The Problem with D&D Orcs

00:24:17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve7lFJT2UoM

Summary

TLDRThis video explores the nuanced history and portrayal of Orcs and Half-Orcs in D&D, discussing their typical depiction as antagonists and suggesting ways to incorporate them more dynamically into gameplay. The narrative delves into their lore, particularly focusing on their cultural traits and interactions with other races, especially Elves. It examines their abilities and offers a fresh take on their backstory by proposing that their violent tendencies stem from the corruption of their deity, Gruumsh. The video asserts the importance of flexibility in storytelling, allowing Orcs to be depicted as either traditional enemies or complex characters with potential for growth. Additionally, there is a segment addressing data privacy concerns and recommending a service to protect personal information.

Takeaways

  • 🧝‍♂️ Orcs vs Elves: A historical enmity rooted in divine conflict.
  • đź’Ş Half-Orc Skills: Known for their strength, Relentless Endurance, and Savage Attacks.
  • 🧠 Orc Lore: Traditionally antagonists evolved from Tolkien-inspired goblins.
  • 🔄 Orcs Reimagined: Proposes a complex backstory beyond mere evil foes.
  • đź“š Narrative Flexibility: D&D evolves to allow diverse storytelling with Orcs.
  • đź”’ Privacy Concerns: Discusses data protection and endorses Incog service.
  • 🎨 World Building: Suggests deep world building for evolving Orc lore.
  • 🌍 Roleplay Options: Encourages imagining Orcs as dynamic characters.
  • 🔍 Orc Ability Evolution: D&D's changing approach to racial abilities.
  • đź‘Ą Community Engagement: Invites audience input for further content development.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    Orcs are a complex race in Dungeons & Dragons with a controversial past. Originally not a core race, they were replaced by Half-Orcs possibly due to their violent and simplistic depictions. Antonio Deo discusses this issue and hints at ways to adapt their lore for more dynamic storytelling. Half-Orcs, which are more commonly played, have characteristics like strength and resilience, reflecting their cultural portrayal as brutish warriors. Despite this, they lack intelligence penalties, indicating a nuanced representation compared to purely antagonistic roles of traditional Orcs.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    Orcs are traditionally depicted as aggressive, warlike, and simple-minded, often engaged in conflict with elves. This animosity stems from ancient events, where Orcs were denied a homeland due to a prank by other deities, particularly the elves' god, Coralon. Coralon's actions—viewed by elves as a simple prank—were devastating to Gruumsh, the Orc god, setting off eternal conflict and painting Orcs in a negative light. This myth ties into their lack of creativity and culture, often described as scavengers and pillagers due to Gruumsh's inability to provide them a permanent home, reinforcing stereotypes of Orcs as inherently malevolent.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    Half-Orcs provide a peek into Orc cultural attributes with abilities like Relentless Endurance, which enhances their survival by allowing them to avoid death once, indicative of their gritty resilience. They mature faster yet live shorter lives than humans, echoing their intense and chaotic nature. The depiction of Half-Orcs draws from their supposed inherent chaos, despite not being strictly evil, showcasing a tension between their inherited aggression and potential for individuality. The narrative suggests traditional roles are evolving, urging for deeper explorations into Orc identities beyond mere antagonists.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:24:17

    Redefining Orcs could provide a richer narrative tapestry, evolving their lore to allow more complexity and nuance. By suggesting alternate origin stories—such as a twisted fate for Gruumsh, who was once kind but became vengeful due to divine betrayal—the video encourages reimagining Orcs as capable of growth and individuality. Thus, a new type of Orc, the Verdant Orc, is proposed, symbolizing a return to their lost potential under a nurturing deity. This change not only enlivens Orc history but also invites new stories, such as healing Gruumsh and restoring his benevolent nature, providing fresh routes for storytelling in role-playing adventures.

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Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • Why are Orcs not a core race in D&D?

    Orcs are not a core race due to their traditional role as adversaries, while Half-Orcs are included for their playable characteristics.

  • What abilities do Half-Orcs have in D&D?

    Half-Orcs have +2 to strength, +1 to constitution, dark vision, Relentless Endurance, and Savage Attacks, among other traits.

  • How does the video suggest Orcs could evolve in D&D lore?

    The video suggests reimagining Orcs as once having a more noble origin, corrupted over time, to allow for more complex stories and characters.

  • What's the lore behind Orcs and Elves conflict?

    Orcs and Elves have been enemies since their respective creator gods, Gruumsh and Corellon, fought, resulting in deep-seated animosity.

  • What unique reimagining does the video offer for Orcs?

    It proposes that Orcs were originally noble, and their current violent nature is a result of a corruption in their god, Gruumsh.

  • What is the impact of Gruumsh losing his eye in the video’s lore?

    Gruumsh losing his eye symbolizes his corruption and loss of his true creator spirit, which influences Orcs' negative traits.

  • How does the video address the issue of data privacy?

    It discusses the problem of data brokers using personal information and endorses Incog, a service that helps protect personal data.

  • What does the video imply about the use of Orcs in fantasy storytelling?

    It emphasizes the flexibility to portray Orcs as either classic antagonists or more dynamic, complex characters.

