Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Orc

[@ROTTERDXM]

A young orc who can fill a whole night with stories of where they got their scars, is considered a warrior of worth. That is awesome.

[@DCdabest]

"You wanna know how I got these scars?"

[@tibik.8407]

@@rachdarastrix5251 Excuuuuuuuse meeeee, but... Tolkien himself said that not all of his orcs are evil. He just had difficulties representing the kind(er) ones in his universe, for obvious reasons. #justicefororcs

[@MadAtreides1]

@@rachdarastrix5251 I don't remember if it was in the Hobbit or the LOTR appendices but Tolkien stated that the orcs are master of engineering feats, like the caves they excavated under the Misty Mountains, they just don't like doing themselves the hard work and prefer to rely on slaves. So it seems they are perfectly able to think for themselves...

[@sigmagrey3236]

​@@DCdabest No, but I know where you got these. 🦇🤡

[@lewdcharizard9902]

Their lives are so short. Unless they learned everything twice as fast it would be difficult to train an Orc into a master of a craft equal to that of the longer lived races. Then again, it's quicker to raid a black smith than to learn the trade.

[@AJPickett]

Indeed, and imagine a nursery rhyme that taught how to use a battle axe.. that is Orc childhood for you.

[@t2av159]

Lorc= orc lich

[@lordmurderkitten6098]

“I give you all that was owed to us. I give you riches and glory for a hundred years, And when we come home at last, we’ll raise a city from the stones we took from theirs. One great enough that even in a thousand years they will tremble at the return of our Horde!”

[@kevinchristiansen4348]

the best way to keep orcs fresh in dnd is give them class levels

[@AJPickett]

Give them round actions (legendary actions) that allow them to break stuff.

[@budahbaba7856]

Ok, here is something i don't really understand. The orc pantheon is actually quite cohesive -even remarkably so, considering how divergent some of them are from the rest. I mean, the pantheon even makes room for the shunned & despised outcasts among the orc race -& keeps them within the horde. So... again, how exactly is orc society Chaotic Evil? That sounds to me like a metric placed upon them by the pretty peoples. I am skeptical of orcs seeing themselves or their society as evil. From their point of view, they are the ones who have been wronged by the pretty peoples & their treacherous gods.

[@AJPickett]

First, it is important to consider the point of view of the Orcs, to them, Elves are an evil race and represent many things they despise, Humans relentless territorial expansion and desire to dominate is also very evil to Orcs, the Goblinoids also have a strong drive to control all of the world, even their god, Magubliet, would seek to take over the Orc Pantheon if it was not for the protection of the fearsome Gruumsh. Second, Orcs grow fast, the crave action and they NEED battle in order to build renown and, essentially, an identity for themselves, so, they seem, to the perceptions of those who live close by, to attack and attack and attack, recklessly and chaotically... because they do not understand the cultural and social reasons why Orcs behave this way. Very good question, thanks Goblintrain!

[@ROTTERDXM]

Goblintrain All good, valid points.

[@coldrage20t8]

Goblintrain In my setting i changed orcs there to lawful evil and have given them a Spartan\ orc culture mix. I think you can already see some of that ideal in the tribal now so i just advanced the clock alittle on it.

[@budahbaba7856]

I can see that happening. In AD&D (1e&2e) orcs were LE, and when you read the lore at the time, it seemed an appropriate change from their designation in OD&D as CE. But here is what i am seeing too. Something has happened to Orcs, as the mythology and lore surrounding them has expanded. They have expanded immensely in complexity and variety. They are no longer the one-dimensional soulless evil miscreants of the Tolkien books. They have evolved into a people all their own, with No longer just mindless pawns of evil overlords, they are now on similar ground as the fair races in having both their own collective consciousness as a species, and sense of destiny and identity as individuals. They have evolved autonomy -or something that in the LDS church we call "free agency". So what does this mean? It means, like what Mr Pickett's video touched on, Orcs now live in the "Big Tent!" There is rational and believable room for all varieties of ethos. Sure, i can easily imagine some orcs as Chaotic Evil -for example, the demon infused Orcs of Warcraft lore when they served the Burning Legion. There are Orcs too, CG, -free wheeling lovers of life. Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral... or my particular favorite "LN with evil tendencies..." and everything in between. The point is, i don't see any one group as representing "Orcs" as a species. They have outgrown that. And it brings me back to a point i mentioned made in the Bugbear Lore comments. I have a notion among the monstrous humanoids that there is a significant undercurrent of "big tent" thinking. While in our own hyper-regulated culture we get accustomed to things being predictably the same at each contact, like a big-mac at McDonalds -all the same, we also take it for granted that when the books tell us who this deity is, and what his followers believe and practice, we take it far too literally. We default to likening their religious expressions to that big-mac at McDonalds -all the same. But why should that be? If a comparison with humankind holds any relevance at all here, the monstrous humanoids would not be anywhere close to homogeneous in their theology -even among the membership of the same cults, and worshipers of the same gods. In response to the rejection of that notion of uniformity, i am thinking more & more of the deities like Gruumsh & Maglubiyet as "Big Tent" gods. They are no longer just gods of the goblins & orcs respectively. They are too big to "just" be gods of battle. Their domains of influence cover myriad spheres of thought & consciousness. Appropriate to this evolution, there are many different versions of theology, different forms of worship within these churches. Whether competing, contrasting, complimenting, or contradicting each other, they all co-exist, -and this does not mean peacefully. The label of heretic is not just a human invention. There are innumerable splinter groups within these races. In a sense, this is inherent in their system of oral tradition. Oral tradition ensures that each and every time the lore is taught in lessons, or shared as stories around the fire, that it is colored with nuances from that teacher in that moment. But the point is, the ethos of the cults, the alignments of the worshipers, even the nature of the gods as understood and taught, is all liable to change over time, as the followers of different versions and aspects of the gods, grow and decline in influence, both regionally and as a whole. And i think this idea holds true to us as well -that even the gods & the lore as presented in the books is only a version -an interpretation through the lens of the fair races. And you notice how much our versions change just from one generation of role-players to the next. But then... do they? All our attempts to describe the monstrous races is an attempt to strip them down to an essential essence that we can understand in human terms. But how successful are we? Clearly defining and describing them is as elusive as doing so for ourselves. BTW: that orc picture at the very end of the vid: AWESOME!!! :_)

