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We already saw troglodytes in our reading of the Monster Manual and Vault, and their basic lore remains the same. We get a few additional entries with their own lore here.

Like before, these troglodytes are Medium Natural Humanoids with the Reptile keyword, and their signature ability is the Troglodyte Stench, an aura that inflicts a -2 penalty to attacks. They have Darkvision and a speed of 5.

Troglodyte Thrasher

We already discussed their lore in the MM/MV post, so I’m not going to repeat that discussion here. However we do get a bit of additional lore. It seems thrashers are actually nonsapient, and their fellow troglodytes keep them in cages when not using them as attack beasts. I wouldn’t use this “charming” bit of lore in my own campaigns.

Troglodyte Deepscourge

Deepscourges are spellcasters. Like some poisonscale lizardmen, they follow a tradition based on internal alchemy. The specific variant practiced by deepscourges centers around manipulating and empowering their natural malodorous secretions to turn them into damaging and debilitating spells. Like Curse Chanters from the MM/MV post, deepscourges act as priests and leaders of troglodyte tribes, or as advisors to those leaders.

Deepscourges are Level 9 Artillery with the Leader keyword and 78 HP. Their slime is turbocharged: it projects the same Troglodyte Stench aura as the others, but it also projects an aura of Dizzying Stench out to 10 squares! Despite the name this is actually a “buffing” effect, increasing the radius of the stench of any troglodytes inside by 1 square. I wonder if the auras of multiple deepscourges stack.

Their main ranged attacks are an at-will Debilitating Ray that deals physical damage and weakens the target for a turn if it’s inside a stench aura. The stat block doesn’t list an attack roll, but I guess this is an editorial error and it should target AC.

They can also attack with an area-effect Rancid Cloud (recharge 5+), which only affects “non-reptiles”, targets Fortitude, does more damage than the ray attack, and weakens for a turn.

When hit by an attack the deepscourge can project a Blinding Stench in a burst around itself, targeting Fortitude and blinding (save ends) with no damage. If that doesn’t give it space to move away, it will be forced to use its weak claws in melee.

Troglodyte Temple Champion

As the name implies, these are troglodyte holy warriors, usually tasked with guarding their temples. These temples usually honor Torog, but some are dedicated to even worse entities like Demogorgon or other demons.

The blessings they receive tend to be subtle, of the type that makes them smarter and more disciplined. They use a highly technical fighting style and carry much better equipment than the rank and file. Though champions can be most often found guarding a temple, they’re also sometimes sent on divine missions at the head of troglodyte expeditionary forces.

The Troglodyte Temple Champion is a Level 9 Soldier with 101 HP. It wears scale, wields a flail, and also carries 2 javelins into battle. The flail and javelins make up their basic attacks, and they also have a couple of special techniques. Sweeping Trip is an at-will maneuver that does a bit less damage than an attack and knocks prone. Whirlwind Attack is an encounter power that does basic attack damage in a Close Burst 1.

No marking mechanic here - the champion’s stickiness comes from their liberal use of Sweeping Trips to keep opponents prone at their feet.

Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

I find the Deepscourge notable for being the first troglodytew stat block that can’t be easily re-skinned into another humanoid opponent. Its abilities are all about the stench, both its own and that of its allies. It’s a uniquely troglodytic monster.

Other than that, my opinion on troglodytes hasn’t changed much.

There’s four sample encounters between levels 7 and 12, and they’re all assorted bands of troglodytes. Sometimes they’re accompanied by drakes, and one of them has a balhannoth that likely appears as an opportunistic predator during the fight.