Half-Ogres

Like Half-Elves and Half-Orcs, Half-Ogres are not a pure race but a mingling of Humans and Ogres. Half-Ogres typically inherit their higher intelligence from their Human parent and their great size and strength from their Ogrish parent.

 Appearance:

Half-ogres are usually between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh well over 300 pounds. They tend to be hairy and have the brutish features of their Ogrish parents.

Personality:
Typically, Half-ogres are huge, dim-witted, muscle-bound, hulking brutes with few interests beyond fighting, brawling, and drinking. They have an enormous capacity for food, ale and spirits. Culture and refinement are concepts completely lost on the average Half-Ogre.  However, they are most often bold and brave and make stalwart allies to those they trust to adventure with.

Lifestyle:
Half-ogres typically live outside normal society, being largely unwelcome in more civilized societies. Necessity leads them to develop good wilderness survival skills. Few Half-ogres live to old age, perishing long before in battle, though they could reach 120 years if they chose to live carefully.

Half-ogres do not roll the standard 3d6 to determine abilities, instead their ability scores are determined in the following fashion. Strength is ld6+13, with a roll of 6 being treated as 18(00) strength. Characters with a Strength roll of 5 (18 strength) should roll normally for extraordinary strength. Dexterity is 3d4. Constitution is ld6+13, with a roll of 6 being treated as an 18. Intelligence is 3d4. Wisdom is 2d6. Charisma is 2d4, doubled for effective Charisma with respect to ogres, half-ogres, orcs, orogs, and other humanoids.

Half-ogres raised by a tribe speak common (more clearly and unimpeded than ogres due to a lack of protuding tusks), ogrish, orcish, troll, and one other, usually human, language. Half-ogres reared outside of the tribes do not gain these additional languages and begin speaking only common.

Starting Hit Dice are doubled at 1st level, progressing normally at 2nd level and above.

Reveling in battle, a Half-ogre is never daunted when it comes to a fight. They are most fond of large battle axes and bludgeoning weapons like mauls and warhammers, preferring to rely on brute strength and size rather than skill in battle. A two-handed sword and most of the larger pole arms can be wielded one-handed by a Half-ogre, freeing the other hand for a shield. Half-ogres almost never use any sort of bow other than heavy crossbows (which they can reload at twice the normal rate due to being able to draw back the string by hand).

Half-ogres of any sort suffer -2 penalties to their attack rolls against dwarves and -4 against gnomes, since those smaller races are so skilled at battling bigger folk.

Though natural brawlers, Half-ogres can never specialize in any other fighting styles. Additionally, they may not specialize in a weapon, even if they are single class fighters.  Half-ogres may not use short or composite short bows (though they can take proficiency with crossbows and longbows) nor may they use fencing weapons or any other melee weapons where skill or speed count for more than strength or size.

Half-ogres prefer not to wear confining armor and have a natural AC of 6. Also, if a half-ogre wears armor of AC 6 or worse, its AC is improved by only 1 point. For body armor of AC 5 or better, use the rating of the armor worn plus an Armor Class bonus of 1 point. Shield and Dexterity modifiers to Armor Class work normally. Many Half-ogres will adopt armor piece by piece, acquiring an oversized helmet here and a extra-large breastplate there. Very little armor is made to fit Half-ogres.

Names and Language:
Half-Ogres borrow from both Humans and ogres for their language, leaning towards the more gutteral and course ogrish for their names.  Most of their names use the harsh consonants g, gn, k, l, n, r, s, sh, t, w, and z and the vowels a, i, u.  Garak, Targish, Kilnash, Kazrak, and Gnawlish are typical Half-Ogrish names.
 

Equipment:
Half-Ogrish equipment is generally whatever can be taken or stolen.  Their armor, if metallic, is usually crafted from pieces stolen from battlefields mixed with leather and sheets of chain main.  They often have skills as crude armorers and craft their own armor from hide or leather; though this armor is generally weaker than metal armors, it usually fits better.  They generally take excellent care of their weapons as they usually live and die by the blade.  They like having gold, but rarely do more than spend it on good food and good spirits in staggering quantities.

Pantheon:
Almost all Half-Ogres give homage to Krushkor.

History:
Half-Ogres have existed since humans and Ogres first clashed in the Stone Age, the unfortunate circumstance of their creation (typically the rape of Human women) does not establish the young Half-Ogre with a happy path through life.  They are usually hated by the people of his mother because of what their birth means.  Likewise, they tend to be viewed as a half-breed weaklings by Ogre clans

Half-Ogres thoughout history have generally strove to prove themselves as powerful warriors and mighty fighters.

Half-Ogres as Player Characters

Classes and Kits
Half-ogres may be fighters, thieves, fighter/thieves, fighter/priests, or priest/thieves, but may not be single class priests. Half-ogre thieves are always self-taught, and accept the following racial adjustments: Pick Pockets -20%, Open Locks +5%, Find/Remove Traps +0%, Move Silently -5%, Hide in Shadows +5%, Detect Noise +0%, Climb Walls -30%, Read Languages -25%.

Most Half-Ogres will take Barbarian or Savage kits.

Standard Abilities

• Natural AC 6
• Double normal hit dice at first level
• One-handed use of two-handed weapons

Additional Abilities (Choose 1)

• Wrestling Fighting Style specialization
• Punching Fighting Style specialization

• Two-handed sword
• Maul (Cost: 5gp, Weight 10lb, Size: L, Type: B, SF: 9, Damage 2d4/1d10)
• Battle axe
• Heavy crossbow

• Endurance
• Survival

• Fire-building
• Fishing
• Gaming
• Mountaineering
• Hunting
• Running