Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Green Age Ogres, before the Cleansing Wars

Ogres in many other settings are savage, brutish, and animal-like. They are raiders, scavengers, and eaters of intelligent flesh. They are often unkempt and live in squalid conditions.
However, Ogres are not outline or defined on Athas, so why can't they be something else? They are descendants of civilized Halflings, after all. What if the ogres of Athas were noble and intelligent? I believe, if so, it would make the genocide of their race much more tragic.
Following is what I have decided ogres were in my Dark Sun campaign.

In the height of the green age, Ogres had several kingdoms spread throughout Athas. Ogres were known for their great strength and stonemasonry skills. There were fearsome combatants and were natural allies with the dwarves.
Ogres did have a particularly bizarre custom, at least to outsiders, of devouring the hearts of their honored dead. They believed the strengths of the dead would be transferred, at least in part, to the devourer. This included their own dead, as well as worthy enemies. It was this cannibalistic practice, among others, that were misrepresented in order to build a coalition against them.

Being masters of stonemasonry, ogres built impressive fortresses and citadels. Their armies were well disciplined and well equipped. They preferred scale mail and polearms for infantry forces, with appropriate sized longbows for their archers. While ogre cavalry was not common, they did field some mounted on inix.


Ogre, Athasian
Ogre, Athasian, Zombie
Climate/Terrain All
All
Frequency Extinct
Very Rare
Organization Tribes and Kingdoms
Solitary
Activity Cycle Day
Any
Diet Carnivore
Nil
Intelligence Average (8-10) Non- (0)
Treasure Varies Nil
Alignment Lawful Neutral
Neutral Evil
No. Appearing 0 or 1-100
1-12
Armor Class 9 7
Movement 9 5
Hit Dice 3+1 6
THAC0 18
15
No. of Attacks 1
1
Damage/Attack 1-10 (or by weapon +4 or +6) 2-20
Special Attacks +2 to hit with weapon Nil
Special Defenses Nil
Nil
Magic Resistance Nil Nil
Size L (9' tall) L (9' tall)
Morale Average (8-10) Special
XP Value 175
Soldier 650
Captain 1,400
Knight 3,000
1,400

Ogres are an extinct humanoid species. When alive, they had yellow to brown skin, orange teeth, and dark hair of any color. Their eyes were purple or blue, with while pupils. They also had a distinct musk, similar to that of a ferret. They wore clothing, used tools, and weapons, depending on their station. Any ogre may have had a wild talent, but none of them could use arcane magic. 
Adult ogres stood 9-10 feet tall and weighed 300 to 350 pounds. Earth was the most common element worshiped by ogre clerics. For an unknown reason, some ogres developed small, swept back, horns on their heads. These ogres always grew to be impressive psionicists.
Ogres were a proud race of craftsmen and soldiers. They built impressive monuments and buildings, but a vast majority of those have been destroyed. Ogre zombies may exist in the ruins of these once great structures.

Combat
All ogres are granted a +2 to hit and +4 to damage with melee weapons, due to their great strength.
Common ogres would rather flee, than fight, but were decent combatants if forced.
Common ogre soldiers fought with 5+1 hit dice, Thac0 16 and often used a large bardiche, with a +6 to damage. In addition they wore scale mail, which lowered their AC to 5. Morale for common ogre soldiers increased to Steady (11-12).
Higher ranked military ogres, such as captains, fought with 5+1 hit dice, Thac0 16, and also used a large bardiche, with a +6 to damage. In addition, they wore chain mail, which lowered their AC to 4. Morale for captains increased to Elite (13-14).
The highest ranked military ogres were knighted and brought into the lower ranks of the nobility. They fought with 7+1 hit dice, Thac0 14, and also used a large bardiche, with a +6 to damage. They wore splint mail, which lowered their AC to 3. In addition, due to their training, ogre knights attacked twice per round with melee weapons. Morale for knights increased to Champion (15-16).
A huge bardiche does 2d8 damage to small and man-sized targets and 2d12 to larger targets.
Ogre zombies are all the same, shuffling toward their targets and pummeling them with their insane strength. They will always fight, until called of or destroyed. Ogre zombies are immune to sleep, charm, hold, death magic, poisons, diseases, and all cold-based spells. A vial of a holy element inflicts 2d4 points of damage to an ogre zombie.

Habitat/Society
When ogre society existed, they often dwelt in, or near, mountainous regions. They built large fortresses and mined the nearby mountains, preferring open pits to tunnels. While they did practice and appreciate metallurgy, their love was for stone.
Most ogres lived in large kingdoms, which were ruled over by tribunals. The tribunal was made up of a psionicist selected by the local psionic academy, the monach from the royal family, and a representative from the council of craftsmen. The tribunal was attended to by lesser nobles. Ogres who impressed the nobility with their skill or bravery, may have been invited to join the lesser nobility. Lesser nobility could not transfer their titles to their children.
The council of craftsmen were an organization of the master craftsmen of a kingdom. Every master craftsman was a member, as long as they were registered as a master in the kingdom. All craftsmen were welcome to join, but stone craftsmen had the most prestige and often ran the council. 
Ogre culture was centered on the home and the profession. They dedicated themselves to their profession, attempting to be the best the could be, but would not sacrifice time with their family. They were respected by dwarves and occasionally dwarves lived in ogre cities. However, ogres never lived in dwarf cities, due to the ogres immense size.
Ogres were also respected for their military prowess. Ogres would gain renown for defeating powerful enemies, or leading armies to victory. Many of these ogres, upon their deaths, would have their hearts eaten by the generals and younger officers.
Ogres bred at random, as other intelligent species do, and had live births. Gestation for a female ogre was 12 months and she often gave birth to one baby at a time. Multiple births were extremely rare. Ogres matured at sixteen years and generally lived for ninety years.
Ogre zombies have no society and will obey their creators instructions without fail. Even if their creator has died, the ogre zombie will hold to their last instructions, until they are destroyed.
 
Ecology
Ogre stone masons constructed some of the most impressive stone structures Athas had ever seen. Ogre made stone goods could be found in every kingdom and monarchs would often hire ogres for special building projects. In addition, ogres would commonly hire themselves out as mercenaries, to bolster the infantry of other kingdoms.
Ogre zombies are not natural creatures and have no impact on the ecology of Athas.

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