D&D 5E Troll-blooded fast-healing characters?

[Kobold Avenger]

So thinking of the option of having a Troll-blooded character whether as a PC race/lineage or something that can be gained somehow like through a supernatural gift or a subclass.

I think the main appeal mechanically is the ability to have something similar to the Troll's fast healing abilities. But fast healing might seem very powerful for PCs to have, though it also isn't as powerful as one might think it is if it's something like: heal 1 hp a round. So what might be a balanced implementation of having such an ability?

 

[aco175]

This is something that makes you able to start each fight at full HP. You will not not need to rest or spend HD to gain healing. You will never need to roll a death save since you gain 1 HP and can not get up and fight another round.

I'm not sure on how to balance this, I find it more powerful than I think. Doing away with HD does not matter. Taking away half the HP of the character, makes him fall down more. Not allowing healing spells to work on him, makes him fall down more. Maybe making spells or elemental damage not allow healing like a troll?

 

[Kobold Avenger]

This is something that makes you able to start each fight at full HP. You will not not need to rest or spend HD to gain healing. You will never need to roll a death save since you gain 1 HP and can not get up and fight another round.

What about something that works similar to subclass ability of the Champion where Fast Healing only kicks in when HP is between 1 and half your HP total? They are Troll-blooded, but not fully Trolls after all.

Never thought of the death save though, but maybe being Troll-blooded gives one advantage to death saves.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I think there is something by a 3PP, for example one in the setting "Iron Kingdoms" by Privateer Press, if my memory doesn't fail.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

What is the actual intent behind the concept? is it to have infinite but slow healing, healing in combat, or something else?

Ability to spend HD during combat like the Dwarf feat could be an idea, alongside advantage on Death Saves and perhaps ability to regrow lost extremities over Long Rests?

 

[Fanaelialae]

What about something that works similar to subclass ability of the Champion where Fast Healing only kicks in when HP is between 1 and half your HP total? They are Troll-blooded, but not fully Trolls after all.

Never thought of the death save though, but maybe being Troll-blooded gives one advantage to death saves.

That's the direction I would go with it. It's a nice perk for a front line character. Assuming you have some time, you can get back to half hp, sparing the cleric a few heals or yourself a few Hit Dice. Particularly after the first few levels, it's likely to have little to no effect in combat IMO, so I might even make it a short rest ability to reduce fiddly tracking.

 

[Lanefan]

Well I'm Troll-blooded, check it and see
Recuperatin', get my healing for free
Come on, Fighter, I can do this all day
'Cause I'm Troll-blooded, Troll-blooded ...

 

[aco175]

To make things simple, you get to heal when you damage an opponent. That may sound a bit vampiric over troll though. I was trying to think simple mechanic that kicks in when you hit over remembering something like half HP. Maybe when you critical you gain 1d6 HP or 1/level.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Character concept wise, it could of course be someone who simply is part-Troll part-Human/whatever. But it could also be someone who has been able to invoke or receive the blessing of the "Undying beast". Or maybe it's an Alchemist/Artificer or Scientist/Wizard type, that researched their formula which had a warning of "may include side effects" but decided to experiment on themselves anyways.

 

[Shiroiken]

Without some kind of significant downside, any kind of free, always on healing is way too strong. I think giving bonus healing during a short rest or when otherwise gaining HP would be fine instead. you still heal quickly, but you have to spend something, even if just time, to gain the benefit.

 

[nevin]

So thinking of the option of having a Troll-blooded character whether as a PC race/lineage or something that can be gained somehow like through a supernatural gift or a subclass.

I think the main appeal mechanically is the ability to have something similar to the Troll's fast healing abilities. But fast healing might seem very powerful for PCs to have, though it also isn't as powerful as one might think it is if it's something like: heal 1 hp a round. So what might be a balanced implementation of having such an ability?

I don't think 1 hp a round is overpowering. It's powerful 1 thru 3 then meh. I'd even go so far as to have racial feats that let them bump it up at say 7ish to 5hp a round and then around 15 10 a round. There are magic Items that do similar things I don't think it would be overpowered.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Make it so that the player can spend 1 HDs as an action, with maybe a with a double Con mod when doing so. And maybe something like spend 5 HD to reattach a severed limb if you have more than 1 hp.

