A very brainy half-ogre... [Archive] - Wizards Community

A very brainy half-ogre... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
AMGriffin
11-29-06, 11:59 PM Raised by ogres.

Since my DND group does mostly one-shot campaigns I go through characters like tissue. Bored of playing the traditional half-orc I decided to take it up a notch and go for a half-ogre. I rolled the character and these were my stats (Post modifiers of course)

Strength: 19
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 14
Wisdom: 18
Intelligence: 16
Charisma: 14

Wow huh? So I'm playing a very bright and charming half-ogre. I'm figuring on giving him an ironic name that is very dumb sounding...like Grukk. Grukk is still early in the development stage. But I'm most likely going to play him as chaotic or true neutral and as a druid or MAYBE a cleric. His vital stats are he is an even 8 feet and 400 pounds.

His origin is hazy, but I like the concept of his mother being an adventurer of some sort that was raped by a weak and snivelling ogre. She was kept alive long enough for Grukk to be born, and then abruptly eaten. So I present the following questions:

1.) How would he be treated by ogres? Would they abuse him endlessly or would his superior intellect and wisdom be recognized and gain him some respect amongst the tribe, and namely how would feel about his ogre kin?

2.) His behavior? He's incredibly smart and wise but has had no formal chance to learn a whole lot. So what would his vocabulary and mannerisms be akin to? When raised by ogres who are about as dumb and crude as you can get...

3.) Would he frown upon or disdain ogre culture and attempt to want to get more in touch with his human roots? Or really consider both to be pointless and flawed?

4.) How would he react to other people stereotyping him as a buffoon and peon?
AllWillFall2Me
11-30-06, 11:27 AM As far as treatment by the ogres goes, I think the ogres would treat him as a runt. But, for an ironic twist, maybe all the ogres think of him like a cute, clever little brother. "Grukk talk smart *pats him on back sending him flat on his face* (horrified) Sorry, Grukk, me forget!" "Good job Grukk! Way to smash hoomans!" And maybe one day, alone, he encountered a druid, an orc druid. After learning the importance of orc shamans in orc society, he's trying to become the first ogre shaman.
Ideas.
AJ53
11-30-06, 12:57 PM Well, you could play him like this one orc wizard mini, "Would it make you feel better if I shouted 'Grog Smash' as you burn under my arcane fire?"
theotherdraxen
11-30-06, 07:31 PM 1.) How would he be treated by ogres? Would they abuse him endlessly or would his superior intellect and wisdom be recognized and gain him some respect amongst the tribe, and namely how would feel about his ogre kin?
He would be regarded with high respect. Despite his weakness, there is no denying him his sheer persuasiveness and likeability.
2.) His behavior? He's incredibly smart and wise but has had no formal chance to learn a whole lot. So what would his vocabulary and mannerisms be akin to? When raised by ogres who are about as dumb and crude as you can get...
He would probably act in the manner of a regal chieftan. He wouldn't 'talk smart', he wouldn't be elegant, but he would display intelligence and wisdom. "See here, human? This is thuk-root. Thuk root is good for poisons and disease.." He wouldn't make grammatical mistakes too much, though he would maintain a heavy accent out of pride.
3.) Would he frown upon or disdain ogre culture and attempt to want to get more in touch with his human roots? Or really consider both to be pointless and flawed?
He would regard teh ogre culture as ignorant and foolish, but he would likely try to help his people and try to enlighten them.

Of course, this is assuming a good personality. I'm not good for evil archetypes.
4.) How would he react to other people stereotyping him as a buffoon and peon?
He would play along, and not bother too much. He's got an 18 wisdom, so if someone mocks him, he would brush it off rather than cause an unnecessary fight. He's not the sort of person to get into flame-wars.
Telemon_Ajax
11-30-06, 08:00 PM Maybe he's incredibly smart because one of his parents was an ogre mage?
Tacitus_Acheros
11-30-06, 08:14 PM 1.) How would he be treated by ogres? Would they abuse him endlessly or would his superior intellect and wisdom be recognized and gain him some respect amongst the tribe, and namely how would feel about his ogre kin?

Not an easy question to answer. It seems like most half-orcs/ogres are constantly derided as half-bloods and weaklings, regardless of their abilities. If the ogre tribe values brute force, then no matter how good a strategy Grukk came up with, he'd still be on the bottom of the totem pole. On the other hand, if the ogres have an inclination towards sly cunning and ambushes, Grukk could gain a lot of prestige for his ideas. Assuming whoever is currently in power lets this half-blood challenger get that far, natch.

