How do you portray evil Humanoids?

[Simon Magalis]

As a DM, how do you go about distinguishing between the
hordes of humanoid monsters out there (Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Kobolds, Bugbears, Gnolls, etc.). The MM sure doesn't give you alot of background info.

 

[jollyninja]

before i decide to use a tribe of humanoids, i try to flesh out their leader. Who their leader is, how he became leader. do his people respect him, do they fear him, how much? once you have the personality of their leader, you can pretty much just make his people act as he would but with less ability. I personally think that monsterous humanoids would have individual goals just like not so monsterous humanoids, but would play to their strengths.

generally i use their favored class as a guide to their tactics, if they are barbarians, they will attack in a mad rush, rouges will ambush whenever possible slowly draining the party's resources through guerilla tactics, fighters will use the best tactic available, rangers will use the terrain to best advantage ect.

 

[Davelozzi]

If it's background info that you're looking for, you can't go wrong by picking up Mongoose's Slayer Guides to Hobgoblins and Gnolls. They may have their flaws, but the price is right for about $8 each and they will give you a better idea of these humanoid's societies.

 

[Desdichado]

I typically make up my own societies for them based on stuff I've read about other "barbarian" tribes and peoples from Eurasian history, or some other source. Lots of good ideas out there.

For instance, I read recently that some anthropologists believe that some Neanderthal societies had a sexually dimorphic lifestyle: females and young living settled lives mostly gathering while males banded together in hunting groups and only for a few months (or weeks!) of the year even saw the females! I've done similar societies with monstrous humanoids in some of my campaign settings that I've worked on.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I use the trademark George Lucas method:

Silly accents for everybody!

 

[Teflon Billy]

Having done away with alignment in my campaign, I treat them as just different people vying for the same resources as the PC's races (pretty much the historical definition of "evil races")

Different societies to be sure. My Orcs are the equivalent of your classic image of "mongols": Nomadic Horse Raiders.

All of the goblinoid species (Bugbears, Hobgoblins and Goblins) are in one "race" but are broken down into a caste system (Hobgoblins are the "Leaders", Bugbears are the "Warriors" and Goblins are the "Unwashed Masses".

 

[Corinth]

I toss all of the goblinoid races together with orcs, called either orcs or goblins (as per J.R.R. Tolkien) and use the stat blocks to represent the varied races/tribes of orcs within the species.

For other humanoid races, I play it by ear with a default to using what's in the MM (or wherever) to best effect.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I generally do not worry too much about their society. What I aim for is to make sure that they are worthy opponents. I do every thing I can to portray them as being absolutly evil and relentless.

In general, I stick to tribal organiztion methods, and I try to give the leaders strong personalities. I usually dont set them up as having any sort of formal system of government. They follow the strongest leaders. The only time my humanoids form alliances is when the individual leaders can agree on one goal or another.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Tonguez]

For instance, I read recently that some anthropologists believe that some Neanderthal societies had a sexually dimorphic lifestyle: females and young living settled lives mostly gathering while males banded together in hunting groups and only for a few months (or weeks!) of the year even saw the females

Interesting - this is exactly how I have run Orcs in my campaigns and I will include the Orc society writeup below.

As to the overall Topic the entry below will basically show how I run all races - by looking at the 'culture' which motivates their actions. I'm an anthropologist by training and also one of those who has dropped 'alignments' - imc ALL races are neutral - and developing 'cultures' based in part on real world cultures and on animal behaviour is a hobby I enjoy.
For instance my seperation of male and female orcs was based on Hyena behaviour, the ritual rape on a certain Sth American culture; I based a lot of Gnoll behaviour on wolf packs; my gnomes are eusocial burrowers with similar lifestyles to the east African Molerat mixed with faux-pict

SO without further ado -
Orc Culture

Orc society is clan based and rigidly divided along gender lines.

Female Orcs form semi-nomadic clans usually consisting of a Matriarch, her daughters, and their whelps. Orc clans although cohesive are very hierarchical and divided between the Matriarch, the Senior daughters and Juniors. Seniors often bully and are violent towards the juniors, stealing their food and even killing and eating their whelps. Related clans do interact but generally these groups are also highly territorial and will fiercely defend their territory from encroachment especially from the all male Mobs. Trade with othermore established races is not unknown, although not common either.

At the age of 8 yrs (Human Equivalent) most male whelps are forced out of the clans and form all male peer groups (Mobs) which are characterized by extreme violence and aggression. The clans do not allow mobs to establish territories and thus mobs survive by raiding and brigandry which often brings them in to conflict with other races as Orc mobs raid farms and settlements for food and resources. Naturally this has resulted in great enmity with other races and means that Orcs suffer great stigma when interacting with non-Orcs.

Leadership of a mob is only held by demonstration of strength. Kindness or mercy are invariably interpreted as weakness and taken advantage of accordingly. As such members are constantly fighting for status and the resultant primary access to food and other resources. In addition these mobs are constantly feuding with other mobs and with the clans so life in the mobs is best summarized as "nasty, brutal and short".

Orcs are as intelligent as humans and Orc mobs sometimes act as mecernaries fighting for others in return for guaranteed food and shelter. And although they are naturally lazy, orcs do not lack skills. When under harsh control they are capable of prodigious work. They can tunnel and mine almost as well as the dwarves, and although most crafts are crude the few-trained Orcs smiths are renowned for their mastery in the crafting of weapons, armors, war engines and especially torture implements.

Orc healers also deserve recognition for their astonishingly quick results: a severely wounded soldier can be put back into action in a matter of hours! At the same time, these healers are unique for their total indifference to pain or scarring, which only enhance a Orc warrior's reputation.

Orc Shamans require special mention also , as these are usually males who have raised by the all-female clans rather than forced out. Raised as females most Orc shamans are transvestites and are believed to gain special access to the great Orc deities . Orc Shamans are given free access to move amongst all the clans and mobs without fear of reprisal and have been known to occasionally forge huge Orcish hordes.

Mating Rituals[/b
Orc mating rituals follow the same scheme of violence as nearly everything else in Orcish society. Orc Mating rituals are best described as 'ritual rape'.
If a Female clan and a mob meet and the females are ready to mate they will stage a 'Confrontation'. Where the females line up and taunt the males occasionally running forward over the demarcation line. The males are then obliged to abduct the female and if he can subdue her and escape from her pursuing relatives the two will mate. Lone females are also often attacked by mobs and Orc mobs will also ritually rape females of other races (traditionally human or elven woman, this being one of the origins of the Half-Orc)

 

[Aaron L]

I have cast all the evil humanoid races in my world as "evil spirits clothed in flesh." Orcs are rampaging Chaotic hordes, 7 feet tall with jet black skin. Hobgoblins are Lawful, militaristic fascists, living in fortified caverns. Goblins are degenerate Hobgoblins. Gnolls I haven't gotten to detailed with yet, but I have featured them. I carefully evaluate a race before I include it in my world, and then incorporate it into the history. Orcs are servants of Abomination, Hobgoblins are servants of Samael, who created all of the Evil races by twisting human souls and nature spirits.