Monster Profile #10: Ogre

[Balandar]

From the personal journal of Azalai Korias, Elven Wizard.

14 Dravago, 998:

The stench of our new "ally" makes it difficult for me to concentrate long enough to write this. I would have refused its help, but Senna insisted that we would make better time with the beast to guide us to its village, and pointed out that without the creature we would likely be attacked on sight. I simply cannot control my joy at the thought of meeting more of these… things. We are supposed to make a good impression with their warchief – if we help this tribe defeat the troglodytes deeper in the valley, they will permit us to investigate the ruins without hindrance.

It’s looking over my shoulder at what I am doing. I suppose I should be thankful that it cannot read.

Ogres are hideous beasts that stand nine to ten feet tall. They have thick leathery skin, and the worst breath I have ever had the misfortune to smell. Long, matted hair serves as a home for a truly amazing variety of insects. I'm quite certain that they have some sort of aversion to water, since a bath seems to be as foreign to them as fine art, or a good book.

What ogres lack in mental alacrity, they make up for in physical strength. Our "friend" wields a small tree as a greatclub, and has been clearing a path through the jungle by simply knocking boulders and plants away, making a game of how far they fly. Filthy hides thankfully cover it in a semblance of armor, and it carries a crude bow for ranged combat. Elite ogre warriors can enter a berserker rage in the same way that Zarn does. I am hardly surprised - I cannot think of a path more suitable for the brutes than the way of the barbarian.

While I find it difficult to hide my personal distaste toward dealing with them, allying with the ogres is preferable to having to fight them for the right to study the ruins. All we have to do is negotiate a treaty with their leader and fight a few troglodytes, and then hopefully I’ll never have to deal with them again. Common interests and expediency make for strange alliances, don't they?

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Ogre

Creature Type: Giant

Environment: Temperate or underground

Attack: Greatclub or longbow

Special Qualities: Rage

Organization: Solitary, pair, or band (3-8)

The ogre is a simple creature, but no less dangerous for it... Even more imposing, the ogres of Eberron are especially barbaric, and along with that barbaric heritage comes an ability to rage. When raging, an ogre represents an even more terrifying opponent, with greater Strength and Constitution to survive. The ogre is a strong, powerful brute of a creature, often found in large numbers. So, for an adventurer that’s worth his salt, he should expect to encounter this creature that is stronger than he, and outnumbers him. What the adventurer has as his disposal to win - one hopes - is a bit more wit, a better mastery of tactics, and probably more than a few options.

The best strategy for overcoming the humanoid beast centers around avoidance. The ogre’s power lies in sheer physical power when using its greatclub. Deny the ogre its advantage by staying out of range. Meanwhile, the ogre’s lack of defenses make it vulnerable. It’s vulnerable to spell attacks, with weak Reflex and Will saves. It’s also vulnerable to ranged fire, so striking from a distance is the best approach. Failing that, the only option for some is to simply punish the ogre as quickly as possible. Its hide armor doesn’t offer a lot of protection, and while it may have the strength of a giant, an ogre can’t survive the beating that a giant would scoff at. Dwarves are one of few that have a good chance to stand toe-to-toe with ogres, thanks to their racial training in fighting giants such as these.

While the typical ogre may be somewhat primitive, if destructive, specialized ogre archers, ogre shaman, and ogre chiefs round out the sort of threats that ogres present.