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September 23, 2008 - Orcs Still Alive!
The site is still alive although there have been few updates. The orc guild links are still being maintained. If you have an orc guild you want added to the games list, just send an e-mail. (e-mail info is under the "Contact Kor - Orc Scrollkeep" link on the bottom left of this page.)
December 4, 2006 - Orc Site Status
I have recently upgraded the forum which I believe was a long required change. Aside from that I am continuing to work away at much d20 orc content (I am the champion of half-finished content). I am slowly completing many of my projects, one of which is the Orc War Drummer.
I have created such a unique and revolutionary drummer class, that I am positive it will seriously interest most orc roleplayers (or in the very least, make a worthy adversary only for the most evilest of DM's). The basic design concept was to completely and totally change the class so that it did not resemble a bard in anyway, especially in song mechanics. The class is nearly completed and I am very happy with it. I am hoping to have the rest of the classes I have outlined, finished soon. (Orc Shaman, Orc Spirit Talker, Orc Caster).
With the completion of these classes I will be going through the existing classes and giving them an overhaul. (I will acknowledge that my Orc Scout class is a little "over talented", and in need of some "tweaking down".) I am also contemplating the release of all my content info a single PDF -- time permitting of course as I do have a lot of unfinished content I want to include.
Thanks for all your continued interest and support as we now head into the 5th year of ORCS!
Kor - Orc Scrollkeeper
October 2, 2006 - Orc Names Generator
A new orc names generator has been added to the Orc Names page that generates thousands of possible Tolkien style orc names and Warhammer style orc clan names.
September 19, 2006 - Orc Feats
Added an article showcasing 15 unique new orc feats.
Orc Feats
February 12, 2006 - Orc Magazine
The Orc Magazine site is an online parody of real magazines such as "Playboy Magazine" and the "New Yorker Magazine". These non-subscription parody magazines are Orc-themed slanted toward rpg games.
A very entertaining read!
December 22, 2005 - Slave of Chu Kutall
This new novel written by Michael McCloskey, featuring a half-orc protagonist, is being released in January. More information about this novel and on how to order it can be found at:
Synopsis:
When the ex-slave named Nergal joins a party of heroes, he isn't looking for adventure, he's just looking for an easy meal! But soon enough the impressionable young half-orc begins to feel a kinship with these men and women who are on an important mission to an abandoned castle. Dark forces are marshalling against them, and Nergal is seen as an asset in the quest to stop the evil that threatens their kingdom.
Unfortunately for Nergal, he's done things that wouldn't go over well with his heroic friends. As he grows into a mighty force for good himself, Nergal is forced to hide his past. He becomes drawn into a struggle between nations and the hunt for a monk-wizard that creates deadly monsters to aid the cause of an ancient sect's draconian rule over other peoples.
The hunt will take Nergal to lands unknown and he will face challenges greater than he anticipated, but when the smoke clears there will be no doubts as to Nergal's true nature.
December 22, 2005 - New Orc D&D Articles
Tom Doolan has submitted several orc related D&D articles. You can find them under the Roleplaying/Wargaming section. The articles are:
- Orc Champion (Prestige Class)
- Wildmaster (Class)
- Shaman of Gork (Class)
- Kurbag (Orc Deity)
May 30, 2004 - Da'Nogra - God of Orcs!
An article showcasing a new orc deity called Da'Nogra has been added to the D&D Roleplaying Resources. Da'Nogra (da'noh'gra) is a powerful greater god who thirsts for battle and thrives on watching his enemies die - all in the name of his might and glory. The Great-One believes in bringing the battle to the enemy. He is the essence of chaos and brutality. Da'Nogra rewards the strong and punishes the weak.
More information on Da'Nogra can be found here.
May 25, 2004 - The Killing Spirit: A Savage Tale of Orcs
On July 5th, author Sean-Michael Argo's new novel "The Killing Spirit: A Savage Tale of Orcs" will be released. You can pre-order now through Amazon or PublishAmerica.
The following preview text was taken from PublishAmerica:
"The race of orcs are the last remnants of an ancient and brutal world that has been left behind by the civilizations of man and elf. The marauding orcs find themselves under attack by an alliance bent on purging the world of its savage past in order to make room for a new age of peace and growth. Under the guidance of their shamanic leader a barbaric tribe of orcs fight back, joined by trolls and goblins as they struggle to survive a journey of self-discovery and holocaust. Beset upon all sides by a world that seeks their end, the ancient races delve deep underground to awaken the dark god that spawned their kind, and launch the final campaign on a world no longer their own."
