Oni

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Oni are large, often thuggish and immensely powerful spirits that typically dwell in the mountains and/or hells of Japanese and Chinese mythology. While Oni are often translated as Ogres and considered Ogre-like today, the definition hasn't been wholly static. In the past (we're talking 10th century here) Oni were spirits of the dead. Which is understandable since more modern (but by human lifetime standards, still old) versions of Oni were typically born from people that died and were so wicked and beyond redemption they turned into demons. One of the broader definitions of Oni is any male demon. If you consider very old stories, before people in Japan were enthusiastic about giving actual criteria to the supernatural, the 'definition' was broader still with just about any supernatural creature qualifying as an "oni".

Particularly evil humans would turn into Oni in life and then torment the living. Understandably, many stories of oni are of this kind, as the land of the living is much closer to us than hell. Another place Oni can come from is a ritual called Ushi no toki mairi, in which a person with a grudge (usually a woman) tries to kill someone using sympathetic magic, specifically hammering a straw doll to a sacred tree during japan's witching hour (between 1 and 3 AM).

Oni generally look like giant humans, often with odd skin colors, who may have odd numbers of eyes (1 or 3), 0-3 horns on their heads, fangs and/or tusks. In Japanese mythology, red-skinned oni are commonly said to be impulsive, extroverted, wild and emotionally driven, whilst blue-skinned oni are commonly said to be patient, introverted, calm and logical. Hence the trope for contrasting an emotional character vs a logical one commonly being "Red Oni, Blue Oni".

Oni are known for their great strength, hence their affiliation with the kanabō (basically a Japanese war club). You see, if a human were to swing a kanabō and miss, the moment of inertia of it would make it difficult to control, which would likely force the human to continue the swing (or discard the weapon) and by extension leave him vulnerable. Considering how swole oni are, this might not be a problem for them. Also kanabō are pretty darn heavy, so it's probably a hassle to carry one around everywhere. The affiliation between oni and kanabō is strong enough that there are multiple expressions connecting the two. "Giving a kanabō to an Oni" means someone giving an opponent who already has an advantage them further advantage. And "like an oni with a kanabō" (depending on context) means invincible, strong beyond strong, or a natural quality being enhanced or supplemented.

Oni weren't necessarily limited to physical strength. Many of them were also sorcerers.

Dungeons & Dragons[edit]

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Oni have a long tradition in Dungeons & Dragons, where they were initially ported over as the Japanese Ogre of OD&D, which eventually became the Ogre Mage in AD&D. This was described as an ogre, but much smarter, and with both a variety of innate magical abilities and an affinity for spell-casting classes. In other words, pretty close to the opposite of an actual ogre. As such, it was a much greater threat than the standard ogre, which was basically just a bigger, tougher orc or a wimpier giant, depending on how you looked at it.

An AD&D monster directly called the Oni did appear in the Kara-Tur setting.

In 3rd edition the ogre mage was notoriously weak for its Challenge Rating. It wasn't a good melee brute, it wasn't a good caster and even with invisibility it wasn't terribly sneaky. It was so notorious for these failings that Wizards published a complete redo on their website. d20 Modern maintains the original 3E version though the stats only show up in free adventure The 7:48 from Central Avenue. An Ogre Mage is an ally in Urban Arcana's sample adventure, but he is never given stats.

In 4th edition, WoTC decided it was time to stop denying that the Ogre Mage was anything other than an Oni with the name changed. They created an entire class of oni creatures, with the Ogre Mage now the... Oni Mage... and added the Night Haunter in their first MM. This creepy sumbitch had a breath weapon that could put victims to sleep, heal itself by draining life from sleeping victims, disguise itself as any elderly humanoid of Medium or Large size, and assume a gaseous form. The second 4e MM added the Devourer, Overlord and Thunderer oni. "Open Grave" introduced two Shadowfell-native oni strains; the Souleater (take a wild guess what he does), and the Spiritmaster, a necromancer subspecies that considers the dead of all species, including its own, to be nothing more than potential servants.

Naturally, as a race that combines lesser-giant strength with magic, oni are pretty much off the playable list as far as most DMs are concerned, seeing them as basically "the gish problem" applied to a race. But, there were a few times they had support...

