Talk to me about Orcs

[Khur]

If, OTOH, the orcs were not part of some larger plan....they were there "just because they needed space"....then they would have tools for settlement, like farming implements, or herds of sheep or cattle, or tools for hunting, fishing, and curing meats and hides. What sort of settlers are these orcs?

Also: don't forget the women and children. They would be there if these were settlers/refugees/etc. Their presence would tell the PCs a great deal about the orc's motives.

A cool idea: If these are settlers/refugees, they might be carrying a holy artifact of some kind. Perhaps they are looking for the holy land?

While your idea here is good, and the holy land idea is even better, one has to remember that (typical D&D) orcs are savage, low-tech hunter/gatherers. It's unlikely that they would have herds and agriculture implements as a settled people, much less as refugees.

Nevertheless, chaotic evil (CE) folk (even intelligent groups) have a hard time with organized labor and community structures required for agriculture. Now, I have no idea whether or not Buttercup's "elf-ruled" orcs (ick!) are more advanced, but that seems to be the case since they have crossbows (unless those bows were given to them by an outside force, like the elves). Nor do I know that they're CE.

The way I see it, though, your typical CE orc is an instrument of survival (though Monster Manual statistics for the typical orc warrior fail to bear this theory out)--his tools are weapons, and vice versa. One can use a battle axe or falchion to cut wood for heating and shelter, any knife will do for skinning, and spears do fine for fishing (especially in shallow mountain streams).

A real important issue, other than the women and children aspect you aptly pointed out, is that the recent orc encampments have to have that "not-yet-lived-in" look. Everything has to be portable (if that's not usual for your orcs anyway).

 

[alsih2o]

the caves themselves lie at an off-kilter center of the whole plot.

you see, the clay disks are required by their god and the supply of the ratre kaolin they are made from (o.k., o.k., blood clay, only able to be fired by magical means, it screams in torment as the disks are fired) is in the caves. the whole of the army could fall into disillusionment and chaos if the supply of clay disks is interrupted.

these orcs are protectors of the miners and firers. they were told to stay put and lay low while the clay was mined but they have been out rabble-rousing out of boredom, being too far from the front to feel useful as orcs.

if the clay bed is sealed off, or purified it will cease to be of use to the evil powers who create the disks and the invasion will likely be halted until a new sourc4 of blood clay can be found.

 

[Nightfall]

I've always enjoyed Unholy Trivumevates(sp) myself. So here's my idea, Grummush (since to me he's kind of the quintessential Orc god) decides to align himself with with one of the Demon Princes (pick one). Both of whom are severely teed off. Grummush and (just to put in a name) Orcus, decide to each choose one of their own and then combine their might into one being, to act both as a go between and also leader of this ragtag group. Grummush informs his clerics that the orcs have been too passive for far to long. Orcus, using his contacts, summons his ogre clerics to work with orcs as their shock troops. He promises them eternal unlife should any fall in battle. Then as the armies start to organize (with low level undead as fodder), each of them choose one, with Grummush turning on of his clerical into a warmachine, (feral and Monster of Legend Template), Orcus in the meantime honors a pact with his other cleric and turns the ogre mage/cleric into a lich. Finally they choose one of the few Orgillion. They give him much power and size, allowing him to dual wield both symbols/favored weapons of each. Thus is born Brionoc, the Undying Terror of Bloodlust and Undeath. (Figure on giving him templates in Corrupted, Corpse Creature, Spell-stiched and finally Death Knight, along with levels in cleric/wizard and MT)

Howse that for BBEGs?

 

[Kichwas]

Didn't you get a bunch of Kalamar stuff for Christmas?

One of the items made for that setting, the Orcs of Tellene book, does a great job splitting up the Orc races of Tellene and providing different motives, tactics, and cultural habits for each group. If you plan to use a lot of Orcs in future and you're already heading down the Kalamar angle this might make for a good addition.

There's also Mongoose's Slayer's Guide to Orcs.

For a real plot twist, make the Orcs the PCs are fighting freedom fighters struggling against the elven oppressors of their kinsmen. They think the PCs are in league with the elves...

They've been harrassing the people down below where the PCs came from out of either some misperception of alliances or a need to fund their own war efforts against the elves. Smart diplomacy could turn them into allies in the coming struggle, bad diplomacy will leave humanity fighting in a three side war.

These mountain orcs should thus have more 'orcish' gods, culture, and leadership than the elf led orcs. They're a break away faction trying to return to 'the old traditions'.

Meeting them should be a process of dealing with tribal elders and a war council resembling something would expect out of the Souix or Apache during the American West.

 

[Nightfall]

Maybe she wants to try something different. On a slight more interesting note Buttercup, might want to pick up quint half orc, Heroes of High Favor: Half orc, and probably Wrath and Rage: Half Orc. Some ideas might pop up for you in doing so.

 

[Kichwas]

Maybe she wants to try something different.

?

Seems that's what we were all posting.

Assorted 'something differents'.

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah well I'm just saying arc, she might not WANT to use Kalamar stuff she may have. Just pointing that out. Otherwise I'd be glad to see what everyone else has to say.

 

[Buttercup]

Maybe she wants to try something different. On a slight more interesting note Buttercup, might want to pick up quint half orc, Heroes of High Favor: Half orc, and probably Wrath and Rage: Half Orc. Some ideas might pop up for you in doing so.

I have the Kalamar Orc book, Wrath & Rage, and I thought I had the Slayer's Guide, but can't find it at the moment.

I'm loving all these ideas everyone is giving me.

Clay, I like the bit with the blood clay and the disks. The players were certain the disks meant something, and I wanted to prove them right, but couldn't think of a good idea. Also, this would give the orcs a reason to be there, and for their encampments to be sort of temporary. Maybe mining the bloodclay causes some sort of environmental damage too. The snow-elves who asked them to take out the orcs are very concerned about their fragile environment. Also, the PCs had never before heard of elves who aren't evil. They're pretty nervous and not inclined to cross them, especially since the snow-elves saved their nearly frozen little butts and did them a huge favor. (Remember the thread about the Elk rider? Well, I used the ideas everyone gave me, and now I've painted myself into another corner.)

So anyway, if anyone has more ideas, keep 'em coming!

 

[Krieg]

Speaking of the "clay disk" holy symbols.

Is the party keeping/collecting them?

If so, once they gather up enough of them (ie reach critical mass) you could always have the disks coalesce into a clay golem that's a minor avatar of the Orcs' diety.

That'll teach the nasty humanses to steal his holy relics.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

If your campaign is more role-play oriented, you might want to consider making the BBEG a high-level half-orc barbarian.

The son of a female orc and a male human slave, this half-orc would have been raised by orcs, but be much smarter than the average orc, due to his human lineage. Make him Chaotic-Good, with a goal of uniting all the disparate orc tribes together through warfare, and bettering their lives by having them conquer better hunting ground. Or you could throw in the evil holy disk idea, and have him gathering clay disks at the behest of the orc clerics, who have prophecied that if they displease their god, the orc population will be decimated by a terrible plague.

If the half-orc gets a chance to talk with the PCs before battle, they're going to have some thinking to do. Especially if there's a paladin in the party and they realize he's not evil.