Ogre

Version 0.16: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

This page is about the player species. For the monster, see Ogre (monster).

Ogres are huge, chunky creatures who typically are strong rather than smart, and not nimble at all. Ogres mature almost as quickly as Humans. Their preferred methods of avoiding beatings are dodging and the use of shields. Many Ogres find it natural to wield some large and blunt weapon. (Countless lethal incidents have taught them to leave most edged weapons be.) While all sophisticated forms of missile combat are too awkward for them, they are good at throwing things, in particular boulders. Contrary to expectations, Ogres are not reduced to mindless brutes. They possess a raw talent for witchcraft, letting them pick up the basics of spellcasting at an amazing speed. However, the more arcane schools of magic are foreign to them and are only learned at poor rates.

Innate Abilities

• Tough Skin 1: Ogres have +1 AC.
• Ogres are large creatures. Unlike smaller species, they can use giant clubs and giant spiked clubs, but cannot wear any armour but robes, cloaks, animal skins, troll hides, troll leather armours, dragon hide, or dragon armour. Bucklers are also too small for them, but they can wield shields and large shields more easily than normal.
• Ogres are large enough to attack at normal speed while standing in shallow water (though they still move slowly through it).

Ogres have a base Strength of 12, Intelligence of 7 and Dexterity of 5 (before Background modifiers).

Preferred Backgrounds

• Warriors: Hunter
• Zealots: Berserker
• Warrior-mages: Arcane Marksman
• Mages: Wizard, Fire Elementalist

Level Bonuses

• +1 strength every 3rd level.
• 30% more HP than average.
• Average MP.
• +4 magic resistance per level.

Starting Skills and Equipment

Ogres start with the skills and equipment listed for their background, with the following exceptions:

• Incompatible body armour is replaced with an animal skin or robe.
• Helmets are replaced with hats.
• Meat rations replace bread rations.
• Any Armour skill is replaced by Dodging.
• Ogre hunters are given a choice of large rocks instead of javelins.

Difficulty of Play

Ogres enjoy a number of advantages over other species, but have an equal amount of disadvantages. They have an immense amount of HP naturally and train Fighting faster than any other species, but their inability to wear most armour coupled with their large size leaves them with miserable AC and EV in the early game. On the plus side, their offenses become powerful very quickly, with a good proficiency in Maces & Flails, and access to both giant spiked clubs and large rocks. Despite having terrible magic aptitudes, it is still entirely possible and very beneficial for ogres to eventually learn a spell or two. Their excellent Spellcasting aptitude allows them to learn and cast any low-level spell fairly easily (though at low spellpower), and eventually mid-level spells that don't rely on too many schools (like Haste) may be worth the investment.

Skill aptitudes

The higher the value, the better the aptitude.

Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude
Attack		Miscellaneous		Magic
Fighting	3	Armour	-2	Spellcasting	1
		Dodging	-1
Maces & Flails	-1	Shields	0	Conjurations	-1
Axes	0	Stealth	-2	Hexes	-1
Polearms	0			Summonings	-1
Staves	0	Invocations	1	Necromancy	-1
Unarmed Combat	-1	Evocations	-2	Translocations	-1
Throwing	0	Shapeshifting	-1	Alchemy	-1
				Fire Magic	-1
Short Blades	-1			Ice Magic	-1
Long Blades	-1			Air Magic	-1
Ranged Weapons	-3	Experience	0	Earth Magic	-1

History

Prior to 0.16, ogres started with an extra bread ration. Also, ogre hunters and artificers began with a club instead of a short sword.

Prior to 0.15, ogres had Saprovore 1 and Fast Metabolism.

Strategy

Playing an ogre can make it very tempting to wield the first giant club or giant spiked club you chance upon (likely stripped off another dead ogre). While doing so can dramatically increase your weapon damage, it will often have the exact opposite effect on your attack speed.

Remember that the two are among the slowest Maces & Flails weapons in the game and require a Maces & Flails skill of 14 and 16, respectively, to achieve even an "average" attack speed (let alone the 20 and 22 for the fastest speed attainable).

For much of the early game, your Maces & Flails skill will be considerable lower than this, and you may be better served wielding a lighter weapon with a less demanding skill requirement for speed, such as a flail, mace, or even a whip (preferably of the randart variety).

You can check your relative attack speed using the '@' command, and wait until it reaches point where you are comfortable with the speed of a 'big' weapon. Be patient - keep in mind that Maces & Flails is the ogres most gifted aptitude; it won't take long to reach higher levels. You don't want to end up like the ogre you took it from!

Also, bear in mind that large rocks are contrary to all the above; their hefty size has evidently no bearing upon the speed of throwing them. As an ogre, you are encouraged to collect and hurl them at foes as soon as you might acquire them, provided doing so fits your play style and your inventory allows.

Strategy guides

• Serfuzz's Ogre Hunter guide
• Davion Fuxa's Ogre guide