FREQUENCY: Common

1. ORC (Average orc)
NO. APPEARING: 30-300 <(ogrillons: II, illriggers)>
ARMOR CLASS: 6 <1 off?> <check the other humanoids/demi-humans>
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 1
% IN LAIR: 35% (80 Orcs: forest, TPL24:4th, REF3.34)
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals L; C, O, Q (x 10), S in lair
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 19
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 or by weapon <incl. oil>
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
STRENGTH: 10 (d26: 9-12)
INTELLIGENCE: Average (low)
WISDOM: <(3-12+2-8)/2>
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil <(bully, cruel)>
SIZE: M (6'+ tall)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: I | 10 + 1
DEITY: Gruumsh

SAVES: 14.15.16.17.17
MORALE: 55%

2. ORC (Guard or Subchief)

ARMOR CLASS: 6
HIT DICE: 11 hp <(2 HD)>
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 16
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-7 or by weapon
INTELLIGENCE: Average
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: I | 20 + 2

SAVES: 14.15.16.17.17

3. ORC (Bodyguard or Chief)
ARMOR CLASS: 4
HIT DICE: 13-16 hp <(2 HD, or 3 HD if 16 HP)>
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 16
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 or by weapon
INTELLIGENCE: High-average
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: I | 20 + 2

SAVES, 2 HD: 14.15.16.17.17
SAVES, 3 HD: 13.14.15.16.16

4. ORC (Tribal Spell Caster)

Tribal Spell Casters : Shamen (C5 maximum) OR witch doctors (C5 / MU4 maximum). Not recommended for random encounters.

Orc tribes are fiercely competitive, and when they meet it is 75% likely that
they will fight each other unless a strong leader (such as a wizard, evil
<high> priest, evil lord) with sufficient force behind him is on hand to control the
orcs. Being bullies, the stronger will always intimidate && dominate the
weaker. (If goblins are near, for example, and the orcs are strong enough,
they will happily bully them.)

(The Silmarillion indicates that orcs are twisted and perverted elves)

Orcs dwell in places where sunlight is dim or
non-existent, for they hate the light.
In full daylight they must deduct 1 from their dice rolls to hit opponents, but they see well even in total darkness (infravision).

Known orc tribes include the following: Vile Rune, Bloody Head, Death
Moon, Broken Bone, Evil Eye, Leprous Hand, Rotting Eye, Dripping Blade. If
orcs from one of those tribes are encountered in an AREA, it is likely that all
other orcs nearby will also be from this tribe.

For every 30 orcs encountered there will be a leader and 3 assistants.
These orcs will have 8 HP each (being the biggest/strongest/meanest in their group).
If 150 or more orcs are encountered there will be the following additional figures with the band:
a subchief and 3-18 guards, each having AC 4, 11 HP, and fighting as monsters with 2 HD (doing 2-7 HP damage). <(THACO 16)>

CARAVAN:
If the orcs are not in their lair there is a 20% chance they will be escorting a train of 1-6 carts and 10-60 slave bearers <(slaves)> bringing supplies and loot to their chief or to a stronger orc tribe.
The carts will hold goods worth from 10 to 1,000 gp, and each slave will bear goods worth from 5 to 30 gp.
If such a train is indicated,
    double the number of leaders and assistants,
    add 10 normal orcs for each cart in the train,
    and a subchief with 5-30 guards will always be in charge.

