Troll (monster class) - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit

2024-05-17T20:12:28Z

copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2024-04-13T02:20:17Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Generation */ section lede

2024-04-11T02:07:59Z

‎Generation: section lede

Umbire the Phantom: /* dNetHack */ worth noting for the whole monster class, really

2024-03-16T23:59:33Z

‎dNetHack: worth noting for the whole monster class, really

Umbire the Phantom: /* Common characteristics */ yeah, I don't think anything substantiates that and I just saw an ettin try to poke at skilled range

2023-12-19T15:22:57Z

‎Common characteristics: yeah, I don't think anything substantiates that and I just saw an ettin try to poke at skilled range

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ rephrase

2023-12-14T09:51:54Z

‎Variants: rephrase

Ion frigate: put in a sentence about troll mummies

2023-12-13T17:57:34Z

put in a sentence about troll mummies

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ lede

2023-12-13T17:02:30Z

‎Variants: lede

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ lede, dnh, etc.

2023-12-13T16:49:41Z

‎Variants: lede, dnh, etc.

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ slightly awk split of upcoming

2023-12-13T15:00:38Z

‎Strategy: slightly awk split of upcoming

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 One common method to dispose of a troll corpse is to place the corpse in a [[pit]] or [[container]]:
-* Placing a troll corpse in a [[chest]] or [[large box]] and then [[locking]] it will prevent the troll from reviving and climbing out, as will placing it in a container and nesting it more than 2 levels, while placing it in a [[bag of holding]] prevents revival {{frac|39|40}} of the time.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|767|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} You will receive a message when a troll corpse stored in a container fails to revive.{{refsrc|src/do.c|1906|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Trolls and Riders are the only corpses that revive on their own in NetHack}}
+* Placing a troll corpse in a [[chest]] or [[large box]] and then [[locking]] it will prevent the troll from reviving and climbing out, as will placing it in any container and nesting that container more than 2 levels, while placing it in a [[bag of holding]] prevents revival {{frac|39|40}} of the time.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|767|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} A message is printed when a troll corpse stored in a container fails to revive.{{refsrc|src/do.c|1906|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Trolls and Riders are the only corpses that revive on their own in NetHack}}
-* Placing the corpse in an [[ice box]] will pause the revival timer, leaving you to deal with it at your own leisure.
+* Placing the corpse in an [[ice box]] will pause the revival timer, leaving it to be dealt with at the character's own leisure.
 * Placing the corpse in a cursed bag of holding and repeatedly #[[loot]]ing the bag can cause it to disappear.
-* Finding or [[digging]] a pit and placing the corpse in, then filling it with a [[boulder]], will prevent the corpse from reviving - this also works for filling squares of water, though there is a {{frac|10}} chance of a boulder falling in and sinking without a trace.
+* Finding or [[digging]] a pit and placing the corpse in, then filling it with a [[boulder]], will prevent the corpse from reviving - this also works for filling squares of water, though there is a {{frac|10}} chance of a boulder falling in and sinking without a trace. This is primarily applicable for water troll corpses, since water trolls can [[swim]] and will revive without drowning.
-In all these cases, the corpse's weight is a major obstacle - carrying it often leaves a character at stressed levels of encumbrance or more. This slows them down enough that the troll corpse may revive while still in their grasp, unless the pit, container or other desired means of disposal is close by.
+In all these cases, the corpse's weight is a major obstacle: carrying it often leaves a character at stressed levels of encumbrance or more, slowing them down enough that the troll corpse may revive while still in their grasp, unless the pit, container or other desired means of disposal is close by.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As of {{commit|654b7d41b2a0314bfb04f77486d9385455775c5a}}, trolls can dig their way out of the ground if buried.}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As of {{commit|654b7d41b2a0314bfb04f77486d9385455775c5a}}, trolls can dig their way out of the ground if they revive while buried.}}
 ===As pets===
-While not as strong as some other pet candidates, higher-level trolls are still reasonably strong pets that can be worth keeping if you happen to tame one: they can make use of most weapons and [[unicorn horn]]s, wear non-body armor, and are capable of reviving if killed. Though they do not always revive tame, the odds of a pet troll reviving as hostile are small as long as you do not abuse or directly kill them.
+While not as powerful as some other pet candidates, higher-level trolls are still reasonably strong and can be worth keeping if a tame one is obtained: all trolls can make use of most weapons and [[unicorn horn]]s, wear non-body armor, and are capable of reviving if killed. Though they do not always revive tame, the odds of a pet troll reviving as hostile are low as long as the character does not abuse or kill them.
