Typical Ogre Characteristics...?

[Doug ex-em4]

What do you reckon would be typical characteristics for ogres - the equivalent of trolls regenerating, dwarves night-vision, cockatrice petrifying gaze etc etc...?

They have a penchant for eating humans but I'm looking for something special that would apply in combat...

Any suggestions...?

Doug

[YPU]

Thinking bout the different fantasy settings I know the only unifying characteristic would be big strong ugly and stupid.

[generulpoleaxe]

What do you reckon would be typical characteristics for ogres - the equivalent of trolls regenerating, dwarves night-vision, cockatrice petrifying gaze etc etc...?

They have a penchant for eating humans but I'm looking for something special that would apply in combat...

Any suggestions...?

Doug

It all depends on the rules you are using.
Knockback for smaller models would represent their size and strength for example.

[Doug ex-em4]

It all depends on the rules you are using.
Knockback for smaller models would represent their size and strength for example.

They're my own rules. I just want to make sure there isn't some commonly known trait that would be expected of an ogre that I've missed...

My intentions were to emphasise strength and the ability to take punishment in combat but some extra little unique ogreishness would have been nice.

Doug

[Pil]

Ogres have layers, like onions.

Seriously, I don't know of any specific traits other than being like large, smelly humans that don't go well with others.

Maybe their solitude or grumpiness would be a workable trait in a game, refusing to take commands from others for example.

[joroas]

I base my Ogres on Shrek, too. 

[YPU]

They're my own rules. I just want to make sure there isn't some commonly known trait that would be expected of an ogre that I've missed...

My intentions were to emphasise strength and the ability to take punishment in combat but some extra little unique ogreishness would have been nice.

Doug

I think I get what your going for, you want the orges in your system to have something characteristic of them beyond big and strong. (like you said, like troll regeneration)

A quick look at old paintings etz seem to show that the eating of humans is also a very common theme, and in extend of that abduction is also common. All I can think of is a knock out and carry of ability? Sorry, drawing a blank here. I am going to assume your going for a generic rule system? else you could come up with your own ogresk aspects.

[FramFramson]

Hunger and eating does seem to have been taken up as an ogre-ish them by other games and stories.

They have a lot of crossover with the kind of trolls you see in older stories, really. Before modern gaming/fantasy gave us "noble trolls" or distinct stuff like regeneration, trolls and ogres were largly interchangeable (and orcs too, if you ignored size). They ate people, were filthy, lived in caves or other such bolt-holes, were generally stupid, etc. etc.

[area23]

They may put a victim in a bag instead of killing them? Maybe night vision too.
Perhaps an ability to sneak behind a victim and capture it, despite their size.

[YPU]

They may put a victim in a bag instead of killing them? Maybe night vision too.
Perhaps an ability to sneak behind a victim and capture it, despite their size.

Actually you have something there. In old stories they would sneak into peoples homes and steal their children and other such nonsense. That would require a surprising feat of stealth from such a otherwise unwieldy creature.

[blacksmith]

In Warmaster Ogres automatically charge humans, liked it or not.

[Doug ex-em4]

There's some stuff I can develop there - thanks for the input. The sneaky thing is expecially nice - an unexpected twist for a great old lump like and ogre....

Doug