Golden Voyages
Climate/Terrain: | Any land |
---|---|
Frequency: | Rare |
Organization: | Tribal |
Activity Cycle: | Any |
Diet: | Carnivore |
Intelligence: | Low-average (5-12) |
Treasure: | M (Q, B, S) |
Alignment: | Chaotic or lawful evil |
No. Appearing: | 2-8 |
Armor Class: | 5 |
Movement: | 9 |
Hit Dice: | 4+3 |
THAC0: | 15 |
No. of Attacks: | 1 |
Damage/Attack: | 1d10 or by weapon |
Special Attacks: | Spells |
Special Defenses: | Regenerate |
Magic Resistance: | Nil |
Size: | Large (8-9’ tall) |
Morale: | Steady (12) |
XP Value: | Common: 420 Chieftain: 650 Clan chief: 975 |
Found only in the lands where both ogre and ogre mage dwell, the ogrima is a half-breed resulting from the intermingling of blood between the other two races, although by now the ogrima qualify as a separate race. Thus, the ogrima have inherited a combination of the best and worst features of their parents.
An ogrima stands eight- to nine-feet tall and has skin colored a sickly bluish-green or yellow. Its head is covered with thick, greasy hair from which juts a nascent horn, and one's eyes may range from bright blue to dark red. Their fingers end in cracked and thick nails, wicked looking but ineffective in combat. Likewise, their mouths are filled with jutting and broken fangs more fearsome than useful.
Ogrima typically dress in brilliant colors, although they are forced to rely mostly on ill-matched clothing and gear taken as booty.
Combat: Although far from being the brilliant tacticians the ogre magi are, the ogrima are not combatants to be underestimated. They possess the strength of ogres, but have more cunning than that race. Worse still, they have limited spell and regenerative abilities.
Ogrima favor large weapons –two-handed swords and clubs– wielded with a single hand, causing 1d10 points of damage. However, they are wise enough to mix melee and missile weapons, and most ogrima carry a stout bow built for their size and strength. Their arrows do 1d8+1 points of damage and ranges are treated as if fired from a longbow. Aware of the danger of spells, a common ogrima tactic is for one archer to hang back and target any suspected spellcasters while the rest move into melee.
In addition to weapons, the ogrima can levitate, blur, and chill touch three times per day (having not quite mastered the ogre mage's ability to fly, become invisible, or cast a cone of cold). Once per day they can change self, although their great size tends to limit the effectiveness of this illusion.
Defensively, the ogrima tend to eschew armor, relying on their own natural armor and their ability to regenerate 1 hit point per turn to carry them through. Those few that wear armor are typically chieftains or particularly aggressive warriors who have stolen or captured an ill-fitted assemblage of pieces.
Ogrima Chieftains: The frequency of powerful chieftains among the ogrima varies according to the overall alignment of the tribe. Lawful evil tribes have recognized the merits of discipline and organization. Among such tribes, there is normally one chieftain for every twenty ogrima and a clan chief for every fifty. Among the chaotic tribes, there are chieftains for every thirty ogrima and there are no clan chiefs.
Chieftains are AC 4, HD 5+1, and they do 1d12 points of damage per attack. The clan chief is AC 3, HD 6+1, and he does 1d12+2 points of damage per attack.
In some regions, ogrima tribes are led by ogre magi.
Habitat/Society: Ogrima are hunters and scavengers, favoring the same terrain as their cousins the ogres. Both ogres and ogre magi consider the ogrima to be social outcasts and treat them accordingly. This has hardly done anything to improve the evil temper the ogrima inherited from their parents. Consequently, the ogrima are a foul and irritable race, quick to anger and attack, yet easily cowed by displays of might and terror.
The ogrima are basically social –moreso than the ogres. Their skills with tools and crafts are greater, which allows them to prepare dwellings more like the fortified compounds of the ogre magi. Each compound is the work and property of an extended ogrima family. Careful preparations are made to defend the home against attackers, and family compounds are typically crude wooden stockades or caves with entrances fortified by rocks and wooden walls. Several exits are sure to exist, and a guard is always on watch.
Aside from good ins who may or may not be a problem, the ogrima must always be watchful against raids by their own cousins, the ogres and ogre magi. Ogres seek to destroy the more skilled but inferior-ranked ogrima, thus removing any threat. Ogre magi prefer the ogrima over the ogres as slaves. The ogrima are more difficult to enslave, but have greater understanding and resources that the ogre magi favor.
The standard ogrima tribe is organized into different families, 3d4 families total. These families may be spread over a broad range of land, but the tribe centers around the chieftain's or clan chief's compound. Each family builds its own compound, independent of the other families. Beyond this, cooperation amidst the tribe depends on alignment. Among the lawful evil tribes, these compounds are closely grouped, allowing families of the tribe to quickly unite against any danger. The more chaotic-minded tribes have compounds that are more widespread, mutual defense being of less concern to these families.
A single compound contains 3d6 family members of all ages and sexes. In terms of ability or role, there is no difference between male and female ogrima. Both are expected to fight and hunt for the family as needed. The young are minded by those too elderly to go out. The extremely aged, crippled, and deformed are ruthlessly left out in the wilderness to die.
In particularly dangerous times, an ogrima tribe may submit itself to an ogre magi chieftain, but the majority of chieftains are drawn from their own blood. The clan chieftain can only be an ogrima of the family line; only large tribes without fear of their neighbors choose clan chieftains, it seems.
Ogrima blood runs true from generation to generation, hence there is no longer a need for interbreeding between ogres and ogre magi (although it can happen). Indeed, reverse discrimination is practiced. Ogres and ogre magi who mate into an ogrima clan are treated with great contempt.
Ecology: Ogrima are hunters and scavengers. Their diet is mainly carnivorous, supplemented by a smattering of wild fruits. The tribes tend to move frequently, for they are prone to over-hunting any given area they settle in. As such, the ogrima are the bane of rangers, druids, and those who make their living from the wild.