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  • 00:00:00
    Orcs are up there with dwarves and elves
  • 00:00:01
    when it comes to your tried andrue wide
  • 00:00:03
    breed Tolkien expat races of d and d and
  • 00:00:06
    yet somehow they're not even a core race
  • 00:00:09
    replaced by their step cousins twice
  • 00:00:10
    removed the half ORS and the reasons for
  • 00:00:13
    this are complicated and we're going to
  • 00:00:16
    talk about them I'm Antonio Deo this is
  • 00:00:18
    pointy hat and we're going to be
  • 00:00:19
    explaining all the baggage that Orcs and
  • 00:00:21
    half Orcs carry around the dragon game
  • 00:00:23
    and we're going to give them a Twist
  • 00:00:24
    that you can take home to your own games
  • 00:00:26
    in this brand new episode of D and D
  • 00:00:29
    with a Twist T orc Edition so what I
  • 00:00:31
    Think Of Orcs I think
  • 00:00:36
    of orc is the race for Jim Bros and
  • 00:00:38
    professional hmos and that right so as I
  • 00:00:41
    said Orcs are not even a core rate so
  • 00:00:43
    I'm going to discuss them but I'm also
  • 00:00:44
    going to talk about half Orcs when it
  • 00:00:45
    comes to abilities and stuff since those
  • 00:00:47
    are the ones that people are most
  • 00:00:48
    familiar with you know actually playing
  • 00:00:51
    since you couldn't play Orcs for the
  • 00:00:52
    longest time I wonder why that is half
  • 00:00:56
    works and Orcs are the big buff Green P
  • 00:00:58
    Giants of D and D they are the race for
  • 00:01:00
    those that seek to embody that Big
  • 00:01:02
    pauldron World of Warcraft looking roid
  • 00:01:04
    fueled Big Boy in their fantasy
  • 00:01:05
    roleplaying and their lore sort of
  • 00:01:07
    reflects this in interesting ways so
  • 00:01:10
    let's take a look at them personality
  • 00:01:12
    wise Orcs are said to be more prone to
  • 00:01:14
    anger than other races oh boy preferring
  • 00:01:16
    to go for a violent solution to every
  • 00:01:19
    problem cool cool cool very normal and
  • 00:01:21
    very cool they're also described as
  • 00:01:23
    stupid the actual player raise doesn't
  • 00:01:25
    actually have like a negative for
  • 00:01:27
    intelligence but the orc stat block
  • 00:01:28
    certainly does appear wise Orcs are not
  • 00:01:31
    green in D and D joining goblins in the
  • 00:01:33
    bad decisions club with most of them
  • 00:01:35
    being described as having grayish skin
  • 00:01:37
    black hair and sort of pig-like
  • 00:01:39
    appearance with Bor tusks and upturn
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    noses personally I just translate this
  • 00:01:43
    in my mind to the dungeon meshy look
  • 00:01:45
    because it looks cooler and also because
  • 00:01:47
    official art looks like this but usually
  • 00:01:49
    I just make them green because it's
  • 00:01:51
    better but what about culture let's take
  • 00:01:54
    a look but let's not talk too loud while
  • 00:01:56
    we do that someone may hear us how
  • 00:01:59
    through your computer of course plenty
  • 00:02:01
    of people have defended themselves from
  • 00:02:03
    scrying through magical means but those
  • 00:02:05
    with ill intent in mind have found ways
  • 00:02:07
    to bypass those safeguards they gather
  • 00:02:10
    your secrets and sell them to those that
  • 00:02:12
    have use for them specific safeguards
  • 00:02:14
    built with the express purpose of
  • 00:02:16
    protecting information you hold dear
  • 00:02:18
    must be implemented specifically against
  • 00:02:21
    those that trade in Secrets safeguards
  • 00:02:24
    like in
  • 00:02:25
    Cockney Real Talk data collection scares
  • 00:02:27
    me a lot it's just a fact that people
  • 00:02:30
    are actually selling your data to the
  • 00:02:31
    highest bit out there and people don't
  • 00:02:33
    buy stuff they don't intend to use
  • 00:02:35
    they're 100% using your data which is
  • 00:02:37
    why we now have to worry about actual
  • 00:02:39
    data Brokers like that's a thing that
  • 00:02:41
    exists and that people dedicate their
  • 00:02:43
    finite amount of time on Earth to do
  • 00:02:45
    great you can technically opt out of
  • 00:02:47
    this this is how they make it legal but
  • 00:02:49
    it's extremely hard and extremely
  • 00:02:51
    timeconsuming to do so and even if you
  • 00:02:53
    manage to remove yourself they just add
  • 00:02:54
    you back so you start all over again
  • 00:02:56
    this is why you get stuff like scan
  • 00:02:57
    mails and phone calls and a bunch of of
  • 00:03:00
    other stuff and that's where incog comes
  • 00:03:02
    in incog is a service that removes you
  • 00:03:05
    and your data from hundreds of these
  • 00:03:07
    list that data Brokers keep they request
  • 00:03:09
    your removal from their list
  • 00:03:10
    automatically and deal with the
  • 00:03:12
    aftermath if they run into any issues
  • 00:03:14
    for you more importantly if your data is
  • 00:03:16
    added to these list again which is very
  • 00:03:18
    likely since this is how they keep this
  • 00:03:20
    whole circus going incog will