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Budahbaba the individuals live chaotic ideals and justify evil behavior despite the order instilled by a divine panthaeon

[@MRDicristofaro]

i once played a orc who was a druid and a ranger ( odd combo for a orc) , he was born with a birth defect which gave him blue eye and due to this he was marked to be a sacrifice . it was interupted by a goup of heros who happened to have a druid who refused to abandon the child and raised him and naming him Graum . got alot of the idea for it from drizzt do'urden and it has been on of my funnest characters to role play

[@almitrahopkins1873]

I used a similar backstory for a goblin Druid once upon a time, but you probably want the orc story.

[@burpostockings]

Psshh, druids... My Paladin wouldve tossed the wretched spawn in a bush. 😂

[@DCdabest]

1:48 When you finally get the party to pose together but the photographer catches you with your mouth open.

[@willynthepoorboys2]

And here I thought I knew orcs, I was so wrong. I would love to hear more lore about these amazing creatures.

[@michaelkelligan7931]

"KILL!....FOR GLORY OF ONE-EYE!"----Toothlicker-Haargh,high shaman of clan Vislick

[@ThortheGodly]

Are Orcish Vikings a thing? More specifically; is there a subspecies of Orcs that has a maritime culture, and, or makes heavy use of ships in any setting?

[@AJPickett]

Not yet.

[@minnion2871]

@@AJPickett Though that would be cool and fit quite well I think....

[@deanholderde5959]

What about Orcs so vicious and berserk that the other orcs think that they are too savage.

[@cameroncagan2396]

@@deanholderde5959 Death Orks of Krieg?

[@ChrisD4335]

It Tolken mythos Orc was just another word for goblin, this kind of orc was just a particular type of orc bread for war called the Uruk-hai

[@almitrahopkins1873]

I was playing in a rather long campaign years ago, right after Monster Mythology came out, as I recall. I had just lost my character and I was rolling up a new one in the corner while the other players retreated from a near-TPK. I ended up rolling an unbelievable strength, but an intelligence of 7, I think. Being as the character would have to be something that lived nearby the orcs, I decided to make a priest of Baghtru. The players sat down at the next session and started playing, wondering when I would be jumping in. The DM said, “you haven’t found him yet.” As they fought their way through, the came across the chieftain and several of the higher-leveled orcs. The party’s paladin did what paladins always do and charged forward. The combat was a nightmare, but as they were slowly being surrounded, the paladin put the chief down by himself. The DM looked at me and said, “what are you doing?” I just said, “attacking,” and rolled a natural 20. The damage was so high from that, it would have killed our party’s mage outright, but it laid the nearest orc to me out rather nicely in one hit. The players lost their minds when I turned to the rest of the orcs, pointed at the paladin and said, “him chief now.” And that’s the way a priest of Baghtru came to be an ally of a paladin. We didn’t even question it as my alignment shifted slowly towards Lawful Good and I was still receiving spells.

[@lorenzonunez6972]

Thanks AJ, so glad you made this! Orcs have always been one of my favorite fantasy creatures!

[@Geraduss]

Yup, have to love Ondonti. A long lived pacifist Orc, a perfect way to throw a curveball at anything Orcish.

[@Ed-qo4oz]

My brother dm’d a campaign where I was playing a neutral good intelligent orc warrior that left his tribe. They are fun to play, I was level 8 and during a campaign I had found a magical sword, my current sword had been broken in a fight where I was separated from my group as well, fighting so they could escape. Once I grabbed the sword hilt it knocked him out for 3 days, where he went through many dreams involving a being of pure light taught him holier ways of living. It was a special holy avenger crafted by the god Torm, whoever gripped the blade and was found worthy of it became a Paladin. My brother did it because I didn’t like paladins lol. I actually developed a love for the class through it. The sword had other added abilities on top of a regular holy avenger, granting longer life and a few minor abilities, immunity to sickness and disease, cure medium wound 3/day, played him up to level 16 before retiring him to the npc life where he roamed an area protecting villages from a distance. Ended up with a ring of truth as well which I never bothered removing as it came in handy since I could usually discern if people were lying or not lol this was back in 2nd edition days

[@marcosreed9894]

Thank you for another great lore video. Orcs have been Viking-like raiders wreaking havoc for thousands of years. They are legendary for their atrocities across the civilized world of my/our homebrew campaigns. The lore at our table is that the Orc god was slain by the elven creator (who lost His eye that is now one of the two moons) in the last epic battle during our version of the dawn war and following Dragon age. The result is a different pantheon of Orcs and the Elves are still recovering from the backlash this event.

[@mikegould6590]

Thanks AJ. Half-Orc is my favorite player race, and I often rail on about Orc mythology to those who stand too long in one place ;) I've even gone to the length of adding on to the mythology through my "Out of the Box" series on Nerdarchy (Shatterfall), as well as writing my own Orc language that I use at the table where I DM. The wife HATES that our dog is now responding to commands in Orc. Hell, I've talked to my youngest daughter in Orc, enough so that she's starting to understand, if only from context and body language. :D Great job. Cho sebak ko chunga vazhu! Hala! (You always make great things to be seen/indeed)

[@AJPickett]

If Klingons can have a language, Orcs sure should!

[@thedarkmaster4747]

XD

[@FinallyAlone]

Something tells me you like orc women.

[@slyguy8931]

I roleplay an orc raised half orc and I find myself comic back to this video again and again. Great work, I’ve gotten a lot of utility out of it

[@AJPickett]

Glad to hear it!

