Orc

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Greyhawk creature
Orc
Alignment: usually chaotic evil (as NPCs)
Type: Humanoid
Subtype or Tag: Orc, Goblinoid
First appearance: Monster Manual 1e, 1977

Orcs, called euroz in the Flan tongue, are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoids.

Ecology[edit]

Orcs are a species of aggressive mammalian carnivore that band together in tribes and survive by hunting and raiding. Orcs believe that in order to survive they must expand their territory, and so they are constantly involved in wars against many enemies: humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, and other orc tribes. Typically nocturnal, orcs are sensitive to light.

Environment[edit]

Orcs can be found in almost all locales of the Flanaess, but are most heavily concentrated in the Pomarj, the Empire of Iuz, the Bone March, and North Kingdom. There is also known to exist a great orcish city known as Garel Enkdal in the Griff Mountains. The orcs of the Baklunish nation of Zeif are very different from their brethren, having very nearly been assimilated into human society, though they are still regarded as lower-class.

Typical physical characteristics[edit]

Orcs vary widely in appearance as a result of frequent crossbreeding with other species. In general, they resemble primitive humans with grey-green skin covered with coarse hair. Orcs have a slightly stooped posture, low foreheads, and porcine faces with lower caninies that protrude like boar's tusks. Orcs typically have black hair; short, pointed ears that resemble those of a wolf; and red eyes. The average adult male stands slightly over six feet tall and weighs around 210 pounds. Female orcs are slightly smaller.

Orcs prefer to wear colors that most humans think unpleasant: blood red, rust red, mustard yellow, yellow green, moss green, greenish purple, and blackish brown. Their armor and weapons are often dirty and a bit rusty.

Alignment[edit]

Orcs are often chaotic evil, though they were lawful evil in editions prior to third.

Society[edit]

Orcs typically organize into warlike tribes. Tribal rivalries are often severe, and tribes will only cooperate if controlled by a very strong leader. Major orc tribes include the Bloody Head, the Broken Bone, the Death Moon, the Dripping Blade, the Evil Eye, the Leprous Hand, the Rotting Eye, the Vile Rune, and the Dazark of the Fellreev Forest. There are other tribes known which, during the Greyhawk Wars, came out of the Vesve to lay siege to Chendl, the capitol of Furyondy. Though there is no other record of which tribes they were, G. Ivril (a known historian) believes the siege force consisted of at least five major tribes: the Vrunik, Faarsh, Jukko, Haggnah, and Karaki.[1] It is not known why six of thirteen of these known tribes seem to be euroz words, and some seem to be translations describing the symbols they use.

Orcs usually spend their time planning raids and honing their combat skills when not warring with other creatures.

Orcish society is patriarchial. Females are typically regarded as property, though an individual's status may vary from chattel to prized possession. Males take pride in the number of females owned and the number of sons they sire. Battle prowess, territory, and wealth are also signs of status in orc society. Battle scars are worn proudly, and ritual scarification is practiced marking great achievements and significant turning points in an orc's life.

Religion[edit]

Orcs have their own pantheon, led by Gruumsh. These deities include:

The orcish gods teach that all other races are inferior, and that all their possessions rightfully belong to the orcs, having been stolen in the first place.

Iuz is also popular among orcs, especially within his own empire. The Earth Dragon is popular in the Pomarj. Orcs less inclined toward evil may worship other deities, such as the mongrelfolk god Meriadar, or the half-orc hero deity Nazarn.

Language[edit]

Orcs speak Orcish, a language derived from older human and elvish languages. There is no common standard of Orcish, so the language has many dialects which vary from tribe to tribe. Orcish utilizes dwarven runes in its written form.

Orcs sometimes learn to speak local human tongues, but are generally not comfortable with them. Some orcs have a limited vocabulary in goblin, hobgoblin, and ogre dialects.

Orc subspecies[edit]

A fecund race, orcs often mate with other humanoid creatures.

"Since orcs will breed with anything, there are any number of [creatures] with orcish blood, particularly orc-goblins, orc-hobgoblins, and orc-humans. Orcs cannot crossbreed with elves."[2]

Known subspecies include:

  • Half-orcs: These are most often the result of orc-human pairings, though pairings of two half-orc result similarly in half-orc babies. Some are born in unfortunate circumstances of raids in border areas between human and orc cultures. Though sometimes rejected from both sides of their heritage, many half-orcs achieve renown. Some have ancestry far enough back in their lineage they are (rarely) able to pass as unusual-looking humans.
  • Ogrillions: These creatures are the brutish, armor-skinned offspring of a female orc and a male ogre.
  • Orogs: An orog is the offspring of a male orc and a female ogre. Orogs usually live among orcs; they are stronger, more intelligent, and more disciplined than typical orcs.
  • Losels: Losels are orc-baboon creatures bred by Iuz and the Scarlet Brotherhood because they reproduce faster than common orcs.