2e Stats[edit]

In 2nd edition, the AD&D oni - sorry, "ogre mage" - appeared alongside its Ogre and Half-Ogre cousins in the Complete Book of Humanoids:

Ability Score Range: Strength 12-18, Dexterity 7-18, Constitution 8-14, Intelligence 8-17, Wisdom 3-16, Charisma 2-14
Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, -2 Wisdom
Class & Level Limits: Fighter 9, Mage 8, Shaman 7, Thief 8
+5 hit points at 1st level
Natural Armor Class: 4
Gain the following abilities as they gain hit dice:
  1. Cast Gaseous Form 1/day, Fly for 12 turns 1/day
  2. Become Invisible at-will, Cast Charm Person 1/day
  3. Cast Sleep 1/day, Regenerate 1 hit point per round (reattach lost members)
  4. Cast Darkness (10ft radius) at-will
  5. Can Polymorph into a humanoid at will, cast Cone of Cold 1/day (60ft cone, 20ft diameter at end, 8d8 damage, save vs. spells for half damage)
+1 Morale
Take damage as a Large creature
Requires double the normal amount of XP to advance each level.
Should use the Honor system from Oriental Adventures
Weapon Proficiencies: Daikyu, Katana, Naginata, Scimitar, Tetsubo, Wakizashi, Whip, Halberd, Spear, Trident
Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Acting, Armorer, Bowyer/Fletcher, Etiquette, Fortune Telling, Poetry, Reading/Writing, Spellcraft, Weaponsmithing, Weaving, Wild Fighting

3e Stats[edit]

In 3.0 there were rules for playing them in Savage Species. Like most monster classes in that book, it was very stupidly underpowered. It was actually even weaker than average because of the above mentioned issue of being a weak monster. This results in a class that squeezes basic brute stuff and a mere 5 HD over 12 levels where it was long obsolete. Essentially the same as the 3.5 option but more granular.

And then, in 3.5, the "Ogre Mage" was playable right out of the box with the Monster Manual... officially. Like Savage Species you couldn't play a full power one till level 12.:

+10 Strength, +6 Constitution, +4 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, +6 Charisma
Large
Based land speed 40 feet, Fly 40 feet (Good Manueverability)
Darkvision 60 feet
Racial Hit Dice: 5 levels of Giant, which provides 5d8 Hit Points, a Base Attack Bonus of +3, and Base Saving Throw Bonuses of Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1.
Racial Skills: An ogre mage has 8 X (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) skill points, and its class skills are Concentration, Listen, Spellcraft and Spot.
Racial Feats: 2 bonus feats.
+5 natural armor bonus
Spell-Like Abilities: Darkness (At-Will), Invisibility (At-Will), Charm Person (DC 14, 1/day), Clone of Cold (DC 18, 1/day), Gaseous Form (1/day), Polymorph (1/day), Sleep (DC 14, 1/day). All spell-like abilities have a caster level of 9th and Charisma-based saving DCs.
Regeneration 5, cannot resist Fire and Acid damage, reattach severed limbs rather than regrow them.
Favored Class: Sorcerer
Level Adjustment: +7

After this, the oni as a PC option slipped away. That said, the hagspawn race are described as looking a lot like an oni, and hags were actually considered a subspecies of giant in D&D's early days, so refluffing hagspawn wouldn't be the worst way to get your oriental ogre on...

Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Races
Core DwarfElfGnomeHalf-ElfHalf-OrcHalflingHuman
Dark Sun AarakocraHalf-GiantMulPterranThri-kreen
Dragonlance DraconianIrdaKenderMinotaur
Mystara AraneaEe'arEndukLizardfolk (CaymaGurrashShazak) • LupinManscorpionPhanatonRakastaTortleWallara
Oriental Adventures KorobokuruHengeyokaiSpirit Folk
Planescape AasimarBariaurGenasiGithyankiGithzeraiModronTiefling
Spelljammer DraconGiffGrommamHadozeeHurwaetiRastipedeScroXixchil
Ravenloft: Broken OneFlesh GolemHalf-VistaniTherianthrope
Complete Book Series AlaghiBeastmanBugbearBullywugCentaurDuergarFremlinFirbolgFlindGnollGoblinHalf-OgreHobgoblinKoboldMongrelfolkOgreOgre MageOrcPixieSatyrSaurialSvirfneblinSwanmayVoadkynWemic
Dragon Magazine Half-DryadHalf-SatyrUldraXvart

