Races with Class: The Ogre Mage
Hello, everyone. Regular readers may remember that some time ago I provided you all with a racial class for nymphs, right here in this very column, and talked about the process of designing it in my Monday column, Dark Designs. As promised, it’s a project to which I have returned with this week’s workshop goody: the Oni, Ogre Mage class. Like the nymph, it takes players all the way from level 1- 20, though players can choose to opt-out of the class after taking 10 levels in it.
A quick note about monster classes, for those not familiar with them: PCs who take a monster class use it for their race as well as their class, and may not choose an additional race (ie, human, elf, etc), and so gain no racial benefits besides those presented in the class. Monster classes may only be taken at 1st level (though with DM permission a character may be able to “transform” from one race to another gradually at a later point in the campaign) and once a character enters a monster class, he or she cannot multi-class until they have completed the class (this has actually been changed slightly, be sure to look at the Ogre Mage Ascension class feature, below).
Further, a PC with a Pathfinder monster class always treats the monster class as his or her favored class.
In some cases (including the ogre mage) a PC may not gain a new hit die at each level of progression in the class. The PC’s base attack, saves, hit points, hit dice, caster level, etc do not increase at these levels. Additionally, these levels do not count when calculating how many feats and additional ability score points a character has earned: use the PC’s hit dice to determine that instead. Finally, note that in some cases an ability may, during progression in the class, be “replaced” by another ability, such as invisibility at will replacing invisibility 3/day, as seen on the table below. Once this occurs, the replaced ability is no longer usable: the character can only use the ability that replaces it.
Ogre Mage
Depending on who you speak to, ogre mages are either otherworldly spirits called “Oni” who take physical form in order to wreak havoc in the mortal realm, or simply a rare and powerful strain of mundane ogres, possibly the last vestiges of what was once a far more glorious ogre race. Either way, ogre mages tend to be cruel and uncaring creatures, out for personal gain with little thought as to how many they must kill in order to get what they want.
Role: While ogre mages possess a number of spell-like abilities, these are generally secondary to the ogre mage’s martial prowess, and most ogre mages fight in savage melee combat. Others use their spell-like abilities to supplement their combat, attacking while invisible or plunging opponents into darkness before making their move.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Gold: 3d6 x 10 gp
Class Skills:
The ogre mage’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 6 + Int Modifier.
Class Features:
The following are class features of the ogre mage.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ogre mages are proficient with light armor, but not shields. Ogre mages are proficient with all simple and martial weapons.
Change Shape (Su): Ogre mages can change their form to that of any Medium or Small humanoid creature at will. This ability functions as alter self. At 4th level, this ability improves to also allow the ogre mage to change its form into a Large creature as well, functioning as the spell giant form I.
Outsider Traits: Ogre mages have the outsider creature type. For more information on creature types, see the Pathfinder Bestiary.
Spell Resistance: Ogre mages have spell resistance equal to 11 + their hit dice.
Ability Score Bonuses: The ogre mage gains a number of racial bonuses to his ability scores. At each level indicated on Table: The Ogre Mage, increase the listed ability scores by the amount indicated. These bonuses stack. After 10 levels, an ogre mage will have a total racial modifier of +6 Str, +6 Dex, +6 Con, +4 Int, +6 Wis, and +6 Cha.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): Beginning at 2nd level, an ogre mage is able to use a number of spell-like abilities. The exact spell-like abilities and how many uses the ogre mage gets each day are listed in Table: The Ogre Mage. When the number of uses an ogre mage gets increases, such as at 14th level when the ogre mage can use charm monster three times each day, use the higher of the two numbers. They don’t stack.
Natural Armor: Beginning at 2nd level, an ogre mage gains natural armor which improves as he increases in level. The total bonus to natural armor is indicated on Table: The Ogre Mage.
Large Size: At 4th level, an ogre mage grows to large size. This imposes a -1 size penalty on attack and damage rolls, a -2 penalty on Fly checks and a -4 penalty on Stealth checks, but also grants a +1 size bonus to the ogre mage’s CMB and CMD.
Regeneration (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, an ogre mage gains regeneration. Damage from fire or acid can kill an ogre mage. The amount of regeneration increases as the ogre mage gains levels, as indicated on Table: The Ogre Mage.
Constant Flight (Su): Beginning at 8th level, an ogre mage is constantly affected as though by the spell fly.
Ogre Mage Ascension: Once an ogre mage reaches 10th level, he has unlocked enough of his inner potential to be able to pursue other interests, if he so chooses. A 10th level ogre mage may freely multi-class into other classes, and can return to the ogre mage class later without penalty. Characters with more than 10 levels in ogre mage represent paragons of the ogre mage race, who, whether through hard work or an accident of birth, possess abilities in excess of most of their kind.