The weaponry of orcs is shown typically below:
 

5%	sword & flail	01-05
10%	sword & spear	06-15
10%	axe & spear	16-25
10%	axe & pole arm	26-35
10%	axe & crossbow	36-45
10%	axe & bow	46-55
5%	sword & battleaxe (E)	56-60
10%	spear	61-70
10%	axe (C)	71-80
20%	polearm	81-00

Orcish Face Dicer, Orcish Body Grader (Inert Weapons)

<footmans flail, horseman's flail>
<50% handaxe, 50% battleaxe>
<70% of swords are longswords (1-8), 20% are broadswords (2-8), 5% are short (small) swords (1-6), 4% are bastard swords (2-8), 1% are two-handed swords (1-10)>
<25% of broadswords are falchions>

<100 orcs>
<leader w/ sword & flail><assistant w/ sword & spear><assistant w/ sword & spear><assistant w/ axe & spear>
<leader w/ axe & spear><assistant w/ axe & pole arm><assistant w/ axe & pole arm><assistant w/ axe & crossbow>
<leader w/ axe & crossbow><assistant w/ axe & bow><assistant w/ axe & bow><assistant w/ sword & battleax>
[use this pattern again at 180 orcs, and again at 270 : sword & battleax could be moved to the 3rd leader]

Ral Partha

Leaders and above will always have two weapons.
If a subchief is with a group the tribal standard will be present 40% of the time.
The standard is always present when the tribal chief is.
The standard will cause all orcs within 6" to fight more fiercely (+ 1 on hit dice and <+05% on> morale check dice).

Orcs are cruel and hate living things in general, <apply Antipathy modifier to TALK attempts>
but they particularly hate elves and will always attack them in preference to other creatures.
They take slaves for work, food, and entertainment (torture, etc.) but not elves whom they kill immediately.

Orcs are accomplished tunnelers and miners.
They note new or unusual constructions underground 35% of the time and spot sloping passages 25% of the time.

The majority of orcs speak goblin, hobgoblin, and ogre in addition to the languages of orcs and lawful evil.

Description: Orcs appear particularly disgusting because their coloration
-- brown or brownish green with a bluish sheen -- highlights their pinkish
snouts and ears. Their bristly hair is dark brown or black, sometimes with
tan patches. Even their armor tends to be unattractive -- dirty and often a
bit rusty. Orcs favor unpleasant colors in general. Their garments are in
tribal colors, as are shield devices or trim. Typical colors are blood red, rust
red, mustard yellow, yellow green, moss green, greenish purple, and
blackish brown. They live for 40 years. (images)

LAIR:

Orc lairs are underground 75% of the time, in an above ground village 25% of the time.
There will always be the following additional orcs when the encounter is in the creatures' lair:
a chief and 5-30 bodyguards (AC 4, 13-16 HP, attack as monsters with 3 hit dice and do 2-8 hit points damage),
females equal to 50% of the number of males,
young equal to 100% of the number of males.
If the lair is underground, there is a 50% chance that there will be from 2-5 ogres living with the orcs.
If the lair is above ground it will be a rude village of wooden huts protected by a ditch, rampart, and log palisade.
The village will have from 1-4 watch towers and single gate.
There will be 1 catapult and 1 ballista for each 100 male orcs (round to the nearest hundred).
<>

<note: orcs are not green!>

Question: A couple of friends and I are planning on taking
over our DM’s island. So far our plan is working. Unfortunately,
we have encountered some problems. What we want to know
is how to spawn orcs? We need an army at the moment.

Answer: Orcs are mammals and therefore do not spawn.
You will have to find some other way to raise your army.

FREQUENCY: Common

FREQUENCY: Common ([Dungeon Level I])

FREQUENCY: Common ([Cold Wilderness Mountains], [Cold Wilderness Hills], [Cold Wilderness Forest], [Cold Wilderness Swamp]) <(not found on Krynn)>
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Cold Wilderness Plains], [Cold Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Common ([Temperate Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Hills], [Temperate Wilderness Forest], [Temperate Wilderness Swamp])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Temperate Wilderness Plains], [Temperate Wilderness Desert])

FREQUENCY: Common ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains], [Tropical Wilderness Forest], [Tropical Wilderness Swamp], [Tropical Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Tropical Wilderness Desert])

Half-Orcs: As orcs will breed with anything, there are any number of
unsavory mongrels with orcish blood, particularly orc-goblins, orc-
hobgoblins, <orc-ogres (ogrillons)>, and orc-humans. Orcs cannot cross-breed with elves. Half-orcs
tend to favor the orcish strain heavily, so such sorts are basically orcs
although they can sometimes (10%) pass themselves off as true creatures
of their other stock (goblins, hobgoblins, humans, etc.).