So Grukk will probably either resent and look down on the dumb brutes who ignore his abilities, or have some good, loyal muscle to back up his plans.

2.) His behavior? He's incredibly smart and wise but has had no formal chance to learn a whole lot. So what would his vocabulary and mannerisms be akin to? When raised by ogres who are about as dumb and crude as you can get...

There has to be an explanation for how he got Int 16 living among ogres--maybe the clan ambushed a scholar and Grukk learned that way...

The answer to this question depends on your answer to question one. If Grukk is a worthless half-blood, he'll probably try to blend in as much as possible with the ogres in an effort to avoid unwanted attention--ogres might get offended by the "uppity" weakling who tries to talk better than them and react appropriately (smash). If Grukk has won the tribe's admiration, they'd be proud that he uses words and concepts that go over their heads, and would be willing to accept that he acts different.

3.) Would he frown upon or disdain ogre culture and attempt to want to get more in touch with his human roots? Or really consider both to be pointless and flawed?

Again, it depends on question one. Someone who is constantly reminded that he is inferior to those around him and that he doesn't really fit in will probably seek another culture to join--though with Grukk's Wis score, he can probably anticipate most humans' reaction to him. But someone who overcomes his origin and attains success may try to change a flawed culture from within.

4.) How would he react to other people stereotyping him as a buffoon and peon?

Depends again. If he's a peon, he might fly into a rage if others remind him of his unpleasant past, or try to be an exemplar of wisdom and nobility, like the Sharakim (Races of Destiny). If he's made peace with his upbringing though, the cunning half-ogre may use assumptions of stupidity to his advantage...
AMGriffin
11-30-06, 10:50 PM Maybe he's incredibly smart because one of his parents was an ogre mage?

Nah. His dad was a run of the mill ogre.

I decided to play him as a not totally hated, but still lower ranking member of the tribe. He fills a niche role, planning out attacks and making important descisions for the tribe, as well as serving as the druidic shaman for the tribe, but still is he taunted and beaten, his intellect seen as inessential.

His relationship with the ogres? Distant, he views them and him as having a partnership, relying on one another to fulfill their various roles.

The time finally comes when he leaves his tribe out of sheer boredom and being tired of dealing with them. Leaving behind the corpse of hobgoblin from a recent battle they fought in, he figures the ogres will mistake him for the hobgoblin and by the time they (if ever) figure out he left, he'll be long gone.

He hopes to learn more of the natural world and even some things about his human ancestry. He well anticipates the treatment he receives from them won't be much better, but he's stronger and smarter then most humans as it is.
theotherdraxen
11-30-06, 11:36 PM Hmm...with a 14 charisma, it's hard to be hated. He might be mocked, but his personality is powerful, especially by ogre standards. Half-ogres have a -4 penalty to cha, yes? So, by half-ogre standards, he has an 18 charisma.

Unless he wants to be treated poorly, he won't be.
AMGriffin
12-04-06, 03:42 PM Point Taken, but I always interpretted it as him not really caring much about his position in the tribe and striving for more then just the simple position in the tribe.
Stoyrm
12-04-06, 06:09 PM how about, he gets raised by ogres, The ogres however are a nasty little raiding bunch. There is one leader in the group, and a shaman. Grukk gets raised by the shaman and the leader into a powerfull individual and he is a strong member of the tribe, not only the smartest.

But Grukk wants to control the group himself and the only way to do so is to defeat your leader. However in means of strenght he is no match for his leader.

On a fateful night after a raid, the leader and his group launch an assault on a castle (something) and the leader gets wounded. Taking advantage and using his cunning, Grukk challenges his superior.

The leader has to accept or be shunned by the tribe. So he kills off his leader, takes over his tribe, and controls a castle.

Which later becomes overrun and using his cunning only he survives. Live to fight another day.

Being Chaotic Neutral, this shouldn't be a problem.

