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[Mark Chance]

Preparing for our next campaign once we're finished returning to the Temple of Elemental Evil, I've heavily house ruled much of core rules while at the same time remaining faithful to the basic mechanics. Most of my players have a couple decades experience with D&D's various incarnations. This time around, by changing so many assumptions, it'll be much easier to catch them off guard with even things as seemingly mundane as orcs and goblins.

Goblins & Orcs
Goblins and orcs persistently trouble civilized areas, especially since the Evil Rune Tribe reclaimed the ruins of Andar as their own. Although goblins and orcs are distinct races, they are so often found in each other's company that they are considered together here in one section. Furthermore, there are three different types of goblins: gobbos, snufflers, and snotlings. Different types of orcs include boldogs, snagas, and uruk-hai.

Common Goblin Traits

Gobbos and Snufflers: -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma. Snotlings: -6 Strength, +4 Dexterity, -2 Charisma.
Darkvision 60 ft.
Light Sensitivity: Goblins are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
+4 racial bonus on Ride and Stealth checks.
Languages: Goblin, Orc. Goblins with an Intelligence of 12 or more also speak Common.
The goblin warriors presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.

Environment temperate hills and plains
Organization gang (4-9), band (10-100 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults
and 1 leader of 4th-6th level), warband (10–24 with worg mounts), or tribe (40-400 plus 100% noncombatants
plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults, 1 or 2 lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, 1 leader of 6th-8th level, 10-24
worgs, and 2-4 dire wolves)
Demographics Gobbos and snufflers each account for 50% of any given group of goblins. Snotlings account for the other 50% of the group. Leaders are invariably gobbos or snufflers.
Treasure standard
Advancement by character class; Favored Class rogue

Description/Combat
A goblin stands 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Snotlings are about half this size. A goblin's eyes are usually dull and glazed, varying in color from red to yellow. A goblin’s skin color ranges from yellow through any shade of orange to a deep red; usually all members of a single tribe are about the same color. Goblins wear clothing of dark leather, tending toward drab, soiled-looking colors.

Being bullied by bigger, stronger creatures has taught goblins to exploit what few advantages they have: sheer numbers and malicious ingenuity. The concept of a fair fight is meaningless in their society. They favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, dirty tricks, and any other edge they can devise. Goblins have a poor grasp of strategy and are cowardly by nature, tending to flee the field if a battle turns against them. With proper supervision, though, they can implement reasonably complex plans, and in such circumstances their numbers can be a deadly advantage.

Common Orc Racial Traits

+4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma (except for boldogs; see below).
Darkvision 60 ft.
Light Sensitivity: Most orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Languages: Goblin, Orc. Orcs with an Intelligence of 12 or more also speak Common.
The orc warriors presented here had the following ability scores before racial adjustments: Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.

Environment temperate hills and plains
Organization gang (2-4), squad (11-20 plus 2 3rd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level), or band (30-100 plus 150% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level captains)
Demographics Snagas account for 85% of the orcs in any given group. Boldogs account for 10% of the group, as the tendency toward demon-blood runs strong in orcs. The dreaded uruk-hai account for the remaining 5%. Leader orcs can be of any type, but are most often boldogs or uruk-hai.
Treasure standard
Advancement by character class; Favored Class barbarian

Description/Combat
An orc’s hair usually is black. It has lupine ears and reddish eyes. Orcs prefer wearing vivid colors that many humans would consider unpleasant, such as blood red, mustard yellow, yellow-green, and deep purple. Their equipment is dirty and unkempt. An adult male orc is a little over 6 feet tall and weighs about 210 pounds. Uruk-hai are taller, but not considerably heavier. Boldogs have a decidedly fiendish cast to their appearance, including claws, fangs, and reptilian eyes. Females are slightly smaller. Most orcs encountered away from their homes are warriors. They enjoy attacking from concealment and setting ambushes, and they obey the rules of war (such as honoring a truce) only as long as it is convenient for them.