area on the Ancient Temple level of the Chaos Temple Quest at level creation.

Trolls may appear in the court of a throne room ruled by an ogre king.

The November NetHack Tournament

In The November NetHack Tournament, the DevTeam Office has a 15 chance of generating a peaceful troll named MR SHOUTY at level creation.

Encyclopedia entry

The troll shambled closer. He was perhaps eight feet tall,
perhaps more. His forward stoop, with arms dangling past
thick claw-footed legs to the ground, made it hard to tell.
The hairless green skin moved upon his body. His head was a
gash of a mouth, a yard-long nose, and two eyes which drank
the feeble torchlight and never gave back a gleam.
[...]
Like a huge green spider, the troll's severed hand ran on its
fingers. Across the mounded floor, up onto a log with one
taloned forefinger to hook it over the bark, down again it
 scrambled, until it found the cut wrist. And there it grew
fast. The troll's smashed head seethed and knit together.
He clambered back on his feet and grinned at them. The
waning faggot cast red light over his fangs.

[ Three Hearts and Three Lions, by Poul Anderson ]

References