Ogre Mage Subraces[edit]

Five different forms of oni - or Ogre Mage, whichever you prefer - existed in 3rd edition. Two, the Umbramage and the Cereborg, were only to be found in the pages of Dragon Magazine #349's "Ecology of the Ogre Mage". The other three, the so-called "Elemental Magi", are found in the Monster Manual V (5).

Cereborgs and Umbramages tie into the oni creation myth provided in that article, which states that oni are grandchildren of Vaprak by his three demigod sons. The "common" oni are descendants of Muaj, but the unique talents of Muaj's brothers gave rise to different straings.

Cereborgs are characterized by frostbitten-looking blue skin, and their potent powers of the mind rather than the mystical powers of standard oni. Their artwork in the magazine also depicts them as bald with a head covered in a network of bulging, throbbing veins, making it almost look like a brain. Children of Agmori, the most intellectual and domineering of Vaprak's sons, the cereborgs replace the standard spell-like abilities of an oni with the Psi-Like Abilities of Cloud Mind (DC 15, At-Will), Empathy (DC 14, At-Will), Death Urge (DC 17, 1/day), Dimension Swap (DC 15, 1/day), Mental Disruption (DC 15, 1/day) and Psionic Dimension Door (1/day), all with a manifester level of 9th and Charisma-based save DCs. They are noted to most frequently progress as Psions, Psychic Warriors and Soulknives, so any of these would be a logical Favored Class switch.

Umbramages descend from Hakuni, the Vaprak-spawn specialized in deception and assassination. This gives them darkly pigmented skins and a natural knack for stealth. Beyond tending to favor the Rogue, Ninja and Shadowcaster classes, which again would be a likely Favored Class switch, their spell-like abilities are more illusion focused: they can cast Darkness and Invisibility at will, and 1/day can cast Detect Thoughts (DC 15), Enervation (DC 17), Scare (DC 15), Shadow Walk (DC 19), and Waves of Fatigue (DC 18), all as 9th level caster and with Charisma-based saving DCs.

The Elemental Magi are a trio of semi-related oni with elementalism powers, though very distinctive beyond that. They readily band together, as their presence mystically strengthens each other, and are more martial than the common oni; rather than the standard array of spell-like abilities, they are mostly imbued with a small array of elemental supernatural abilities, and all have the Favored Class of Fighter.

Ken-kuni are the shortest and broadest, with marbled gray flesh and three horns; two bull-like, and one jutting from the center of their forehead. These elemental oni are connected to the Earth, giving them the Earth subtype and an Earthshock supernatural attack they can use once every 1d4 rounds. They are the least magical of their kin; outside of their Earthshock, fast healing and damage resistance, their only unique power is their Magic Strike special ability, which lets them treat their weapons as being magical. They are noted as the most territorial of the ken-oni, being neither as clever nor as ambitious as their fellows.

Ken-li are broad-shouldered and massive-chested, with burnished bronze skin and two black horns curving backward from their skulls amidst red hair. They are connected to Fire, giving them the Fire subtype and the ability to both weathe themselves in a protective aura of flame and to exhale a blast of flames every 1d4 rounds. Whilst possessing keen insight and malicious temperament, their arrogance and impulsiveness makes them prone to sabotaging themselves, going on aimless rampages for the sheer pleasure of burning everything that looks flammable.

Ken-sun are the tallest and leanest of the elemental magi, with blue-white skin and a single great horn - some 2 to 3 feet in length - protruding from its forehead. Their writeup states that they have "a rocky appearance", but their artwork doesn't really support that. These oni are tied to the element of Air, and are the most magical of their kin; in addition their subtype, they possess a "Wind Breath" supernatural breath weapon that blows enemies away, a Deflecting Winds aura that surrounds them with a permanent, personal windstorm (unless they wish otherwise), and a permanent Freedom of Movement effect. More notably, they are the only elemental oni with spell-like abilities, being able to cast Control Weather 2/day and Sleet Storm 1/day. Smartest, most ambitious and most leader-like of their kin, they invariably gather large warbands arond them and even become legitimate rulers-through-conquest.