 ===As polymorph forms===
-Trolls are also decently strong polymorph forms for players, though they cannot wear body armor, making uncontrolled polymorph into one undesirable since it risks often-valuable armor. A troll's strength and regeneration make them solidly durable forms for combat, and most of them can move at the same base speed as the character does normally. Players in troll polyforms should avoid meleeing footrices if at all possible, as the bite attack will result in instant [[stoning]] if it lands.
+Trolls are also decently strong polymorph forms, though they cannot wear body armor, making uncontrolled polymorph into one undesirable since it can break valuable armor. A troll's strength and regeneration make them solidly durable forms for combat, and most trolls can move at the same base speed as the character does normally. Players in troll polyforms should avoid attacking footrices in melee if at all possible, as the bite attack will result in instant [[stoning]] if it lands.
 ==History==
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 Conversely, the trolls of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth are monstrous, ogre-like large humanoids of great strength that spoke very little if at all, and were darker and far more bestial due to being bred by Sauron and Melkor for evil purposes - they were also vulnerable to sunlight, with the Olog-hai being notable for their relative intelligence and lack of this weakness. Tolkien's portrayal of trolls in ''The Hobbit'' is a notable exception compared to later stories: they are depicted as more "human" and have English working-class names, speak in Cockney vulgar table manners, and constantly fight among themselves. The conflicting portrayals lend themselves to the well-known dilemma that Tolkien, a devout Roman Catholic, faced in regards to whether or not Middle-Earth's evil beings had souls (and thus were redeemable).
-The trolls of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' are the basis for the ones featured in ''NetHack'': they are partly inspired by the troll that appears in [[wikipedia:Poul Anderson|Poul Anderson]] novel ''[[wikipedia:Three Hearts and Three Lions|Three Hearts and Three Lions]]'', with the same ability to rapidly heal wounds and even animate disembodied parts of itself, as well as a weakness to fire. ''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 rarely use weapons in favor of attacking relentlessly with their claws and teeth, hunt most other living creatures for prey, and have no natural predators - however, they do respect humans and other groups that are known to wield fire, which is one of the few ways of counteracting a troll's regenerative abilities.
+The trolls of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' are the basis for the ones featured in ''NetHack'': they are partly inspired by the troll in [[wikipedia:Poul Anderson|Poul Anderson]] novel ''[[wikipedia:Three Hearts and Three Lions|Three Hearts and Three Lions]]'', with the same ability to rapidly heal wounds and even animate disembodied parts of itself, as well as a weakness to fire. ''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 its great physical strength and agility: they are fearless fighters that rarely use weapons in favor of attacking relentlessly with their claws and teeth, hunt most other living creatures for prey, and have no natural predators - however, they do respect humans and other groups that are known to wield fire, which is one of the few ways of counteracting a troll's regenerative abilities.
 ==Variants==
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 In [[UnNetHack]], 1-3 random trolls are generated on the fourth floor of the [[Ruins of Moria]] at level creation.
-Targeting any troll monster for a dungeon-wide [[genocide]] (i.e., by any means other than a non-blessed [[scroll of genocide]]) produces some [[YAFM|unique messages]]. The message for genocide uses "plonk", a term that originated as Usenet jargon for adding another user (typically an [[wikipedia:Troll (slang)|Internet "troll"]]) to a "kill file" that allows its user to completely ignore the future posts of anyone listed - the word is meant to simulate the sound of the ignored user hitting the bottom of the file. The reverse genocide messages use "leetspeek", a form of Internet vernacular.
+Targeting any troll monster for a dungeon-wide [[genocide]] (i.e., by any means other than a non-blessed [[scroll of genocide]]) produces some [[YAFM|unique messages]]. The message for genocide uses "plonk", a term that originated as Usenet jargon for adding another user (typically an [[wikipedia:Troll (slang)|Internet "troll"]]) to a "kill file" that completely ignores the future posts of anyone listed - the word is meant to simulate the sound of the ignored user hitting the bottom of the file. The reverse genocide messages use "leetspeek", a form of Internet vernacular.
 ====Messages====
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 * {{green|T}} [[wood troll]]
-Since trolls are chaotic, any [[Silver Flame]] weapon will automatically sacrifice them, causing them to leave no corpse.
+Since trolls are chaotic, any [[Silver Flame]] weapon will automatically sacrifice their corpses.
 ===xNetHack===