  • 00:03:21
    automatically remove you again from the
  • 00:03:23
    lists it constantly Ms to see if it can
  • 00:03:25
    find your data in these trading list
  • 00:03:27
    again keeping your info away from the
  • 00:03:29
    people that want to literally sell it so
  • 00:03:32
    if this sounds like an interesting and
  • 00:03:33
    useful thing for you which for me it is
  • 00:03:35
    I use it I have a 60% off any of their
  • 00:03:38
    annual incog plans for you yep 60% once
  • 00:03:41
    again you know me and math 60% is pretty
  • 00:03:43
    big to me so go ahead and check it out
  • 00:03:45
    just go to incog docomo hat it's the
  • 00:03:48
    very first link in the description
  • 00:03:50
    that's
  • 00:03:58
    incognitomotion talk Orcs orcish culture
  • 00:04:02
    is traditionally unable to chill with
  • 00:04:04
    war playing a big role in how they go
  • 00:04:06
    about living they are structured in
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    tribes of course because if you make an
  • 00:04:09
    evil race and fantasy it's either tribes
  • 00:04:11
    or whatever the Dr have going on Orcs
  • 00:04:14
    are led by a Chieftain led to what to
  • 00:04:16
    war of course orc's favorite hobbies are
  • 00:04:18
    War armed conflict fighting scrapping
  • 00:04:21
    and of course hit real good with raiding
  • 00:04:23
    being a big part of how Orcs actually
  • 00:04:25
    get their resources in general D and D
  • 00:04:27
    Orcs don't create but rather borrow
  • 00:04:30
    without permission is that my ring it is
  • 00:04:32
    now they go pay a visit to whoever has
  • 00:04:35
    so rudely decided to live next to them
  • 00:04:37
    help themselves to their stuff maybe
  • 00:04:39
    give them a few pets with their access
  • 00:04:41
    payment and take back some souvenirs
  • 00:04:43
    lovely they don't build cities not often
  • 00:04:45
    but either live in caves bare style or
  • 00:04:47
    take over ruins of existing cities
  • 00:04:50
    sometimes cities they held become a ruin
  • 00:04:52
    and just squat there The Cave Part is
  • 00:04:55
    relevant as that is their natural
  • 00:04:56
    habitat or at least it is for the most
  • 00:04:58
    popular orc sub race Mountain Orcs we'll
  • 00:05:00
    get into it as you can imagine this
  • 00:05:02
    whole burrowing based culture didn't
  • 00:05:04
    help them win a lot of popularity
  • 00:05:05
    contests joining goblins in the everyone
  • 00:05:07
    hates me Club of races that everyone
  • 00:05:10
    hates everyone but especially elves Orcs
  • 00:05:13
    And elves have been locked into a bloody
  • 00:05:14
    conflict that has lasted Millennia these
  • 00:05:16
    twink versus jock Wars have claimed many
  • 00:05:18
    alive it started in Earnest when Orcs
  • 00:05:21
    actually got to the D andd Bas World
  • 00:05:23
    fyin fyon whatever yes Orcs are aliens
  • 00:05:26
    we don't have time to get into that this
  • 00:05:27
    video is already going to be long enough
  • 00:05:29
    I can just feel it and they started
  • 00:05:30
    fighting basically from the moment they
  • 00:05:32
    stepped into the world giving rise to
  • 00:05:33
    the aforementioned twink J Wars or what
  • 00:05:35
    lesser Scholars who are not fun of
  • 00:05:37
    parties call the orc gate Wars and these
  • 00:05:39
    conflicts have left a deep scar in the
  • 00:05:41
    relations between the two races but this
  • 00:05:43
    runs way deeper than the orc jock Wars
  • 00:05:45
    and goes right up to the gods of both
  • 00:05:48
    Orcs And elves that's right the elf
  • 00:05:50
    Creator God coralin and the orc Creator
  • 00:05:52
    God groom have been beefing since since
  • 00:05:55
    time was a thing I guess the two races
  • 00:05:57
    hold two widely different accounts of
  • 00:05:59
    what actually happened you know like
  • 00:06:00
    children elves of course say that Grom
  • 00:06:02
    started it and orc say nuh-uh it was
  • 00:06:04
    Grom started on the Xbox and coralon
  • 00:06:06
    started it the actual problem came when
  • 00:06:08
    the Creator gods were doing what can
  • 00:06:10
    only be described as a Divine raffle to
  • 00:06:12
    decide where the little blow bows they
  • 00:06:14
    created the D andd races would live what
  • 00:06:16
    the other gods including coralon did to
  • 00:06:18
    Grooms during this Divine raffle of
  • 00:06:20
    ultimate destiny that will get to decide
  • 00:06:22
    what place each race will get to call
  • 00:06:24
    home is referred to by elves as a prank
  • 00:06:27
    which you know I I wouldn't use the word
  • 00:06:29
    prank seeing what was on the line but
  • 00:06:31
    sure basically each Creator God pulled
  • 00:06:33
    out a ballot that would assign the place
  • 00:06:35
    where their Creations would live with
  • 00:06:37
    elves getting the woods dwarves getting
  • 00:06:38
    mountains humans getting a European
  • 00:06:41
    passport and Hobbit I mean halflings
  • 00:06:42
    getting non-copyright infringing Hills
  • 00:06:45
    and they just forgot to put a ballot in
  • 00:06:48
    for groom and his Orcs and none for
  • 00:06:50
    Gretchen Wieners bye so Orcs found
  • 00:06:52
    themselves without a place to call home
  • 00:06:53
    and then they started to laugh at Grom I
  • 00:06:57
    see we have graduated from
  • 00:06:58
    six-year-old's fighting for the Xbox to
  • 00:07:01
    Mean Girls tear beef really really cool
  • 00:07:04
    of them groom seeing this said I didn't
  • 00:07:06
    want to go to your stupid house party
  • 00:07:08
    anyway Micha and then he took his Spears
  • 00:07:10
    and pierced a thousand holes in the
  • 00:07:12
    world and declared that these will be
  • 00:07:14
    the caves that Orcs will get to live in
  • 00:07:16
    pause honestly sick creation myth good
  • 00:07:18
    job to whoever wrote that it's a cool
  • 00:07:20
    story but believe it or not this is one
  • 00:07:22
    of only many many times coralon and
  • 00:07:24
    groom have fought they they do that a
  • 00:07:27
    lot the girls are fighting the big one
  • 00:07:29
    one is once again hardly debated as to
  • 00:07:31
    how exactly it went out LOL of all
  • 00:07:34
    people is somehow involved and this
  • 00:07:35
    video isn't on God so I'm not going to
  • 00:07:37
    get into it coralon and groom went at it
  • 00:07:39
    and the other elf Gods got involved and
  • 00:07:41
    groom lost if you believe the Orcs that
  • 00:07:43
    was the end of it but if you believe the
  • 00:07:45
    elves it was in this fight that coralon
  • 00:07:47
    tore out one of grum's eyes which is why
  • 00:07:50
    he only has one give me a second eye
  • 00:07:52
    bottom line here Grooms is evil and mean
  • 00:07:54
    and violent and rude and ugly and bad
  • 00:07:56
    and so are orc's natural tendencies he's
  • 00:07:59
    consumed with a need for Revenge which
  • 00:08:00
    you know doesn't make for a great Patron
  • 00:08:02
    deity interesting thought there wonder
  • 00:08:05
    what the implications of that are anyway
  • 00:08:07
    we've talked way too much about this
  • 00:08:08
    inscrutable lore for my liking you got
  • 00:08:10
    theist big bad me zuis simple but what
  • 00:08:13
    can these guys actually do it's time to
  • 00:08:15
    look at those abilities and let's start
  • 00:08:17
    with half since those guys are the core
  • 00:08:19
    race ones let's go if you're playing
  • 00:08:21
    with ability scores halfs get a plus two
  • 00:08:23
    to strength and a plus one to con super
  • 00:08:25
    solid four literally anything strength
  • 00:08:27
    based and particularly good for tanky
  • 00:08:29
    builds with that little con bonus I
  • 00:08:30
    normally don't talk about this but an
  • 00:08:32
    important note here is the age section
  • 00:08:33
    where it said that half folks mature
  • 00:08:35
    faster than humans and live less 75
  • 00:08:37
    years being sort of their maximum life
  • 00:08:38
    expectancy why do I talk about this
  • 00:08:40
    because I'm using it later anyway and
  • 00:08:44
    yet another reason to add to the ever
  • 00:08:46
    growing list of alignment being awful
  • 00:08:48
    half Works were stated to inherit ATT
  • 00:08:50
    tendency towards chaos from their orc
  • 00:08:52
    parents and are not strongly inclined
  • 00:08:54
    towards good cool cool cool give me just
  • 00:08:55
    a second
  • 00:08:58
    guys
  • 00:09:00
    okay moving on size quarterback speed
  • 00:09:03
    normal dark vision one of the most
  • 00:09:04
    justified races to get this since most
  • 00:09:06
    Orcs live in caves since the incident
  • 00:09:10
    okay onto actually fun stuff menacing
  • 00:09:12
    you are intimidating we're not going to
  • 00:09:14
    get into that proficiency and
  • 00:09:15
    intimidation is cool especially if you
  • 00:09:17
    use the objectively good rule of being
  • 00:09:19
    able to roll intimidation with strength
  • 00:09:21
    Riz only intimidation is stupid moving
  • 00:09:23
    on Relentless endurance the signature
  • 00:09:26
    ability of the half fork and honestly
  • 00:09:27
    their best one once a long rest if
  • 00:09:29
    you're boned to below zero HP you're not
  • 00:09:32
    you instead drop to one hit point this
  • 00:09:34
    is it this is why half Works make for
  • 00:09:36
    such amazing tanks most racial abilities
  • 00:09:38
    are situational at best and Relentless
  • 00:09:40
    endurance is absolutely not bad you will
  • 00:09:42
    see this pop up a lot it's an incredibly
  • 00:09:45
    good ability for everyone but especially
  • 00:09:47
    for tanks props to this Savage attacks
  • 00:09:50
    is their sort of second signature
  • 00:09:51
    ability and this one is more situational
  • 00:09:54
    but still good when you score a crit you
  • 00:09:56
    add one additional damage di you can't
  • 00:09:58
    really rely on crits since they are 100%
  • 00:10:00
    random but this will make them feel even
  • 00:10:02
    more amazing when they do happen
  • 00:10:04
    unfortunately this is specifically
  • 00:10:06
    stated to be only for weapon attacks and
  • 00:10:08
    therefore pigeon holes half Works into
  • 00:10:09
    Marshall classes even more but hear me
  • 00:10:12
    out let me tell you a little secret you
  • 00:10:15