Gallery[edit]

Pathfinder[edit]

One of the few significant changes to OGL monsters in Pathfinder was a complete redo of the Ogre Mage, turning it into something actually worthy of its CR. Paizo took this opportunity to change the Ogre Mage into just one breed of an Oni category, though no others would actually be printed for almost 3 years: Their Oni became a species of evil outsiders, envious spirits whose sheer hedonistic desire caused them to take on the form of humanoids so that they could experience physical sensations again. The Ogre Mage Oni was still pretty vanilla, but the 3rd Pathfinder Bestiary, and the Jade Regent adventure path, added a bunch more oni.

The Fire Yai imitates a Fire Giant, can launch a fiery beam from its third eye, and turn itself into smoke. Craving luxuriant dwelling places, they are the most impulsive of their kind, a reference to the "red oni" mythology mentioned above.

The Ice Yai imitates a Frost Giant, can launch a freezing beam from its third eye, and has a monk-ish Staggering Strikes ability. Egotistic and domineering, they are nonetheless a very disciplined, dedicated, and even-tempered breed, preaching that the threat of violence can be more effective than actual violence. Like the Fire Yai, this taps into the "blue oni" mythology.

The Kuwa is the weakest and most common kind of oni, being based on the human form. The result is a claw-fingered, golden-skinned humanoid with fairly meager magical powers, as oni go. They crave power, but are more cautious than most other oni; they tend to avoid positions of true authority like king or mayor in favor of hiding in the upper echelon, where they can more freely exploit and abuse their powers to live in wealth and luxury.

The Spirit Oni are the weakest of all oni, an "unborn" oni that has been magically coaxed, tricked or otherwise sealed into a mask, which can then be used as a symbiote in order to call upon the oni's magical power. They are pitiful, hateful creatures who loathe being so entrapped, but which are too cowardly to take the risk of destroying themselves so that they can try to reincarnate as a more powerful oni.

The Void Yai is the most powerful form of oni, a towering dusky-skinned giant-form with, among other things, the ability to launch a negative energy beam from its third eye, assume an ethereal "void form", and create a lessened Sphere of Annihilation by use of its teleport powers. The most ambitious of all oni, Void Yai seek to conquer kingdoms to serve them. They hate their true forms as ugly, preferring to disguise themselves as incredibly attractive giants instead.

The Water Yai imitates a Storm Giant, wears unique magical robes, can shoot acid from its third eye, and turn into water. They love beauty, especially beautiful treasure, and seek to surround themselves with it. Noted for being surprisingly frivilous, especially for an oni.

The Yamabushi imitates a tengu, appearing as a crimson-faced humanoid with a big nose and raven-like wings. Proficient with monkly weapons, able to steal voices, but vulnerable to Pattern sub-school Illusion spells, they are noted for their love of trickery and thieving, driven by an urge to collect all the shiny treasure they can. Also, they hate ducks. Seriously, they find ducks so ugly and disgusting that they will actually endanger themselves in combat for a chance to kill a duck. Detailed in Jade Regent #1.

The Nogitsune imitates a kitsune, and possesses a unique form of the Suggestion spell-like ability that can actually be spread to new victims through the speech of those under its command. Hedonists who love killing and fleshy pleasures, they tend to become assassins and spies for both the love of murder & mischief and to get the money to spend on whores, booze and drugs. Detailed in Jade Regent #2.

The Atamahuta imitates an ettin, the notorious two-headed ogre. Distinguished by the way its left head has three eyes and constantly gibbers to itself, the Atamahuta divides its anger & savagery into the right head and its ingenuity and magical prowess into the left. Consequently, it talks through the right head, but casts spells with the left. As a result, it can easily enchant its weapons and is hard to disrupt its casting, as the body can keep protecting itself even as one head casts spells. They crave power and fearful respect above all else, so it incenses them that they often have to find a humanoid to serve as their "face", since their ettin and oni forms alike earn the repulsed disdain of the mortals they want to dominate. Detailed in Jade Regent #3.