April 8, 2004 - Orc and Goblin Warpath!
A new link has been added for the Orc and Goblin Warpath, website -- a Warhammer orc resource. The following summary of their site was submitted:
GATHERING THE WAAAGH! FOR THE STORM OF CHAOS
Storm of Chaos is time for Orc and Goblin players from around the world to gather together into a great Waaagh!. If we can get enough players together and coordinate our efforts, we can maximize our potential for gaining lands, fear/respect for our race and possibly more.
There is much to discuss. Games Workshop has not yet revealed much officially about the campaign but rumours are flying around everywhere. We need to come up with and select a council of Warlords which will direct the Waaagh!
There is a separate forum at Orc and Goblin Warpath specifically dedicated to the Storm of Chaos. Please come by and join the Waaagh! If other Orc and Goblin Webmasters have ideas for coordinating for the upcoming campaign stop by the website and give us your ideas.
If you are a seasoned Orc and Goblin player with experience organizing for and playing in Games Workshop's previous worldwide campaigns (Albion for Warhammer Fantasy Battle and/or Eye of Terror for Warhammer 40,000) and are strategic minded we are looking to create an upper leadership for the Waaagh!. Join the forum and help decide what form the leadership should take and who would best be in those positions.
Other races are already organizing. It is time for the Greenskins to rise up as well. Let us gather our tribes, sharpen our weapons and our tactics, and let's make this the greatest Waaagh! the Warhammer world has seen.
Orc and Goblin Warpath
January 10, 2004 - An Orcish X-Mas
I just recently saw this picture on the Blizzard Entertainment home page. Although Christmas 2003 has come and gone, it still makes a great orcish holiday scene!
Click here to view a larger image of this picture.
January 9, 2004 - Hierarchy Within A Horde
Added a document detailing general orc social and military structure within an orc horde. This document breaks down each type of military and social unit and details the ranks within.
Hierarchy Within A Horde
December 17, 2003 - Orc Warrior Class
Added the Orc Warrior class to the site.
The orc warrior is an adaptation of the core fighter class. The orc warrior is capable of specializing in a broad group of weapons, able to deflect blows and can deliver various devastating charge attacks.
Orc Warrior
November 21, 2003 - Orc Scout Class
Added the Orc Scout class to the site.
The Orc Scout is basically a combination between a rogue and a ranger. The orc scout serves as a hunter, a sentry and a scout. The scout's skills and abilities are mainly used in wilderness terrains. The orc scout also is considerably proficient with a shortbow.
Orc Scout
November 15, 2003 - Three New Orc Published Content Resources Added
The Quintessential Half-Orc, a new d20 book from Mongoose Publishing's 'Quintessential' line is out. This book contains much information for the roleplayer of half-orcs, most of which could easily be adapted to orc player characters.
The Strange Ones, a d20 resource being published by a new publishing company, Ethereal Pursuits, LLC, details orc sorcerers and includes new abilities, spells and prestige classes. This book will be released in December 2003.
Dordairmak, The Lost Languages of Orcs and Goblins, is also being published by Ethereal Pursuits and will be released in December. This book details much information on the Orc and Goblin languages including definitions and grammar structure.
More information on all these products can be found in our Orc Published Content section.
October 6, 2003 - Orc Brawler Class
Added the Orc Brawler class to the site.
The Orc Brawler is rougly a combination between a fighter and a monk. The brawler mainly fights unarmed and deals considerable damage when doing so. Similar to monks they can strike multiple times and their damage die increases as they raise in levels. The brawler is also adept with many unarmed special attack actions such as grappling and tripping.
Orc Brawler
JUNE 7, 2003 - Orc Weapons
Currently, much like most of the d20 fanbase out there, we are waiting for the pending release of the D&D 3.5 edition. Although we have much orc content to add to the site, we are currently waiting for the release of 3.5 to make any needed revisions.
Special orc weapons and unique d20 rules for using them have been added to the Roleplaying / Dungeons & Dragons section. We trust that 3.5 won't be changing the game mechanics for these.
Orc Weapons
JAN 20, 2003 - d20 Warcraft - Official Announcement!