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 ===Revival===
-Trolls can [[revive]] from their [[corpse]] when killed: if a troll dies and leaves behind a corpse, a timer is set such that it has a {{frac|37}} chance of reviving from that corpse per turn - this timer starts anywhere between 2 and 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]] will prevent a troll from attempting to revive.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|788|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} If a troll corpse is unable to revive when the timer expires, whether due to Trollsbane or e.g. being buried, it will not revive again and rot as normal.{{refsrc|src/do.c|1896|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+Trolls can [[revive]] from their [[corpse]] when killed: if a troll dies and leaves behind a corpse, a timer is set such that it has a {{frac|37}} chance of reviving from that corpse per turn - this timer starts anywhere between 2 and 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]] will prevent a troll from attempting to revive.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|788|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} If a troll corpse is unable to revive when the timer expires, whether due to Trollsbane or e.g. being buried, it will not attempt to revive again and continue to rot as normal.{{refsrc|src/do.c|1896|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As of {{commit|328dc5bdfa70765b698fa3ba50325b659bfef561}}, Trollsbane instead prevents the revival of all trolls that it kills.}}
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Strategy==
-Most trolls move as fast as an unhasted and unburdened character and hit decently hard for the point they can be encountered at, making them an annoyance at best. Even for a well-armed character that can handle a particular type of troll normally, disposing of them before they can revive is another matter: trolls always leave a corpse under most normal circumstances. While eating the corpse is not a bad idea, you have to finish the meal in time without the troll reviving midway to be rid of it completely. It is very possible to become quite satiated from eating a troll corpse without actually getting to finish it - a [[tinning kit]] circumvents both issues completely, both by removing the corpse when creating the [[tin]], and the resulting tin giving much lower nutrition.
+Most trolls move as fast as an unhasted and unburdened character, and hit decently hard for the point they can be encountered at, making them an annoyance at best. Even for a well-armed character that can handle a particular type of troll normally, disposing of them before they can revive is another matter: trolls always leave a corpse under most normal circumstances. While eating the corpse is not a bad idea, you have to finish the meal in time without the troll reviving midway to be rid of it completely - it is very possible to become quite satiated from eating a troll corpse without actually getting to finish it. A [[tinning kit]] circumvents both issues completely, both by removing the corpse when creating the [[tin]], and the resulting tin giving much lower nutrition.
-There are several ways to kill a troll without leaving a corpse behind at all: one of the easier methods is [[stoning]], e.g. via a [[footrice]] corpse, [[egg]] or a live footrice attack (often via [[conflict]]). [[Disintegration]] rays and crushing via [[drawbridge]] will also leave no corpse behind, nor will killing the troll while on the [[Rogue level]]. [[Digestion]] attacks from a pet, polyform or conflicted monster will instantly kill a troll without leaving a corpse.
+There are several ways to kill a troll without leaving a corpse behind at all: one of the easier methods is [[stoning]], e.g. via a [[footrice]] corpse, [[egg]] or a live footrice attack (often via [[conflict]]). [[Disintegration]] rays and crushing via [[drawbridge]] will also leave no corpse behind, and killing the troll while on the [[Rogue level]] will also prevent corpse creation. [[Digestion]] attacks from a pet, polyform or conflicted monster will instantly kill a troll without leaving a corpse.
-One of the most reliable means of eliminating a troll corpse is to let a meat-eating [[pet]] consume it: food eaten by pets disappears immediately, completely preventing revival from occurring. [[Sacrifice]] is also viable if the corpse is not too old. Another reliable method it is to throw the corpse into [[lava]] and instantly incinerate it; for non-water trolls, throwing it into a [[pool]] of water will cause the troll to drown as soon as it revives. A [[gelatinous cube]] can immediately digest a troll corpse by moving over it.
+One of the most reliable means of eliminating a troll corpse is to let a meat-eating [[pet]] consume it: food eaten by pets disappears immediately, completely preventing revival from occurring. [[Sacrifice]] is also viable if the corpse is not too old. Another somewhat reliable method it is to throw the corpse into [[lava]] and instantly incinerate it; throwing a troll corpse into a [[pool]] of water will cause the troll to drown as soon as it revives, unless they are a water troll. A [[gelatinous cube]] can immediately digest a troll corpse by moving over it.
-[[Polymorph]]ing the corpse is viable as well, but often requires charges from a [[wand of polymorph|wand]] that characters will want to save for other purposes - while polymorphing the live troll itself can also work, the non-troll monster it likely turns into can still be just as dangerous or worse. [[Sliming]] is similarly perilous, as it results in another slime that can inflict the condition on you or your pets in turn.
