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Documentation Area

Document Path: /doc/monsters/half-ogre

Name:
	Half-Ogre  (Humanoid)

Stats:
	No. Appearing  : 1-4
	Climate/Terrain: Any land
	Frequency      : Very rare
	Organization   : Tribal
	Activity Cycle : Any
	Diet           : Omnivore

Description:
	When adventuring companies journey into wilderness they often run into
	ogres; big, ugly humanoids. Occasionally, an ogre party will include
	one or two individuals that are a little shorter, but significantly
	smarter, wielding a weapon with more skill than might have been expec-
	ted. They have a better understanding of their opponents, and they
	grunt commands that anticipate the adventurers' moves. In this way
	half-breeds, the issue of ogres and humans, earn the respect of their
	kind.

	Half-ogres range from 7 to 8 feet in height and weigh from 315 to 425
	pounds. Skin and hair color are variable, but tend toward brown, gray,
	black, dull yellow (skin only), or any of the above with a slight gray-
	green tint. Teeth and nails are always orange. Most half-ogres have
	human-like eyes, though about one in five have the white pupils common
	to ogres. Their odor is noticeable, but it is not as overpowering as
	that of a full-blood ogre. The half-ogre traditionally wears heavy
	skins and furs, bringing his armour class up to that of his ogre breth-
	ren, bure rare individuals have the ability to make a shirt of chain
	mail. Half-ogres speak common (more clearly and unimpeded than ogres),
	ogrish, orcish, troll, and one other, usually human, language. They
	live about 110 years. Half-ogres possess infravision out to 60 feet.
	Their sense of smell is better than an ogre's, but it falls short of a
	human's.

	Half-ogres of any sort suffer penalties to their attack rolls against
	dwarves and gnomes, since those smaller races are so skilled at batt-
	ling bigger folk. Half-ogres in combat are often found with full-bloo-
	ded ogres. If so, the half-ogre will most likely be leading the ogre
	party. The ogres fight more wisely when led by a half-ogre that concen-
	trates assaults on characters it recognizes as spellcasters, and tea-
	ming up against skilled fighters. Ambushes are better-planned and more
	carefully baited.

	To earn command privileges, particularly when ogre leaders are present,
	a half-ogre must show himself quick to battle and fierce in combat.
	Half-ogres' usual weapon of choice is a huge sword, or a war spear. A
	half ogre inflicts an addditional 2 points of damage, due to his mass.

	Half-ogres sometimes gather together to form their own tribes. In this
	case, they will be encountered in bands of 2-20 and will expend as much
	energy choosing and preparing an ambush as on the combat itself.

	For every five half-ogres in an encounter, there is an additional ve-
	teran, for every 10 half-ogres, there is an even stronger kader. If
	more than 15 half ogres are encountered, they will have a shaman, a
	fighter/priest and the spells of a 4th-level priest, and two acolyte
	shamans with the spells of a 2nd-level priest.

	Half-ogres are inclined to intimidate others. A broad, fang-filled
	smile and perhaps a slamming fist, often encourages humans or demi-
	humans to suddenly  remember appointments. Kobolds will clutch their
	spears and cringe in unison when 7'6'' of solid muscle smashes their
	door to splinters and storms in, even larger monsters have serious re-
	servations about attacking half-ogres. They will also terrify local
	human populations into leaving a half-ogre and his companions alone.

Habitat/Society:
	Half-ogres have no society of their own. If they live with ogres, they
	are the quick-thinking members of the tribe, ever on their toes to
	prove themselves worthy. If a half-ogre is reared in a human community,
	he learns to live with suspicion and fear, and often turns to a mili-
	tary or solitary occupation.

	Occasionally, half-ogres join with half-orcs and other humanoids. These
	communities are small (5-200 residents) and usually isolated, but can
	appear in virtually any terrain. Half-ogres fill a middle nice - more
	powerful than half-orcs, but smarter than trolls, and other humanoids.
	As a whole, these communities are chaotic evil, with neutral tendencies
	stemming from the level of cooperation necessary in a 'half-caste' si-
	tuation. They prefer others of their own kind, and are tolerant of orcs
	and ogres. Enough of them have human blood that they regard humans with
	neutrality. Indeed, chaotic evil humans often find their most enthusi-
	astic followers in such a hybrid tribe. They also tolerate monstrous
	humanoids, such as trolls and giants, but all other races are treated
	with undisguised hostility.

	Hybrid settlements raid civilized territories for prisoners and loot.
	A settlement may be found holding prisoners. It is also likely for
	treasure to be found in a hybrid camp. Half-ogres are usually cheated
	out of most of their rightful treasure share by the more cunning half-
	orcs.

Ecology:
	Sages have expressed much concern over the years, wondering why ogres
	can interbreed with humans but not with elves of halflings. When the
	actual answer was discovered, the sages' concerns proved unfounded.
	The explanation had nothing to do with any supposed common origin of
	humans and ogres, but rather in a unusual characteristic that ogres
	share with orcs: rapidly adaptive biology. Just as orcs and ogres can
	adapt quickly to any terrain, from forests to the highest mountains,
	their genetic construction allows them breed with any humanoid race.

	This ability to breed easily is frequently passed on to their progeny.
	Half- ogres can also breed successfully with most other humanoid races.
	If this process continues for many generations, the result is a horrid
	hybrid known as a mongrelman. Many mongrelmen have strong strains of
	orc, ogre in their bloodlines, which may account for their chaotic evil
	attitudes.

	The half-ogre shares the ogre's place in the ecosystem: that of a
	plague upon demihumans and humans, lusting for treasure and making
	neither crafts nor good labour. The beginnings of half-ogre poetry
	have been around for many years, but it is exceptionally ugly and
	disturbing.