D&D 5E Troll regeneration

[empireofchaos]

I'm a bit confused about how troll regeneration works in this edition. The MM states:

The troll regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the troll takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of its turn. The troll dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate (p. 291)

1) Does this mean that any fire/acid damage taken during a particular round prevents the troll from regenerating all damage taken during that round? This would seem to imply that if the troll takes no damage from fire and/or acid in the subsequent round, it begins to regenerate normally again, including any damage sustained from fire and/or acid in previous rounds?

Or does it mean that any fire/acid damage taken during the whole encounter stops it from regenerating as long as the encounter lasts (or even longer - until its next long/short rest)? Or does it mean that the troll regenerates 10 points of damage as long as at least 10 points of damage was caused by other (non-fire or acid) means?

The first option seems like the stronger reading, but the text does not unequivocally stipulate the time frame in which the troll sustains the damage.

2) If the troll is knocked to 0 HP after sustaining massive damage, does it just jump up next round with 10 HP and keep doing what it's doing? In older editions when negative HP existed, it would sometimes take the troll a while to return to action even if it wasn't burned. Here, it seems immediate.

Relatedly, what would happen if the DM decides to give the troll death saves? If a troll at 1 HP takes fire damage, is knocked to 0, then fails a death save but takes no further fire damage in the round when it fails, does it begin regenerating again at the start of its turn the following round?

I haven't thrown a troll at my players yet, but I'm planning to for our next session. It would likely be a very dangerous encounter, so I'd like to be sure about how it should work before I do.

 

[bganon]

I read it as operating on a round-by-round basis (so it heals 10hp unless it took acid/fire since its last turn), and yes, technically this means only the last bit of damage needs to be fire/acid to kill it.

You could always require a certain total amount of acid/fire damage to keep it dead, but you're basically asking the players to keep beating on a downed troll. Not usually that interesting in combat. If they don't know how close to zero hp the troll is, they're going to be kept guessing anyway.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

It's round-by-round. Taking any fire or acid damage shuts off the regeneration on the troll's next round, after which it kicks in as normal (unless the troll is dead).

Thematically, it may have made more sense to say that damage from fire and acid never regenerate, but that would require tracking how much of the damage was actually dealt by fire and acid. This is way easier.

 

[Sunseeker]

As stated, round-by-round.
Round 1: Fight! Troll takes hits from fire in addition to other damage.
Round 2: No regeneration, but takes no fire or acid damage.
Round 3: Regains 10 hp but takes acid damage.
Round 4: No regeneration.....

 

[ccs]

Never mind, failed my skill check: "read words"....

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Burn it before it acts = no regen that round.
Burn it after it acts = It'll lose HP as normal, but it'll still regen the next round.

That doesn't sound right.

If it has taken fire or acid damage since its last turn, it doesn't regenerate on its turn. If the wizard acts after the troll, during the initiative order, then the troll gets to regenerate first but the wizard can shut it off for the next round.

Rounds aren't real things. There's no such thing as "round 1" or "round 2". As terminology, a "round" is just the period of time between this same spot in the initiative order showing up again.

 

[iserith]

Relatedly, what would happen if the DM decides to give the troll death saves? If a troll at 1 HP takes fire damage, is knocked to 0, then fails a death save but takes no further fire damage in the round when it fails, does it begin regenerating again at the start of its turn the following round?

To keep it simple, I'd have only fire and acid damage inflicted on a dying troll count as a failed death saving throw. It would stay at 0 hp for 1d4 hours upon stabilizing after which it would regain 1 hp and start regenerating as normal.

I haven't thrown a troll at my players yet, but I'm planning to for our next session. It would likely be a very dangerous encounter, so I'd like to be sure about how it should work before I do.

You might want to think about how to handle the players opting to have their characters attack the troll with fire and acid despite their characters not having encountered them before. If you truly want there to be a challenge to figuring out the troll's weaknesses, you may want to change it from fire and acid to something else.

 

[empireofchaos]

To keep it simple, I'd have only fire and acid damage inflicted on a dying troll count as a failed death saving throw. It would stay at 0 hp for 1d4 hours upon stabilizing after which it would regain 1 hp and start regenerating as normal.

Not sure I follow you here. You mean if the troll drops to 0, has acid/fire applied to it for two consecutive rounds (ruled as two failed saves, in accordance with what you say above), and then left alone, it would then regain a HP in 1-4 hours as a normal PC/NPC/monster? So the way you read it, regeneration would turn off if an unconscious troll has acid/fire applied to it, until such time as it normally regains a HP?

You might want to think about how to handle the players opting to have their characters attack the troll with fire and acid despite their characters not having encountered them before. If you truly want there to be a challenge to figuring out the troll's weaknesses, you may want to change it from fire and acid to something else.

Well, I'm not sure they will immediately figure it out. The players are old-timer returnees, but haven't faced trolls in decades, probably, so I'm not sure how much they remember. This troll also has a third eye (for in-game reasons, but with no combat impact), so that may delay recognition further. The PCs have no access to acid that I'm aware of, but have torches and oil, and the sorcerer does have Fire Bolt.

I'm not looking to make figuring out the troll's weakness an extra challenge, since it's a 3rd level party of 4, and the troll might make short work of them anyway, without additional problems. If any use of Fire Bolt (or torches) stops the regeneration for a round, that's to the party's advantage, obviously, but I don't think they need additional complications in this fight.

 

[iserith]

Not sure I follow you here. You mean if the troll drops to 0, has acid/fire applied to it for two consecutive rounds (ruled as two failed saves, in accordance with what you say above), and then left alone, it would then regain a HP in 1-4 hours as a normal PC/NPC/monster? So the way you read it, regeneration would turn off if an unconscious troll has acid/fire applied to it, until such time as it normally regains a HP?

Typically, I just have trolls die at 0 hit points regardless of the damage type done that round - I don't want to play whack-a-troll. If I were to use the death saving throw rules on a troll, however, I would have the troll dying at 0 hit points and make death saving throws as normal except that damage inflicted upon it that isn't acid or fire would not count as a failed death saving throw. Regeneration would "restart" in 1d4 hours.

Well, I'm not sure they will immediately figure it out. The players are old-timer returnees, but haven't faced trolls in decades, probably, so I'm not sure how much they remember. This troll also has a third eye (for in-game reasons, but with no combat impact), so that may delay recognition further. The PCs have no access to acid that I'm aware of, but have torches and oil, and the sorcerer does have Fire Bolt.

I'm not looking to make figuring out the troll's weakness an extra challenge, since it's a 3rd level party of 4, and the troll might make short work of them anyway, without additional problems. If any use of Fire Bolt (or torches) stops the regeneration for a round, that's to the party's advantage, obviously, but I don't think they need additional complications in this fight.

I refer to the age-old argument that players whose characters haven't fought trolls before should refrain from applying their knowledge of the trolls' weaknesses in a battle. If you've no issue with that (and kudos to you if you don't), then disregard my comments. If you do take issue with it, I recommend just changing the damage type required to stymie regeneration rather than demanding the players refrain from applying said knowledge.

In any case, four PCs at 3rd level will probably throw that troll a beating unless they're already low on resources.

 

[empireofchaos]

In any case, four PCs at 3rd level will probably throw that troll a beating unless they're already low on resources.

I started this thread primarily to gauge the likelihood of this outcome. After that comment, my lingering misgivings are becoming dispelled. So if the party sustains significant losses (or even a TPK), I'll just just hide behind your authoritative gaming of this fight, [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION].

And the party is at nearly full resources (the only exception being the ranger's beast - a boar who has just eaten himself into exhaustion, so he's down a fatigue level or two...).