    can ignore this make this happen on
  • 00:10:18
    spell attacks 2 who cares if you're the
  • 00:10:20
    type to get rid of ability scores tied
  • 00:10:21
    to your racial Choice like me you can
  • 00:10:23
    change this to the D andd police can get
  • 00:10:25
    you at your own table you're fine you're
  • 00:10:27
    safe and that's it normally I proceed
  • 00:10:29
    onto sub races but half Forks don't have
  • 00:10:32
    any at all pretty rare for a core race
  • 00:10:35
    really what a shame well let's put on an
  • 00:10:37
    asterisk next to that there's
  • 00:10:39
    technically one one of the Eon Mark ones
  • 00:10:41
    but those basically don't feel like sub
  • 00:10:43
    races at all and are more like
  • 00:10:45
    backgrounds and are super setting
  • 00:10:47
    dependent so I'm not going to get into
  • 00:10:48
    it we'll make an eon video someday maybe
  • 00:10:51
    I don't know scream in the middle of
  • 00:10:52
    your garage or in the comments if you
  • 00:10:54
    want that I feel like the ship has
  • 00:10:56
    sailed since the book has been out for
  • 00:10:57
    ages now but anyway since we have no sub
  • 00:10:59
    rist to talk about let's talk about the
  • 00:11:01
    half Orcs daddies or mommies or parents
  • 00:11:03
    I don't judge let's take a quick look at
  • 00:11:06
    orc abilities Believe It or Not D and D
  • 00:11:08
    Orcs have gone through three different
  • 00:11:10
    versions of the playable race in all of
  • 00:11:13
    D andd no in 5 alone yep and honestly
  • 00:11:16
    it's a great way to see how the game has
  • 00:11:18
    evolved in its design philosophy when it
  • 00:11:20
    comes to Fantasy Races they were
  • 00:11:21
    introduced in Vol guide to monsters then
  • 00:11:24
    we got the Eon version of them and then
  • 00:11:25
    we got the mor Kanan iteration even
  • 00:11:27
    leaving Eon out of it since it's a
  • 00:11:29
    completely different setting Orcs got
  • 00:11:31
    abilities like aggressive which lets you
  • 00:11:33
    chase people like a mle cop and Primal
  • 00:11:36
    intuition which gives you Proficiency in
  • 00:11:38
    a bunch of skills some of them making
  • 00:11:40
    sense with like an intuition ability but
  • 00:11:42
    I don't know I are they intuitively
  • 00:11:44
    practicing medicine sounds like the
  • 00:11:46
    people pedling healing crystals through
  • 00:11:48
    Facebook Marketplace morn kanan's
  • 00:11:50
    version of the Orcs is inherently better
  • 00:11:52
    because it doesn't have any alignment
  • 00:11:53
    mess and you get to put your ability
  • 00:11:55
    scores wherever like God intended but
  • 00:11:57
    also because their abilities are just
  • 00:11:58
    plain better and more versatile
  • 00:12:00
    Adrenaline Rush allows you to take the
  • 00:12:02
    dash action as a bonus action and
  • 00:12:04
    whenever you do this you get temp HP
  • 00:12:06
    equal to your proficiency bonus this is
  • 00:12:09
    so much better than aggressively jazzer
  • 00:12:12
    sizing towards your enemy because tanky
  • 00:12:13
    builds can use this to tank but bruisers
  • 00:12:16
    can also use this for positioning and
  • 00:12:18
    increasing survivability and casters can
  • 00:12:20
    use this to get away and stay alive much
  • 00:12:23
    more versatile powerful build increases
  • 00:12:25
    your carrying capacity so you don't have
  • 00:12:26
    to make two trips after grocery shopping
  • 00:12:28
    and they get Relentless endurance which
  • 00:12:31
    as we have already established is one of
  • 00:12:32
    the best racial abilities in the game do
  • 00:12:35
    you notice something that's right none
  • 00:12:36
    of these abilities pigeon hold the orc
  • 00:12:38
    into one specific role the orc is
  • 00:12:41
    literally a more versatile racial option
  • 00:12:43
    than the half orc once again change in
  • 00:12:45
    design philosophy so you can very much
  • 00:12:47
    make a very competent orc Caster giving
  • 00:12:50
    you more options which you know is just
  • 00:12:52
    playing better for the game no matter
  • 00:12:53
    what mental gymnastics you want to do
  • 00:12:55
    about it cool so we've looked at orc
  • 00:12:57
    lore orc abilities half orc abilities
  • 00:12:59
    and all that is well and good but what
  • 00:13:01
    if we want to give Orcs a new
  • 00:13:04
    twist so you want to play an orc you all
  • 00:13:07
    I work to get here I put in too many
  • 00:13:09
    hours I sweat too much blood or a half
  • 00:13:12
    work you all I work to get here I put in
  • 00:13:15
    too many hours I sweat too much blood
  • 00:13:18
    Orcs are the absolute units of d and d
  • 00:13:21
    and they are also not conceived as a
  • 00:13:23
    playable race at all if you've seen my
  • 00:13:25
    Goblin video you're familiar with this
  • 00:13:27
    notion Orcs just like goblins were not
  • 00:13:29
    not supposed to be something you play
  • 00:13:30
    they were supposed to be something you
  • 00:13:31
    throw into a wood chipper it's the
  • 00:13:33
    reason why half workk is the core race
  • 00:13:35
    and not orc Orcs were meant to be big
  • 00:13:37
