Ogre
A staple of fantasy settings, the Ogre derives from various European lore relating to giants. Typically, ogres are the smallest, ugliest, dumbest and crudest of the variant giants; this justifies their frequent alliances with goblins and orcs due to a similar distaste for making an honest living and love of fighting. Generally, when your party is capable of killing orcs easily, ogres are the next step up.
Exactly just how crude they are varies from setting to setting. Pathfinder infamously made its ogres into inbred, cannibalistic, depraved rapist monsters straight out of some hicksploitation horror film. Picture a cross between The Hills Have Eyes and Deliverance played out by giants and you got the basic idea.
Warhammer Fantasy
Warhammer Fantasy Battle has the Ogre Kingdoms.
Warcraft
In Warcraft, Ogres are race of brutish barbarian-like humanoids organized into clans similar to the Orcs in Draenor. The Orc warlock Gul'dan developed two-headed Ogres to be slightly smarter than the average Ogre, he also made Ogre Magi who are smart enough to use magic. Two-headed ogres have also always been natural. They are descended from earth giants that got smaller over many generations. For being dumb brutes, they are still the smartest of their kin. With an actual education and slaves to take out their aggression on, they can be as advanced as the Roman Empire was.
Kings of War
In Kings of War, Ogres are a warrior race who make their living as mercenaries, kinda like in Warhammer. There are a number of differences between the two, however; for one, the ogres of Mantica aren't ridiculously stupid, possessing plenty of intelligence. Also, Mantic ogres, rather than being shirtless sumo wrestlers like they're portrayed as in most media, are athletic and muscular (if a little top-heavy) and use proper weapons and armour, fitting for a race whose entire livelihood is their business as professional soldiers. They also have no central leadership, so clans will fight as allies for just about any army between them. Not much is known about their background.
D&D
For the Dungeons & Dragons creature called the Ogre Mage, see the Oni page.
1e
Playable in Mystara.
2e
Playable in the Complete Book of Humanoids.
3e
In 3e Ogres look distinctly non-human. Rules to make ogre characters are presented in the Monster Manual:
- +10 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -4 Charisma.
- Large size.
- Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
- 40 feet base land speed.
- 60 feet Darkvision.
- Racial Hit Dice: An ogre begins with four levels of giant, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +4, Ref +1, and Will +1.
- Racial Skills: An ogre’s giant levels give it skill points equal to 7 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Listen, and Spot.
- Racial Feats: An ogre’s giant levels give it two feats.
- An ogre is automatically proficient with simple weapons, martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
- +5 natural armor bonus.
- Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Orc, Goblin, Terran.
- Favored Class: Barbarian.
- Level adjustment +2.
3e presents Ogres as the least members of giantkind: short, dumb but still very strong.
4e
5e
Monstergirls
In the east there's little distinction between ogres and oni: large, strong and horned individuals with a love for booze and fighting. In fact, the word ogre is the most common translation of oni.
| Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition Races | |
|---|---|
| Basic Set | Dwarf • Elf • Hobbit • Human |
| Creature Crucible 1 | Brownie • Centaur • Dryad • Faun • Hsiao • Leprechaun • Pixie • Pooka • Redcap • Sidhe • Sprite • Treant • Wood Imp • Wooddrake |
| Creature Crucible 2 | Faenare • Gnome • Gremlin • Harpy • Nagpa • Pegataur • Sphinx • Tabi |
| Creature Crucible 3 | Kna • Kopru • Merrow • Nixie • Sea Giant • Shark-kin • Triton |
| Dragon Magazine | Cayma • Gatorman • Lupin • N'djatwa • Phanaton • Rakasta • Shazak • Wallara |
| Hollow World | Beastman • Brute-Man • Hutaakan • Krugel Orc • Kubitt • Malpheggi Lizard Man |
| Known World | Bugbear • Goblin • Gnoll • Hobgoblin • Kobold • Ogre • Troll |
| Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Races | |
|---|---|
| Core | Dwarf • Elf • Gnome • Half-Elf • Half-Orc • Halfling • Human |
| Dark Sun | Aarakocra • Half-Giant • Mul • Pterran • Thri-kreen |
| Dragonlance | Draconian • Irda • Kender • Minotaur |
| Mystara | Aranea • Ee'ar • Enduk • Lizardfolk (Cayma • Gurrash • Shazak) • Lupin • Manscorpion • Phanaton • Rakasta • Tortle • Wallara |
| Oriental Adventures | Korobokuru • Hengeyokai • Spirit Folk |
| Planescape | Aasimar • Bariaur • Genasi • Githyanki • Githzerai • Modron • Tiefling |
| Spelljammer | Dracon • Giff • Grommam • Hadozee • Hurwaeti • Rastipede • Scro • Xixchil |
| Ravenloft: | Broken One • Flesh Golem • Half-Vistani • Therianthrope |
| Complete Book Series | Alaghi • Beastman • Bugbear • Bullywug • Centaur • Duergar • Fremlin • Firbolg • Flind • Gnoll • Goblin • Half-Ogre • Hobgoblin • Kobold • Mongrelfolk • Ogre • Ogre Mage • Orc • Pixie • Satyr • Saurial • Svirfneblin • Swanmay • Voadkyn • Wemic |
| Dragon Magazine | Half-Dryad • Half-Satyr • Uldra • Xvart |