Or maybe something closer to Gift of the Everliving Ones, maximizing healing dice. Or at-will casting of False Life.

 

[Quickleaf]

So thinking of the option of having a Troll-blooded character whether as a PC race/lineage or something that can be gained somehow like through a supernatural gift or a subclass.

I think the main appeal mechanically is the ability to have something similar to the Troll's fast healing abilities. But fast healing might seem very powerful for PCs to have, though it also isn't as powerful as one might think it is if it's something like: heal 1 hp a round. So what might be a balanced implementation of having such an ability?

I'd do:

"As a bonus action, you may spend one Hit Die to recover hit points."

It's potent – maybe on the scale of the aarakocra race getting a 50 ft fly speed? – but it's really like a toned down Second Wind that is usable more often, but comes at cost of your Hit Dice.

 

[Weiley31]

Iron Kingdom: Requiem has a Troll race you can play as in it. So there ya go!

 

[NotAYakk]

I'd do:

"As a bonus action, you may spend one Hit Die to recover hit points."

It's potent – maybe on the scale of the aarakocra race getting a 50 ft fly speed? – but it's really like a toned down Second Wind that is usable more often, but comes at cost of your Hit Dice.

You could even make it an action or a reaction (to taking damage).

 

[Quartz]

I'd do:

"As a bonus action, you may spend one Hit Die to recover hit points."

It's potent – maybe on the scale of the aarakocra race getting a 50 ft fly speed? – but it's really like a toned down Second Wind that is usable more often, but comes at cost of your Hit Dice.

I like it. You may want to make it slightly more complex: in addition you may use an Action to spend your Proficiency Bonus in HD to regain HP or reattach a limb.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

As an ability for a potential PC race:
Option 1: When who have at least 1 hitpoint, and your currents hitpoints are below half of your hitpoint total, you heal your half or your Proficiency bonus rounded up, at the start of your turn. You also gain advantage on death saving throws, and regrow lost limbs after a long rest.
Option 2: When you take a short rest, and spend hit dice to heal, you first heal up to half your hitpoint total before adding the amount healed from your hit dice. You also gain advantage on death saving throws, and regrow lost limbs after a long rest.
Option 3: As a bonus action you can spend 1 hit die to heal damage as if you were when taking a short rest. This hit die spent counts against your total you spend when taking short rests. You also gain advantage on death saving throws, and regrow lost limbs after a long rest.

And some 1d6 unarmed attack that no one really cares about, like a claw or bite as another ability.

For classes, I think that out of the fighting classes Barbarian would be the one that a Troll-themed subclass fits best in. Healing would kick in with rage and it could go beyond 3 hp, maybe something like heal 2d6 hitpoints at the start of your turn.
Less of a fit with spellcasting classes, but I feel something like a Druid, Sorcerer or a Mad Scientist Artificer might have room for a Troll-themed subclass.

 

[AmerginLiath]

Reattaching a limb feels a bit strong to do without other Magic for someone of merely troll bloodline (versus a proper troll), but I could see adding proficiency in Death saves to the ability to spend HD (since hit dice are a limited resource themselves).

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Reattaching a limb feels a bit strong to do without other Magic for someone of merely troll bloodline (versus a proper troll), but I could see adding proficiency in Death saves to the ability to spend HD (since hit dice are a limited resource themselves).

I don't think losing limbs is that common in 5e that reattaching a limb for a troll blooded character is sort of like a ribbon ability, there's the Sword of Sharpness as a rare magic item which can remove limbs. But Nycaloths no longer have Vorpal Axes or Axes of Sharpness like they used to in older edition. In fact I'd be surprised if their are any such monsters in 5e that still have such an ability left.

 

[mcmillan]

Kobold press' Midgard Heroes Handbook has a Trollkin race. The way they do healing is a bonus action to spend a hit die 1/long rest. It scales up by adding more hit dice at higher levels. Acid or fire also causes you to lose it until a long rest.