How do you like your orcs?

[diaglo]

...those guys looked fearsome without being too comical looking.

those were 1edADnD orcs.

 

[Zander]

I went with 'Other': I prefer Frank Frazetta's orcs which were the inspiration for GW/Citadel's orcs. They're similar to 3.x half-orcs or LotR movie Uruk-Hai but a bit less built. In terms of colour, I imagine them ranging from olive green to almost black (ebony, that is).

One of the options in the poll was LotR but it isn't clear if this meant the movies or the books. In Tolkien's writings, orcs are described as stooped and simian, like 3.x orcs.

 

[Desdichado]

but the faces of your orcs remind me of bats and your half-orcs are more human-looking than my conception of them (and - dare I say it - too handsome!)

Oddly enough, Claudio's half-orcs are essentialy spot-on for my concept of an orc.

I've never understood that desire to further bestialize the orcs; they are, after all, humanoids.

 

[radferth]

My orcs are mostly based on the orcs from Carl Sergent's various Greyhawk books, with a bit of Runequest trolls (Uz) and LotR orc thrown in. This sounds like it might be closest to Warcraft orcs from what I have read here, but my knowledge of WoW is limited to that my brother thinks its a cool game. As for appearance, I envision them like neanderthals with augmented teeth. Similar to what Zander described. Like other, I think most current orcs look to beastial or cartoonish, the way half-orcs are drawn now is much closer. I guess I am used to first edition (borrowed from LotR) in which many half-orcs can pass for human, which is definitely not the way 3rd ed. has them. I also have been know to make use of communities or tribes of mixed orcish and human ancestory that are statistically half-orcs. I am hardly original in this, as both Greyhawk and Scarred Lands have used this concept.

On a vaguely related note: Anyone here have an idea where movie Saruman was getting his Uruk-hai? Was he growing them or mining them? Or did they have some larval stage and he was digging up the pupae that were ready to hatch?

 

[yennico]

A mix between 3e Orcs, LotR Orcs, and Warcraft Orcs depending on the tribe.

I totally agree.

 

[Ferret]

Lord of the rings give a pretty good rep of Orcs and goblins. With my idea of Orcs being Urak-hai (silly spellings) and my idea of Goblins being the ambiguous 'Normal orcs'.

Much like Klaus' pics.

 

[Pants]

When Fellowship came out, I adopted that orc appearance for my campaigns. Simply awesome.

I also use the Uruk-Hai appearance for the Hobgoblins and the moria orcs for goblins.

 

[TGryph]

Definately Other...

My treatment of the Ultimate Orc comes from the Burning Wheel RPG...

"Orcs Hate. They hate themselves because they are twisted parodies of life and thier lives are constant torture. They hate all others because they remind them of what they once were and what they will never have. They hate their masters because of their power over them. Orcs hate Men and Elves and Dwarves because they are ignorant and blind to the Truth of Life: Life is Pain and Death - joy is for the enslaved and benighted."

Add to that Traits such as Fanged Maw, Cannibalism, Brutal Intimidation, and Black Bile Poison (vomiting their bile, which is poisonous, onto their weapons before battle), and ya get a fella not-so -cuddly.

TGryph

 

[Testament]

Warhammer Orcs. Fight to live, live to fight, WAAAAAAGH ORC!

 

[Bront]

I had a homebrew campaign where Orcs were the great sea power. I had to tweek the race, but it was in Rolemaster (Ugh, why?)