Orc

"Barbaric, evil, cunning, and always ready for a fight. What's not to love?"
Rythok, Fhokki Brother in Blood.

Social Strucutre

Those That Rule "garak"

At the pinnacle of orcish society are the 'chieftains', though contrary to popular belief there is always more than one leader in any ore tribe numbering over a few hundred individuals. The highest rank is that of garak or 'high chief' and each tribe possesses bur a single member of this rank. Normally the mosr powerfuJ and aggressive member of the tribe holds this position and bas killed a sizeable number of opponents to claim his right to rule. T.he title, like all those within ore society, is not hereditary but is earned through the Ugrn'gmgh or Trial of Rulersbip' (sec Religion for more information on this ritual combat).

Those That Fight "okogn"

The common warriors, known as okogn or 'blood spillers' amongst the orcs, form the bulk of orc society. Each has been trained from birth to fight the enemies of his tribe and they revel in the chance to prove themselves in combat. Within this strata are several ranks, each of varying power and responsibility.

Those That Pray "aanugh"

Technically ranking below the o/logn are the aanugh {literally 'those that wield magic'), a generic term covering adepts, clerics, sorcerers, and, more rarely, shamans. Although only adepts and clerics acrually pray for their spells, all spell casters are lumped together as their power is hard to differentiate for the average ore.

Those That Work "gnugn'huk"

In many civlized societies, the workers make up the bulk of the population. Whether they are farmers or guild sponsored silk weavers, they are accorded certain rights and privileges under the laws of the kingdom. Within ore society such creatures are lirtle better than slaves, and the majority are actually former slaves who have earned a degree of respect (a very small degree) from their superiors. Indeed, the ore word for a general member of this caste, gnugn'huk, translates as 'risen slave.' Armorers, weaponsmiths, and bowyers are all craftsmen, in the loosest sense of the word, which reside in this social srratum, as are coopers, wainwrights, and jewelers. Orcs value martial crafts higher than any others and keep as many specialists as they can capture. lesser crafts, whilst useful to the larger tribes, are frequently scorned and are usually neglected.

Those That Serve "ugug"

Slaves (ugug; generally translated as 'vermin') are a vital part of ore sociery, even though they have oo rights or privileges. Without slaves the common okogn would be forced to do all of the physical labor, a task they do not enjoy for it takes them away from combat.

Those That Breed "ran'gugh"

With the exception of the black ores, all species of ore reproduce in a manner similar to char of other sentient races on Tellene. The females of the species, although greater in number than the males, have no rights or privileges within ore society and lead a wretched life. Suitable only for breeding purposes, they a.re forbidden from holding any form of office or from having a profession, and yet they are valued, albe.it as one would value a nice scabbard or new boots. The blood of a tribe comes from having enough females with which to breed. Within a human generation or rwo the fast breeding rates have produced enough runes for the tribe to regain much of its former srrengrh. For this reason, when a. lair is attacked, the ores sometimes smuggle the females out through secret tunnels and move them to other lairs. Even if the female population becomes severely depleted, all may not be lost. A tribe can generally afford to lose up to 60% of its females and still rerurn to prior numbers within several years. The ore name for most females is ran'gugh, which translates as 'runt bearer'.

Playing an Orc

In the dead of mght, six figures move silently through thr near darkness, weapons ready in their hands and the lure of treasure in their hearfs. With a single, swift motion a door is kicked open in a shower of splinters and the intruders rush into the room, killing females and their offspring without mercy in their unending quest for riches.