[@michaelkelligan7931]

Loved the Orcs of L.Good alignment. Farmers and such! Freaked me out the first time i read up on them in the monsterous compendium.

[@Daimon-X]

Orks Iz Da Best! Da red wunz go fasta! WAAAGH^^

[@thedarkmaster4747]

XD

[@-Siculus-Hort-]

WAAAAGH.

[@gasmonkey1000]

Daimon X I seez youz ar a git of culture

[@kimsey0000]

You guys would be fun to play with on return of reckoning

[@jakebaczik7785]

Tankz ta Gork 'n Mork

[@gabrieladerre2862]

This is a great late night suprise! Thanks AJ! I was hoping that you'd bless us with a new video soon! And orcs are one of the subjects that I'd have expected, but it's pretty awesome, since orcs are so classic, yet I know very little about them in the D&D settings! Thank you AJ!!!

[@AlanTwigg]

This is a great video about one of the coolest, in my opinion, fantasy races. Thanks for sharing it.

[@AJPickett]

You are most welcome Alan, thank you.

[@ProtoNeoVintage]

I remember a World of Warcraft fan art piece in two frames. On the right was a female elf druid saying goodbye to her child, in the left was a male orc warrior saying goodbye to his welp. Really wish I could find that piece again. Have always treated the Orcs as a more intelligent enemy than most people want to. Wicked, to be certain, but intelligent and cunning.

[@chriswalker5061]

Now I see where the idea of the Krogan comes from.

[@danieldeihl8237]

An almost 40 min video on Orcs, very nice AJ ! BTW I believe the orcs were screwed over by the other gods

[@Swatman170]

Daniel Deihl And that is why we must kill the lesser races and take what we want from whoever we want.

[@NemesisoftheGods]

Excellent, AJ! I only wish I could share with you all the lore and history of the Orcs I have applied to my world over the years. Great work! Again, thanks for this video (amongst many) on my favorite D&D antagonists. Be well and may the One-Eye see you favoured with strength, sons and death to your enemies.

[@chaddixon9764]

My favourite orcs have got to be the Orkz of 40k. They speak with cockney accents and are all basically psychic but they can't consciously use their abilities. Their ramshackle gear works literally because they decide they do. The sheer psychic power of their race as a whole race bends the laws of physics in small ways to allow weapons that should not function to do so but only in the hands of an ork.

[@AJPickett]

I am very familiar with the Orks, as one of my favorite species, I have devoured all information on them. I'd love to make a video about them.

[@draxthemsklonst]

Red doesn't just go fasta?

[@thedarkmaster4747]

They are heaven aren't they. 🙂

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Wow

[@Fankas2000]

Sorry but Warhamer40k is just silly.

[@calebsmith4530]

"...and sadly roasts a chicken." caught me off guard and I spit out my drink.

[@AJPickett]

😎

[@Lyozar589]

Orc subtypes are different Grey Orcs, Arctic Orcs, & Volcano Orcs • Grey Orcs: The regular orcs who dwelled in mountains and the ones who built their cities. • Arctic Orcs: Orcs with blue skin & covered in white fur looking like a yeti. Adapted to cold they are survivalist who live in their hunter, gatherer clans. They were the wiser of the orcs subtypes rarely lifting a blade to their own kin. • Volcano Orcs: Red skinned orcs adapted to the volcanic mountains of Vulcan, very temperamental and their diet is a lot more different than the carnivorous orcs being able to gain nutrients from rocks & gems.

[@Lyozar589]

A bit different in my homebrew world Orcs originate from their native homeworld of Vulcan, in a separate binary Solar System having a Verdant Sun (it brought life and vegetation) & Umbral Sun (brought death as life would wither in it's light). Their world was harsh with many predators but the Orcs worked together forming their collective tribe and formed bonds with an animal species called Pheopards, the relationship between them is like a tribleman and his wolf. Then a celestial entity called the Terraphim spread her grace on the world letting the orcs enter a new age although some wanting to be more civilized while others remained in their tribes. The orcs peacefully spit into two groups and the civil ones made their capital "Hebeth" around a large chasm. The Hebethian orcs became technological advanced being able to traverse the stars and colonize their solar system. Eventually Hebethian orcs and the Wandering Orcs fell to war, then their civilization fell to a dark armada. The orcs managed to retreat on many ships meant for long distance travel to find a new home this made the "Long Scar" were they had to be violent to ensure survival during the voyage and many ships were hunted down and destroyed leaving only a few orcs who made it to other worlds but had to adapt back their primal lifestyle.

[@H3xx99]

WHAAAAAAAAAAGH!!! wait, wrong franchise....

[@AJPickett]

Warhammer 40K Orks are one of my favorite species every created.

[@H3xx99]

AJ Pickett Mine too. I'd love to play an Orc Artificer and be a Mekboy.

[@H3xx99]

AJ Pickett The Party awakes to find their wagon and horses have been crudely painted red. Gorg patiently explains that da red wunz go fastah. To the party's astonishment, the horses now pull the cart 5mph faster than before....

[@AJPickett]

There is absolutely no reason why Faerun could not have an Ork Space Hulk fall out of the sky one day, smack bang in the middle of the Dalelands... things just got very interesting on Faerun!

[@H3xx99]

AJ Pickett Great, another campaign I need to write. Lol

[@smuggrog9821]

Is it just me or is it kinda weird that Orcs and Ogres are not related? They look rather similar, they have been know to ally with each other, and interbreed quite often. Hell even the word orc was synonymous with ogre in old norse.

[@AJPickett]

It's amazing that any of these species can interbreed at all.

