All Manners of Hideous Murder: Ogres

Paizo has always shown a deft touch with classic D&D material. In the Rise of the Runelords they successfully reinvented not one but two D&D monsters that have been around since Chainmail, but remained fairly bland across subsequent editions: goblins and ogres. Goblins were small humanoids, tougher than kobolds but weaker than orcs; ogres are large giants, tougher than bugbears but weaker than trolls. Neither ever developed much for a distinguishing hook.

But in Runelords Paizo took these monsters and spun them in new ways that made them distinctive and interesting but in no way invalidated or contradicted past iterations. You could use Paizo style goblins and ogres in the Caves of Chaos or Temple of Elemental Evil and not miss a beat. While goblins were recast as nasty, destructive little freaks in the vein of Gremlins, Paizo spun ogres as dark, murderous hill-folk right out of horror movies like the Hills Have Eyes or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

It’s a pretty inspired choice that ups the ante on what was otherwise often just a big bag of hit points.

The following text is Open Game Content.

Ogre

This lumbering giant’s beady eyes are empty of care or kindness, and its puffy face features a wide mouth with ill-fitting teeth.

A Sickness on the World. Regions inhabited by ogres are dreary, ugly places, and their squallid homes are filthy and cluttered with junk. Ogres indulge their dark, primitive hungers by preying on and tormenting weaker creatures. They take particular delight in plaguing isolated human settlements.

Brutal and Savage. An ogre revels in the misery of others. When smaller races aren’t available, they turn to each other for entertainment. Ogres’ cruel senses of humor are the only way their crude minds show any spark of creativity, and the tools and methods of torture ogres devise are always nightmarish.

The Family is All. Ogre tribes are known as families. The leader of a tribe is most often the father of the tribe, although in some cases a particularly violent or domineering ogress claims the title of mother. Ogre tribes bicker among themselves, a trait that thankfully keeps them busy and turned against each other rather than neighboring races.

Adult ogres stand 9 to 10 feet tall and weigh 600 to 650 pounds. Their skin color ranges from pale yellow to dull brown. Their clothing consists of poorly cured furs and hides, which add to their naturally repellent odor.

Ogres speak Giant, and those specimens who boast Intelligence scores of at least 10 also speak Common.

Ogre CR 3

Usually CE Large giant

Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +2, Spot +2

Languages Giant

Defense

AC 16, touch 8, flat-footed 16
(+3 armor, -1 Dex, +5 natural, -1 size)

hp 29 (4d8+11 HD)

Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +1

Offense

Spd 30 ft. in hide armor; base speed 40 ft.

Melee greatclub +8 (2d8+7)

Ranged javelin +1 (1d8+5)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Tactics

During Combat Ogres favor overwhelming odds, sneak attacks, and ambushes over a fair fight. They are intelligent enough to fire ranged weapons first to soften up their foes before closing, but ogre gangs and bands fight as unorganized individuals.

Statistics

Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7

Base Atk +3; Grp +12

Feats Toughness, Weapon Focus (greatclub)

Skills Climb +5, Listen +2, Spot +2

Gear hide armor, greatclub, 2 javelins

Ecology

Environment temperate hills

Organization solitary, pair, gang (3–4), or band (5–8)

Treasure standard

Advancement by character class; Favored Class barbarian

Level Adjustment +2

Special Abilities

Skills The skill modifiers given in the statistics block include a -3 armor check penalty for wearing hide armor.

Ogres as Characters

Ogre characters possess the following racial traits.

• +10 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -4 Charisma.
• Large size. -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.
• Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
• An ogre’s base land speed is 40 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Racial Hit Dice: An ogre begins with four levels of giant, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +4, Ref +1, and Will +1.
• Racial Skills: An ogre’s giant levels give it skill points equal to 7 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Listen, and Spot.
• Racial Feats: An ogre’s giant levels give it two feats.
• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An ogre is automatically proficient with simple weapons, martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
• +5 natural armor bonus.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Orc, Goblin, Terran.
• Favored Class: Barbarian.
• Level adjustment +2.

Variant Ogres

Ogres age similarly to humans and produce large numbers of offspring, though few survive to adulthood. An adolescent ogre is nearly as large as an adult human and potentially more dangerous.

Ogre Young CR 1/2

CE Medium giant

Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +2, Spot +2

Languages Giant

Defense

AC 12, touch 9, flat-footed 12
(-1 Dex, +3 natural)

hp 7 (1d8+3 HD)

Fort +2, Ref -1, Will +0

Offense

Spd 30 ft.

Melee club -2 (1d6-2)

Statistics

Str 7, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 5

Base Atk +0; Grp +0

Feats Toughness

Skills Listen +2, Spot +2

Gear club

Merrow are aquatic cousins of the ogre that dwell in freshwater lakes and rivers. Although their green, scaled skin and webbed hands and feet make them appear different, merrows are just as cruel, savage, and wicked as their ogre relatives.

Merrow CR 3

Usually CE Large giant (aquatic)

Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +2, Spot +2

Languages Giant

Defense

AC 13, touch 8, flat-footed 13
(-1 Dex, +5 natural, -1 size)

hp 29 (4d8+11 HD)

Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +3

Offense

Spd 30 ft., swim 40 ft.

Melee longspear +7 (2d6+7/x3)

Ranged javelin +1 (1d8+5)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with longspear)

Statistics

Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7

Base Atk +3; Grp +12

Feats Iron Will, Toughness

Skills Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +16

Gear longspear, 2 javelins

Ecology

Environment temperate aquatic

Organization solitary, pair, gang (3–4), or band (5–8)

Treasure standard

Advancement by character class; Favored Class barbarian

Level Adjustment +2

Special Abilities

Skills A merrow has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Advanced Ogres

Ogres are drawn to any sort of chaotic evil power, and the more savage and destructive the better. Most tribes will have some sort of divine spellcaster, though few ogre shamen are wise enough to progress very far.

