Dire Orc, anyone? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dire Orc, anyone? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
greywulf
01-30-06, 09:02 AM Blame Sons of Gruumsh, the rather good Forgotten Realms adventure designed for 4th level cannon fodder. I read the opening paragraph the other day, and it talked about a "dire orc threat". That's as far as I got before picking up pen and paper :)

Thankfully, Tome of Horrors from Necromancer Games includes a template to turn any critter into it's "Dire" counterpart. It's only supposed to be used on Animals, but I'm sure plenty of people would agree that Orcs should be in that category anyway, so let's fudge that a little.

So, a Dire Orc would be..... well big. very big. And ugly, with bony ridges and spines protruding at odd angles. It would also be every bit as cunning and tribal as an ordinary Orc. A Dire Orc would stand head and shoulders above even it's Uruk cousins, and would be a force to be feared on any battlefield.

So, without further ado, presenting the Dire Orc (http://wiki.greywulf.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/LupusGris/DireOrc) ! Please let me know if there's any errors in my calculations.

The only place I could find another version of the Dire Orc online was in Pathogen's 3rd Edition Monsters (http://www.geocities.com/stupidnews/monsters.doc) . That one is a tad weaker than this big ugly (STR 23), but aside from that it's pretty close.
Evandar_TAybara
01-30-06, 09:07 AM I like it :)
Bit of a nit-pick: By the Tome of Horrors Dire template, this dire orc should still be medium sized. I'm assuming you've deliberatly done this, but thought I'd point it out in case you'd just miss-read it and it was an error.

Evan.
greywulf
01-30-06, 09:17 AM Thanks :) We can never have enough Orc variants. And yes, I upped the size to Large intentionally.

I'm thinking about "Dire"-ing more critters to create a primaeval fantasy plateau setting. Imagine Dire Kobolds using stone axes and riding Dire Lizards. Nice image, isn't it? :)
The Vorpal Tribble
01-30-06, 09:21 AM Neanderthalls from Frostburn would probably do great as dire orcs... in my gaming world, humans, orcs, half-giants, and other races very similiar to humans originated from them (but not elves).
greywulf
01-30-06, 09:32 AM Maybe so. To my mind, a Neanderthal would be more of a Dire Human though, but that's just my take on it :) I quite like the idea of what happened when a Neanderthal/Dire Human first discovered Fireball.

Just a thought - in Tolkein's universe, Dire Orcs would be ........... Elves.. Ewww :)
dok
01-30-06, 12:23 PM Personally, I like the orc paragon 3 (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#orcParagon) with the feral template. Or, for real power, use a half-orc with 3 levels of Half orc paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#halforcParagon) with 3 levels of Orc paragon and the feral template.

"Bah. It's just a half-orc."
"Still, he looks pretty angry. And he's got claws!"
"So what?"
< crunch > < slice > < rake > < maul >
"...it's just a half-orc... my fault for listening to you..."

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
greywulf 01-30-06, 09:02 AM	Blame Sons of Gruumsh, the rather good Forgotten Realms adventure designed for 4th level cannon fodder. I read the opening paragraph the other day, and it talked about a "dire orc threat". That's as far as I got before picking up pen and paper :) Thankfully, Tome of Horrors from Necromancer Games includes a template to turn any critter into it's "Dire" counterpart. It's only supposed to be used on Animals, but I'm sure plenty of people would agree that Orcs should be in that category anyway, so let's fudge that a little. So, a Dire Orc would be..... well big. very big. And ugly, with bony ridges and spines protruding at odd angles. It would also be every bit as cunning and tribal as an ordinary Orc. A Dire Orc would stand head and shoulders above even it's Uruk cousins, and would be a force to be feared on any battlefield. So, without further ado, presenting the Dire Orc (http://wiki.greywulf.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/LupusGris/DireOrc) ! Please let me know if there's any errors in my calculations. The only place I could find another version of the Dire Orc online was in Pathogen's 3rd Edition Monsters (http://www.geocities.com/stupidnews/monsters.doc) . That one is a tad weaker than this big ugly (STR 23), but aside from that it's pretty close.
Evandar_TAybara 01-30-06, 09:07 AM	I like it :) Bit of a nit-pick: By the Tome of Horrors Dire template, this dire orc should still be medium sized. I'm assuming you've deliberatly done this, but thought I'd point it out in case you'd just miss-read it and it was an error. Evan.
greywulf 01-30-06, 09:17 AM	Thanks :) We can never have enough Orc variants. And yes, I upped the size to Large intentionally. I'm thinking about "Dire"-ing more critters to create a primaeval fantasy plateau setting. Imagine Dire Kobolds using stone axes and riding Dire Lizards. Nice image, isn't it? :)
The Vorpal Tribble 01-30-06, 09:21 AM	Neanderthalls from Frostburn would probably do great as dire orcs... in my gaming world, humans, orcs, half-giants, and other races very similiar to humans originated from them (but not elves).
greywulf 01-30-06, 09:32 AM	Maybe so. To my mind, a Neanderthal would be more of a Dire Human though, but that's just my take on it :) I quite like the idea of what happened when a Neanderthal/Dire Human first discovered Fireball. Just a thought - in Tolkein's universe, Dire Orcs would be ........... Elves.. Ewww :)
dok 01-30-06, 12:23 PM	Personally, I like the orc paragon 3 (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#orcParagon) with the feral template. Or, for real power, use a half-orc with 3 levels of Half orc paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#halforcParagon) with 3 levels of Orc paragon and the feral template. "Bah. It's just a half-orc." "Still, he looks pretty angry. And he's got claws!" "So what?" < crunch > < slice > < rake > < maul > "...it's just a half-orc... my fault for listening to you..."