Editing Half-Ogre (section)

==Dungeons & Dragons==
In [[Dungeons & Dragons]], the half-ogre's history is a rather unglamorous one. See, they've been around since the days of [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 1st edition - and none other than [[Gary Gygax]] himself wrote up an article on half-ogre PCs in [[Dragon Magazine]] #29, with Roger Moore posting a follow-up expansion article in Dragon #73. But, at the same time, the half-ogre's been pushed to the background, save for warranting a place in the [[Monster Manual]].

The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, the "big dumb ugly monster-blooded bruiser" niche is already amply filled by the [[half-orc]]. Secondly, given that an [[ogre]] is stronger than an [[orc]], you'd expect a half-ogre to be likewise stronger than a half-orc - this makes half-ogres extremely hard to balance.

And yet... they've clung on for dear life. Even if the [[goliath]] may have shoved them out of the limelight forever since it got promoted, the half-ogre was a PC option in the first three editions of the game.

BECMI also has the [[N'djatwa]], a half-ogre variant created from the union of [[ogre]] and '''[[elf]]'''. No, we're ''not'' kidding.

===AD&D 1e===
As mentioned, the 1e version appeared in two parts in Dragon issues #29 and #73. This version, by the archaic and nigh-incomprehensible rules of the time, looked like this:
::Strength 14-18
::Dexterity 3-12
::Constitution 14-18
::Intelligence 3-12
::Wisdom 2-12
::Charisma 2-8 (double when dealing with ogres & half-ogres)
::Infravision 60'
::Two hit dice at first level, then regular progression
::Class & Level Limits: [[Fighter]] (unlimited), [[Cleric]] (4), Thief (2), Assassin (2)
::Can use a bastard sword one-handed but still receive full damage.
::Can never possess [[psionics]].
::Double or triple cost for clothes and armor.
::Immune to therianthropy
::If slain, can only be revived with a Wish or through a Rod of Resurrection, as per half-orc of the same class.
::Always take damage as a Size L being.
::Size impacts on use of magical items other than rings, bracers and amulets.
::Treated as full-blooded ogres for magical weapons specialized against giant-kin.
::Suffer the same "to-hit" penalties against dwarves and gnomes as full-blooded ogres.

===AD&D 2e===
[[File:Half ogre MM 2e.png|left|thumb|Half-ogre from the 2e ''Monstrous Manual''.]]
The AD&D 2e Half-Ogre appeared in the Complete Book of Humanoids, alongside both its Ogre progenitor and its [[Oni]] cousin. In comparison to its pure-blooded kinsfolk, the 2e half-ogre looked like this - which was at least a better deal than they had in 1e!
::Ability Score Range: Strength 14-18, Dexterity 8-12, Constitution 14-19, Intelligence 3-12, Wisdom 2-12, CHarisma 2-8
::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence, -1 Charisma
::Class & Level Limits: [[Fighter]] (12), [[Cleric]] (4), [[Shaman]] (4), [[Witch Doctor]] (4)
:::Multiclass Options: Fighter/Shaman or Witch Doctor, Fighter/Cleric (requires Wisdom 9+)
::Natural Armor Class 8
::+4 hit points at 1st level
::A half-ogre Shaman has access to the [[Cleric Domain|Spheres]] of Combat, Divination, Healing, Protection and Sun.
::Takes damage as a Large creature.
::-4 penalty to attack rolls vs. gnomes and -2 penalty to attack rolls vs. dwarves.
::Weapon Proficiencies: Club, Goblin Stick, Halberd, Spear, Two-Handed Sword, Voulge
::Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Drinking, Eating, Fire-building, Hunting, Intimidation, Religion, Tracking, Wild Fighting

===3e===
[[File:Half-ogre Savage Species 3e.jpg|thumb|Half-ogre from ''[[Savage Species]]''.]]
[[File:Half ogre Dragon 313.jpg|thumb|''[[Dragon Magazine|Dragon]] #313'']]
There are actually three versions of the Half-Ogre in 3rd edition; one in Dragon #313, one in [[Races of Destiny]], and the Kyrnnish Half-Ogre in the [[Dragonlance]] Campaign Setting, which was reprinted in [[Races of Ansalon]]. "Secrets of Sarlona", an [[Eberron]] sourcebook, would also introduce the ''[[Eneko]]'', a Half-Ogre like species descended from [[Ogre]]/[[Half-Giant]] hybridization.

The Dragon #313 half-ogre is a template that can be applied to Giants, Humanoids and Monstrous Humanoids. Per its own lore, most half-ogres are actually [[ogre]]-[[orc]]s, followed by [[ogre]]-[[bugbear]]s and [[ogre]]-[[gnolls]]. [[Ogre]]-[[human]]s are the least common of their kind, and ogres mating with anything else is almost unheard of.
::Small or Medium creatures with this template increase in size to Medium and Large, respectively.
::If Size increases, boost speed by +10 feet.
::+2 natural armor bonus
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Giant Blood: Treat as a Giant typed creature for special abilities, effects, magic items, etc that key off of race/type.
::+4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +1 if size increased, otherwise +0

Both the Races of Destiny and the Krynnish Half-Ogre is instead treated as a race in its own right. Of the two, the '''[[Races of Destiny]]''' version is definitely the more powerful: [[Dungeon Magazine]] #149 would also use the RoD Half-Ogre as the basis for its [[Verbeeg]] conversion by keeping the Size at Medium and dropping the Int and Cha penalties in exchange for only getting a +4 to Str, portraying the former [[Giant-kin]] as instead half-ogres whose human ancestry is dominant.
::+6 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
::Giant type
::Large size
::Base speed 30 feet
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Natural Armor +4
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Barbarian]]
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +2

The '''[[Dragonlance|Krynnish]]''' Half-Ogre is weaker, but at the same time, it has much better support. See, in the [[Dragonlance]] setting, ogres are actually pretty big deals in terms of the evil humanoid races, in no small part because orcs don't exist on Krynn. As such, half-ogres actually have a free niche to fill on their own, giving them a freedom they lack in other settings.
::+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
::Medium
::Humanoid (Ogre)
::Base Speed 30 feet
::Low-Light Vision
::+1 Natural Armor Bonus
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Fighter]]
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +1