FR: Silver Marches, Orcus, & Orc Invasion

[werk]

But orcs aren't that a huge a threat--too chaotic and disorganized, and not particularly challenging once a party learns fireball. So I figure I'll work some giants into the invasion too (another major monstrous element in the Marches). Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

I don't think orcs are not challenging after they party has fireball (and cleave). You need to first think HORDE. A horde is not destroyed by a few fireballs.

First, make a horde of orcs, and add levels so you have a heirarchy. 60% normal orcs, 20% +2 ECL, 10% +4ECL, 5% +6ECL...you get the idea, whatever is appropriate level for your party. You could even make the base of the horde from +?ECL orcs with higher level leaders and call them gray orcs or urik hai, basically 'better than stock orcs'.

What's a horde? over 100? over 500? over 2000? The benefit of a horde is numbers, not individual strength or organization. It's a numbers game.

Second, hordes generally attack in waves. First wave will probably eat up most of the fireballs, lightning bolts, etc. Of course, those are the shock troops, just base MM orcs (pushovers). Second wave is tougher and the party blows the rest of their AoE spells. "surely that's the last of them." Waves get tougher and smaller as they run out of 'expendable' orc troops and the leaders have to go to work. Orcs are good grapplers, if they are still standing next to the character after it's charge attack, grapple.

Instead of giants, I prefer Orogs and Tannaruk after that I lean toward ogres. Orcs should be led by orcs to reach their full potential and fanatical zeal. Throw levels around all over, make them an invading force, not a pack of dogs with a couple of big dogs.

I also prefer for the party to train and lead a group of defenders into the battle (especially if anyone has leadership). I like to develop a few NPCs in this group, endearing them to a goodly party. Keep track of the defenders and let the players know what's happening (even if you only roll out the PC combat). [The super nice lad that was a crack shot with a bow is seen swinging from a pike, but the dumb as cabbage smith that couldn't learn anything is standing hip-deep in dead orcs and swinging his hammer recklessly. The tough-as-nails barmaid is being carried away from the battle by some orcs...wonder what they are going to do.]

Lots to work with IMO.

 

[Nightfall]

Voad,

You and that orc and pie stuff.


Felon,

Orcus is a complicated guy. He can be quite clever, often creating powerful artifacts to corrupt those into his service, such as the fiendish foot, or even the use of his own Wand. Other times, he's quite the direct thug. It really depends on his moods, his motivations and the players involved.

While Grummush MIGHT take offense to Orcus leading an Orc horde, he really has no standing (in my mind) to challenge Orcus on his home turf. I base this mostly on the fact I tend to treat the Archfiends as at least equals to gods. (See Dicefreaks.com for what they do for Archfineds). Plus if Grummush wanted a horde, he'd find one. It's not like you can't walk around the North without stepping on one.

In my mind, for this particular play, Orcus plays it two ways, very much sly and cunning, by either having a fiend or two impersonate an Orc warrior OR corrupt on to his service and thus gain the fiendish template. Or even better possession of a powerful warrior chief via either the BoVD rules, Eberron rules OR use of the template in Advanced Beastiary by GR. (I like all three.)

In terms of brutality, Orcus, by calling in a favor or at least promising to return one to Tiamat, has her summon up Sammaster. Sammaster is told how things are, and that Orcus needs a few dracoliches to start gathering up bodies for his own collection as welll as fuel for the second wave.

Just some ideas to consider.

(Tannrruk's are notoriously unreliable I've noticed about following Archfiends unless they send a powerful representive to act as sort of "go between.")

 

[kanithardm]

I would just use the info from the amazingly written books by R. A. Salvatore. The orc horde is supposedly starting to build strongholds and is so big Alustriel is scared of it. So think big, really big, really really big, really really really big, really really really really big, really really really really really big, really really really really really really big, etc.

 

[Felon]

I would just use the info from the amazingly written books by R. A. Salvatore. The orc horde is supposedly starting to build strongholds and is so big Alustriel is scared of it.

Alustriel presents a problem all her own. Given her demigod-like power, she probably could single-handedly put an end to an orc invasion, even on multiple fronts. Heck, one of her Silverymoon suboordinates like Hornblade could wipe away an army of thousands.

So think big, really big, really really big, really really really big, really really really really big, really really really really really big, really really really really really really big, etc.

Well, I guess I'd have to turn a blind eye to the SM sourcebook, as that requires some serious fudging. There are only a handful of major orc tribes, and they don't even have that big a horde. The gut-rippers werre going to be the tribe that kicks off the war, and their population is only 842. Here's the breakdown:

Warband—War9, Ftr8, War7, Bhn5, Ftr5, War5, Bhn4, Ftr4, War4 (2.), Bbn3 (2), Ftr3 (2), War3 (6), Bbn2 (5), Ftr2 (4), War 2 (22), Bbn1 (9), Ftr1 (14), War1 (189).
Others—Brd4, Clr4, C1r3 (2), Clr2 (2), Clr1 (4), Rgr 4, Rgr3. Rgr2, Rgr1 (4), Rog7, Rog4, Rog3 (2), Rog2 (6), Rog1 (8), Sor6, Sor4, Sor3 (2), Sor1 (3), Adp7, Adp4, Adp3 (2), Adp2 (5), Adp1 (8), Exp8, Exp5, Exp4,, Exp3 (2), Exp2 (5), Exp1 (19), Com13, Com7, Com6, Com5 (2), Com3 (12), Com3 (18) Com1 (445)

Not much in the way of heavy-hitters either. But man, you better watch out for that 13th-level Commoner hehe.

 

[IronWolf]

Well, I guess I'd have to turn a blind eye to the SM sourcebook, as that requires some serious fudging. There are only a handful of major orc tribes, and they don't even have that big a horde. The gut-rippers werre going to be the tribe that kicks off the war, and their population is only 842.

Though the world is dynamic. There is nothing that says an orc tribe can't grow over time or actively recruit. Or that a rather large pocket of orcs was missed at the last census. I use the sourcebooks as a guideline, if I need a large orc horde I don't let myself get too limited by the sourcebook, its just there for a starting point - if even that.

 

[Ghost2020]

I don't know if it's been mentioned but the necromancer games' modules: Rappan Athuk and Tomb of Abysthor would be good for some dungeon crawling and Orcus over-tones.
Plus, both of them would easily fit in the FR Silver Marches area.

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah not to mention the upcoming Tsar series from Necromancer Games would be sweet.

But Rappan Athuk would be the MOTHER of all Dungeons in the North, IMHO.

Felon,

Not to mention perhaps they imported a few thousand orcs from other realms. I mean they might not all get along but it is one idea.

 

[Felon]

What's Rappan Athuk about?

 

[Nightfall]

Short version:

Something that makes the Tomb of Horrors and Temple of Elemental Evil look like day trips.

Long version:

It's the site of a dungeon trap that Orcus' cultists created to help rid themselves of pesky goodly aligned adventurers. It's the ultimate death trap, dungeon crawl and generally nastiest place I can think of.

World Largest Dungeon, perhaps not. World's Deadliest, HELL YEAH!

Check out: www.necromancergames.com

 

[iwatt]

Though the world is dynamic. There is nothing that says an orc tribe can't grow over time or actively recruit. Or that a rather large pocket of orcs was missed at the last census. I use the sourcebooks as a guideline, if I need a large orc horde I don't let myself get too limited by the sourcebook, its just there for a starting point - if even that.

Yep..the source book is all about the vast horde of orcs. Obould's Warband:.... 613 orcs

with the highest level being a Barb 8. Not much of a horde. They're one creeping doom from being anihialted.


So you might as well say that is just Obould's personal army. The horde is much bigger, composed of the hundreds of orc tribes that pay tribute to Obould.

So choose a number (i.e 100,000 orcs). Half are female, and traditional orc patriarchy implies that females are not part of the horde....50,000 male orcs. Now we go into demographics. Past middle age, only the very tough orcs survive (i.e those with PC levels) due to their chaotic evil nature. Orcs mature fast, so consider them to be combat ready at age 13 (I'm just guesstimating here ).

Age Bracket:
0-13 (45%) Too young
14-30 (30%) Able to fight
30+ (15%) Old and out of fighting.

That leaves us with a potential fighting horde of 15,000 orcs.

Now what percent of this population is combat dedicated: say 90% (orcs are just a bunch of reavers and plunderers anyway) so your horde is 13,500

Upgrade Obould using the Orc Warlord from Races of Faerun up to Lev 16 or else. Don't consider him when developing the demographics. Use the DMG NPC level rules for a population of 100,000 (use 4 times that of a Metropolis). Eyeball it...

There's your horde.