[@elricengquist9989]

Yeah it is kinda odd. Always felt that even if not directly related, that maybe the different orcoid an goblinoid races might be from the same world (though maybe from different time-frames). Though one of my group ad created a theory, and detailed out an idea of the Orc, Orge, and Goblin races belonging to a single race that like some insects had several different stages of life they went thru. In the idea the first stage was the Golblinoid stage, which was kinda like the young/child stage of life for them, the orc stage was the adolescence/ teenage stage, you would than have the either the Hobgpblin or Orge sage as the adult stage. but than you would also have a final stage that was detailed as being very race to be attained (the reasons varied for why) an was the Tarrasque. I found this quite interesting an it slotted into the setting quite nicely, as it explained why many gods, and even civilized races would cull, and keep these races from developing. I mean imagine if this group grow developed enough that reaching those last two stages was not uncommon (most of all the final one).

[@draxthemsklonst]

Creative idea, Elric Engquist. Spriggan and mogg are more 'subspecies' name ideas. Need to homebrew them a bit...maybe spriggan could be a magic user/sorcerer-type innate caster (that's the impression the art gives)

[@elricengquist9989]

I don't think my version of the Spriggan would fit as well in concept with what the manual uses, but I had them more as a steriod-using gobliniod. What I mean is that they could flood their body with chemicals that would boost either their physical stats (strength, dex, con. An the associated sub-stats), or their mental stats (intel, wis, and I used a will-power stat) for short periods of time. Though that also comes from my own potion-master that brewed all sorts of potions to boost, and imbue himself with power, yet as a side effect outside of using them he was a very fail an feeble character. You would need to create some balancing, and checks to such a system in the race like that after using the abilit an it wears off it would cause other negetive effects to happen.

[@draxthemsklonst]

Elric Engquist, that makes me think of jet & psycho from Fallout Edit: and stim packs/combat drugs from Warhammer 40k

[@rockinbells8351]

One of favorite monsters. Glad you finelly covered them.

[@tonyromasco1735]

I once played a chaotic evil cambion wizard that became a boogeyman to orcs.... He liked to polymorph them into elves, then teleport them back to their tribe after he grew bored with watching them have a nervous breakdown when handed a mirror.

[@marsstrider3705]

Thanks for the shoutout to us Pathfinder Players!

[@themagictheatre2965]

Would you consider doing a video about Eberron? I love that setting a lot and I feel like it's under-appreciated among D&D youtubers.

[@AJPickett]

I'll keep including Eberron lore in my vids, I'm getting more and more curious about the rich lore involved with that setting.

[@thedrizzle899]

Half orc video would be great, always wanted to play one. Great vid as usual.

[@elricengquist9989]

So much variety, and interesting lore, while also so much room to create you own version an history in it. I always loved to play a orc or orge paladin, or what I called a savage paladin, but which used alot more of a mentality fitting a regal druid. Normally was a savage brutal character, but once you showed your ability to survive in the brutality of the wild world an your worth would be quite honorable an humble. If you ever get the chance look into the Stormbringer setting, and maybe do abit of vids on the races an concepts in the setting. Think you and others watching might really like the style an how different it is from other settings (even warhammer to a point.).

[@Adam_First]

Great video truly one of the best Channels

[@AJPickett]

Wow, thanks!

[@joefixxit]

Orog( Races of Faerûn, p. 71) AttributesSize:MediumBase speed:Land 30Strength:+6Intelligence:+0Dexterity:−2Wisdom:−2Constitution:+0Charisma:+2Level adjustment:+2Space:5 feetReach:5 feetAutomatic languages:Home Region , Orc , UndercommonBonus Languages:Common , Dwarven , Elven , Giant , Goblin Description Although everyone in Faerûn knows about the orc hordes of the North (the mountain orcs) and the nomadic orcs of the East (the gray orcs), only a rel-ative few know of a third sub-race that hails from the deeps below ground. The Underdark is the chosen haunt of these terrible creatures, the orogs. After thousands of years of survival in the harsh and dan-gerous Underdark, the orogs have changed to match their home, becoming more fero-cious and better able to cope with the dangers found there. Physically, an orog looks similar to a large mountain orc, except that the ears are somewhat larger, and their eyes are huge and pale. They average six and a half feet tall. Over the centuries, orogs have mastered the art of forg-ing armor and weapons from the strange ores found in the Underdark. They favor half-plate and full plate armor, which are typically adorned, with armor spikes. Orog weapons are festooned with a multi-tude of hooks, spines, and redundant cutting edges. An orog rarely goes anywhere without being fully armed and armored. Orogs use the following aging effect characteristics, as described on Table 6-5 in the Player's Handbook: Race Age InformationOrog365065+2d10 years Orogs are bigger and more powerful than most other peoples of Faerûn, and use the following random height and weight characteristics (see Chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook): GenderHeightWeightOrog , male5'10"+2d10160 lb.× (2d6) lb.Orog, female5'2"+2d10125 lb.× (2d6) lb. Regions: Anauroch, The North, Silver Marches, Orc, or Orog. Racial Feats: Daylight Adaptation, Headlong Rush. Racial Prestige Class: Orc warlord. CombatRacial Traits Orogs all possess the following racial traits: +6 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Orogs are incredibly strong, and they make natural leaders despite their ferocious appearance.Medium-size.Orog land speed is 30 feet.Darkvision up to 120 feet.Proficient with greatsword and throwing axe. All orogs train with some sort of martial weapon from a very young age.+2 racial bonus on Craft (armorsmithing) and Craft (weaponsmithing) checks. Orogs train from an early age at their tribal forges.+2 natural armor.Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds an orog for 1 round. In addition, orogs suffer a -1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light.Resistances: Orogs have fire resistance 5 and cold resistance 5. They are inured to extremes of temperature.Orc Blood: For all special abilities and effects, an orog is considered an orc. Orogs, for example, can use or create orc weapons and magic items with racially specific orc powers as if they were ordinary orcs.Automatic Languages: Orc, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Giant.Favored Class: Fighter.Level Adjustment: +2. Orogs are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn

[@tomaschavez6424]

My first orc was barbarian/fighter Barbarian path of ancestral guardian and fighter the samurai I think

[@cameronpearce5943]

Orc Sorcerer or Bugbear Wizard...

