Rock troll

“Man must riddly talk. But no tricksy. Or troll boom man head.”—Rock troll dwelling, in a cave on Undvik

If while hiking high in the mountains you come across a walking stone, do not think your eyes deceive you. Instead, draw your sword—for before you stands a rock troll. True, not every encounter with these creatures ends in a fight—while not particularly intelligent, trolls are capable of reason—but it is better to prepare for the worst. Otherwise, your hike might end not on the summit, but in their stew.

Trolls are able to use fire and simple tools, and some of them have even mastered the basics of common speech. Though linguistic nuances such as conjugations and declinations escape them, they are extremely fond of riddles, rhymes and all sorts of wordplay, a fact a witcher in possession of a bit of wit can use to his advantage.

If a fight proves inevitable, one must watch out for the stones these trolls throw with great strength and shocking precision. Their powerful, heavy fists also present a danger, for they can buckle even the sturdiest breastplate or cuirass. Since their backs are covered in a layer of rocky growth, blows delivered from behind will not do them much damage. They must thus be fought directly, standing face to face—and preferably armed with a sword covered in a fresh coating of ogroid oil.

Troll information is continued on the next page with ice trolls.

Combat Tactics
Trolls of both varieties are vicious fighters, and unfortunately must be fought head on. The armor of stone or ice on their backs armors them too well for flanking tactics.

Running away from a troll does not guarantee safety, as they can throw stones with alarming speed and accuracy.

The power and weight behind every punch thrown by a troll means that they cannot be parried. A witcher must be adept at evasion, striking when the opportunities appear, then dodging the inevitable counter-attack.

Some rock trolls can actually be reasoned with, making it possible for a witcher to avoid a fight altogether. This is not the case with ice trolls.

Ice trolls become noticeably more powerful during snow storms. If you can avoid fighting them during during such weather, do so.