Rock troll
T rock troll 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 12 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 3d6, claw 2d8, bite 2d6 |
| Base level | 9 |
| Base experience | 198 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 0 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | −3 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 1200 |
| Nutritional value | 300 |
| Size | Large |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
A rock troll:
| |
| Reference | monst.c, line 1812 |
A rock troll, T, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is a type of troll that has stronger attacks and AC than an ice troll, but lacks any special ability not shared with other trolls. Rock trolls can often revive from its corpse when killed, as with all trolls.
A rock troll has a weapon attack, a claw attack and a bite attack.
Contents
Generation
Randomly generated rock trolls are always generated hostile.
Rock 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]
Several rock trolls appear on the Barbarian quest at level creation: one is generated on the upper filler level, while five are placed on the locate level, with two inside the large building, two more just outside the secret exit to the cave behind the building, and a fifth on the down stair. Three are generated on the lower filler level(s), and eight are generated on the goal level. Rock trolls can also generate among the random T that are part of the second quest monster class and make up 6⁄175 of the monsters that are randomly generated there.
Eight rock trolls are generated on the Plane of Earth.
Rock trolls have a 1⁄2 chance of being generated with a ranseur, partisan, glaive, or spetum, with an equal probability of each polearm.[2]
Strategy
Rock trolls are essentially a direct upgrade to the base troll. They hit harder, and move as fast as an unhasted unburdened player. However, like their weaker brethren, they have no elemental resistances or monster magic resistance to speak of, meaning many kinds of magical attacks can work well against them, such as sleep or slowing.
The same strategies for disposing of troll corpses apply to rock troll corpses: you can eat them (as can a pet), apply a tinning kit, lock them in a box, throw them into water or lava, turn them to stone, or even lure them to the Rogue level, where monsters do not drop corpses. Barbarians in particular may benefit from luring rock trolls on their quest to the oasis on the locate level, where they can submerge the corpse and ensure that the trolls drown upon revival, and a hungry Barbarian can also use them as a food source. Repeatedly fighting rock trolls until they fail to revive is risky for all but the most physically adept characters, due to their damage output - even a Barbarian in particular can still be overwhelmed if they are surrounded by trolls that keep reviving as they try to fight off the others.
History
The rock troll first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.
In NetHack 3.6.0 and earlier versions, including some variants based on them, hostile rock trolls can be generated by the summon nasties monster spell.
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.
Issue #141 of Dragon magazine features an entry for the rock troll, which is described as a troll with an affinity for earth, and possesses natural camouflage in stony areas. Rock trolls fight the same way as other trolls do, but can grab their foes to bite into them repeatedly until the victim is dead or they are forced to drop them, usually from taking significant enough damage. Transmute spells that change rock to mud and passwall spells can instantly destroy rock trolls caught in the spell's range of effect unless they make a save versus death magic.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, rock trolls hit as a +2 weapon, and tame rock trolls may turn traitor. Hostile rock trolls can be generated with the summon nasties monster spell.
Grund's Stronghold has a 3⁄5 chance of generating a rock troll at level creation. Two peaceful rock trolls named William and Thomas appear as assistants in the black market.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, 1⁄10 of the monsters randomly generated on the Ancient Temple level of the Chaos Temple Quest will be rock trolls.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, William and Thomas appear as assistants in the variant's black market.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, rock trolls have stoning resistance.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, William and Thomas appear as assistants in the variant's black market.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, rock trolls have stoning resistance as in xNetHack.
William and Thomas appear as assistants in the variant's black market.
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.