Publishing history[edit]

Earlier versions of Dungeons & Dragons depicted orcs slightly differently. They were Lawful Evil, and were sometimes described as having porcine snouts (an illustration in the 1977 Monster Manual depicted them with pig-like faces). An insightful passage from the Monstrous Manual reads, "Orcs have a reputation for cruelty that is deserved, but humans are just as capable of evil as orcs."

The half-orc in the original AD&D game was a standard player character race, typically assuming the assassin character class. Half-orcs were removed from the Player's Handbook in the second edition of the game but were revived, albeit altered, in 3e and later editions.

External link[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. Greyhawk Wars, Adventurer's Book, Lake Geneva, WI., TSR, 1991
  2. Monster Manual (1977), p.76.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Cole, Joshua. "Races of Spelljammer." Dragon #339. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006.
  • Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:[1]
  • Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume One. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989.
  • Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1977.
———. Unearthed Arcana. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1985.
———. The World of Greyhawk. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
———. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
———. Iuz the Evil. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
———. Ivid the Undying. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995 (unpublished). Available online:[2]
———. Monster Mythology. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
  • Scott, Curtis M. The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
  • Slavicsek, Bill. The Complete Book of Humanoids. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
  • Varney, Allen, ed. Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix II. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1991.
  • Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Index is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, and his work as continued and updated by Eric Johnson, Richard DiIoia, Jason "PupickDad" Jacobson, a French fan group, and numerous other fans over the years. The wiki page for the EGI has a list of sources, full product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

