CASTLE OLDSKULL – Oldskull Half-Ogres is a role playing game supplement written and published by Kent David Kelly. The supplement is a new player race that is compatible with older versions of Dungeons & Dragons and, as such, is covered by the Open Game License with some parts considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available from DriveThruRGP as a 38-page PDF for $1.49 but was purchased at a reduced price during a sale. One page is the front cover, one and a half pages are the front matter and three and a half pages are About the Author and the Open Game License.
The Description explains that the supplement is about the half-ogre, a race partially created and then abandoned by Gary Gygax and now finished, using material from classic works.
An Introduction to the Ogrish Realm considers what a half-ogre is; namely, a creature with an ogre parent and a human one. In folklore, ogres were brutish, cannibalistic humans, so all were technically half-ogres. The definition of an ogre changed, influenced by other traditions, eventually becoming a big creature smaller than giants and titans. The author doesn’t think much of more recent D&D half-ogres, and also considers why someone would play one – because they get to hit things without over-thinking it.
There’s a half-ogre name generator, which is a simple combination of two tables. Next are six methods of generating ability scores; these are all intended to create creatures with high Strength and Constitution and the other stats lower. Half-ogre appearance is covered, with some aspects determined by stats and others randomly, if desired.
Behaviour, alignment, class options and maximum experience limits are next. Half-ogres can become fighters no matter what, really poor thieves and shaman, if single classed. Multi-classed, they can be fighter/shaman, fighter/thief, shaman/thief or witch doctor. Witch doctor is poorly explained in this section, but it’s a shaman/magic-user.
The different classes are then covered in more detail. Fighters and thieves are self-explanatory, as are the other multi-classes. Shaman are a limited form of cleric and, as mentioned but properly explained here, witch doctors are shaman/magic-users. Ages and ability scores are next; witch doctors and shaman are generally older. Half-ogres also gain more hit points.
Half-ogres have a number of other things. Half-ogres are decent at mining, have infravision and gain more Strength from gauntlets of ogre power. They can do crushing blows, do more damage against elementals and wield bastard swords one-handed with no penalty; two-handed swords one-handed with a penalty at high enough Strength. They are immune to vampirism and lycanthropy, but are physically slower, are affected by giant and ogre slaying weapons and suffer more damage from some weapons given their size, if the appropriate rules are used. Half-ogres have difficulty fighting dwarves and gnomes, are never psionic, are sterile and need special mounts. They are not considered giant class when attacked by rangers.
Known languages and how other races react to half-ogres are next; many races are prejudiced against them. They are tolerated by some ogres and giants, and can work well as a party’s spokesogre in such situations. Weapons, armour and other equipment is next. Half-ogres also possess an ability to create armour for themselves from non-magical smaller sets; a skill that gets better as they gain levels. Finally, there are some legendary half-ogres from the World of Oldskull.
CASTLE OLDSKULL – Oldskull Half-Ogres in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation is poor. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of error. There are a number of stock black and white illustrations and some public domain ones in colour and black and white. Presentation is okay.
The half-ogre is a race that is of limited utility. It is mostly suited for hitting things, but is strong enough that it could do that well. The various limitations, especially level limitations, mean that it is less viable at high-level play, as it will simply stop improving. At lower levels, it is more viable as a fighter but the non-fighter classes and multi-classes all top out quite early. One suggestion is to allow a half-ogre player to gain a wish item, so they can wish to become human whilst keeping all their classes. This means that the half-ogre will become more viable in a longer campaign, but only because it stops being a half-ogre. Essentially, the half-ogre is a class that would allow a break from thinking about much more than “Hulk Smash!” but one whose utility and interest would wear off comparatively rapidly. CASTLE OLDSKULL – Oldskull Half-Ogres can be found by clicking here.
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