It seems as though the rumors about this project were true. Hopefully it will be a valuable resource for the orcish roleplayers. Time will only tell.
Official Announcement.
JAN 18, 2003 - Orcs of Tellene and GRUNTS
We have just added the new, Kingdoms of Kalamar - Fury in the Wastelands - Orcs of Tellene, d20 orc sourcebook published by Kenzer and Company to the site. This is a great resource for players of orc player characters and for DM's running orc campaigns.
This 160 page sourcebook provides details on making unique and varied orc player characters, and as well allows the DM to introduce worthy and creative orc non-player characters into a campaign. The content of this sourcebook includes details on: five orc species, orc culture, orc warfare, orc religion, orc tribes, and adventure ideas. Rules based content includes: feats, spells, skills and prestige classes.
Also added to the site, is GRUNTS, an orcish novel combining the elements of fantasy, comedy and gruesomeness.
Go to the Resources / Orc Published Content section to view these, or just Click Here.
DEC 01, 2002 - Realms of Torment
This is an MMORPG that is currently in development. Orcs will be a playable race. The game has several features that many of the core-MMORPG developers have stayed away from: skill based character development instead of levelling, permanent death and character aging. The game will soon be entering beta testing.
Realms of Torment.
NOV 29, 2002 - Himrak War Party Adventure
Himrak War Party is a d20 adventure module for orcs! "The module is based around a marauding group of orc commandos known as the Himrak. The entire adventure centers around the Himrak, their culture, history, and terrible ways". This a great adventure for orc player characters and serves as a good orc resource!
Himrak War Party is published by Fiery Dragon Productions, and is available FREE for download as a PDF. Go to the Resources / Orc Published Content section, or just Click Here.
NOV 13, 2002 - Orc Breeds and Orc Rager Revisions
A new d20 resource has been added detailing two types of orc breeds. This can be found in the Roleplaying / Dungeons & Dragons section, titled:
Orc Breeds
Also, some minor revisions have been made to the Orc Rager character class, also located in the Roleplaying / Dungeons & Dragons section.
On a final note... Happy Anniversary to us! ORCS has wandered the realms of cyberspace for over one year now! During this time we have received great support and encouragement from the many readers which have found our little cave of orcish archives. Thanks for stopping by!
OCT 30, 2002 - Wrath & Rage - A Guidebook to Orcs & Half-Orcs
Wrath & Rage is a new d20 publication by Green Ronin Publishing. This book is a good resource for the orcish roleplayer, offering roleplaying ideas, over 50 new feats, 7 prestige classes, spells, gods, domains, weapons and magic items for half-orc and orc characters.
Further information on this book can be found here in the Resources / General Orc Information / Published Content section.
We have also added a Green Ronin free online material document titled "Wrath & Rage - Web Enhancement" to the Roleplaying / Dungeons & Dragons area.
OCT 5, 2002 - Heros of High Favor: Half-Orcs.
Heros of High Favor: Half-Orcs is a new d20 publication by Bad Axe Games. Although all content within is intended for half-orcs, it could very well be used for orcs. (In fact most of the abilites/feats/prestige classes within might even be better suited for pure-blood orc characters). Included within are:
- 30 new feats (8 of which are part of a unique Tribal/Totem focus path),
- some new uses and rules for existing skills, (i.e. Craft Skill -- Craft Rope, Craft Savage Weapon, Craft Savage Armor; Handle Animal Skill -- Breed Animals, Breed Beasts, Crossbreeding),
- 10 new prestige classes, (Agitator - Barbarian/Bard, Favored of the Eye - Barbarian/Cleric, Moulder - Barbarian/Druid, HordeChieftain - Barbarian/Fighter, Lost One - Barbarian/Monk, Fervent Antagonist - Barbarian/Paladin, Dire Stalker - Barbarian/Ranger, Coal-Tongue Raver - Barbarian/Rogue, Wyrd - Barbarian/Sorcerer, Hoodoo - Barbarian/Wizard)
- some brief information on roleplaying a half-orc character.
Further information on this book can be found here in the Resources / General Orc Information / Published Content section.
Also for those of you wondering where the "weekly orc classes" are -- they will be delayed for sometime -- at best we are hoping to get about one to two out per month. Thanks for your patience with this!