My vision of orc ears is a somewhat lop-eared look as was the case in the LotR films. - Gary

As for the ears of an orc, i envisiage them as being rather loped, but that's another DM call.
they might be large, rounded, and look like a chimp's to some GMs :lol:

Cheers,
Gary

by Otherworld Minis

If these orcs are all from the same tribe, it would be the Dripping Blade ...

<Dilemma: Dragon #129 suggests the existence of 1st level orcs, not 1 HD orcs?>

<Dilemma: White Dwarf suggests that orcs should have 2 to 5 HD!>

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1. Sword && Flail	2. Sword && Spear	3. Axe && Spear	4. Axe && Pole Arm	5. Axe && Crossbow
6. Axe && Bow	7. Sword && Battleaxe	8. Spear	9. Axe	10. Pole Arm

9. Army Roster Sheet: Axe

PLAYER NAME:
ARMY:
BRIGADE:

UNIT NAME: Sword & light crossbow
UNIT TYPE:
AC:
#FIG:
UNIT COMMANDER/DEPUTY:
HD/fig:
RATIO:
LEVEL/RACE/CLASS:
MV:
SIZE:
MR%:
PPD:
P/P:
RSW:
BW:
SP
AR:
    AR Modifiers:
ML:
    ML Modifiers:
DL:
    Wpn/Dmg:
SPECIAL ABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS:

THE FORUM

I am writing in defense of what I believe to be
the most maligned, mistreated, and disrespected
creature in the D&D game world -- the orc.
This ugly, small, foul-mouthed, and immoral
being seems to be a standard source of ridicule
in an age when heroes carry out mighty deeds,
where dread magicians plot intrigue and subterfuge,
where entire nations seek to enlarge their
borders, and so on and so forth.  So how does
the orc fit into this situation?  Where would the
Lord of the Rings have been without the orc?
Undoubtedly, Frodo would have reached Mount
Doom 6 months early.  In a few of the campaigns
I have been involved in, things got so out
of hand that if our party of well-seasoned adventurers
came across a band of orcs marauding
the local talent, the encounter would be
resolved amidst general laughter and joking.  For
example: "I cut down 3 orcs ruthlessly while
giving my trusty steed a pedicure."  There would
be minimal dice throwing, probably no damage
sustained, and a heap of ex-orcs scattered
around the general area.  This is hardly fair and
often proves to be a waste of valuable game
time.  But orcs most certainly are not wastes of
time.  Let's face it: an orc's prime ability is to
make life very difficult for people.  They terrorize
regions by acts of pillage and willful destruction.
The ruin farms, raze villages, and make
off with the women and children.  Thier only joy
is had by causing unhappiness to anyone they
can.  Thus, orcs should be treated with the
respect they deserve and dealt with accordingly.
I personally don't like orcs because my very 1st
character, a paladin, ended up being served as
canapes at an orc cocktail party.  Since then,
they have served subsequent characters of mine
as useful (if untrustworthy) allies, and have
even formed the major part of an army I gathered
to (unsuccessfully) beseige a walled town.
But matters don't just end there.  Have you ever
been to an orc town?  Decorum really prevents
me from repeating the acts of profanity and
perversion committed therein -- suffice it to say
that you definitely need strong guts and strong
arms to survive the experience, and to stay in
full possession of your faculties.  So, let's give
these creatures a break.  Your magazine has only
twice mentioned or given an article detoed to
them (once for the orc gods, and that's a bit too
astral for earth campaigning).  Let's create
higher orc awareness so that when we do
slaughter them, we can honestly believe that
we've done something fairly worthwhile, rather
than just practice our backhand reserve butterfly
thrusts with our faithful blood-caked long
swords.