+[[Polymorph]]ing the corpse is viable as well, but often requires charges from a [[wand of polymorph]] that characters will want to save for other purposes - while polymorphing the live troll itself can also work, the non-troll monster it likely turns into can still be just as dangerous or worse. [[Sliming]] is similarly perilous, as it results in another slime that can inflict the condition on you or your pets in turn.
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As of {{commit|fae75f5930bf8e7707a31b019f7fe415c6705cdd}}, [[cancel]]ling a troll or its corpse will prevent it from reviving.}}
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 * Placing the corpse in an [[ice box]] will pause the revival timer, leaving you to deal with it at your own leisure.
 * Placing the corpse in a cursed bag of holding and repeatedly #[[loot]]ing the bag can cause it to disappear.
-* Finding or [[dig]]ging a pit and placing the corpse in before filling it with a [[boulder]] will prevent it from reviving - this also works for filling squares of water, though there is a {{frac|10}} chance of a boulder falling in and sinking without a trace.
+* Finding or [[digging]] a pit and placing the corpse in, then filling it with a [[boulder]], will prevent the corpse from reviving - this also works for filling squares of water, though there is a {{frac|10}} chance of a boulder falling in and sinking without a trace.
 In all these cases, the corpse's weight is a major obstacle - carrying it often leaves a character at stressed levels of encumbrance or more. This slows them down enough that the troll corpse may revive while still in their grasp, unless the pit, container or other desired means of disposal is close by.
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 Trolls are depicted in a variety of forms in modern popular culture and media, with some of the most popular portrayals - the works of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] set in Middle-earth, the works of Sir Terry Pratchett set in ''[[Discworld]]'', and the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' roleplaying game - drawing from the original folklore. ''Discworld'' trolls draw the most heavily from Norse folklore and resemble a form of "living rock": they are composed of silicon with carbon, survive on minerals and are named after geology - a troll's intelligence is temperature-dependent due to their composition, possessing Einstein-level smarts in cold temperatures while becoming much less smart at higher temperatures. Those that live long enough (typically several centuries) head to the mountains to sit down, think deep thoughts, and eventually merge into the landscape.
-Conversely, the trolls of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth are monstrous, ogre-like large humanoids of great strength that spoke very little if at all, and were darker and far more bestial due to being bred by Sauron and Melkor for evil purposes - they were also vulnerable to sunlight, with the Olog-hai being notable for their relative intelligence and lack of this weakness. Tolkien's portrayal of trolls in ''The Hobbit'' is a notable exception compared to later stories: they are depicted as more "human" and have English working-class names, speak in Cockney vulgar table manners, and constantly fight among themselves. The conflicting portrayals lend themselves to the well-known dilemma that the devout Roman Catholic Tolkien faced in regards to whether or not Middle-Earth's evil beings had souls (and thus were redeemable).
+Conversely, the trolls of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth are monstrous, ogre-like large humanoids of great strength that spoke very little if at all, and were darker and far more bestial due to being bred by Sauron and Melkor for evil purposes - they were also vulnerable to sunlight, with the Olog-hai being notable for their relative intelligence and lack of this weakness. Tolkien's portrayal of trolls in ''The Hobbit'' is a notable exception compared to later stories: they are depicted as more "human" and have English working-class names, speak in Cockney vulgar table manners, and constantly fight among themselves. The conflicting portrayals lend themselves to the well-known dilemma that Tolkien, a devout Roman Catholic, faced in regards to whether or not Middle-Earth's evil beings had souls (and thus were redeemable).
 The trolls of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' are the basis for the ones featured in ''NetHack'': they are partly inspired by the troll that appears in [[wikipedia:Poul Anderson|Poul Anderson]] novel ''[[wikipedia:Three Hearts and Three Lions|Three Hearts and Three Lions]]'', with the same ability to rapidly heal wounds and even animate disembodied parts of itself, as well as a weakness to fire. ''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 rarely use weapons in favor of attacking relentlessly with their claws and teeth, hunt most other living creatures for prey, and have no natural predators - however, they do respect humans and other groups that are known to wield fire, which is one of the few ways of counteracting a troll's regenerative abilities.
@@ Line 112: / Line 112: @@
 ===Hack'EM===
-[[Hack'EM]] adds several new monsters to the monster class from other variants:
+[[Hack'EM]] adds some new monsters to the monster class from other variants:
 * {{monsymlink|two-headed troll}}