Found wandering around in the woods he is taken up by some druids and thought further in the druidic arts as his shaman could only take him so far.
Lethanic
12-04-06, 10:44 PM WHile his strength woudl be relatively low, with his superiour intellect and other features, he could probably put himself in positions where he could still win contests. Were he evil and smart, wise and charismatic, he could likely in short order have many rivals manipulated into bveing eliminated. WIth that CHarisma, despite hsi size, he could have a good intimidate. A good diplomacy. Good fast talk. All sort of things that the ogres woudl be. .not that good at resisting. He could have them believing just about anything. THink about a genius with a forceful personality and a good deal of common sense among a bunch of ignorant fools who are, on average, a bit insecure?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
AMGriffin 11-29-06, 11:59 PM	Raised by ogres. Since my DND group does mostly one-shot campaigns I go through characters like tissue. Bored of playing the traditional half-orc I decided to take it up a notch and go for a half-ogre. I rolled the character and these were my stats (Post modifiers of course) Strength: 19 Dexterity: 12 Constitution: 14 Wisdom: 18 Intelligence: 16 Charisma: 14 Wow huh? So I'm playing a very bright and charming half-ogre. I'm figuring on giving him an ironic name that is very dumb sounding...like Grukk. Grukk is still early in the development stage. But I'm most likely going to play him as chaotic or true neutral and as a druid or MAYBE a cleric. His vital stats are he is an even 8 feet and 400 pounds. His origin is hazy, but I like the concept of his mother being an adventurer of some sort that was raped by a weak and snivelling ogre. She was kept alive long enough for Grukk to be born, and then abruptly eaten. So I present the following questions: 1.) How would he be treated by ogres? Would they abuse him endlessly or would his superior intellect and wisdom be recognized and gain him some respect amongst the tribe, and namely how would feel about his ogre kin? 2.) His behavior? He's incredibly smart and wise but has had no formal chance to learn a whole lot. So what would his vocabulary and mannerisms be akin to? When raised by ogres who are about as dumb and crude as you can get... 3.) Would he frown upon or disdain ogre culture and attempt to want to get more in touch with his human roots? Or really consider both to be pointless and flawed? 4.) How would he react to other people stereotyping him as a buffoon and peon?
AllWillFall2Me 11-30-06, 11:27 AM	As far as treatment by the ogres goes, I think the ogres would treat him as a runt. But, for an ironic twist, maybe all the ogres think of him like a cute, clever little brother. "Grukk talk smart pats him on back sending him flat on his face (horrified) Sorry, Grukk, me forget!" "Good job Grukk! Way to smash hoomans!" And maybe one day, alone, he encountered a druid, an orc druid. After learning the importance of orc shamans in orc society, he's trying to become the first ogre shaman. Ideas.
AJ53 11-30-06, 12:57 PM	Well, you could play him like this one orc wizard mini, "Would it make you feel better if I shouted 'Grog Smash' as you burn under my arcane fire?"
theotherdraxen 11-30-06, 07:31 PM	1.) How would he be treated by ogres? Would they abuse him endlessly or would his superior intellect and wisdom be recognized and gain him some respect amongst the tribe, and namely how would feel about his ogre kin? He would be regarded with high respect. Despite his weakness, there is no denying him his sheer persuasiveness and likeability. 2.) His behavior? He's incredibly smart and wise but has had no formal chance to learn a whole lot. So what would his vocabulary and mannerisms be akin to? When raised by ogres who are about as dumb and crude as you can get... He would probably act in the manner of a regal chieftan. He wouldn't 'talk smart', he wouldn't be elegant, but he would display intelligence and wisdom. "See here, human? This is thuk-root. Thuk root is good for poisons and disease.." He wouldn't make grammatical mistakes too much, though he would maintain a heavy accent out of pride. 3.) Would he frown upon or disdain ogre culture and attempt to want to get more in touch with his human roots? Or really consider both to be pointless and flawed? He would regard teh ogre culture as ignorant and foolish, but he would likely try to help his people and try to enlighten them. Of course, this is assuming a good personality. I'm not good for evil archetypes. 4.) How would he react to other people stereotyping him as a buffoon and peon? He would play along, and not bother too much. He's got an 18 wisdom, so if someone mocks him, he would brush it off rather than cause an unnecessary fight. He's not the sort of person to get into flame-wars.
Telemon_Ajax 11-30-06, 08:00 PM	Maybe he's incredibly smart because one of his parents was an ogre mage?