[@legostarwarsbattledroid5272]

Goblin barbarian

[@SonicSanctuary]

Gonna need that half orc video some day!

[@driftingswordsmanzer]

My favorite race next to half-orcs 👍🏾

[@jessielakes8118]

I have been playing a Choicegames adventure(or it may be Hosted Games, to me they seem identical) where you play an orc from his birth from a cabbage patch to his end. It has themes in it that are unique to the orc and I love that part. Some examples of these are drinking grog, smoking gunkweed or eating garb. Oh and there's shaggin the green tusk & butt, which there seems to be little time for. A long time ago 3 or 4 orcs lost their orchood while being serviced with a sweet tusk. So since then orcs have gotten their manly needs worked out in battle.. Nah I kid about the Shaggin tusk and butt and everything that follows that but the stuff before that is really in the game. Hehe. The game touches upon the everyday interactions between orc tribe members and their relations with other races outside of the tribe and at times on the field of battle. There's an ongoing comical element but it doesn't take away from the realism of the game. It can be quite serious at times while simultaneously cracking a joke. I am not the kind of person who has a problem with that. Now I can be an emotional fella but I'm no softie non alpha. But after a 3rd or 4th run through I played my orc out until his death (and I went against my normal rule of no saves, death for me usually means starting over). Hey it's a dangerous world for an orc, and the grits breed so fast they can afford some losses. Despite their relatively limited life spans they reproduce so frequently that even dwarves who live 300 to 400 years have seen their populations dwindle from constant warring with orcs. But after living to be incredibly old for an orc, 74 I think, I passed on and my protege became chieftain. He went on to establish an orc empire. I actually cried when I died and my boy was at my orc's side. Even though I cried as a human in this reality, I told Junior not to shed one tear, I prepared him to be a chieftain who would be feared. In a society of orcs that is for his own good. But you don't have to live with the tribe. You can always go AWOL and there really weren't any strict rules about staying on in camp. But it's very interesting how orc society works. To steal, manipulate, perpetrate violence, cheat and do any number of morally questionable p are considered a success a success in the airport. But what is you do these things they're going to come back and do it to you twice as bad. Bullying is a pastime, power rules above and power is what creates the hierarchy within orc culture. Orc society is certainly not for the feint of heart and the one who places good morals above all other considerations would be miserable and amiss living with these green brutes. But while playing the game it was interesting to witness how orc life worked and how issues were resolved or how orc society is different from the more civilized races. If you find yourself interested in playing this game you should check it out. It's one of the largest games of its type that I have seen. Which to me is a huge Plus. I will not even play one that is under $100,000 words and when I say 100,000 words 100,000 words in one play through. You may eventually read all the words in a game after several play throughs but only after you have exhausted every single choice that could ever be made in that game. but most people never will including myself. "An Unexpected Green Journey" is something close to one and a half million words. There are only two others I have played that eclipsed one million words and they are two of my favorites. The superhero games tend to have high word counts but that genre has a hard time gathering my interest. but still I keep trying them. There is one about being a soldier in a world where technology is at a Nopoleanic level and magic exists in a very rudimentary and quite limited fashion. Players never have it from what I know but at times may have to deal with it or may enjoy its protections. Well this has more or less turned into a review. So the negatives are definitely there. It come down to there being one major flaw and any of the other minor flaws are just too minor to even mention and a lot of people would not even notice them but the big problem I had with unexpected green journey was the world sometimes seemed to dimensional when I traveled in One direction I would always go through the same streamlined encounters that are identical so when you play through a different times it will always be the same streamline events and then you'll get to the point where you need to go back to the tribe to see if anything has changed to offer you new opportunities you will find out that there are new opportunities outside of the tribe in the non orc world. Oh and as an orc you will suffer an abundance of specieism or however that is spelled. It's also difficult establishing friendships or relationships in the game. If you do they are underdeveloped and extremely limited. Oh and forget about getting your green plaything wet, there is no orc copulation as far as I've seen. And now that I think of it considering that how it works in this world with orcs being born from what to I can only describe as a cabbage patch boy and girl works to be frogging together. I don't even think there may be any girl on the whole book. Maybe the writer is gay but I have no idea. They did a good job overall and these games are judged on a one to ten scale and I grade roughly. I give An Unexpected Green Journey a 7.50. The Nopoleanic game is in 3 separate books or games. The first I'd give a 8.50. The second I'd give a 9.5. Part 3 I'd rate at 9.0. There is another of my faves that is set in a game of Thrones or D&D type world. Without all the monsters. It's a game of politics. It has a badass battle in it at the end. I give it a 10, the highest possible score. When I rate things such as games or songs or movies or whatever I am a firm believer that if there is a 10 on the scale or if it's at 5 that tops off the scale, there should be someone or some thing that actually creates something that gets that score. I also enjoy ratings songs. I'm much better than I thought I was when I first learned anyone could rate things. Well time I wrap it up. These games can be usually be played for free until it's like in the 3rd chapter. 2:05

[@tedfields1923]

I really enjoy these videos, thanks for all the hard work!

[@joefixxit]

In 3.5 my favored race is Deep Orc(another variety of Orog), they excel in almost everything they do. I believe they are also the only breed of that's have sorcerer as one if they favored classes. My character has gone up against multiple CR 25 ememies at once and won ( bleeded and cleaved) but was the victor never the less. +2 lvl adjustment and 2ftr 3barb +3 frenzied berserker., im just happy that someone did a video on both sides of Orc living . P.s corellian would have never won his battle with gruumsh if another god hadnt interfered. The teardrop rejuvenated corellian and that was the only way you could have beat grummsh

[@triyuga]

Killer channel bro. Epic.