Ogre Shaman CR 4

Ogre cleric 2

CE Large giant

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +4, Spot +5

Languages Common, Giant

Defense

AC 20, touch 7, flat-footed 20
(+8 armor, -2 Dex, +5 natural, -1 size)

hp 54 (4d8+16 plus 2d8+8 HD)

Fort +11, Ref +1, Will +6

Offense

Spd 30 ft.

Melee mwk greatclub +10 (2d8+7)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks rebuke undead 2/day (-1, 2d6+1, 2nd), smite 1/day

Spells Prepared (CL 2nd)

1st—bless, cause fear (DC 13), inflict light wounds^D (+8 melee touch, DC 13), protection from good

0—detect magic, guidance, resistance, virtue

^D Domain spell; Domains destruction, war

Statistics

Str 20, Dex 6, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 9

Base Atk +4; Grp +13

Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (greatclub)

Skills Concentration +7, Knowledge (religion) +0, Listen +4, Spot +5

SQ auras (chaos, evil), spontaneous casting (inflict spells)

Combat Gear oil of greater magic weapon, potion of bear’s endurance; Other Gear +1 half-plate, masterwork greatclub

Special Abilities

Smite (Su) Once per day the ogre shaman can single melee attack with a +4 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 bonus on damage rolls.

Ogre ruffians are tougher and more cunning than standard ogres, but not nearly as fearsome as an ogre barbarian.

Ogre Ruffian CR 5

Ogre warrior 3

CE Large giant

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +5, Spot +5

Languages Common, Giant

Defense

AC 21, touch 8, flat-footed 21
(+6 armor, -1 Dex, +5 natural, +2 shield, -1 size)

hp 52 (4d8+12 plus 3d8+9 HD)

Fort +10, Ref +1, Will +2

Offense

Spd 30 ft.

Melee mwk morningstar +13/+8 (2d6+6)

Ranged spear +4 (2d6+6/x3)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Statistics

Str 23, Dex 9, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 5

Base Atk +6; Grp +16

Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (morningstar)

Skills Climb +5, Listen +5, Spot +5

Combat Gear oil of greater magic weapon +3, potion of cure serious wounds; Other Gear +1 breastplate, heavy wooden shield, masterwork morningstar, spear

Creepers are the clever trap-makers and man-stalkers that often lead an ogre tribe in hunts for human captives.

Ogre Creeper CR 6

Ogre rogue 2/fighter 2

CE Large giant

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +7, Spot +7

Languages Giant

Defense

AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19
(+4 armor, +2 Dex, +5 natural, -1 size)

hp 55 (4d8+16 plus 2d6+8 plus 2d10+8 HD)

Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +4

Defensive Abilities evasion

Offense

Spd 30 ft.

Melee +1 heavy flail +12/+7 (2d8+10/19–20) or
unarmed strike +11 (1d4+6)

Ranged mwk composite shortbow +8/+3 (1d8+5/x3)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attack sneak attack +1d6

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 4

Base Atk +6; Grp +16

Feats Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Skill Focus (Craft [trapmaking]), Skill Focus (Survival), Track

Skills Climb +9, Craft (trapmaking) +8, Hide +0, Listen +7, Move Silently +4, Spot +7, Survival +5

SQ trapfinding

Combat Gear elixir of hiding, javelin of lightning; Other Gear +1 studded leather, +1 heavy flail, cloak of resistance +1, masterwork composite shortbow (+5 bonus) with 40 arrows

Their inherent bent toward chaos combines with their size and strength to make ogres natural barbarians. Indeed, their leaders are almost always barbarians of low to middle level, monstrous brutes whose fury in battle is truly fearsome. A raging ogre barbarian is an inspiration to other ogres.

Ogre Barbarian CR 7

Ogre barbarian 4

Usually CE Large giant

Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +6, Spot +2

Language Giant

Defense

AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19
(+4 armor, +1 deflection, +5 natural, -1 size)

hp 79 (4d8+19 plus 4d12+16 HD)

Fort +12, Ref +2, Will +2

Defensive Abilities trap sense +1, uncanny dodge

Offense

Spd 40 ft. in hide armor; base speed 50 ft.

Melee+1 greatclub +16/+11 (2d8+13)

Ranged javelin +6 (1d8+8)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks rage 2/day

Tactics

During Combat Marginally more intelligent than his brutish fellows, an ogre barbarian is slightly more likely to enter a fair fight, but in general prefers the brutish tactics common to all its kind.

Statistics

Str 26, Dex 11, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 4

Base Atk +7; Grp +19

Feats Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus (greatclub)

Skills Climb +10, Hide -6, Jump +17, Listen +6, Spot +2

Gear +1 hide armor, +1 greatclub, 2 javelins, ring of protection +1

Ecology

Environment temperate hills

Organization solitary, pair, gang (1 plus 1–3 ogres), or band (1 plus 4–7 ogres)

Treasure standard

Advancement by character class

Level Adjustment +2

Special Abilities

Rage (Ex) Twice per day, an ogre barbarian can enter a state of fierce rage that last for 9 rounds. The following changes are in effect as long as he rages:

AC 17 (touch 8, flat-footed 17)

hp 95

Fort +14, Will +4

Melee +1 greatclub +18/+13 (2d6+16)

Str 30, Con 22

Climb +12, Jump +19

At the end of his rage, the ogre barbarian is fatigued for the duration of the encounter.

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