The Ja Noi imitates a hobgoblin, but has a hunched back, fiery red skin, and over-developed muscles. It craves the carnal thrill of slaughter, finding the true pleasures of life to be found in the spilling of blood, the shattering of bone, and the thrill of life-risking combat. They yearn for battle and constantly seek out worthy opponents to test their might on; they rarely live long, especially because the followers they amass eventually realise they are expendable to a Ja Noi in its desire for bloodshed, but they see that as just the more reason to live to the utmost whilst they can. Detailed in Jade Regent #4.

The Earth Yai imitates a Stone Giant, can launch boulders from its third eye and grow protective stone spikes from its skin. It craves power above all else, yearning to hold the ultimate ability to inflict ruin. They are smart enough to realise that this doesn't necessarily entail physical strength; a soldier is less destructive than the catapult shot that brings down a castle wall, which is less powerful than the king whose decree ignited this bloody war in the first place. Detailed in Jade Regent #5.

The Wind Yai imitates a Cloud Giant, can fire lightning bolts from its third eye, and has powers relating to control over the wind and weather. Brooding, blustering fiends who desperately want to control the weather with the grace of the Cloud Giants they try to imitate, but who fail due to their lack of delicacy, which incenses them. Detailed in Jade Regent #6.

The Najikai is an oni breed introduced in the Book of the Damned hardcover; these oni imitate nagaji, the naga-bred serpentfolk of Golarion, except their true form is more monstrous looking, mostly in the presence of a long, thick, powerful tail. Not much is currently known about these creatures except that they crave power and luxury, like most oni, and their preferred route to get it is to disguise themselves as normal nagaji warriors of great skill and wit, worm their way into the confidence of a lesser naga lord, and then murder that naga so they can usurp its place.

The Kigyo is an aquatic breed of oni, introduced in Ruins of Azlant #4, that crudely imitated the merfolk of Golarion, appearing as a giant seahorse with an ugly humanoid face and a pair of spindly, web-fingered human arms. These twisted fiends love two things above all else; drowning victims, and forcing people to pay them ransom in exchange for their lives. Many kigyos develop obsessions with a single type of ransom they demand, such as firstborn children, spouses, a victim’s reproductive or sensory organs or lungs, or even (in rare cases) pure material wealth

The Hungerseed are a type of Tiefling that had oni as their fiendish ancestor and are detailed in the Blood of Fiends. They have +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom and -2 Charisma with bonuses to disguise and intimidate as well as an alter self spell-like ability. The flavor text indicates their ability scores should have been +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom, though this would make them largely inferior to Angel-Kin Aasimar from the same book who also have +2 Strength, +2 Charisma and alter self as an SLA but have no wisdom penalty.

Oni Daimyo[edit]

Given that Pathfinder's oni are a fiend race, naturally, there are archfiends who exemplify their kind. These are the Daimyo, who are presented in brief in the hardcover compilation version of the Book of the Damned, and consist of the following:

Akuma: Daimyo of Battle, Honor and Martial Arts. This Daimyo appears as a three-eyed ogre mage with seven horns, earning him the nickname of "The Horned King". Lawful Evil in alignment, all he cares about is training, to the point that the Obedience he demands of his worshippers is to spend time practicing martial arts stances and routines. He grants access to the Cleric Domains of Evil, Glory, Law and War, with the subdomains of Blood, Fear, Honor and Tactics, and his favored weapon is the Unarmed Strike. /tg/ suspects that he is a Street Fighter reference.

Chimon: Daimyo of Ambushes, Hunting and Traps. The Hunter of Blood appears as a flensed ogre mage who has been perforated with arrows, constantly weeping blood from the holes they've made. His Obedience is done by drafting plans for a complex ambush or trap, using blood for the ink. With a Neutral Evil alignment, he grants access to the Cleric Domains of Artifice, Evil, Travel and Trickery, with the subdomains of Construct, Deception, Exploration and Toil. His favored weapon is the Longbow.