    scary guys that are all evil and all bad
  • 00:13:40
    and so you don't feel bad about running
  • 00:13:41
    them over with a lawn mower and that's
  • 00:13:43
    fine I guess but they haven't stayed
  • 00:13:45
    like that people want to play Orcs the
  • 00:13:48
    needs of the game have changed and so
  • 00:13:50
    has its design and Orcs needed to change
  • 00:13:52
    with them and we're like halfway there
  • 00:13:55
    the moment you want people to be able to
  • 00:13:57
    play these guys or tell more interesting
  • 00:13:59
    stories involving Orcs other than and
  • 00:14:01
    then we went into the spooky cave and we
  • 00:14:04
    killed all the ugly ugly orc meanies and
  • 00:14:07
    found lots of cool stuff and cool swords
  • 00:14:09
    and then we got out Orcs needed to grow
  • 00:14:11
    from the original role of video game mob
  • 00:14:13
    you plow through that they started at
  • 00:14:15
    and d and d has slowly but surely gone
  • 00:14:18
    in that direction now I'm not here to
  • 00:14:20
    make a value judgment on whether all
  • 00:14:22
    Orcs forever in every game should have
  • 00:14:24
    interiority and be allowed to be
  • 00:14:26
    individuals at every table if you want
  • 00:14:28
    to just have mindless fun hitting big
  • 00:14:30
    mean green bean Giants have ated
  • 00:14:33
    although I guess you're already changing
  • 00:14:34
    them if you make them green you know
  • 00:14:36
    what that's not the point I'm not going
  • 00:14:37
    to get hang up on the green thing moving
  • 00:14:38
    on I don't even think that having Orcs
  • 00:14:40
    as this uncomplicated bad guy is a Bad
  • 00:14:42
    Thing necessarily coding notwithstanding
  • 00:14:45
    not every table has to have Orcs sitting
  • 00:14:47
    around arguing on the merits of
  • 00:14:49
    postmodern Hedonism versus stoicism as
  • 00:14:51
    they adjust their glasses at each other
  • 00:14:53
    as hot as that may be to me but as the
  • 00:14:55
    game evolves and more and more people
  • 00:14:57
    want to give these guys a go as that
  • 00:14:59
    Adventures the game needs to account for
  • 00:15:01
    that and allow for Orcs to be complex
  • 00:15:03
    and actual individuals for those that
  • 00:15:05
    want to use them like that it's about
  • 00:15:07
    getting the option for complexity the
  • 00:15:09
    option for different stories the catch
  • 00:15:11
    here is how do you do that just like
  • 00:15:13
    goblins are fun because the identity the
  • 00:15:16
    concept behind the race is a little
  • 00:15:17
    raccoon that walks on two legs and lofs
  • 00:15:19
    Chaos Orcs have a clear identity behind
  • 00:15:22
    them that people have grown accustomed
  • 00:15:24
    to and love the game makes Orcs evolve
  • 00:15:26
    to adapt to the needs of a growing game
  • 00:15:28
    which is a sign of a healthy game by the
  • 00:15:30
    way but redc conning all of the orc lore
  • 00:15:33
    and doing away with their identity
  • 00:15:34
    without any care of what was already
  • 00:15:36
    established in order to make them all
  • 00:15:38
    about I don't know competitive epicurian
  • 00:15:40
    ism is in my opinion not the way to go
  • 00:15:43
    and I think that's a shame and I don't
  • 00:15:45
    know we can do better so we have a
  • 00:15:47
    complicated task ahead of us we need to
  • 00:15:49
    make a way for people to play an orc or
  • 00:15:51
    tell stories our Orcs that is not always
  • 00:15:53
    an evil guy that is inherently evil
  • 00:15:55
    because all Orcs are destructive evil
  • 00:15:57
    idiots but we have to also leave space
  • 00:15:59
    for that to also be an option for people
  • 00:16:01
    that want to run Orcs like that like a
  • 00:16:03
    video game mob tough stuff when I did
  • 00:16:06
    this with goblins I leaned on existing
  • 00:16:08
    Goblin Lord that explained that goblins
  • 00:16:09
    are basically a stolen race from the
  • 00:16:11
    Fate wild taken by a conqueror God that
  • 00:16:14
    is not their original God so I chose to
  • 00:16:16
    develop a race that got away from that
  • 00:16:18
    God's control and stayed in the Fate
  • 00:16:20
    wild watch that video by the way people
  • 00:16:21
    really like the brownies and they are a
  • 00:16:23
    personal favorite of mine but I can't do
  • 00:16:25
    that here groom is the god of Orcs And
  • 00:16:27
    changing that would be red cing and
  • 00:16:29
    that's for cowards and I'm not a coward
  • 00:16:32
    and I've already explained why that's
  • 00:16:33
    not what I'm after so what dud well what
  • 00:16:36
    if we lean into the existing lore of
  • 00:16:38
    Groom there's a lot to pull from what if
  • 00:16:41
    hear me out we finally give an answer of
  • 00:16:44
    who was right in the jock versus twink
  • 00:16:46
    Wars at least originally what if we make
  • 00:16:48
    it so that gasp gasp groom was right
  • 00:16:52
    originally and his anger was justified
  • 00:16:54
    but something happened to make him what
  • 00:16:56
    he is today this crazy maniac hellbent
  • 00:16:59
    on Revenge what if we make it so that's
  • 00:17:01
    not his Natural State that's not who he
