Can Trolls eat themselves?

[Turanil]

that reminds me of a convesation with some troll in the computer game baldurs gate 2 where the troll says he cuts off his fingers for the orcs to eat because he can regenerate them back

It's very kind of him. What a nice troll. In my campaigns, the trolls would already have eaten the orcs...

 

[RFisher]

mad troll disease.

"This door has been sealed for untold millenia. The only thing that could've survived in here would be constructs or the undead." Cue mad troll.

 

[Mark CMG]

I wrote a short story back in high school about a troll who did this very thing when trapped in a cavern. It took him centuries to dig his way out, following a trickle of a stream. He came out mean.

 

[WhatGravitas]

"This door has been sealed for untold millenia. The only thing that could've survived in here would be constructs or the undead." Cue mad troll.

The idea is somehow interesting... and explains, why Trolls are ugly and brutal:

Once, millennia ago, a group of holy warriors has sworn to protect their leader, even in his grave. They enchanted themselves to become nigh-immortal, gaining the ability to regrow wounds, to regrow old tissue (staying young this way), but never realized the psychological impact of their powers:
Hunger. Thirst. Pain.
They're immune against the consequences of these dangers, but still felt them. After centuries, one warrior began to gnaw on his body to finally end the hunger, and the others followed his example. They mutilated themselves, knowing that they won't die, and over time, they became scarred by this - in mind and body. After some time, they have lost their sanity and began to sank into total depravity and mated... and they bred true, after centuries of the enchantment, and so, the first Troll was born - and he left the grave, together with the former warriors...

Hmmm... just a short write-up, but perhaps I'll snatch it for my (eternally unfinished) home-brew campaign.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If trolls could eat themselves, they'd never leave the house.

 

[Piratecat]

If trolls could eat themselves, they'd never leave the cave. I suspect the long nose gets in the way.

...what?

EDIT: Dammit! Beaten to the punch!

 

[thedungeondelver]

I once wrote up an "ecology of the troll" sort of article for my website but never got 'round to posting it, so here's the gist of it:

The troll's unique physiology works like this: when there's a lack of food, one in five soft tissue cells in the troll's body basically commits suicide, breaking itself down so that the surrounding cells can "eat". This however greatly weakens the troll both in sheer physical strength and in terms of making them vulnerable to physical damage (connective tissues are weakened, for example).

This starvation mode is fairly easy to trigger given the trolls' fast metabolism. The net result is that trolls are always ravenous and always on the lookout for something else to eat. They'll eat and eat to stop their bodies from starting the process of self-consumption. The starvation mode can be sensed by other trolls, so trolls that haven't eaten frequently enough are typically attacked by their fellows and finished off in short order.

The great stupidity of trolls comes from the fact that their brains have evolved a mechanism to defend themselves from prion-based diseases as trolls eat everything of their targets, including the brains. Sometimes, especially the brains. Unfortunately the same chemical defense that prevents the prion disorders also severely retards cognitive abilities, leaving trolls as great, towering louts with few motivations beyond eating and committing evil acts.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Improved Message Board Initiative: Don't leave home without it.

 

[frankthedm]

TSR felt this was possible.

I feel a troll trying this will starve faster. I run trolls closer to the eat anything Warhammer trolls {including an acidic vomit replacing rend], but IMG thier regeneration is fueled by meat. I never did actual math on it, but I'd guestimate each round of regenerating is like going an hour without eating. Few rounds here and there won't be too bad, but replacing body parts will be a net loss if that is all they have to eat.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Best response in this thread!

Thanks!
Apparently I'm more creative shortly after having woken up.