SEPT 1, 2002 - Weekly Orc Classes and d20 Warcraft.
Kor, the Scrollkeeper of ORCS will now be presenting a new Orc Player Class every week for the next two months. These classes will be uniquely orcish in their origin, yet will be well balanced will all existing classes. Hopefully this will encourage some of our readers to create and submit new orc classes and prestige classes. This week's new class is the Orc Rager.
For those of you that don't know already, Wizards of the Coast will be publishing a d20 resource, War Craft III Player's Guide, by James Jacobs and Paul Peterson. We have heard a rumor that this may be out around October. (As it is just a RUMOR, don't put any bets on this one). We are hoping that this resource will provide lots of information on role playing orcs and offer unqiue classes, feats, and prestige classes for orcs.
Also, we have updated some of the information on the Evolution of Gruumsh article as more 3rd Edition material on Gruumsh has surfaced.
AUG 5, 2002 - The Slayer's Guide to Orcs Released
Mongoose Publishing has now released the Slayer's Guide to Orcs. This d20 orc resource describes the general physiology, habitat and society of orcs. Roleplaying information and adventure ideas are also included.
JUL 17, 2002 - New d20 Orc Sourcebook Coming Soon
The following is an excerpt from EN World. This product is expected to be released in September.
Wrath & Rage: A Guidebook to Orcs and Half-Orcs (Green Ronin), 64 pages, perfect bound -- "The biggest, meanest, dumbest race in d20 is back for another round. The orc has long been a punching bag for fantasy gamers, but not anymore! The orcs (and half-orcs) of Wrath & Rage are stronger, more savage, and more cunning than anything you've faced before. This toolkit for GMs and players is packed with new feats, prestige classes, templates, spells, clerical domains, pantheons, magic items, and weapons. Whether you intend to use orcs against your players, or to play one yourself, Wrath & Rage guarantees that you'll never look at this ancient race the same way again."
JUL 6, 2002 - Published Content Section Updated
First, you may have noticed it has been some time for an update. We have canvassed many sites and have obtained as much information we could find on orcs. Until new content is created, updates will be slow here now.
We have updated the description for the ORCS: First Blood novel series. Author Stan Nicholls was kind enough to write a description for us. In truth he submitted it several months ago and we forgot to upload the description. Sorry Stan!
Also, we have added a new product called: ORK! The Roleplaying Game. It is a very unique roleplaying resource. Designed more for a short, non-serious, adventuring campaign -- this book has all the essentials for keeping your players entertained for hours.
FEB 18, 2002 - Darkfall Online
Darkfall Online is an online roleplaying game (MMORPG) in a fantasy setting. Our best summation of this game is "Ultima Online done right." This game is currently in development for the next three years. Darkfall features many roleplayer favorites, such as: Player Housing, Craftable Items (including magical items), Hundreds of Spells, Skill Based Character Development (no character levels), and Unique Races, such as the Ork!
Be sure to take a look at their site! Darkfall Online
With permission from the developers we have added Darkfall Ork information under: "Resources" - "Orc Anthologies" - "Darkfall - The Ork"
FEB 18, 2002 - New Material
The following materials have been added to the site:
- Eye of Gruumsh. This is an overview of the Prestige class which was presented in the recently released, Masters of the Wild, guidebook by WotC. (Roleplaying - D&D)
- Evolution of Gruumsh. This provides a general background of orcish lore concerning Gruumsh and the orc deities in general. (Roleplaying - D&D)
- Origin of Orcs. This is a fairly indepth review of the origins of Tolkien's orcs. (Resources - Orc Origins)
FEB 13, 2002 - Orc Anthologies Updated
Two new resources have been added to the Orc Anthologies section. These two resources both offer interesting and unique looks into the culture and society of orcs.
Also, DM's Haven has posted a review on the soon to be released Skraag - City of Orcs published by Mongoose Publishing.
Click here for the Review
DEC 31, 2001 - Orc Gods of the Forgotten Realms
A new resource titled, Orc Gods of the Forgotten Realms, has been added to the Dungeons and Dragons Resources. This is an excellent and well detailed article written by, Tom Rinschler. Specific game information is given for play with the 2nd Edition rules of Dungeons and Dragons.
We have experimented with a slightly different presentation format for this article. It seems a little more "eye-friendly", and likely all resource documents will be switched to this format.
