Orog

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Orogs are a member of the orcish family tree in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, although precisely what they are varies between editions. In general, they are bigger, stronger, more intelligent versions of the common orc.

AD&D Orog

In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, orogs are a hybrid race born in the badlands where savage humanoids dwell; they are half-orc and half-ogre - specifically, they are the progeny of a male orc and a female ogre; the other way around produces a different kind of creature called an Ogrillon. Very little information is presented about them in this edition, beyond the fact that they inherit the best traits of both parents, resulting in a breed of orc with unusual strength, vitality, stature and intellect. As such, these "great orcs" gravitate towards leadership roles, where their intelligence and discipline allows them to make their savage underlings much more dangerous.

Conversely, in Cerillia, orogs completely replace orcs in-setting as the xenophobic adversaries of all other forms of sapient life. This setting focuses on their intelligence as well as their cruelty.

The Forgotten Realms setting is also home to the Neo-Orog, an orc/ogre hybrid further enhanced by magical experimentation bred by the Red Wizards of Thay as elite troops for their armies. These creatures are divided into the more common Red Neo-Orog, bred as an elite heavy warrior with the ability to loose a savage war cry that stimulates neo-orogs, normal orcs and normal ogres to greater fits of savage fury, and the Black Neo-Orog, a smaller but stealthier version bred to serve as assassins and scouts. Neo-Orogs suffer from their magic-tainted origins, giving them a slow breeding rate; many are sterile, or at least close to it.

3e Orog

In Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, orogs are a strain of orc in the Forgotten Realms that has adapted to life in the Underdark; these "Deep Orcs" can be distinguished from their "Mountain Orc" by their shorter stature (averaging 6'6" tall), larger ears, and huge, pale-colored eyes, adaptations for their subterranean existence. Orogs are much more intelligent than their surface-dwelling cousins; they have a strong grasp of the art of smithing, a proper respect for the need for armor, and a greater cultural appreciation of tactics. Worse, unlike mountain orcs, orogs do not suffer from uncheckable aggression; whereas mountain orcs ultimately drive their own armies to destruction by charging endlessly forward until they are so exhausted and overextended they can be smashed apart, orogs fight to claim desired objectives and then pull back to consolidate what they have. Orog-led hordes are are different to the mindless ravening barbarians that the surfacers think of as orcs, and this makes them highly dangerous; King Obould Many-Arrows' foresight and tactical acumen suggests that he may have had orog blood in his veins.

Over the centuries, orogs have mastered the art of forging armor and weapons from the strange ores found in the Underdark. They favor halfplate and full plate armor, which are typically adorned with armor spikes. Orog weapons are festooned with a multitude of hooks, spines, and redundant cutting edges. An orog rarely goes anywhere without being fully armed and armored. Indeed, such is their love of well-forged arms and armor that not only will they refuse to use anything that isn't at least master-crafted in quality, they also make forges the literal and spiritual heart of their settlements; the first thing a tribe of orogs look for when they pick a site for a new town is a natural place to set up a forge. Volcanic vents and pools of magma are favorites, but more traditional forges built on epic scales serve as well. Orog forges are community-held, and any orog is welcome to build armor and weaponry at the forge just as long as what is produced is either put to immediate personal use or placed in the community armory. They have little interest in some of the more exotic types of weaponry found in the Underdark, preferring to use relatively simple weapons instead. The greatsword is the orogs’ favorite melee weapon, and they find that throwing axes make good use of their high Strength in the close quarters of many Underdark battles.

Despite their intelligence and skill in forge-craft, orogs, whilst not afraid of magic, retain a traditionally orcy disinterest in its use; even orog magewrights are more likely to focus on general performance enhancements (stacking on the +X bonuses) to their enchanted weapons than on fancy magical trickery like letting them burst into flames or return when thrown. Though they still worship Gruumsh (or Ghaunadaur, for some heretics), they are not actually a very religious race and clerics are thought of as physical healers, first and foremost. The only mystical tradition that flourishes amongst orogs is, oddly enough, bards, who readily integrate into the orogs' warlike culture. They do possess some sorcerers, whose destructive might is respected, but these individuals are rare.

Orogs get along the best with orcs, whom they find easy to bully and subjugate. They are intrigued by the concept of the half-orc, since these hybrids can operate in the blinding light of the sun with ease and make excellent warriors for surface world campaigns. Those orogs who remain deep underground often engage in more or less friendly trade with the duergar and the drow, who value the productivity of orog mines enough to let orog cities alone. The orogs often make war on the svirfneblin, but they try to avoid the more alien races such as the illithids and aboleth, whose mental powers can cut down even the mightiest orog with ease.

Deep Orc Orogs appeared in Races of Faerun, where they had the following PC stats:

Ability Scores: +6 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma (weirdly, their stats-fluff states that they "make natural leaders", which suggests that maybe they're supposed to have a +2 Wisdom bonus)

Medium size

Base land speed 30 feet

Darkvision 120 feet

Weapon Proficiency: Greatsword, Throwing Axe

+2 racial bonus on Craft (Armorsmithing and Weaponsmithing)

Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds an orog for 1 round. In addition, orogs suffer a –1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light.

Resistances: Fire Resistance 5, Cold Resistance 5

Orc Blood: Treat an Orog as an Orc for all special abilities, magic items and other effects that key off of race.

Favored Class: Fighter

Level Adjustment: +2

4e Orog

Orogs made their way into Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition by slipping in under the radar. They appeared in the Scales of War adventure path as larger, more powerful, half-ogre orcs. Their fluff consisted of this:

Hulking warriors with uncommon discipline and fighting expertise, orogs are the filthy offspring of orcs and ogres. Like half-elves, orogs breed true and are a separate race from orcs. Sometimes called greater orcs or ogrillons, orogs are a vastly superior breed, rising far above their lesser kin in terms of their mastery over weaponry and also their mastery of warfare. Where common orcs rely on superior numbers to overcome their enemies, orogs use clever tactics and teamwork, ranking up in orderly lines of heavily armored soldiers.

Rumors tell of orog cities in the far-flung places in the world, though no one is certain where they are or what they might look like. Instead, orogs crop up wherever ogres and orcs congregate in large numbers. Orogs swiftly rise to the top and take over tribes, crushing their rivals until the rest of the horde surrenders to the orog’s will.

5e Orog

In 5th edition, orogs returned in the Monster Manual as a bigger, stronger, smarter orc. Here, they lost their half-ogre status, and instead are described as a result of a divine blessing by Luthic. They are at once valued for their powers and feared by orc leaders, who know that orogs can easily usurp their place if they feel like it.