Races of Ravnica: Ogres

Ogres

Two brothers stand opposite in the ruined market street, each towering over the fleeing denizens. The Boros legionnaire grunts, drawing out their greatsword and wreathing it in holy flame. His grey-skinned twin roars out in rage, lifting a ruined pillar and charging towards his traitors city-loving brother.

Ogres are a huge part of the world of Ravnica. They aren't a unique race to the magic multiverse, but have a ubiquitous role in the city of guilds as denizens and average folk. Their skin color ranges between dark greys and browns to a tan brown. Some ogres have tusks or enlarged fangs. Others appear with rounder heads and wider chests.

These brutes aren't a cohesive race that bonded by heritage. Like humans, they can be found in any guild across the plane. They act as hired hands to handle the grunt work medium sized creatures can't manage. Ogres prefer working with red guilds, but can be found guildless and in every other guild as enforcers and laborers.

The most well known ogres belong to the Gruul Clans. Their chaotic nature aligns well with the varying clan beliefs. They prioritize strength above all else. Ruric-Thar is a two-headed ogre who has risen to lead over Ghor-Clan.

Ogre Characters

An ogre can be a crucial ally to an adventuring party. They provide the muscle and brawn to soak hits and smash foes.

Barbarians and fighters are the most common adventuring ogre classes, but many divert to other classes that use Strength as a primary stat and Wisdom or Charisma as a secondary such as war domain clerics and fiend warlocks.

Spellcasting Ogres

While their intellect is subpar, ogres can be adept spellcasters. Izzet League ogres typically are Eldritch Knights or Sorcerers who have begun picking up magic from their guild.

A Gruul ogre war cleric may be incredibly wise to the ways of nature and herald gods to raize the city. They pair their war magic with brute strength to level their foes.

A Rakdos warlock pairs the classes supportive pact magic with their races tremendous strength to create a force to be reckoned with.

Background Tables

d6	Personality Traits
1	I'm used to paying more for drinks because smashing tankards is fun.
2	A day of hard work relaxes my simple mind.
3	I've never understood politics, but pretend to to fit in.
4	I like to feel important. Carrying others and their things helps fulfil this desire.
5	Apologizing is like a second language to me. I clumsily break things all the time.
6	Rodents are so adorable! I'll stop to pet or feed critters I see in the streets.

d6	Ideals
1	Smash. I revel in the act of destruction.
2	Freedom. Structure breeds obedience. I am a free mind.
3	Greed. I need a lot of ale to fill my stomach. Whoever pays the most gets my muscle.
4	Restraint. My urge to destroy keeps getting me in trouble. Learning restraint has helped me fit into place among the guilds.
5	Necessity. I act out of need. When I need food, I break into a butchery. When I need shelter, I take cover in the rubble.
6	Small-friend. Those who are smaller than me need my strength to be seen and heard.

d6	Bonds
1	The urge to break is tapered by religion.
2	My guild supports me when I screw up and break things I shouldn't have.
3	I bond quickly with outcasts and laborers. I understand their plight.
4	Taverns know me well as a partier. Nights with me in town are nights to have a good time.
5	My scavenging has led to an appreciation of nature and wildlife.
6	Rats are drawn to me. I have a soft spot for them.

d6	Flaws
1	My temper is hard to control, and frequently gets me kicked out of markets and taverns.
2	What I eat comes back to haunt me to regularly. While my immune system is powerful, my insatiable hunger and poor judgement are stronger.
3	Confident tricksters and charlatans trick me with ease. I'm gullible to a fault.
4	I am self-conscious about my intellect. I am intimidated by those who clearly show they are smarter than me.
5	Small buildings and cramped spaces make me antsy. I'm claustrophobic.
6	I barely can get through a conversation I'm not interested in without tuning out.

d6	Contacts
1	I have three siblings that work for different guilds across the city. I'm the runt, and they often make fun of me for my height.
2	A Dimir vampire encodes messages and memories into my brain that I'm not smart enough to comprehend.
3	I put in a decade of work in the Syndicate paying off a debt I earned thrashing one of their churches. I still keep in touch with a pontiff charged with managing me.
4	I tried going through the Legion's training, but got myself and a close friend kicked out for breaking out some captured Gruul raiders.
5	An Izzet chemister hired me to handle dangerous explosives. I still have the burns from the experiments.
6	The Cult of Rakdos captured me and tortured and fought me for entertainment. A flamewheeler broke me out to spite her troupe leader she hated.

Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score decreases by 2.

Age. Ogres age slightly faster than humans, reaching maturity around age 16. Unaltered by profession, they tend to live well into their 60s.

Alignment. Ogres are malleable. Thier low intelligence pushes them towards chaos, and ogres typically find joy in breaking things. Whether they are good, neutral, or evil varies depending on who they are working for. Self-employed, guildless ogres tend to be neutral while ogres belonging to guilds tend to share their guilds alignment.

Size. Ogres vary greatly in size. The most intelligent of the ogres tend to be smaller in size, averaging around 8 to 9 feet tall. Both subraces of ogres fit within this size category. Your size is medium.

Speed. You have a walking speed of 30 feet.

Hurl. You are proficient with ranged improvised weapons.

You can throw friendly small creatures as improvised weapons. Small creatures have a range of 10/20 and deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage. You can throw hostile small creatures you are grappling with this feature.

Creatures thrown with this feature take damage equal to half the damage they deal.

Powerful build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Languages. You speak Common.

Ogre Subraces

Whenever you select this race, choose one of the following subraces.

Ratfriend Ogres

Ratfriend ogres are called such because of their natural odor rats and vermin find irresistable. Your skin color is likely darker and more pale than your rubblebelt cousins.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Rodent Empathy. You have a natural fondness for rats and other vermin. You start with a rat companion, who obeys your commands to the best of it's ability.

Additionally, you are proficient with the Animal Handling skill, and add twice your proficiency bonus to Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks made with rodents.

Stench. You have a putred stench that is hard to mask. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made with creatures within 5 feet of you that can smell.

Strength Based Intimidation

As a DM, consider asking players to make ability checks using alternate modifiers to the norm.

For example, a Rubblebelt ogre who flexes his muscles and threatens a scrawny goblin might make a Strength (Intimidation) check in place of a Charisma (Intimidation) check.

Rubblebelt Ogres

Rubblebelt ogres are the average ogre. Your skin tone is brighter, typically ranging from dull oranges to light greens.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Smash. You deal double damage to structures and constructs.

Intimidating Presence. You are proficient with the Intimidation skill.