Does this example make ores sound bad? Well it should not,because this is the standard approach of many adventuring parties entering the lairs of humanoids. Many players happily kill goblinoid and humanoid females ("stops them breeding") or children ("thar's the next generation dead") with lirrle thought or emotion. lf you tend to play along these lines, then you will enjoy playing an ore. Orcs, as a "monster race," are always seen as the bad guys, who loot, murder, rape and plunder without hesitation. At their core, they are typical players entering a dungeon (save for the raping, one hopes) and adapting to playing an ore requires little effort in and of itself. What does require some forethought is actually role-playing an ore a.nd not stereoryping them (often referred to as playing a human in a rubber, or furry, suit). What follows are merely a set of guidelines on playing ores, not hard and fast rules. Use them wisely and ores should be as fun, and as versatile, to play as any of the standard player races; ignore them, and you simply play a monster on the rampage. The average common ore, for all his levels, hit points, base arrack bonus, or other abstract game terms, is still a coward ac heart. Two lowly rown guards may as well be expert fighters for all he cares, and charging in recklessly is not his nature. Ores prefer co fight battles of any sort on their own terms, using ambushes, withering missile fue, and spells to weaken foes before entering into any melee. An orc is as likely to run from one-on-one combat as he is to stay and slug it out. There is no ore term for "coward" for a good reason. Remember this when faced with strong opponents. In a similar vein, ores prefer company in combat. Lone players may bravely volunteer co guard the corridor while the resr of the pa.rty searches for secret doors, but an ore will want strength of numbers on his side. The same applies ro entering a room; ores rush in en masse to overwhelm opponents and present multiple targets rather than using sophisticated room clearance cactics. Destruction of works of art and rhe pillaging of treasure occur for two reasons. First, ores lack any understanding of an's inherent value. What use is a statue compared to a weapon? Where is an ore going to sell a painting that he takes from a monastery or noble's house? Given their supposed creation method as a cool of evil, ores prefer to desrroy what is worthless to them, so as ro deny it to other races. Second, because they see all valuable items (this means items of inherent use rather than pure monetary value) as being rightfully theirs, they want them back. Most of the spoils of a raid go ro the tribal ruler and his aides anyway. Ore heroes rarely walk around with pockets bulging with coins and gems and glowing Wee The Assembly of Light on the summer solstice. Being given a magic item is a sign of favor, not a right because you happened ro grab hold of it first or killed its previous owner. for this reason, Dungeon Masters should resrrict orc characters to roughly one permanent item per level at most and make more use of masterwork weapons and armor as rewards. Religion, though nor an overriding factor in the life of the average ore, does give him a reason for performing certain actions. Their gods teach them that the world is rightfully theirs, but that they have been usurped by the other races and must fighrto win it back. Priests also expound racial supremacy, with ores ar the top of the ladder and the other races further down. Only through dominance of the "lesser races'' can this "naniral order" be set right. Do not let religious motivation become an excuse for destructive acts; it is part of the reasoning behind them. The ore social srrucrure is based on ability and a willingness to advance by removing the person above you on the ladder. This is not taken lightly as there are ancienr traditions in place co stop a rribe turning on itself and death awaits the loser. Much better to make your rival look bad in front of his superiors or wait for him to get killed in action. Ores have short lives, through violence more than any other reason, and advancement is only a heartbeat away. Players should not feel the urge to rum on each other for supremacy within a group, Such actions destroy group morale and ruin the game. As with any fighting force, ores rely on their comrades for support and will give it freely in return. The brown, white, and gray ores are very similar to the common ore; only the black ores pose new challenges. Black ores are leaders; they expect ro be in charge and do not take well to others pushing them around, regardless of their master's power. Their natural arrogance in their own superior abilities makes them more likely to vie for leadership positions, especially when only a common orc currently stands in their way. With more than one black ore in a group fear is the key to success; the fear that you will kill anyone who steps out of line. Black ores are still cowards at heart, but have a greater ability ro stand and fight rather than run for cover, trusring in their better breeding and the heavier armor they tend to wear. Even so, few will face multiple foes willingly unless they know they have a strong advantage (in game terms this is likely to be based on having a higher CR than your foes combined). They are not suicidal, but victory brings rewards from superiors, and once you have enough personal strength you can always overthrow those same superiors and take their place.