Ogre, Swamp
- Armor Class
- 5 [14]
- Hit Dice
- 16+11
- Attacks
- Bite (2d6)
- Special
- maw hold, hand grasp, drowning, aquatic ambush
- Move
- 4 Swim 9
- HDE/XP
- 16/3,200
Description
The largest and most bestial of ogres, Swamp Ogres are the least likely to specifically hunt humanoids, but the hardest to kill should circumstance demand it. They are semi-aquatic, but are comfortable spending their entire lives in the water should they find swamps or marshes of their preferred depth. They will lie in wait for days at a time on a single breath, waiting for small and medium-sized crocodiles, unassuming boaters, or anything else convincingly large and animate to pass above them. These swamp monsters will raise their hands above the surface to impede the movement of its prey, and then use its massive bite to incapacitate its prey and drag it underwater. Anything bitten by a swamp ogre takes 2d8 points of damage, and must make a saving throw or be held inside the huge maw of the swamp ogre. Anything trapped in its mouth must make a saving throw (one attempt per round) to escape. Those trapped in the ogre’s mouth will risk drowning once the ogre slips back beneath the water.
If the bite is ineffective, or it decides what it has bitten will not satisfy, the swamp ogre will use its hands to grasp the largest 1d2 creatures within reach, and hold them underwater until they drown. Any creature in its grasp must make a saving throw or immediately begin drowning.
On the swamp ogre's first failed morale check, it will retreat to deeper and muddier water. If it has prey grasped in one or two hands, it will flee at half its swim speed. If it fails a second morale check, it will abandon its prey and flee at regular speed.
The swamp ogre retains the gold, platinum, and treasure of its previous meals to regulate its buoyancy. It will regurgitate this treasure upon death.
The swamp ogre does not speak, but can understand Giant and Common.
Unlucky boaters are best advised to jump ship as soon as they realize they are being attacked. The safest way to flee is to get behind the swamp ogre and make for land as fast as possible.
See Also
Other creatures grouped under Ogre: Ogre, Bog.
Source note: This creature is converted from The Basic Fantasy Field Guide of Creatures Malevolent and Benign – Omnibus Edition, 1st Edition Release 4, © 2010–2025 Chris Gonnerman, R. Kevin Smoot, James Lemon, Matt Sluis, and Contributors. The Basic Fantasy Field Guide textual material is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International; this page adapts that creature to White Box.