Gukyu: Daimyo of Piracy, Tea and Tsunamis. The Sea Devil is an aquatic archfiend with the form of a one-eyed, blue-skinned woman with the lower body of an eel. Precisely why an oni daimyo associated with piracy and tsunamis has an obsession with tea, nobody knows; even her Obedience requires you to perform a tea ceremony either whilst blindfolded or whilst on the beach. Chaotic Evil in alignment, she grants access to the Cleric Domains of Chaos, Evil, Strength, Water, with the subdomain of Entropy, Fear, Ferocity and Oceans. Her favored weapon is the Nine-Ringed Broadsword.

Inma: Daimyo of Lavish Wealth, Origami and Servitude. Considered one of the most powerful of all the oni daimyo, Inma is known as the Empress of the World and appears as a dark-skinned, three-eyed, four-armed void yai. Her Obedience requires you to craft delicate origami representing those you seek to rule over. Lawful Evil in alignment, she grants access to the Cleric Domains of Community, Evil, Law and Nobility, with the subdomains of Family, Home, Leadership and Tyranny. As one of the more overtly Japanese oni daimyo, her favored weapon is the Katana.

Muronna: Daimyo of Eclipses, Sunsets and Unseen Things. A dweller in the underground, the Dark Mother is said to appear as a lithe ogre mage with gray skin. Her Obedience requires you to stand with your back to the setting sun, blindfold yourself, and concentrate on what the world might be like if the sun were to fail to rise in the morning. Neutral Evil, she grants access to the Cleric Domains of Darkness, Evil, Sun and Trickery, and the subdomains of Day, Deception, Night and Thievery. Her favored weapon is the Kusarigama.

Nataka: Daimyo of Drought, Forest Fires and Perfume. Appearing as a towering but handsome fire yai with two mouths and four eyes, the Red King loves the smell of smoke and the way it can be flavored by its fuel. His Obedience requires you to meditate in the center of a circle of flames, which you must periodically feed incense to. He grants access to the Cleric Domains of Destruction, Evil, Fire and Weather, with the subdomains of Arson, Catastrophe, Seasons and Smoke, and his favored weapon is the Scimitar.

Onmyuza: Daimyo of Orgies, Sake and Tattoos. Appearing as a beautiful ogre mage whose third eye is chained shut by three golden ring piercings lining the length of her closed eyelid, the Dancer in Flesh is a shameless hedonist who revels in debauchery, celebration and carnal pleasures, to an extent that would make a succubus blush. All of her followers must be tattooed, as her Obedience consists of using a needle soaked in sake to lightly trace the lines of her faithful's tattoos. She grants access to the Cleric Domains of Chaos, Charm, Evil and Rune, with the subdomains of Language, Lust, Revelry and Wards, and her favored weapon is the Kerambit.

Ushitora: Daimyo of Earthquakes, Keys and Sabotage. Described as a towering four-armed female void yai who wields two jade-and-gold tetsubo in her twin pairs of arms, Ushitora guards the mysterious Oni Gate, and is known simply as "The Keeper of the Oni Gate" as a result. Nobody is quite sure what will happen if the Oni Gate were ever to open, but nobody really wants to know because, hey, it's got to be bad. Her Obedience consists of burying a key in the earth and then meditating over it for a while before digging the key back up. She grants access to the Cleric Domains of Chaos, Destruction, Earth, and Evil, with the subdomains of Catastrophe, Entropy, Metal and Rage. Obviously, her favored weapon is the Tetsubo.

Uzumae: Daimyo of Blizzards, Frozen Ghosts and Starvation. Appearing as a kuwa oni with frostbitten skin and icicles for his teeth and fingernails, Uzumai is known simply as "The Daimyo of the North", and is said to dwell in a fortress carved from the icy heart of a glacier, whose elegant spires create hypnotic music with the wind that bewitches travelers and lures them to their doom in the frozen north. His Obedience requires you to meditate on the sensations of starving to death amidst the snow - you don't need to be either starving or in the snow to honor him, but if you aren't, you need to use some self-flagellation to get his attention. He grants access to the Cleric Domains of Death, Evil, Law and Water, with the subdomains of Fear, Ice, Murder and Undead, and his favored weapon is the Urumi.

