Red Ogres

art by rodion-vlasov, source

Ogres are generally brutish and stupid footsoldiers of Chaos, killing, eating and destroying as their whims take them. But every now and then an exceptional ogre is noticed by powers of Chaos, whether a Chaos Prince or a powerful demon. And they are encouraged to go on a quest, through dream and visions. This quest usually involves killing a foe, typically a lawful human or demihuman such as a cleric or a sergeant of the town guard or a forester patrolling sylvan woodlands. The ogre may also acquire a red gemstone. If successful in this task the ogre then seeks out an existing red ogre. The red ogre then gives the questing ogre a potion to drink. This potion transforms the ogre - he grows stronger, smarter and most obviously his skin turns bright red. Some have called red ogres “ogre mages” but this is a misnomer: there are no true ogre mages in Mystara, and red ogres generally wield clerical magic, not magic user spells, although Ruby Red Ogres could be justifiably described as ogre mages even if they are not actually the same as the ogre mages of Faerun or the Flanaess.  

As a red ogre develops in power and knowledge they progress through the five known ranks with increasing spell abilities:

• Minor Red Ogre - 3rd level cleric
• Lesser Red Ogre - 5th level cleric + ability to create potion to transform new red ogres
• Standard Red Ogre - 7th level cleric 
• Greater Red Ogre - 9th level cleric
• Red Ogre Lord - 11th level cleric

Note that as red ogres are chaotic and granted their powers by the cosmic forces of Chaos, they will generally use the reverse/evil version of spells wherever applicable. They can also use any weapons and magic items that a cleric can use. They typically use rough cobbled together armour made from salvage from human foes and also wield huge warhammers that do 1d12 damage but can only be wielded by large or huge creatures. 

Name	Minor Red Ogre	Lesser Red Ogre	Standard Red Ogre
Armour Class	5	4	4
Movement	90ft	90ft	90ft
Hit Dice	6+3* (30hp)	8+5* (41hp)	10+7* (52hp)
THAC0	13	11	9
Attacks	1 weapon or spell	1 weapon or spell	1 weapon or spell
Damage	1d12+2	1d12+3	1d12+4
Special Ability	Cast Clerical Spells	Cast Clerical Spells	Cast Clerical Spells
Save As	C6	C8	C10
Morale	10	10	10
Alignment	Chaotic	Chaotic	Chaotic
Treasure Type	C + 1000gp	D	D + 1000gp
Intelligence	11	12	13
Size & Type	Large Humanoid	Large Humanoid	Large Humanoid
Experience Points	650xp	1200xp	1600xp
Name	Greater Red Ogre	Red Ogre Lord
Armour Class	3	2
Movement	90ft	90ft
Hit Dice	12+9* (63hp)	14+11* (74hp)
THAC0	7	5
Attacks	1 weapon or spell	1 weapon or spell
Damage	1d12+5	1d12+6
Special Ability	Cast Clerical Spells	Cast Clerical Spells
Save As	C12	C14
Morale	10	10
Alignment	Chaotic	Chaotic
Treasure Type	E	E + 2000gp
Intelligence	14	15
Size & Type	Large Humanoid	Large Humanoid
Experience Points	1900xp	2300xp

As an optional part of the quest to become a red ogre, the prospective ogre may bring to his tutor red ogre a gemstone that is used in the potion that will transform them. This will give them special powers dependent on what sort of gemstone is provided. 

• Coral  - Swim 150ft/rnd + water breathing at will
• Hematite - Berserker rage: +2 to hit and damage but will not retreat or surrender.
• Garnet - Shield slam 1/turn - additional melee attack does 1d4 damage + target must save vs paralysis or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. Shield also gives +2 to red ogre's AC. 
• Spinel - Spell Resillience:  half damage from direct damage spells, but only quarter damage if saving throw allows
• Fire Opal - Immune to fire damage
• Ruby - Cast Mage spells instead of Cleric spells

Red Ogre interactions

Some scholars have described red ogres as the shamans of the ogre tribes. This is only partially true, and unlike other shamans of humanoid races red ogres often stay separate from normal ogres, visiting rather than staying with ogres tribes. But when they do visit a tribe, the other ogres treat the red ogre with awe and reverence. 

An interesting point that separates red ogres from shamans of other chaotic races is the potion they drink gives them increased strength and prowess - red ogres are often as strong as hill giants, occasionally rivalling frost giants. It has been theorised that red ogres don’t usually dwell with normal ogres because the red ogres do not need other ogres for protection, and they certainly don’t need companionship. Because the potion improves their minds, red ogres can be quite contemptuous of normal ogres, even leaders and chiefs. Of course, when dealing with an ogre chief who can prove to be a dangerous foe, the red ogre will usually veil his condescension with a veneer of diplomacy. 

Red ogres that help another ogre become a new red ogre have one thing over their protege - a single compelling favour. This works similar to a quest or geas spell - the new ogre must perform one task for the one who gave it the potion. If the new red ogre completes this task and survives, it is then free of any further obligations to its teacher. Nonetheless this one favour is often sufficient to motivate a red ogre to assist a new candidate. Red ogre attitudes towards each other can vary wildly - some are solitary hermits who attack anything that approaches them, while others form loose clusters where fellow red ogres can keep an eye on and occasionally help each other - they are not close to each other but have a mutual agreement of non-violence.

Red Ogres in Mystara

Red ogres tend to appear in clusters rather than being evenly distributed. Red ogres, like normal ogres, are adaptable but prefer mountainous, rocky terrain. Particular clusters include Ogremoor in the Broken Lands, where the most candidates among normal ogres are found. There is also a cluster around Derothgar, in the Orclands of northeastern Darokin. A cluster is believed to lurk near regular ogre tribes on the southern half of the Isle of Dawn. And there are sightings of red ogres in Norwold, particularly the mountain ranges west of the Great Bay, again not far from normal ogre tribes in those mountains.

On the relatively empty east coast of Hattias in Thyatis  where the Century Hills meet the Sea of Dawn there are several tribes of ogres who the Thyatians have not gotten rid of. And out to sea is a plentiful supply of red coral that is often used as a decorative stone. The red ogres here know this and as such all the red ogres of Hattias are Coral red ogres and are amphibious, usually making their lairs off the coast but coming onshore to raid human settlements or contact their dimwitted normal ogre cousins. These coral red ogres are becoming a menace to other aquatic races. 

Another cluster is known to be in the Kurish Massif in the southwest of Glantri. These ogres have found a steady supply of red spinel gems that, when incorporated into the transformative potion, gives the red ogres partial resistance to damaging spells. This makes them far bolder when facing the mages of Glantri, particularly those who have not encountered these Spinel red ogres before. Despite this they rarely confront the forces of Glantri directly, prefering to manipulate and encourage local humanoid tribes to do their fighting for them.