  • 00:17:03
    truly is what if the Elven story of
  • 00:17:05
    Groom losing his eye is the true one but
  • 00:17:08
    he didn't just lose his eye he lost his
  • 00:17:10
    Essence as a Creator God let's
  • 00:17:13
    go much has been said about the fateful
  • 00:17:16
    day when the Creator deities divided the
  • 00:17:18
    world to give a home to their races what
  • 00:17:21
    has been lost from memory is the reason
  • 00:17:23
    why groom's children were cheated out of
  • 00:17:26
    a place to call home groom one of the
  • 00:17:28
    forest for his Orcs to live as they
  • 00:17:30
    needed them most but coralon wanted the
  • 00:17:32
    same thing for their children and so the
  • 00:17:35
    scheme to trick rsh was set in place
  • 00:17:38
    this betrayal planted the seed of
  • 00:17:40
    Vengeance in groom's heart but this did
  • 00:17:43
    not make that seed consumed the god in
  • 00:17:45
    its entirety the Fateful fight between
  • 00:17:48
    coralon and groom did when coralon dealt
  • 00:17:51
    the final blow to Grom in that battle it
  • 00:17:53
    not only destroyed grum's eye but grum's
  • 00:17:56
    Essence coron being the god of of Not
  • 00:17:59
    Just Elves but also magic laced his
  • 00:18:01
    sword in a magical poison just like lol
  • 00:18:04
    laced grous spear but coron's poison did
  • 00:18:08
    not Target the body it targeted the mind
  • 00:18:10
    when the sword pierced goma's eye it
  • 00:18:13
    also pierced his psyche Ming it forever
  • 00:18:16
    groom the caring father of all Orcs lost
  • 00:18:19
    everything that made him himself
  • 00:18:21
    consumed only by the strongest emotion
  • 00:18:23
    he felt at the moment that he lost his
  • 00:18:25
    eye and his mind and at that moment and
  • 00:18:27
    ever since his children were were
  • 00:18:28
    deprived of their homes the strongest
  • 00:18:30
    feeling groom felt was Revenge this
  • 00:18:34
    maming destroyed groom as the Orcs and
  • 00:18:36
    all other gods knew him he was no longer
  • 00:18:39
    the father to all Orcs but a killing
  • 00:18:41
    machine hellbent on revenge against
  • 00:18:43
    corlon willing to sacrifice the children
  • 00:18:45
    he loved so much in the process Grooms
  • 00:18:48
    no longer sought retribution and his
  • 00:18:50
    children's rightful home he lost his
  • 00:18:52
    status as a Creator God turning into a
  • 00:18:54
    Godlike monster a being that could only
  • 00:18:57
    think of Revenge without just or sense
  • 00:19:00
    losing the protection of their Creator
  • 00:19:01
    God changed Orcs irreparably the reason
  • 00:19:04
    why Grim was so insense when his
  • 00:19:06
    children were left without a place to
  • 00:19:07
    call home is because it wasn't the orc's
  • 00:19:09
    nature to live in verdant forests the
  • 00:19:12
    domain coralon also wanted for their own
  • 00:19:14
    children banished from the forest that
  • 00:19:16
    were to be their homes and confined to
  • 00:19:18
    the dark caves that Grooms made with a
  • 00:19:20
    spear Orcs lost their ability to feed
  • 00:19:22
    off of the sun Orcs being caught from
  • 00:19:24
    the essence of the Creator God reduced
  • 00:19:26
    their lifespan their verden skin was
  • 00:19:29
    drained of color turning gray and
  • 00:19:31
    lifeless they became a shadow of what
  • 00:19:33
    they were created to be but these are
  • 00:19:35
    not the only things that Orcs lost along
  • 00:19:37
    with groom the title of Creator is not
  • 00:19:40
    given to a god lightly the blessing of a
  • 00:19:43
    Creator deity allows the children of
  • 00:19:45
    this deity the power to create
  • 00:19:47
    themselves groom's maming maimed the
  • 00:19:50
    orc's ability to create crops wit when
  • 00:19:53
    an orc tends to them livestock is unruly
  • 00:19:55
    metal refuses to smelt correctly
  • 00:19:58
    everything and orc tries to make is made
  • 00:20:00
    weaker by groom's maming this is why
  • 00:20:03
    Orcs are relegated most often to
  • 00:20:06
    pillaging they have to survive off of
  • 00:20:08
    the creations of other races as they
  • 00:20:10
    cannot create themselves Grom in his
  • 00:20:13
    current state only allows Orcs to
  • 00:20:15
    reproduce to strengthen the number of
  • 00:20:17
    his army he intends on using in the
  • 00:20:19
    Eternal War he's been locked into but
  • 00:20:21
    grch even in his current main State
  • 00:20:24
    loves his children too dearly to let
  • 00:20:26
    them languish orphant of their Divine
  • 00:20:27
    father a small part of who Grooms truly
  • 00:20:30
    is behind that crazy need for revenge
  • 00:20:32
    and coron's poisonous spell remains
  • 00:20:35
    within the garden and that part fights
  • 00:20:37
    against its own psyche reaching out
  • 00:20:39
    towards his children much like humans
  • 00:20:41
    Chang into teelings due to fish
  • 00:20:43
    influence the Orcs that the true groom
  • 00:20:45
    manages to touch form a connection to
  • 00:20:48
    their creator their skin regains its
  • 00:20:50
    natural Green Glow once more as it
  • 00:20:52