Yabu: Daimyo of Curses, Promises and Volcanoes. Called the Lord of the Kazan Caldera, for his choice of dwelling in a dormant volcano upon Golarion, Yabu takes the form of a muscular fire yai with stony skin and large, almost orcish tusks. His Obedience is quite simple; just burn a model of a building and meditate on the smoke. He grants access to the Cleric Domains of Destruction, Evil, Fire and Luck, with the subdomains of Ash, Catastrophe, Curse and Smoke, and his favored weapon is the Meteor Hammer.

Gallery[edit]

The Fiends of Pathfinder
Lawful: Asuras - Devils - Rakshasas - Velstracs
Neutral: Daemons - Divs - Sahkils
Chaotic: Demodands - Demons - Lilus - Nindorus - Qlippoth
Any: Oni
Lords: Ahriman - Archdevils
Demon Lords - Four Horsemen

Monstergirls[edit]

This article or section is about Monstergirls (or a monster that is frequently depicted as a Monstergirl), something that /tg/ widely considers to be the purest form of awesome. Expect PROMOTIONS! and /d/elight in equal measure, often with drawfaggotry or writefaggotry to match.

In standard monstergirl depictions, oni are essentially "Japanese Giants"; they're usually quite close in personality to the standard ogre or giant monstergirl, being tough, blunt, straightforward, enjoying food, drink and sex in copious amounts, often rough lovers, and not prone to taking "no" for an answer. They are almost always closer to ogre-sized (larger than humans, but not hugely so) rather than giant-sized - your typical oni is anywhere from "heads and shoulders taller" to "twice your size", but almost never "building sized". They almost always have luridly colored skin and always have horns, usually cute little nubby ones, but hey a lot of real oni art and statues have the same.

Despite what you might think, oni monstergirls actually have a basis in mythology. Depending on the myth, either there are female oni, or there are completely separate yokai who are considered female counterparts to oni called hannya and kijo. All of these versions have similar superhuman powers to male oni, but are usually described as looking incredibly beautiful - unless you piss them off, in which case they become terrifying to behold in their fury.

The iconic oni monstergirl in Japanese culture is Lum, the female protagonist of the 1979 manga "Urusei Yatsura". Long story short, Lum appears as a curvy, cute 17 year old teenage girl with iridescent (or green, in the 1981 manga) hair, cute little fangs, and two cute little horns, who runs around in a tiger-stripe patterned bikini and go-go- boots as her attire of choice. She can fly and throw lightning. Character-wise, she's established as a somewhat naive and inexperienced, but well-meaning and devotedly loving girl, with much of the "comedy" being that she has fallen head over heels in love with Ataru Moroboshi; a lecherous loser of a highschool guy who is a living magnet for supernatural and alien weirdness (oni, in this series, being aliens rather than traditional yokai) who would rather lust for the dream-pussy of a harem he never had and is never going to have rather than accept Lum's feelings for him. Even though this tends to make her jealous as all hell, which usually leads to her biting him or zapping him with lightning bolts, when she's not trying crazy schemes in hopes of forcing him to stop chasing skirts and join her in the wedding bed. Incredibly, given how ridiculously popular the character became (/a/ could talk for hours about the impact Lum and Urusei Yatsura had on manga & anime of the 80s and 90s), she was actually intended to be a one-shot antagonist who was only supposed to show up in the very first chapter of the manga and then vanish - if it weren't for some nameless hero of an editor, Lum's creator would have junked her and never used her again.

In the world of the Monster Girl Encyclopedia, oni are divided into two kinds; Red and Blue, for reasons talked about at the top of the page. Red Oni are basically sexy drunken thugs; their only concern is gorging themselves on liquor and finding a cute guy to screw, and they basically try to just take what they want. Blue Oni are more civilized and level-headed; Red Oni choose to act like savages, but Blue Oni try to be reasonable and diplomatic. However, they crave alcohol and are really bad at holding it, which means that when they get drunk, they become as horny and sexually aggressive as their Red sisters.

See also: Kijo

Gallery[edit]