[@AJPickett]

Thanks 🙂

[@MRDicristofaro]

i was going to go to sleep but orcs tho lol

[@unusefulidiot]

Are there orc child soldiers? A hoard of kids with daggers is a bit dark but it might be fun to see how the moral dilemma plays out.

[@jacobfreeman5444]

unuseful idiot probably not as we would think of it, but given how orcs are I cannot see orc children not having weapons to dispatch anyone foolish enough to turn their back on orc children. I doubt they delibrately put their children on the battlefield but would likely expect any of their children to fight for survival against any invaders. So imagine a horde of savage orc children descending upon a band of adventurers infiltrating their camp.

[@AJPickett]

Orc kids grow up very fast, they are Adults at 11 to 14 years of age, a six-year-old Orc would be the size of a human teenager and as strong as an adult human male.

[@unusefulidiot]

Then it seems like a viable and rational tactic to use orc child solders in a long lasting war of attrition against humans, especially with an non-orc or evil ruler. Just tell the six-year-old Orc a six-year old human will harm their mom when they are older and see what happens. Or when a Paladin Do-Gooder party killed all the adult warriors and only children and women are left to get food from the helpless travelers. It's fun to minimize the perception of evil by pointing out economic pressures and rational self interest of the enemy :D

[@michaelkelligan7931]

1st and 2nd edition they never let their children fight until they came of age!

[@zacharyhawley1693]

play the orcs right and you can make players very wary of them even unto the final campaign.And just when they think they've got a grasp of the situation pull the rug out from under them and give them an orc tribe that respects and worships their tenacity worthy of orckind and with it despite orcish divine intervention there's the possibilty when the next empire ending orcish horde descends upon the peaceful kingdoms with one of the PC's names on their lips as cities burn.

[@Taylor1989s]

Love the video. You should do a video on homebrew races like the valdur just a thought. Would make for a good short video.

[@dreadnok9195]

great video as always Aj. could you do a video about Centaurs?

[@AJPickett]

Sure, they are on the list :)

[@maanze9284]

Very enjoyable. Please keep making vids. :)

[@AJPickett]

Maanze always!

[@Abadhan]

I was looking through your archive and I couldn't find your Half-Orc video. Did you end up making it?

[@ProtoNeoVintage]

This is the tale the shamans tell, in the camps of the orcs when the night is deep on the world and dawn is far away: In the beginning all the gods met and drew lots for the parts of the world in which their representative races would dwell. The human gods drew the lot that allowed humans to dwell where they pleased, in any environment. The elven gods drew the green forests, the dwarven gods drew the high mountains, the gnomish gods the rocky, sunlit hills, and the halfling gods picked the lot that gave them the fields and meadows. Then the assembled gods turned to the orcish gods and laughed loud and long. “All the lots are taken!” they said tauntingly. “Where will your people dwell, One Eye? There is no place left!” There was silence upon the world then, as Gruumsh One-Eye lifted his great iron spear and stretched it forth over the world. The shaft blotted out the sun over a great part of the lands as he spoke: “No. You lie. You have rigged the drawing of the lots, hoping to cheat me and my followers. But One-Eye never sleeps; One-Eye sees all. There is a place for orcs to dwell . . . here!” With that, Gruumsh struck the forests with his spear, and a part of them withered with rot. “And here!” he bellowed, and his spear pierced the mountains, opening mighty rifts and chasms. “And here!” and the spearhead split the hills and made them shake and covered them in dust. “And here!” and the black spear gouged the meadows, and made them barren " There!” roared He- Who-Watches triumphantly, and his voice carried to the ends of the world. “There is where the orcs shall dwell! There they shall survive, and multiply, and grow stronger, and a day shall come when they cover the world, and shall slay all of your collected peoples! Orcs shall inherit the world you sought to cheat me of!” In this way, say the shamans, did the orcs come into the world, and thus did Gruumsh predict the coming time when orcs will rule alone. This is why orcs make war, ceaseless and endless: war for the wrath of Gruumsh. "The Gods of the Orcs", Roger Moore Dragon Magazine Issue #62

[@amberkat8147]

Like militant Rom. Rom/Roma people believe that the world was stolen from their people, forcing them to wander and to trick and steal from outsiders to survive. As far as they are concerned they are merely taking back some of what was stolen from them. They're like if you mixed Rom with Spartans.

[@almitrahopkins1873]

That was also reprinted in Monster Mythology.

[@MisterTutor2010]

Orcs are to LotR what StormTroopers are to Star Wars.

[@connorchristensen2869]

MisterTutor2010 cannon fodder?

[@RockstarRacc00n]

@@connorchristensen2869 They're built up as this unstoppable force of killing machines, but end up being useless once they come into contact with the heroes.

[@heartstrings892]

At least they can hit more

[@RockstarRacc00n]

@ I love it! Always like muddling the waters of "good and evil" with stuff like that! I've always felt that the idea of a whole race / culture that is explicitly evil is boring, uncreative, and has some uncomfortable implications when you try to apply those stories to the real world. That's one of my main problems with a lot of these settings...

[@kak_0096]

@@RockstarRacc00n Here’s a solution for you. Don’t apply it to the real world. I’ve never understood people’s desire to learn some kind of lesson from fiction, or apply something meant for escapism to reality. It’s fine if a story does that, but certainly not necessary. As for an entire race being evil, kinda hard for them not to be when they were formed for the express purpose of serving evil, or if it’s simply part of their being. Nuance is cool, but again, I don’t understand why people simply can’t seem to tolerate settings that simply distinguish good from evil in a more black/white way.

[@johnobrien7626]

Great video, plenty of ideas to work from

[@sagesheahan6732]

Did you ever make that half-orc video? That'd be an interesting one to see. :)

[@TheTrueMorningStar]

According to Wizards of the Coast's new stance Orcs are just Humans with green skin now and no longer have their own unique,abilities, traits, cultures or, traditions because that would be "problematic". Soon we won't have any monsters to fight because it will become "problematic" to call anything evil even if that thing is an actual devil.