Tacitus_Acheros 11-30-06, 08:14 PM	1.) How would he be treated by ogres? Would they abuse him endlessly or would his superior intellect and wisdom be recognized and gain him some respect amongst the tribe, and namely how would feel about his ogre kin? Not an easy question to answer. It seems like most half-orcs/ogres are constantly derided as half-bloods and weaklings, regardless of their abilities. If the ogre tribe values brute force, then no matter how good a strategy Grukk came up with, he'd still be on the bottom of the totem pole. On the other hand, if the ogres have an inclination towards sly cunning and ambushes, Grukk could gain a lot of prestige for his ideas. Assuming whoever is currently in power lets this half-blood challenger get that far, natch. So Grukk will probably either resent and look down on the dumb brutes who ignore his abilities, or have some good, loyal muscle to back up his plans. 2.) His behavior? He's incredibly smart and wise but has had no formal chance to learn a whole lot. So what would his vocabulary and mannerisms be akin to? When raised by ogres who are about as dumb and crude as you can get... There has to be an explanation for how he got Int 16 living among ogres--maybe the clan ambushed a scholar and Grukk learned that way... The answer to this question depends on your answer to question one. If Grukk is a worthless half-blood, he'll probably try to blend in as much as possible with the ogres in an effort to avoid unwanted attention--ogres might get offended by the "uppity" weakling who tries to talk better than them and react appropriately (smash). If Grukk has won the tribe's admiration, they'd be proud that he uses words and concepts that go over their heads, and would be willing to accept that he acts different. 3.) Would he frown upon or disdain ogre culture and attempt to want to get more in touch with his human roots? Or really consider both to be pointless and flawed? Again, it depends on question one. Someone who is constantly reminded that he is inferior to those around him and that he doesn't really fit in will probably seek another culture to join--though with Grukk's Wis score, he can probably anticipate most humans' reaction to him. But someone who overcomes his origin and attains success may try to change a flawed culture from within. 4.) How would he react to other people stereotyping him as a buffoon and peon? Depends again. If he's a peon, he might fly into a rage if others remind him of his unpleasant past, or try to be an exemplar of wisdom and nobility, like the Sharakim (Races of Destiny). If he's made peace with his upbringing though, the cunning half-ogre may use assumptions of stupidity to his advantage...
AMGriffin 11-30-06, 10:50 PM	Maybe he's incredibly smart because one of his parents was an ogre mage? Nah. His dad was a run of the mill ogre. I decided to play him as a not totally hated, but still lower ranking member of the tribe. He fills a niche role, planning out attacks and making important descisions for the tribe, as well as serving as the druidic shaman for the tribe, but still is he taunted and beaten, his intellect seen as inessential. His relationship with the ogres? Distant, he views them and him as having a partnership, relying on one another to fulfill their various roles. The time finally comes when he leaves his tribe out of sheer boredom and being tired of dealing with them. Leaving behind the corpse of hobgoblin from a recent battle they fought in, he figures the ogres will mistake him for the hobgoblin and by the time they (if ever) figure out he left, he'll be long gone. He hopes to learn more of the natural world and even some things about his human ancestry. He well anticipates the treatment he receives from them won't be much better, but he's stronger and smarter then most humans as it is.
theotherdraxen 11-30-06, 11:36 PM	Hmm...with a 14 charisma, it's hard to be hated. He might be mocked, but his personality is powerful, especially by ogre standards. Half-ogres have a -4 penalty to cha, yes? So, by half-ogre standards, he has an 18 charisma. Unless he wants to be treated poorly, he won't be.
AMGriffin 12-04-06, 03:42 PM	Point Taken, but I always interpretted it as him not really caring much about his position in the tribe and striving for more then just the simple position in the tribe.
Stoyrm 12-04-06, 06:09 PM	how about, he gets raised by ogres, The ogres however are a nasty little raiding bunch. There is one leader in the group, and a shaman. Grukk gets raised by the shaman and the leader into a powerfull individual and he is a strong member of the tribe, not only the smartest. But Grukk wants to control the group himself and the only way to do so is to defeat your leader. However in means of strenght he is no match for his leader. On a fateful night after a raid, the leader and his group launch an assault on a castle (something) and the leader gets wounded. Taking advantage and using his cunning, Grukk challenges his superior. The leader has to accept or be shunned by the tribe. So he kills off his leader, takes over his tribe, and controls a castle. Which later becomes overrun and using his cunning only he survives. Live to fight another day. Being Chaotic Neutral, this shouldn't be a problem. Found wandering around in the woods he is taken up by some druids and thought further in the druidic arts as his shaman could only take him so far.
Lethanic 12-04-06, 10:44 PM	WHile his strength woudl be relatively low, with his superiour intellect and other features, he could probably put himself in positions where he could still win contests. Were he evil and smart, wise and charismatic, he could likely in short order have many rivals manipulated into bveing eliminated. WIth that CHarisma, despite hsi size, he could have a good intimidate. A good diplomacy. Good fast talk. All sort of things that the ogres woudl be. .not that good at resisting. He could have them believing just about anything. THink about a genius with a forceful personality and a good deal of common sense among a bunch of ignorant fools who are, on average, a bit insecure?