Alkarmor (Elf-Killers) (Orc) (Borka) People Group SJR6 Greyspace 58, 59
Bloodied Blade Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGS1 Five Shall Be One 40, 42
Bloody Eye (Orc) People Group Clan, Dungeon magazine #148 43, 44, 46, 47
Bloody Fist Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dungeon magazine #073 64
Bloody Head Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 11
Bonescraper Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 19
Broken Bone Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 11
Broken Bone Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Unearthed Arcana, AD&D 1e 119
Celbit Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 17, 19, 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 44, 53, 78, 79, 80, 91
Cracked Skull Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #167 12
Cracked Skull Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 83
Crooked Claw Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, A1-4 Scourge of the Slave Lords 52
Crooked Claw Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #167 12
Crooked Claw Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 83
Crooked Tooth Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 73
Dazark Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 55, 56, 58
Death Moon Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #057 15
Death Moon Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #063 16
Death Moon Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 11, 74
Death Moon Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, The Adventure Begins 125
Death Moon Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Unearthed Arcana, AD&D 1e 119
Deathbringer Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 63
Dripping Blade Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 11
Eiger Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 51
Eurork Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Ivid the Undying 109
Euroz Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe - Orc, Dragon magazine #293 89
Euroz Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe - Orc, Ivid the Undying 10, 44, 46, 50, 54, 105, 109, 160
Euroz Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe - Orc, WGR4 The Marklands 84
Evil Eye Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 11
Evil Eye Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Unearthed Arcana, AD&D 1e 119
Evil Eye Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Unearthed Arcana, AD&D 1e 119
Faarsh Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Greyhawk Wars: Adventures 28
Faithful Blood Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 19
Flaming Skull Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #167 12
Flaming Skull Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 83
Garel Enkdal city (Orcish) Settlement Settlement, WGS1 Five Shall Be One 2, 17, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 62
Garel Enkdal city (Orcish) Settlement Settlement, WGS2 Howl From the North 8, 9, 11, 35
Gorg the Half-Orc Non-player character Half-Orc, L2 The Assassins Knot 21
Haggnoh Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Greyhawk Wars: Adventures 28
Half-Orc Monster Reference SEE Orc, Half
Jagged Blade Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #167 12
Jagged Blade Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 83
Jebli Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 17, 19, 27, 29, 30, 44, 52, 57, 78, 79, 80
Jublizoi, Hill Renders Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, From the Ashes: Campaign Book 26
Jukko Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Greyhawk Wars: Adventures 28
Karaki Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Greyhawk Wars: Adventures 28
Kazgund Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 17, 19, 33, 36, 37, 41, 43
Kazgund Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR6 City of Skulls 16, 18, 25
Keiger (Orc) People Group Clan, WGR4 The Marklands 84
Krag the half-orc Non-player character Male, half-orc, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e 18-20, 33
Leprous Hand Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 11
Montesser (Orc) Settlement Settlement, (576 pop: 600), Ivid the Undying 10, 105
Neckbreaker Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 63
Nedla Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Greyhawk Wars: Adventures 15
Nedla Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 109
Nedla Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, The Scarlet Brotherhood 5
Night Hunter Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 63
Orc {Orcish} language Verbal communication Language, Dragon magazine #075 54-57
Orc {Orcish} language Verbal communication Language, Dungeon magazine #148 41
Orc {Orcish} language Verbal communication Language, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e 9
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth 5, 13, 27
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Dragon magazine #315 51, 54
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Greyhawk Adventures 113
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders 82, 83
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e 18, 87, 88, 92, 145, 166, 168
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e 22, 27, 38, 41, 61, 107
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, MC1 - Monstrous Compendium Volume 1 Insert (Orc)
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Monster Manual 1, AD&D 1e 76
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Monster Manual 1, D&D 3.5e (Premium Edition) 204
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #09 15,19
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #10 57,59
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #11 81
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #14 12,37,42
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #17 4
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #18 4,13
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #19 5,17,28,29,30,46,48,49
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #20 30
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #21 15,19,30
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #22 4,8,11
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #23 5,11,31
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #25 5,9,10,12,13
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #29 16,25,32,41
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #30 4
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #31 30,31,32
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Oerth Journal #33 10,33
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, PHBR10 - The Complete Book of Humanoids 9, 49-51, 66, 79, 80, 81, 82, 86, 87, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Saltmarsh Encounters, D&D 5e 8
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, SJR6 Greyspace 37, 57, 84
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, Vortext #08, Spring 1993 #08 21
Orc, Half Monster Native of: Prime Material, World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) 30
Orcish Empire of the Pomarj Kingdom Reference SEE Pomarj, Orcish Empire of
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Dragon magazine #195 94
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Dungeon magazine #073 58
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), From the Ashes: Campaign Book 50-52, 57
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e 109
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 17, 40, 42, 51, 59, 63, 72, 116, 118, 119, 121, 129, 131, 148, 150, 152, IBC
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Living Greyhawk Journal #3 26, 29
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Living Greyhawk Journal #4 28
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Player's Guide to Greyhawk 5, 25, 59, 61
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Return of the Eight 32
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), Slavers, AD&D 2e 2, 5, 8, 27, 33, 34, 38-40, 43, 44, 46, 60, 62, 63, 67, 86-90, 98, 106, 123
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), The Adventure Begins 3-6, 8, 16, 33-36, 42, 44, 47, 54, 62, 63, 64, 66, 69, 74, 76, 79, 86, 90, 100, 101, 119, 123, 125
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps 2, 3, 4
Pomarj, Orcish Empire of Kingdom (576 pop: 20000), (591 pop: 476000), LT1 The Star Cairns IC
Potion of Half-Orc Control Item Dungeon Masters Guide 1st Edition 126
Potion of Half-Orc Control Item Dungeon Masters Guide, AD&D 1e (Premium Edition) 126
Potion of Half-Orc Control Item Encyclopedia Magica - Volume III 872
Red Fang Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #167 12
Red Fang Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 83
Saltburner Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #167 12
Saltburner Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 83, 97
Shadowmoon Tribe {Shadowdoom} (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #167 12
Shadowmoon Tribe {Shadowdoom} (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 83
Sors Invicta (Unstoppable Destiny) (Orc) (Borka) People Group SJR6 Greyspace 58, 59
Spinning Sword Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 63
Thunderous Hate Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Slavers, AD&D 2e 63
Uroz Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 36, 40, 41, 43, 52, 55, 57, 80
Urzun Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 59
Urzun Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR5 Iuz the Evil 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 40, 44, 46, 47, 66, 78, 79, 80, 81, 90 , 94
Urzun Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, WGR6 City of Skulls 10, 16, 24, 25
Vile Rune Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #057 14
Vile Rune Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Dragon magazine #063 16
Vile Rune Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 11
Vile Rune Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Unearthed Arcana, AD&D 1e 121
Vrunik Tribe (Orc) People Group Tribe, Greyhawk Wars: Adventures 28