Patrick Sieff
New York, NY
(Dragon #119)
 

I am writing in response to Steven Van Veen?s
Forum suggestion concerning orcs. It seems to
me that if anyone wants a humanoid challenging
to the players, they may take an ogre or troll.
These orcs that are supposed to have achieved
3rd level or above ? let?s call them ?super-orcs?
? are very similar in terms of nastiness and
strength to many humanoids we already have.
So what?s the point? Orcs are for lower-level
characters and were always meant to be. For
anyone who still insists on stronger orcs, then
take a look at this: Even without super-orcs,
there are tough orcs already, though these are
seldom used. It seems to me that an average
3rd-level party with five players wouldn?t exactly
be ?laughing and joking? when confronted
with a council of 4th/5th-level orcish witch
doctors and their guards! Furthermore, you
must remember that orcs aren?t exactly the
most intelligent creatures. If an orc sees a
sword +2 that is chopping his friends to pieces,
and his morale check succeeds, he may well try
to grab for it. While this would be stupid for a
party member to do, that?s just what orcs are:
stupid. And if enough orcs tried it, you never
know. Also, as orcs have a craving for strong
drink, suppose they smelled the beer the party
magic-user was carrying in a flagon, and happened
to make a mistake and steal/drink the
party magic-user's potion of MIND CONTROL?

To wrap it up, enough can happen without
super-orcs. Although I can understand an orc
leader being above average in fighting ability, I
honestly cannot see a tribe of 100 or so superorcs
rampaging the countryside.

Toby Myers
Hamilton NY
(Dragon #126)
 
 

In regards to the letter from Mr. Van Veen in
the "Forum" of issue #123, I have to disagree
with his handling of orcs. Orcs are not meant to
fight high-level characters; they are the cannon
fodder of the AD&D game, just like zero-level
humans.

Instead of increasing the number of orcs, or
making the orcs more powerful, change the
monster. Use gnolls, ogres, trolls, even hill
giants. These are the types of monsters that
mid- to high-level characters should be facing --
that is, assuming you want to stick with humanoid
monsters. The lists of monsters that are not
humanoid are too lengthy to get into here.

Furthermore, a DM could be really mean and
give the party something really dangerous:
human opponents. These will definitely not be
laughed at – not if the party has any intelligent
members.

Following these suggestions will enable you to
use orcs as they are meant to be used – as
threats to low-level parties, and as the main
force in any large battles that may occur. Admittedly,
goblins and other smaller monsters are
also found as cannon fodder in the large battles,
but they are not the threat that orcs are.

Against the same size force, orcs will do much
more damage than the smaller humanoids; and
the orcs still have a high enough rate of birth to
keep their population replaced. This makes
them ideal for use as shock troops and for
harassing smaller parties of characters.

Tom Brincefield
Bridgewater VA
(Dragon #130)
 

I am writing in response to Jason Dunn?s
letter in issue #152. Jason is right: Humanoids
aren?t wimpy if used properly. But he must
remember that his example was, as he said, a
solo adventure. I have recently purchased
GAZ10 The Orcs of Thar. This is adaptable to
the AD&D game and will prove highly successful
in both systems. This supplement lets orcs
and other humanoids reach higher hit dice and
actually obtain power equal to even the most
powerful of characters. This does not make
them invincible, but from what I?ve seen so far,
they can be close to it. I have just stocked a
dungeon full of these, and I will soon see what
my friends think when their 36th-level characters
cast a few 20d6 damage fireballs? and these
creatures survive! I would recommend using
these at high levels, but using normal creatures
for lower levels (1-5).

Also, in response to Dan Humphries' letter in
the same issue, I would like to say this: I have
played both as a player and a DM in both AD&D
and D&D games since I was five years old (I am
13 now). I see nothing wrong with having evil or
chaotic characters in an adventuring party. I
have to admit that when I made my first chaotic
character in a D&D game, I was a little shaky.
But after a while I got used to it (I changed his
alignment soon after; it didn?t fit his personality).
Then I was introduced to the AD&D game,
and I found nothing wrong with evil characters.
Sometimes my friends have a hard time playing
them, but then I show them the description of
evil in the 1st Edition Players Handbook, and
they get the idea. These characters do tend to
try to take over the party, but I find that the evil
characters are usually the only ones that have
to be assassins, and these aren't strong enough
to fight off the good paladins and fighters.

