Half-Ogre (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The half-ogre is a rare cross between human and ogre. The mating of a male ogre and a female human results in a half-ogre, while the mating of a male human and female ogre produces ogrekin, much like matings between horses and donkeys can produce either a mule or a hinny. Few human females are able to carry a half-ogre to term, tough medical care can increase the chance greatly. Sometimes an evil, militaristic society might breed half-ogres as warriors. Half-ogres are barely fertile, but can sometimes breed with humans, ogres, or ogrekin - the progeny is generally of the other parent's race.

Half-ogres are hardy people prone to accepting hardship. Their upbringing is usually focused on fostering a strong and loyal warrior, and most half-ogres lack the initiative to break out of this role. They have inherited some of the passivity of their ogre forbears, but what appears as laziness in an ogre is often perceived as stoicism or lack of initiative in a half-ogre. They have the ferocity of ogres, but lack their aggressiveness.

Physical Description: Half-ogres are smaller and more human-like than ogrekin but still larger than humans. Their skin is usually the pale bone color of ogres, with flat slabs of hard fat under the skin for protection. They lack body hair. Their frame is human-like, but more powerful. This makes them look much like small, pale stone giants. Half-ogres lack the gross physical deformities of ogrekin, but they can have some minor physical oddities, such as large warts, colored spots, a constant grin, odd teeth, or tufts of hair in unusual places. Males and females have less dimorphism than humans, with female half-ogres being as large as males and with less pronounced figures than human women.

Society: Being the result of ogre raids on human lands or deliberate breeding programs, Half-ogres often grow up in orphanages or training camps together with a small number of other half-ogres. Raised by humans and taught discipline at an early age, such half-ogres take naturally to an organized, military life. They form small elite units and often live lives of relative comfort but absolute servitude. Even half-ogres raised on their own are usually taught to obey the more intelligent humans around them.

Relations: Half-ogres inherited their attitudes from humans, and humans taught them to respect or even revere humanity. They rarely interact with other races and might not understand the difference between a human, elf, half-elf, and half-orc. Still, their personalities mesh well with other stoic races, such as dwarfs and some halflings. They find elves and gnomes frivolous. Half-ogres are used to a certain amount of abuse from other races, and face such abuse with their usual stoicism.

Alignment and Religion: Half-ogres tend towards lawfulness because they are indoctrinated that way. They lack the natural rebelliousness of orcs and ogres, and are generally indifferent to good and evil. They are often brought up to serve gods of warfare and discipline. Some develop pride in their abilities as warriors and seek out gods of heroes or gladiators, growing into a more self-centered, chaotic personality as their self-esteem rises.

Adventurers: Half-ogres become adventurers as bodyguards to rich and powerful humans, or because they escaped servitude and the adventuring life is all they are good for. Sometimes they are sent on expeditions as a kind of punitive duty. In either case, they tend to form a bond with one or more adventurers of other races, and follow their lead.

Names: Half-ogres often get simple appellations or even numbers to identify them. Such appellations often have to do with a distinguishing physical characteristic, such as 1st, 5th, Bearded, Bluetooth, Red, or Sallow.

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Racial Traits: Half-ogre characters gain a +4 racial bonus to Strength and a +2 racial bonus to Constitution and suffer a -2 penalty of Intelligence and a -4 penalty on Charisma. They are physically powerful, but somewhat slow and withdrawn.

• Size: Half-ogres are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Type: Half-ogres are humanoids of the human and ogre subtypes.
• Base Speed: Half-ogres have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Languages: Half-ogres begin play speaking Common. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose dwarf, giant, goblin, or orc. See the Linguistics skill for more information about these languages.

Offense Racial Traits

• Large Frame: Half-ogres receive a +1 racial bonus on all combat maneuvers.

Senses Racial Traits

• Low-light Vision: Half-ogres can see twice as far as a race with normal vision in conditions of dim light.

Other Racial Traits

• Ogre Blood: Half-ogres count as both humans and ogres for any effect related to race.

Alternate Racial Traits

• Hardened: Some half-ogres have weaker arms and a more powerful torso. They gain a +1 racial bonus to CMD. This replaces large frame