Half-Ogre

Half-ogres are often confused for rather large half-orcs. They are often prized by barbarian tribes, pit fight managers, and laborer foremen for their great endurance and strength, but often find it difficult to fit in to other aspects of society. Half-ogres who do not fit the stereotype of the large brute or who express talents in other directions often leave their homelands and take to adventuring in order to find the type of life they want. Even so, a half-ogre wizard or cleric can always fall back on their races’ great physical prowess in a pinch.

Large And In Charge

Half-ogres are large, they are often nearly eight feet tall and weighing hundreds of pounds. Their physical prowess typically leads them to becoming the leaders of their tribes. This is especially true when half-ogres lead human or orc barbarian tribes. It is rare that a half-ogre is found among ogres as those brutes tend to drive out their weaker kin, but when they do the combination of greater intelligence (compared to ogres) and the mass of an ogre tribe creates an unstoppable force.

As intelligent as any human or dwarf, half-ogres seem to take the best of both their parent’s heritage. However, the ogre blood tends to make half-ogres cruel, impulsive, and violent. This leads to a brutal cunning that can surprise those who underestimate the mental abilities of these brutish creatures. Many look at the hulking physique and crude features of a half-ogre and miss the cunning and intelligent mind underneath.

Humans and ogres do not normally mate for obvious reasons. Even so, such pairings do happen from time to time. Half-ogres produce more half-ogres, and it is by this means that the race continues. Even so, due to their rarity outside of a few small areas most half-ogres reproduce with orcs, humans, and hobgoblins. Even so, half-ogres are fairly common and many tribal leaders are half-ogres.

There are strong links between slavers and necromancers, as well as the cult of Orcus, and half-ogres. Both these organizations operate in areas where half-ogres are common and value the combination of strength, intelligence, and violence that half-ogres bring. Because of this, as well as their ogre heritage, half-ogres are often persecuted in the neighboring lands.

Racial Traits

• Age: Half-ogres can take a long time to grow up, a factor that limits their numbers in the rough and tumble of ogre tribes. They reach adulthood at around twenty years of age, and can expect to live eighty years. Many do not live so long, for their homelands are violent and dangerous.
• Alignment: Their impulsiveness and ogre heritage tend to make half-ogres chaotic in nature. Those that are raised with care and love can have any ethical stance, but many are selfi sh and cruel, tending towards evil.
• Ability Score Modifiers +6 Strength, +4 Constitution, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Half-ogres are fierce warriors, but weak minded.
• Type: Half-ogres are humanoids with the giant subtype.
• Darkvision: Half-ogres can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Size: You stand at least seven feet tall (and might be a foot or more taller), and weigh three hundred or more pounds. You are Large-sized. Large creatures and suffer a –1 size penalty to AC and attack rolls and a –4 size penalty to Stealth checks but gain a +1 size bonus to CMB and CMD. Large creatures occupy a 10-foot space and have a 5-foot reach.
• Speed: Your base speed is 30 feet.
• Thick Skin: +2 natural armor bonus.

Ogre Blood (Ex)

For all special abilities and effects, a half-ogre is considered an ogre.

• Languages: Half-ogres begin play speaking Common and can also speak Giant if they have an Intelligence of at least 10. Half-ogres with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Orc, Goblin, Troll