[@AJPickett]

Orcs have grey skin... maybe watch the video and learn something

[@TheTrueMorningStar]

@@AJPickett I am painfully aware their skin is grey, I am loyal subscriber and have watched this video a few times already, I have also been playing since I was 10 with my father. I was pointing out that Wizards does not care about being true to the games lore. They literally said that orcs having grey skin was problematic and was going to be changed to green in the next printing, their words not mine. In particular I am referring to the current twitter outrage about orcs and how WoTC has said they will be retconing all of the lore surrounding Orcs and replace them with green-skinned happy go lucky people with tusks in the next printing. Apparently according to WoTC Orcs having grey skin or a equine culture is racist. As someone who was introduced to the game in AD&D I don't appreciate Wizards changing the game because of outside social/political pressure, this feels just like the "satanic panic" is happening all over again. P.S. I love your videos and I really appreciate the great job you do. I watch your videos to help me prep for the game I run for my family including my Father who got me into the hobby as a kid and he really appreciates all of the great lore I am able to include because of you videos.

[@TheTrueMorningStar]

@@AJPickett They have said they are going to do the same thing to Drow's culture as well but have yet to say what they will be changing their skin color too like they will be with the orcs. Appetizingly Drow culture being evil and their skin being purple is racist, to whom I'm not sure but Wizards is changing it anyway.

[@AJPickett]

Well WotC is not Dungeons & Dragons... We are. If they want new Orcs and Drow, then they can make new settings for them... They already have, it's Magic the Gathering, unfortunately, they are too scared to fully commit to it, because they know Faerun sells better.

[@TheTrueMorningStar]

@@AJPickett Agreed! I don't have an issue with different settings having lore, I enjoy that part of the hobby, a lot in fact, and we mostly play in Eberron these days. Unfortunately though it seems they will be imposing these changes on all settings going forward, and specifically on The Forgotten Realms since it is their flagship setting and all. Luckily nothing is set in stone yet but it is definitely something to watch.

[@dovakiin4257]

Im currently running the Tomb of Annihilation and this channel would seriously be the best if it did a video on mezro or chults culture

[@AJPickett]

I did a video on Chult, but it's not extremely detailed on Chult Culture.

[@dovakiin4257]

AJ Pickett if you did a extremely detailed video on the land of chult you would be a freaking god man, i consider you a deitie AJ Pickett already

[@kadencrosby9584]

I played a orc thief granite he to say the least was not the brightest bulb and he once got a large chunk of his head chopped off then self healed by using herbs and barb wire best character I’ve ever made

[@Lonit-be]

Shoutout to the helicopter flying over at 26:47

[@glorbojibbins2485]

You stumbled alot in this one, but still a rad video... For a human.

[@heimko3618]

So can someone make a list of all the orc subraces mentioned in the video? It's a bit hard to remember all of them.

[@granttrain3553]

THe Orc are based on a real world norse tribe. Look up the Orkney islands Orkney means "Islands of the Orks". It is also where I am from.

[@akaSnockis]

"Ork" possibly originally from a Pictish tribal name meaning 'young pig'. Source: Waugh, Doreen J. "Orkney Place-names" in Omand (2003) p. 116.

[@slyguy8931]

I love your vids and the content you present. I quote stuff I learn from your videos a lot. May I ask what sources you’re going off of so I can point people towards them?

[@MyJC19]

YESSSS!!!! I was waiting for a new video

[@avery4704]

Gives a new idea to the term "get trolled"

[@TheCreativeKobold]

Creatures in D&D: Orcs Scro Rocs One of these are not like the others.

[@Kirk9019]

LOL

[@That80sGuy1972]

In my AD&D campaigns' ancient histories, Orcs descended from High Orcs. High Orcs were created by evil forces that corrupted elves in a more brutal way than a sect of elves were corrupted into becoming drow. Orcs then, through non-elf crossbreeding created all goblinoids. From these beings who spread to other worlds and alternative prime material planes, some ascended to divinity. Do with that what you will. ;)

[@craigw6557]

I watched this with CC, and with your accent, the auto English typed the "Church of England observes few holy days"

[@SamTheRaven]

You can make a video on elves . There isn't much information about them

[@AJPickett]

It's on the way, all the playable races will get covered eventually.

[@Biogeddon]

AJ, was your adventure involving the orcish bounty and the Shargaas shaman homebrew, or was it from a published source?

[@Biogeddon]

Thanks for the "like," AJ. I assume then, that it was just a homebrew encounter.

[@TheSubscriberWithNothing]

Could you do a video on the Inevitables? They might be coming in the new book and I really want to use them in my campaign.

[@AJPickett]

Sure, they have lore that is a bit scattered, but I have them on my list.

[@sebbychou]

I like the principle that Orcs are functionally a society of angry, wild teenagers and all that it implies.

[@rummugtheorc1675]

We Orcs ain’t evil necessarily..... We are just misunderstood. #OrcKnivesMatter

[@DED_MEEM]

WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~wait these are orcs not orks...

[@phantom6014]

They can be total war orcs

[@DED_MEEM]

I mean I'm not gonna tell 'em they can't, but still...

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

D E A D M E E M in Dutch they are

[@chrishamby1614]

My Human fighter character was raised by a orc woman who is a powerful druid and alchemist. A badass that most avoid even mildly annoying. But is actually very nice to her "kids"

[@michaelparker6521]

You mentioned the Dawn war. Was that a creation of fourth edition lore? Where do things stand with the forgotten realms planes after fifth edition? I would love to see you do a video on the planes of existence and the changes between third, fourth, and fifth editions explained, and the status of the current cannon.

[@AJPickett]

Well, I did an overview of the current D&D cosmology, more of a glossary of terms and features.

[@michaelparker6521]

Cool. I’ll check it out.

[@GeneralTantzu]

It's always hard to decide which race is more awesome, Orcs or Dwarves.

