D&D General what would a good orc culture be like?


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jasper

Rotten DM
we have long made threads about whether orcs should all be evil,

this is not that thread

what would a culture of good orcs belike without losing the orcness that people like?

do not just say WoW as that is just a cheap answer.
Alabama foot ball fans on Iron bowl week end.
 

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow
First we'd have to have knowledge of thier actual organized groups. We have no idea what neandrathals believed or how advanced thier theology, or civilizations were I won't make a personal determination without actual knowledge of what thier socio economic groups did.

I have no problem stating that Klingon culture as presented in the movies and on TV is very LE'ish. In fact it's very similar to Ancient Mongol culture. The strong rule. I've got lot of hours of observation

we do know that neanderthals were hunter gatherers who cared for their families, healed injuries and made art. We dont know their morality however but we can extrapolate that they were a small scale though paleolithic culture.

Mongols were a very tolerant culture that promoted free trade and was egalitarian, promoted the rights of women, orphans and foreigners. They were strictly lawful so acted decisively to punish crimes (the destruction of the Khwarazmids for instance was due to the the summary execution of a Mongol trade caravan which had been sent to Khwarazmids And seizure of its goods. When Genghis Khan demanded that the goods be returned and the killers punished the Khwarazmid Shah refused, The Great Khan then brought his own justice)
 


teitan

Legend
It just keeps coming to my head that orcs would be the D&D race that invents professional sports then goes crazy about it.

Like I could see an orc teenager going into a full on tearful breakdown in the street, not beccause of a breakup but because their favorite Hardball team switched Primal Totems because the guy they just traded for is superstitious about bears. And some old scarred up orc warrior in his Owlbearz jersey walks up to her and offers her his greataxe to let off steam on one of the combat dummy situated around the town. Because he knows the feeling as well.
So Warhammer.
 

teitan

Legend
Hobgoblins have been the militarized lineage in the past I thought?

b9a.jpg
Nah America is nothing like Mandalorian.
 

Ixal

Hero
Another idea, a tribe of nomadic "adventurers", wandering their territory and taking care of monsters ect. in exchange for food and things they need.
 


nevin

Hero
we do know that neanderthals were hunter gatherers who cared for their families, healed injuries and made art. We dont know their morality however but we can extrapolate that they were a small scale though paleolithic culture.

Mongols were a very tolerant culture that promoted free trade and was egalitarian, promoted the rights of women, orphans and foreigners. They were strictly lawful so acted decisively to punish crimes (the destruction of the Khwarazmids for instance was due to the the summary execution of a Mongol trade caravan which had been sent to Khwarazmids And seizure of its goods. When Genghis Khan demanded that the goods be returned and the killers punished the Khwarazmid Shah refused, The Great Khan then brought his own just

The problem with that assessment is you are conflating modern Mongol culture with the culture of Genghis Khan. They were tolerant of everyone that swore fealty. anyone that didn't was killed or enslaved without mercy, since it was a crime to tell any mongol warrior No.

Only mongol women were treated as equals, all other women were simply Chattle to bear them children.

There are estimates that the Mongols killed up to 11 percent of the world population during thier expansion. There are large portions of history lost because the mongols burned books and libraries and destroyed cultural centers.

When the mongols showed up you agreed to yearly tribute which could include women and Children or you were Annihilated to make a point.
 

grimslade

Krampus ate my d20s
Orcs as the champions of good? Cool.
Long ago when the world was new, the gods fought to claim the world from the Demon, the Aberration, the Fae, and the Dead. Their victory was total and the time came to divide the spoils. Moradin claimed the mountains and hills for the dwarves using his muscle and sweat. Ao and Yondalla together claimed the lush gardens and fields for the humans and halflings sacrificing their life together. Corellon Latherion cut their own flesh and marked the woods with their blood for their people the elves. Gruumsh looked around and saw dwarves digging deep and unleashing horrors from below. The humans recklessly used sorcery to summon demons and elementals from beyond. The Elves engaged in a civil war and brought untold darkness from the Feywild. The battle for the world was won, but the war continued. Gruumsh saw this and sighed. He plucked out one of his own eyes in sacrifice for the orcs. "My people will dwell everywhere, but they will keep watch and protect this world and its peoples from those who would invade it." The orcs were spread around the world, but they were all charged with a sacred task to always fight the Demon, the Aberration, the Fae, or the raider from the stars who sought to take what was given to them by the gods.
Orcs value strength. The strong guard the weak. Strength is to break chains, not bind. The strong can carry the weight of the world.
Orcs value family and clan. The world needs its defenders and only the clans are charged with the defense of the world. The other races are subject to corruption and temptation. Blood of Gruumsh will keep you safe.
Orcs are passionate. Life is to be enjoyed and celebrated. Quick to anger and quick to laugh.

So you have clans of orcs living anywhere next to the other races acting like Team Gruumsh World Police. They tend to be a bit condescending to the other races who they think act like children without regard to the repercussions of their actions. Their whole society is built around training for the next threat. Their shamans are diviners and abjurers. The Eyes of Gruumsh are powerful berserkers to fight planar threats. They tend to avoid most other schools of magic except to counter. Magic is a threat to the world, it must be used sparingly and correctly.
 

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