Troll

Overview

A troll is the largest thing on most runs. The highest Body and Strength maximums of any metatype, plus natural dermal plating, make a troll the character who walks into fire and ends melee in one exchange. Body also drives the physical condition monitor at 8 plus half Body rounded up, so the metatype that hits hardest absorbs the most as well. Everything built for smaller people becomes a problem. Doorways, vehicles, armor, and cover identities need custom work or do not work at all, which turns into nuyen and into runs where the troll waits outside. The social side is worse than an ork's: a troll is remembered by every witness and read as a threat before saying anything.

How it works

Attribute Maximums: The highest Body and Strength ceilings in the setting, above the standard cap of 6 and up to the racial maximum of 8 this builder allows. Agility and Charisma get no help. Edge: The lowest of the metatypes, since the attribute maximums are the largest. You solve problems with Body rather than by rerolling. Qualities: Dermal plating, reach, and thermographic senses are the traditional troll traits, alongside the social and equipment penalties. Qualities are free text here, so record what your table applies. Condition Monitors: The largest physical monitor available, at 8 plus half Body rounded up. Stun still depends entirely on your own Willpower.

Tips and playstyle

Best for: Street samurai and adepts built around Close Combat, and any team that needs one member who can stand in the open and still be standing afterward. Character concepts: An arena fighter who took a fixer's offer, a bodyguard working off a debt to a Johnson, a demolitions hand who carries what nobody else can move. Synergies: Strength plus Close Combat is the strongest pool a starting character can build. Budget early for custom armor and a vehicle that fits, and let a decker or face handle the quiet indoor half of the run.

Frequently asked questions