Troll, Marsh

Armor Class
6 [13]
Hit Dice
7
Attacks
Bite or Claw (1d6+1)
Special
paralysis, regeneration, hold/grab, cold, lightning
Move
9 Swim 15
HDE/XP
8/800

Description

Just like their cousins, Marsh Trolls stand at around 9 feet tall and weigh around 500 pounds. Their hide and skin have a deep black and green color to them, while their hair is usually a weird shade of orange that’s unnaturally colorful. One other key physical feature for these creatures is that their noses are extremely long and pointy, to the point they could poke one's eye out. They have a great lust for anything shiny or see-through and they have a basic capacity for intelligence. In their very limited understanding of social norms, the marsh troll with the most shinies is the leader. As such, they could be bartered with, instead of fighting. Make a Reaction Check if the party tries to bargain with them. These creatures swim well, even better than their walking capabilities. As such, they are usually found around swamps, rivers, or lakes. In this instant, local townsfolk may have called them river trolls, as they were first discovered in marsh regions.

Marsh trolls have the power of regeneration; they heal 2 hit points of damage each round after being injured. They can regenerate slightly faster than their cousins due to their great adaptability. A marsh troll reduced to 0 hit points is not dead, but only disabled for 2d10 rounds, at which point it will regain 2 hit points. Note that the troll may “play dead” until it has regenerated further.

If the marsh troll hits with one of its claws and a bite, they may perform a special attack, submerging the victim underwater. The victim must make a saving throw or be dealt an additional 2d8 damage, or half as much on a successful saving throw. If there is no water nearby, the marsh troll will simply bash the creature into the ground with this attack for 2d4 damage; no save is allowed.

Damage from cold and lightning cannot be regenerated, and must heal at the normal rate; a marsh troll can only be killed by this sort of damage. The lower morale rating (in parentheses) is used when the troll faces attackers armed with cold or lightning. If a troll loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in one turn; or, the creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump. Marsh trolls are hateful creatures, reveling in combat and bloodshed. Though they could easily use a variety of weapons, they much prefer the sensation of flesh being rent by their teeth and claws.

See Also

Other creatures grouped under Troll: Troll, Moon, Troll, Night, Troll, Rock.

Source note: This creature is converted from The Basic Fantasy Field Guide of Creatures Malevolent and Benign – Omnibus Edition, 1st Edition Release 4, © 2010–2025 Chris Gonnerman, R. Kevin Smoot, James Lemon, Matt Sluis, and Contributors. The Basic Fantasy Field Guide textual material is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International; this page adapts that creature to White Box.