    always was intended to giving them the
  • 00:20:54
    name of verdant Orcs verdant Orcs are
  • 00:20:57
    blessed by the their father and
  • 00:20:59
    represent what Orcs can be while under
  • 00:21:01
    the protection of a career deity though
  • 00:21:04
    few and far between their numbers are
  • 00:21:06
    ever growing as more and more of them
  • 00:21:08
    are either birthed or awakened by groom
  • 00:21:10
    himself verdant Orcs seek the home that
  • 00:21:13
    was owed to them creating orcish Groves
  • 00:21:15
    deep within Forest away from the eyes of
  • 00:21:17
    all you might think that their culture
  • 00:21:19
    is one of Revenge and hatred against
  • 00:21:21
    elves and that could not be further from
  • 00:21:23
    the truth verant Orcs have seen what
  • 00:21:25
    Revenge has done to their father and
  • 00:21:27
    they will not follow that path instead
  • 00:21:29
    their path is one of calm and calculated
  • 00:21:31
    need for justice they will grow their
  • 00:21:34
    numbers until they are powerful enough
  • 00:21:35
    to heal their father curing his meing
  • 00:21:38
    and once done so they'll claim the
  • 00:21:40
    rightful place in the world for groomes
  • 00:21:42
    children are nothing but strong
  • 00:21:44
    persistent and
  • 00:21:46
    numerous ha you thought I was going to
  • 00:21:48
    let go of that green skin thing think
  • 00:21:51
    again I think that's cool making Grooms
  • 00:21:53
    a kind Creator deity that was twisted
  • 00:21:55
    into what he is today makes it so that
  • 00:21:57
    Orcs can stay exactly as they are but
  • 00:22:00
    also gives a reason as to why they are
  • 00:22:02
    the way that they are and more
  • 00:22:03
    importantly an option to play them
  • 00:22:05
    differently with like an actual reason
  • 00:22:08
    why and also even more importantly gives
  • 00:22:11
    you so many stories to tell I am not in
  • 00:22:13
    the business of killing gods and
  • 00:22:14
    campaigns because I think that's just a
  • 00:22:16
    bit too much but I am definitely in the
  • 00:22:18
    business of healing gods imagine that
  • 00:22:21
    campaign story bringing groom back to
  • 00:22:23
    his uncorrupted State healing him
  • 00:22:25
    helping the Orcs find a rightful place
  • 00:22:27
    would you play that I mean I I don't
  • 00:22:28
    know know I I I would it sounds sick it
  • 00:22:30
    tracks with a bunch of existing orc lore
  • 00:22:32
    even down to Orcs AR even saying gr's
  • 00:22:35
    name out loud unless they are priest of
  • 00:22:36
    Groom this could be because groom having
  • 00:22:39
    a literal poisonous effect on Orcs in
  • 00:22:41
    his current state and those that get too
  • 00:22:43
    close to him are taken over by his need
  • 00:22:45
    for Revenge it also makes quiron a
  • 00:22:47
    little bit more interesting than just
  • 00:22:49
    she's nice I mean what he did was pretty
  • 00:22:51
    messed up but he did it to give his own
  • 00:22:53
    children a place in the world it just so
  • 00:22:55
    happened that the Orcs also needed that
  • 00:22:57
    same place as elves that's Rama baby I
  • 00:22:59
    mean regardless of if you like it or not
  • 00:23:01
    you got to admit that making the reason
  • 00:23:02
    why Orcs are green be literal
  • 00:23:04
    chlorophyll to be at least original they
  • 00:23:07
    are currently gray because they were
  • 00:23:08
    relegated to live in caves and they lost
  • 00:23:10
    their green coloration I don't know
  • 00:23:12
    that's the sort of World building I love
  • 00:23:14
    it's just a shame that ver Orcs are just
  • 00:23:16
    not a thing so you can't really put them
  • 00:23:18
    in your campaigns or much less play one
  • 00:23:21
    oh what's that you feel a divine
  • 00:23:23
    presence calling you calling you to use
  • 00:23:25
    The Verdant Orcs like Grooms calls to
  • 00:23:28
    them
  • 00:23:28
    well my child it is no other divine
  • 00:23:31
    presence than mine indeed my children in
  • 00:23:35
    my infinite Glory I haveth madeth the
  • 00:23:38
    verin orth and it's for thee to use thus
  • 00:23:41
    saith the Hat yep the verin orc and
  • 00:23:44
    their lore and their everything you ever
  • 00:23:46
    need to put them in your games or play
  • 00:23:48
    one including art made by yours truly is
  • 00:23:50
    in the description of this very video
  • 00:23:52
    you're watching and it's for 100%
  • 00:23:54
    certified pointy hat free praise be but
  • 00:23:57
    what if Orcs are not your thing what if
  • 00:23:58
    this whole video was orc propaganda and
  • 00:24:00
    you are an elf simp aiser well here's
  • 00:24:03
    this ancient video on elves and it has
  • 00:24:05
    two elf subspecies for you to use and if
  • 00:24:07
    this whole Grooms thing has peed your
  • 00:24:09
    interest in starting your own campaign
  • 00:24:11
    how about this video on how to do
  • 00:24:13
    exactly that hope you like
  • 00:24:15
    it
Tags
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  • Fantasy Lore
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  • Incog
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