OGRE, SKULLCRUSHER |
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This 8-foot-tall brute resembles an ogre but looks to be more intelligent, and it stands more erect. Its armor and shield are covered in spikes, and it carries a vicious-looking morningstar.
Skullcrusher ogres are an offshoot of the ogre stock bred for war. Shorter and less brutish than typical ogres, skullcrusher ogres are nevertheless stronger and more dangerous.
Thuggish and sadistic, bellicose and rowdy, skullcrusher ogres enjoy bullying weaker creatures. Tribes often keep slaves, which in many cases are normal ogres.
Created long ago to serve as soldiers, skullcrusher ogres have naturally centered their culture on warfare, and their villages are arrayed like military encampments. Skullcrusher ogres build siege walls and other structures to defend their homes, and they train elephants for mounted combat.
An adult skullcrusher ogre stands 8 to 9 feet tall and weighs 550 to 600 pounds. The creatures' skin color ranges from pale yellow to pale brown, and their hair tends to be black. Skullcrusher ogres wear armor during their waking hours and little clothing when sleeping.
Skullcrusher ogres speak Giant and Common.
COMBAT
Skullcrusher ogres are born fighters. They love the clangor and calamity of battle.
A skullcrusher ogre gleefully charges into combat and strikes at foes with both its morningstar and spiked shield. A skullcrusher ogre especially enjoys grappling foes and crushing them on his spiked armor. (A successful grapple check to deal damage causes 1d4+7 points of nonlethal damage plus 1d8 points of piercing damage.)
Rock Throwing (Ex): Like giants, skullcrusher ogres are accomplished rock throwers and gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls when throwing rocks. A skullcrusher ogre can hurl rocks of 40 to 50 pounds (Small objects) up to five range increments. The range increment is 100 feet for a skullcrusher ogre's rocks.
OGRE, SKULLCRUSHER SOCIETY
Although they are as ill-tempered as their ogre brethren, skullcrusher ogres understand the importance of discipline within their fighting squads. The warband becomes their family, of sorts. Their swords and shields become their trusted companions. While lesser ogres allow fatigue, hunger, and petty greed to get the better of them, skullcrushers tirelessly rehearse battle tactics, sharpen their blades, and survey the terrain of the lands they intend to conquer, looking for tactically advantageous ground on which to fight.
A strict hierarchy governs each skullcrusher warband. The smartest and mightiest skullcrusher leads the warband until the day he falls in battle, at which point his chosen successor takes command, often claiming the weapons and trophies of her fallen predecessor. A skullcrusher must fight for her place in the chain of command, and all challenges among members of the warband are resolved through nonlethal combat. Although incapable of feeling deep love for a comrade-in-arms, a skullcrusher knows better than to take the life of an ally and wouldn't think to deprive another skullcrusher of the chance to die a glorious death on the battlefield.
OGRE, SKULLCRUSHER CHARACTERS
Most exceptional skullcrusher ogres are fighters or rangers. Skullcrusher ogre characters possess the following traits.
- +14 Strength, +6 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
- Large size. -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.
- Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
- A skullcrusher ogre's base land speed is 40 feet.
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- Low-light vision.
- Racial Hit Dice: A skullcrusher ogre begins with eight levels of giant, which provide 8d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +6, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +6, Ref +2, and Will +2.
- Racial Skills: A skullcrusher ogre's giant levels give it skill points equal to 11 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (architecture), and Ride.
- Racial Feats: A skullcrusher ogre's giant levels give it three feats.
- Bonus Feats: A skullcrusher ogre has Improved Grapple and Two-Weapon Fighting as bonus feats.
- Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A skullcrusher ogre is automatically proficient with simple weapons, martial weapons, all armor, and shields.
- +2 natural armor bonus.
- Special Attacks: Rock throwing.
- Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Orc, Goblin, Terran.
- Favored Class: Fighter.
- Level Adjustment +3.
SKULLCRUSHER OGRES IN EBERRON
Skullcrusher ogres populate the armies of Droaam. They are native to the Stonelands and the Byeshk Mountains of northern Droaam, as well as the northlands of the Shadow Marches. During the Last War, skullcrusher ogres from eastern Droaam made frequent incursions into western Breland.