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ===Generation===
-Randomly generated monsters from the troll monster class are always generated hostile. The water troll is the only monster of the group to not be generated randomly, excluding it from the generation cases below.
+Randomly generated monsters from the troll monster class are always generated hostile. The water troll is the only troll that is not generated randomly, excluding it from the class-based monster placement cases below.
 The troll monster class is the second [[quest]] monster class for [[Barbarian]]s, and makes up {{frac|6|175}} of the monsters that randomly generate on the [[Barbarian quest]]. Some random troll monsters are also placed on the lower levels of the quest branch at level creation: two are randomly placed on the locate level, one is randomly placed in each of the lower filler level(s), and another is placed on the goal level.
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 Trolls may appear among the hostile monsters generated in [[throne room]]s at dungeon level 10 and below, and can also appear among 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}} Trolls are usually placed among the monsters in the central room of the [[Castle]] at level creation.
-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}}
+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}}
 ==Strategy==

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:59, 16 March 2024
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	* {{green\|T}} [[wood troll]]		* {{green\|T}} [[wood troll]]
		+
		+	Since trolls are chaotic, any [[Silver Flame]] weapon will automatically sacrifice them, causing them to leave no corpse.

	===xNetHack===		===xNetHack===

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Common characteristics==
-All trolls are [[chaotic]]. They are [[strong]], [[carnivorous]] [[humanoid]] monsters that possess enhanced [[regeneration]] and [[infravision]], can be seen via infravision, and can [[follow]] player characters that move to another level while adjacent to them. Trolls are capable of [[pounding]] with polearms at Skilled level, where most other monsters can only do so at Unskilled level.
+All trolls are [[chaotic]]. They are [[strong]], [[carnivorous]] [[humanoid]] monsters that possess enhanced [[regeneration]] and [[infravision]], can be seen via infravision, and can [[follow]] player characters that move to another level while adjacent to them.
 Peaceful and tame trolls will grunt if you [[chat]] to them.

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 ==Variants==
-Some variants may include an additional [[Troll (monster attribute)|troll]] [[monster attribute]] for troll-related monsters, typically [[undead]] ones, that govern common traits such as their revival ability.
+Some variants may include an additional [[Troll (monster attribute)|troll]] [[monster attribute]] for troll-related monsters outside the monster class, typically [[undead]] ones - the attribute can govern common traits, such as their revival ability.
 ===SLASH'EM===

@@ Line 78: / Line 78: @@
 * {{monsymlink|two-headed troll}}
 * {{monsymlink|black troll}}
 ===UnNetHack===