How have you made ogres more interesting?

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero

• Feb 7, 2007

• #1

Despite a high profile in children's stories and fairy tales, ogres are fairly generic in D&D, serving as lower level hill giants and that's about it. Even Shrek didn't prompt a resurgence of interest in them.

What have you done to make ogres more interesting (and perhaps more mythic) in your campaign?

 

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Nyaricus

First Post

• Feb 7, 2007

• #2

Actually, this and the giant thread are interesting to me, since Giants (and, subsequently, Ogres) feature prominently in it's farthest-reaching history.

I'll do up the giant one first, and post here secondly.

 

Prince of Happiness

First Post

• Feb 7, 2007

• #3

I love ogres. They've been my favorite batch of bruisers since I was a kid. For some reason I've always pictured them as purple-skinned (thank you Final Fantasy I), allowing for dun-colored ones (thank you Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom). I like adding horns and tusks and having them have hag mommies, or having them as dumb and brutal as the cave troll from Fellowship of the Ring, and used by orcs in much the same fashion.

 

KrazyHades

First Post

• Feb 7, 2007

• #4

Well, I've done things before like make "high level" ogres (like, lots of levels in the creature type) or given them PC class levels. But that's pretty common. I had one campaign in which the ogres were masters of earth magic, with a binding blood pact with the most powerful elemental from the Plane of Earth. That was fun! Ogres, especially those favored by the elementals, could get all sorts of powers and abilities to spice up combat. The first time it happened, my PCs, who --despite my attempts at explaination--insisted on looking at ogres in the "traditional" sense", were totally shocked. The rules lawyer flipped out: "He CAN'T morph the rock around him at will! Ogres dont DO THAT!!". But that's mostly because his character died by assuming that they were "ordinary" ogres.

 

demiurge1138

Inventor of Super-Toast

• Feb 7, 2007

• #5

My favorite ogres were the "big-bigs", a race of insectile ogres living in the Underdark in the Kobold Kampaign I ran back in the dawn of 3.5. The party only met one tribe, dedicated to the Goddess of Pain and led by the Champion of Pain, who through religious observance had become nearly immortal (insectile troll). Despite their belief in the governance of pain, they were fairly simple creatures, and the kobold PCs quickly exploited them, finding the locations of other colonies and recommending to their king that he send slaving parties to round up these tough, durable workers. I always felt a little sorry for them...

Demiurge out.

 

Voadam

Legend

• Feb 7, 2007

• #6

I like them as they are, the basic giant/norse troll useable at fairly low levels in a campaign, a straight dumb bruiser who can mix in fairly easily with normal size folks. A good generic base to work from.

The D&D troll looks wierd and has the whole regeneration thing.

Giants are higher level challenges only and many come with odd elemental flavors.

 

Sejs

First Post

• Feb 7, 2007

• #7

As blasphemous as this might sound (Video game reference? Nooooo!), I actually was rather fond of the whole ogre storyline from Everquest.


Ogres were the children of the God of War. They were his armies, and far back in the mists of legendry, before the dawn of man, their empire held the world in an iron grip. Then in their hubris they made war on the heavens and were cursed by the gods; their children, while still mighty in form, slowly lost their minds more and more over quick generations, becoming the dull brutes we know today.

 

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow

• Feb 7, 2007

• #8

IMC Ogres were once a race of pyschioc giants who were cursed for their attempt to become as the gods. The curse manifests in gross mutation which has three side effects

1. No two ogres are ever the same (at less description wise, the stats might be) ie Ogres are all Unique. so I have ogres with scales or feathers, others have three arms and yet others have tentacles instead of arms. The insectoid ogres fit this model

2. Ogres become more intelligent the more deformed they are from humanoid (the most powerful Ogre Psychic (pre-D20) was little more than a worm with a brilliant mind

3. Because I can make ogres as I like some of them have funky powers - maybe spitting acid or a psychic ability

4. I have used Paraelemental Ogres as minor gods

5. Aquatic Ogre-Magi are common adversaries and NPCs in my Hawaiki (mythic Polynesia) campaign

 

Land Outcast

Explorer

• Feb 7, 2007

• #9

having them as dumb and brutal as the cave troll

Click to expand...

yep, that's a nice way to use 'em. Also having them blinded (blindfolded or eyeless) by goblins and used as vicious warmounts.

BTW: I hate the -D&D- troll's description.

 

M

Michael Silverbane

Adventurer

• Feb 7, 2007

• #10

I don't know that I've made them more interesting... But in my games, I invariably portray ogres as great big scaredy-cats. They are the absolute cliche' of a bully. Acting all tough and strong when there is no opposition, but crying out like little babies in the night whenever they are confronted by even a show of force.

On the one hand, ogres are not usually much of a threat to a party that is even close to the appropriate level (I've had ogres flee from 1st or second level parties before). But on the other hand, ogres have a surprisingly high survival rate.

Later
silver