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what would a good orc culture be like?
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<blockquote data-quote="teitan" data-source="post: 8765007" data-attributes="member: 3457"><p>I think the focus on good or evil cultures is wrong, but a focus on unique, Orcish culture is the proper approach. Comparing them to human cultures is what leads to cultural problems. The problem of "All Orcs are evil" even is the approach to Alignment as a hard coded part of DNA instead of a choice being made and representing Gruumshite Orcs in FR or GH as the Orcs of Eberron aren't evil because Alignment isn't hard coded. The culture is coded as evil based on it's cultural emphasis. So you start by analyzing what you want for their culture including religious elements and build out including how they approach outsiders. </p><p></p><p>Alignment shouldn't be considered an element of the design unless you are using it as a short hand reference like I would straight up call Nazis Chaotic Evil with the grand poobah himself as Lawful Evil surrounded by NE and CE cohorts wreaking havoc. If you throw in supposed occult connections of the Theistic Satanism scale you have not just a moralistically evil culture you have a Cosmically scaled evil. That's an example of a culture that alignment is easy to label. </p><p></p><p>The approach to creating a realistic culture is more complicated and should possess nuance. Orcs, for example, can maintain their more natural roots, natural world archetype including the horde for resources and conflicts with dwarves and elves by providing a history that is more than just Correlon stabbing Gruumsh's eye out blah blah. What causes real conflicts in the world? How can you apply that do the conflict in your campaign in order to run your game? Look at things like the conflicts between Scottish families or the family feuds in Appalachia or European noble houses. Have a real world explanation for those conflicts. </p><p></p><p>The cultural elements? Why do Orcs start training young for war for example? Are they known for roving mercenary bands that get hired out as their form of income? Were they once farmer who lost their lands and became mercenary lifestyles because elves, dwarves or humans took their lands in a conflict and disenfranchised them? How does that impact the story of their gods and their conflict with the elven gods?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="teitan, post: 8765007, member: 3457"] I think the focus on good or evil cultures is wrong, but a focus on unique, Orcish culture is the proper approach. Comparing them to human cultures is what leads to cultural problems. The problem of "All Orcs are evil" even is the approach to Alignment as a hard coded part of DNA instead of a choice being made and representing Gruumshite Orcs in FR or GH as the Orcs of Eberron aren't evil because Alignment isn't hard coded. The culture is coded as evil based on it's cultural emphasis. So you start by analyzing what you want for their culture including religious elements and build out including how they approach outsiders. Alignment shouldn't be considered an element of the design unless you are using it as a short hand reference like I would straight up call Nazis Chaotic Evil with the grand poobah himself as Lawful Evil surrounded by NE and CE cohorts wreaking havoc. If you throw in supposed occult connections of the Theistic Satanism scale you have not just a moralistically evil culture you have a Cosmically scaled evil. That's an example of a culture that alignment is easy to label. The approach to creating a realistic culture is more complicated and should possess nuance. Orcs, for example, can maintain their more natural roots, natural world archetype including the horde for resources and conflicts with dwarves and elves by providing a history that is more than just Correlon stabbing Gruumsh's eye out blah blah. What causes real conflicts in the world? How can you apply that do the conflict in your campaign in order to run your game? Look at things like the conflicts between Scottish families or the family feuds in Appalachia or European noble houses. Have a real world explanation for those conflicts. The cultural elements? Why do Orcs start training young for war for example? Are they known for roving mercenary bands that get hired out as their form of income? Were they once farmer who lost their lands and became mercenary lifestyles because elves, dwarves or humans took their lands in a conflict and disenfranchised them? How does that impact the story of their gods and their conflict with the elven gods? [/QUOTE]
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