Benson Syphrit
Harvard IL
(Dragon #157)

NOTES BY GARY GYGAX

Quote:
Originally posted by Clangador

I always thought that idea came for the black speech of the orcs in Middle Earth.

Noppers. That's merely justification for a separate orcish language.
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottGLXIX
Gary, I have a question about orc tribes in your campaign. Were the orcs encountered in the Greyhawk dungeon supposed to be part of one or more of the orc tribes listed in the original MM? As the published version of the Greyhawk setting was detailed the Vile Rune and Death Moon tribes were placed in the Bone March, and the Rotting Eye tribe was set in the Yatils, but I've always wondered about the orcs in and around the Greyhawk dungeons.
Scott

They orcs in the dungeon were of two separate tribes, but I have forgotten the names I gave them.
As near as I can recollect, one was the Grinning Skull and the other was the Bloody Axe.
they were all cut down or made into vassals by Robilar and Terik, with a good deal of assistance from Tenser.

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by dcas
Yes. "Orc" sounds much more serious than "goblin," don't you think? He even created a phony etymology for "orc." 

Absolutely!
The dictionary has an orc defined as a kind of ogre, and ogre is a seriously menacing word.
In all events, gamers have taken to "orc" like ducks to water <EEK!>

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Mouser
Gary,

Speaking of hobbits, hobgoblins, etc.
I was wondering how Orcs made it into the D&D family of games (and every other fantasy RPG I can think of off hand).
After all, the Tolkien estate didn't want you to use the term "hobbit" (although JRRT used "halfling" as well, although to a lesser extent).
Any idea why "orc" made the cut but "hobbit" did not?

Gray Mouser

Heh, Gray Mouser

That's an easy one.
Saul Zaents division of Elan Merchandising, representing the Tokien Estate, didn't want TSR to use dwarf, elf, goblin, orc, troll, or wraith, etc.
besides objecting to our use of balrog, ent, and hobbit.
Because all the rest were in the dictionary (orc as "an ogre"), and the D&D depiction of those creatures was not the same as JRRT's they were happy to settle for TSR dropping balrog, ent, and hobbit.

FWIW, balrog was the only name of the whole bunch unique to Tolkien; "ent" is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning "giant."
JRRT's depiction of them as tree-like was very unique and most compelling IMO.

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Drake
Interesting, I wondered about that too. A related question: is that how you personally imagined orcs etc, to look like or did you have a completely different conception of how such creatures were to look? Myself, I guess being influenced by LOTR the book saw them appearing very much as they did in the film. Thanks Gary!

Actually I envisioned the D&D game orcs ase porcine in appearancem but not actually pig faced--more like largfe, upturned noses and small tushes jutting from their mouths, heavy bodies and small, pig-live eyes. Hobgoblins I saw as apish in visage and build.

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesM
Gary,

Two somewhat related questions, if I may:

1. Early portrayals of orcs in AD&D gave them decidedly porcine physical attributes. Was this done intentionally or was it simply the whim of the illustrators?

2. In Greyhawk, you often used alternate names for the various humanoid races, such as Euroz for orcs and Jebli for goblins. What was the origin of this practice? I always liked it and felt it contributed just enough flavor to the setting without becoming obsessive, so I'd be curious as to your rationale for having introduced these terms.

Thanks.
 

Heh...

I mentioned "pig-like faces" to Dave Sutherland, and he took me far too literally as far as I was concerned.

I created the names you mention for humanoids so as to make those of the Oerth setting more distinct and unique to the world.
less folklorish if you will.

Cheers,
Gary