[@michaelwescott8064]

What happened to the very pig faced orcs from the original adnd monster manual?

[@AJPickett]

That was certainly a dominant artistic style for Orcs for the early editions and is echoed in the more bestial Orc cross breeds mentioned at the end of the video.

[@edsapp6678]

Yes pig faced orcs please

[@bray2964]

*_Orks is the Biggerst and the Strongerst!_*

[@kyubii972]

I had to pause the video and laugh at the imagery of a male or telling a female orc Wizard or sorcerer that her magic is pathetic and doesn't have a place and then she just Fireballs his face off

[@greenvampireblack]

Hi AJ will you be doing a half-orc video in the future?

[@kyskei]

this gave me an idea for an interesting video. slaves on toril / the forgotten realms

[@Yuudaddy]

Damn it AJ! Now even Orcs seem awesome... That said I would love to play as a half-elf half-orc ;]

[@riyadali4082]

A young orc who can fill a whole night with stories of where they got their scars, is considered a warrior of worth. Sounds like the Orcs evolved into Klingons.

[@kalanap]

Hey, AJ, random question. Where does Gruumsh come from? As in, what are his origins? I have looked high and low, but have found little to no information regarding that particular subject.

One thing is stupid about D&D. Tendays. Month has four quaters. Week is one quater of the moon. Does toril Month last fourty days?

[@Uriel77200]

Whatever happened to orcs having pig or bore like faces? This is how they were described back in 1st edition. I always thought the Gamorian Gaurds from Star Wars were what orcs were originally supposed to look like.

[@AJPickett]

Basically its the reverse of what happened to the Klingons in Star Trek.

[@baonkang5990]

Apparently there a two types of orc.

[@bigjtexas2309]

Fml, I’m brand new to DND and I had help making a orc character, but if I were to ever be confronted by another orc my character would probably be looked at as a centipede that’s 6 feet tall, talks, and moves with having most of its body in the air. Well, at least Ill know how to act for my next orc...😅

[@DerEwigeKodex]

Ahoi! This is (as ususal 😉) great stuff! Thank you very much!!!

[@dovakiin4257]

Very good lore always

[@jeremypryor5996]

Like orc race I play a orc warrior, hunter, shaman, monk, on world of Warcraft

[@bloementuintje9356]

hi This has so enriched my own campaigns. I thought i knew about orcs. Stats and such, but then this vid, i saw. Now I love orcs. and so need my players. Or atleast survive them.

[@flibbernodgets7018]

I LOVE ORCS!!!!!! dey iz mah favurit race. Not quite sure why though. I also love the fact that nearly every Sci-Fi setting has Space Orcs in one form or another. Like the Klingons of Star Trek, or the Luxans from Farscape. And Holy Cow, I never realized how cool Shargas was!

[@thedarkmaster4747]

Klingons and luxans aren't really orcs, they are both to civilized and don't eat their slaves and prisoners when they get to hungry. luxans would hate orcs, as they control their rage, they're noble, intelligent warriors. but klingons would love them(as enemies to fight.) because orcs would be perpertuall source of battle. the reavers from the firefly/serenity universe are close-ish to orcs. maybe the magog from andromeda universe aswell.

[@flibbernodgets7018]

Hm, I may have been looking at them through rose tinted glasses, or thinking about the WarCraft orcs. They're kinda noble. I like the idea that there are several subgroups. There should be a place for the savage orcs and the noble orcs, imo

[@AJPickett]

In the latest series, Discovery, the Klingons do eat the body of a starship captain after they kill her.

[@thedarkmaster4747]

AJ Pickett i haven't watched Discovery and i don't know if i ever will. i think picard is a better captain than kirk, and i can respect the artistic opinion of those who think otherwise, but as far as discovery goes, i find my limit & i end up feeling like somekind of heretic burning priest. i suppose it is okay if someone likes it who's never seen star trek before... but i 🔥JUDGE🔥 although in my defence, i would say it comes from a place of "love". 😵❤😵

[@AJPickett]

I love any and all sci-fi, I will consume it all with equal gusto and just be thankful for it. Change is inevitable, it is a fundamental aspect of the universe, fighting it is futile, just learn to love the ride.

[@kallenb5935]

So are Neo-Orogs the same as the Black & Red orcs mentioned in the video?

[@brodeeo]

Could you do a lore video about the losel. They seem like they could have some cool lore.

[@davhot4107]

I once married an orc named Grunda. We encounter some orcs raid party and our Bard convince them to let us go and rolled quite high. We were leaving them but I (wizard male elf) decided to turn around to the nearest orc female and told her. "Marry me and follow me to awsome adventures together". The DM a bit frustrated told me to roll +16 to success or eitherwise it will be considerd an insult and combat will start. Long and behold: 19. The DM sigthed and told Grunda and the nearby orcs were so amazed, that they allowd it. Grunda follow me and the party for few sessions and in once time she died and we were unable to bring her back. After more sessions we enconter a magical monster (I think It was a sphinx or something similar) and the party started to ask for weapons and knowledge to defeat the BBEG. However when it was my turn I say: "I don't want any Items. I want Grunda back. She is my one and only and I can't live without her" I roll persuasión and got a Nat20 (Bard help too rejecting his item for my wish). The magical monster was so taken back for such confession that he open a portal and brought her back and as a side gift he extended her lifespam just like a elf equivalent. The whole table was amazed. In the end the BBEG was defeted. As a celebration to the awsome game we all give our characters a closure story: Grunda and I set up in a village and had several kids together. And since she has the gift of extended life our half-orcs kids also have them creating basically a new race. As today Grunda the Orc was the most usefull and awsome npc I've ever had. And my friends still talk about them.

[@destonlee2838]

The smoothest stones sharpen the chosen's blade, to carry the message as Luthic bade, like a wildfire carried on summer winds feeds the eagle hunting on high as creatures run from the clawing flame, Gru'umsh made us to do the same!