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How do you spice up your orcs?
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<blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 5106977" data-attributes="member: 463"><p>An honour code that includes enemy X within its value-set is one sort, an honour code that does not include enemy X within its value-set is another.</p><p></p><p>The WW1 European armies had an honour code that included each other, and civilians, within its value-set. In WW2 by contrast the Nazis and Soviets didn't generally include each other's warriors or civilians within their honor codes, neither did the Japanese military include enemy warriors or civilians within their honor code (and this was often reciprocated).</p><p></p><p>Clearly though, the WW2 Samurai code *is* an honour code, and it affected how the Japanese fought. </p><p></p><p>Ergo, just because an enemy's code does not include the PCs, it can still be important in characterisation of that enemy. I tend to have my hobgoblins behave very 'Roman', for instance - like old Star Trek did with the Romulans.</p><p></p><p>It can be interesting to have an enemy whose code encompasses the PCs, but this normally requires reciprocity ("They don't observe Geneva Convention, why should we?") - if the PCs are in the habit of massacring prisoners, the honourable enemy is unlikely to give them parole! But if both sides adhere to a code, it's unlikely the enemy can be classed as 'Evil' - the Evil enemy would be the exception, the villain who doesn't stick to the Code. That might mean anything from killing prisoners to using disguise/infiltration tactics to fighting on a holy day.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="S'mon, post: 5106977, member: 463"] An honour code that includes enemy X within its value-set is one sort, an honour code that does not include enemy X within its value-set is another. The WW1 European armies had an honour code that included each other, and civilians, within its value-set. In WW2 by contrast the Nazis and Soviets didn't generally include each other's warriors or civilians within their honor codes, neither did the Japanese military include enemy warriors or civilians within their honor code (and this was often reciprocated). Clearly though, the WW2 Samurai code *is* an honour code, and it affected how the Japanese fought. Ergo, just because an enemy's code does not include the PCs, it can still be important in characterisation of that enemy. I tend to have my hobgoblins behave very 'Roman', for instance - like old Star Trek did with the Romulans. It can be interesting to have an enemy whose code encompasses the PCs, but this normally requires reciprocity ("They don't observe Geneva Convention, why should we?") - if the PCs are in the habit of massacring prisoners, the honourable enemy is unlikely to give them parole! But if both sides adhere to a code, it's unlikely the enemy can be classed as 'Evil' - the Evil enemy would be the exception, the villain who doesn't stick to the Code. That might mean anything from killing prisoners to using disguise/infiltration tactics to fighting on a holy day. [/QUOTE]
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