DEC 27, 2001 - Skraag - City of Orcs
Mongoose publishing has announced Skraag - City of Orcs, as a product to be released in February 2002. Although this possibly shoots down this writer's own plans to publish a similar project, this product does indeed seem promising. Below is a quote from their product information screen:
"Home to over twenty-five thousand rampaging orcs, Skraag is a city of pure brutality, a place of nightmare that even the bravest adventurer will fear to tread. Built from the ruins of an ancient dwarven stronghold the orcs themselves destroyed, the hordes of Skraag range for miles in every direction, bringing slaughter and misery to any community unfortunate enough to be within range of their predations."
For more info on this product, go to: Skraag
DEC 26, 2001 - Blessed of Gruumsh
The Blessed of Gruumsh D&D d20 Prestige Class from Dragon 282 has been added to the site under the Roleplaying section. The information contained within the article is not the exact text. We have posted our "summary" and "interpretation" of the article and copied the progression table.
The Blessed of Gruumsh are the loyal and devoted warriors of Gruumash first and foremost. In this writer's opinion, there are two weak/inconsistant areas in the article. Firstly, Gruumsh's weapon of choice is the spear (not the orc double axe), and it would only seem appropriate that orcs which devote every fibre of their being to Gruumsh, would also wield spears. I do think that an axe is a better weapon for an orc, but who am I to argue with Gruumsh? Secondly, the eye gaze attacks seem a little far fetched for my liking. Just because the priest has one eye shouldn't automatically mean that he starts to take on the abilities of a beholder. Gruumsh is the "all knowing and all seeing", so I say they should have been given some divinatory/scrying abilites.
DEC 15, 2001 - Orc Priesthoods and Orc Anthologies
An Orc Anthologies section has been added under the Resources section which will showcase the different articles authors have put together detailing orcs from their own viewpoints. Under the Roleplaying section, a d20 system for Orc Priesthoods has been added. One of our readers "Todd" has informed us that there will soon be a Dragon Magazine issue dedicated to Orcs in the next few issues. We'll be keeping our eyes open for that one.
Currently ORCS has not officially been announced to the "world". Over the Christmas holidays further conent should be added and soon, most likely the first week of January, ORCS will go live. What does this mean? We will be aggressively seeking out quality websites that will add us to their links list, and perhaps add a "blurb" about us in their news / reviews areas. With the increased exposure, we are also hoping that more material will be submitted. We are also waiting for authorizations from several other authors to post their articles on ORCS, and also waiting for WotC's response to our request for adding the specialty cleric of Gruumsh to our site, as found in April 2001's, Dragon Magazine issue 282.
NOV 26, 2001 - Orc Language Resources
We have now added an excellent Tolkien orc language essay by Helge Fauskanger, titled "Orkish and the Black Speech". If anyone knows of any other sources for fictional orc languages, please let us know at: orcs@shaw.ca
NOV 12, 2001 - Orc Names
The Orc Names section under Resources is now built. Should you encounter any problems with the generators please let us know. The Fantasy Name Generator will soon be changed so that it accesses this site for the data files.
NOV 10, 2001 - Lord of the Rings Orcs
For those who haven't already seen these in the numerous fan sites, here's some pictures of the different types of orcs in the up and coming LotR movie.
NOV 7, 2001 - ORCS Alive!
ORCS established today. ORCS will be the roleplayer's ultimate resource for roleplaying orc characters.
ORCS will begin to evolve around player needs, based on player input and support. We will need some staff who can help contribute to the site. Authors of fiction and game material are encouraged to contact us.
We will also need someone who can daily check on new developments relating to orcs in Horizons and World of Warcraft. This individual will also be required to check daily on UOSS and UO Events for any Orc related events and fiction. Should this become too cumbersome for one individual we will need another individual to assist.
If there is someone with a Warhammer background who wishes to develop and maintain an orc site for such content (ie orc tactics, orc miniature gallery / painting tips, orc terrain) , then please also contact us.
Currently, I (Kor) am working on a D&D Orc Campaign which will include unique ficiton, cities, geography, classes and prestige classes. As this content is developed it will be added to the site. Contributions from other authors are also welcome.
Kor can be contacted at: orcs@shaw.ca
For now, the site is up for general testing purposes. We will not be "advertising" the site until we are happy with the format and existing content.
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