This week, I’m presenting a number of new ogre statblocks for 5e D&D. The statblocks in the embedded PDF should be used in conjunction with baseline ogres from the SRD/Monster Manual to create a varied tribe. The ogres included will allow you to use ogres as enemies for higher level parties, and run ogre encounters where the monsters have varied and interesting strategies open to them above and beyond just hitting the nearest available player character.
The embedded PDF includes:
The Ogre Brute
An Ogre Brute is a freakishly tough representative of their species, far bulkier than most other ogres and covered in thick layers of muscle and fat which afford them some level of protection. Ogre tribes lucky enough to count one or more brutes among their number put them in the vanguard, where they can do the most damage.
The Ogre Champion
An Ogre Champion is one of the strongest and brightest of their race, but also one of the fiercest fighters. They are the equivalent to an officer, leading ogre raiding parties and rallying their tribe in times of defense. Because of their position within the tribe a champion usually has a few trophies, such as a steel weapon. Champions always wade into melee, where they rage like barbarians. If they find themselves cheated of their ability to continue raging, a champion with a cooler head can fight smart (for an ogre), making them a dangerous foe even with their fury quelled.
The Ogre Chieftain
The strongest ogre in a tribe is their chieftain. This individual is likely a former champion, and typically older than the other warriors while not yet old enough for infirmity. Their experience and relative wisdom serve them well in guiding the tribe and in defeating challenges from those that would take their place. The chieftain is measured by their strength, and in some respects their strength becomes the strength of their tribe. A strong showing in battle inspires greater efforts from the chieftain’s followers. It also helps guarantee the chieftain’s survival—there are those among their tribe just waiting for a sign of weakness, and this knowledge encourages a chieftain to push past physical limitations.
The Ogre Shieldbearer
A shieldbearer wields a large, primitively constructed wooden shield, or a stolen item such as a door which can serve the same purpose. They use their shield to protect themselves and other ogre warriors around them. Unsurprisingly, they are often found in the company of Champions and Chieftains.
The Ogre Slinger
Although weapons that require finesse and accuracy are hardly an ogre’s strong point, these ogres defy expectation by wielding slings. The slings created by ogres are so large that they can throw hefty rocks, and the ogre’s physical might is enough that those rocks often explode on impact, sending splinters of stone scything into the flesh of secondary targets.
The Ogre Parent
The ogre parent represents an ogre father or mother, or a member of the tribe who stands guard over the tribe’s young in the event of an enemy attack. They fight all the harder in light of this serious duty, and throw themselves into harm’s way to protect the future hopes of their tribe.
The Ogre Youth
The ogre youth is no longer a child but not old enough to be an adult. They are still learning from an ogre parent what it means to be a member of the tribe. An ogre youth can benefit from following a parent’s guidance, but like children of any race they are known for rebellious streaks.
