All the Different Types of Orcs
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Here we go.
Birthright:
- Cerillian Orog: Not really orcs (there are none on Aebrynis) but similar enough to warrant a mention. Similar to apes in appearance. Inhabitants of the caves beneath Cerillia. Though they share the Faerunian Orogs' name and habitat, the similarity pretty much ends there.
Dark Sun:
- Athasian Orc: Extinct.
Dragonlance:
- There are no orcs native to Krynn.
Forgotten Realms:
- Deep Orcs: aka Orogs. No connection to half-ogre orogs. See 'Races of Faerun'.
- Gray Orcs: See 'Races of Faerun'.
- Mountain Orcs: Basic MM orcs.
- Neo-Orogs: Enhanced orogs created by the Zhentarim. Two varieties: red warriors and black spies.
- Ondonti: LG orcs created by the goddess Eldath. Some captured and trained as assassins by the Zhentarim.
- Viperhand Orcs: The orcs of Maztica, created along with Viperhand ogres and trolls just over a decade ago by the god Zaltec from evil humans.
- Zakharan Orcs: Just as civilized as any other race in Zakhara.
- Half-orcs, orogs, and ogrillons can also be found on Toril.
Mystara:
With excerpts from 'Orcs of Thar' in quotation marks...
- Common Orc: "The most common of them all, the orcs come in many sub-races. They can be found in most regions of the D&D game Known World. They usually are slightly larger than a normal man, their faces bearing some obvious beastly traits." The Common Orc ethnic groups:
-- Orcus Porcus: "Definitely most common, with obvious porcine features. Pink, brown, black, or greenish-grey skin, sometimes with spots. Any color and length of hair arranged in any style imaginable. Tribal members identified by their smell. Wear anything shabby and filthy."
-- Orcus Hyborianus: "Northern reaches' breed with sickly white or light grey skin. Wear various furs. Can be found in some glaciers in high mountains."
-- Orcus Imperator Rex: "Porcine features less obvious allowing them to pass for really ugly humans. Prefer black or dark grey hooded cloaks. Copper skin, smaller snout. Psychotics and megalomaniacs believing other orcs to be inferiors. Some found in Orcus Rex territory (Broken Lands)."
-- Robrenn Orc: Orcs living on the plateaus north of the kingdom of Robrenn on the Savage Coast.
-- Yazak Orc: The orcs of the Savage Coast, from the northern Yazak Steppes.
- Kruegel Orc: An obscure orc subrace now found only in the Hollow World. Rounder forehead and higher intelligence than other orcs.
- Red Orc: "This is a sub-race of the orcs, recognizable by their generally red hides and simian features. Red orcs are about the size of a human, with small round ears." The Red Orc ethnic groups:
-- Orcus Rubeus Vulgaris: "Very short hair if any, brick-red to reddish brown. Simian features emulating many of the various monkey faces found in nature. Usually wear mismatched armor pieces, preferring chain mail and great helms. Southern Red Orcland natives (Broken Lands)."
-- Orcus Simius Terribilis: "Long, shaggy hair, bright orange to dull red. Much more muscular and aggressive than the Vulgaris. Favor black, studded leather armor and hoods. Natives of southern Red Orcland (Broken Lands)."
- Yellow Orc: "Another sub-race of the orcs, identifiable by their dull yellow hides. Come with ugly rat or pekingese faces. They are about human size, with pointed ears." The Yellow Orc ethnic groups:
-- Orcus Facies Ratis: "Very short hair, ranging from tan to dull light brown. Longer, pointed snout. Favor black garb with hooded cloak. Nomads of the hills and mountains north of Alfheim."
-- Orcus Canis Oriensis: "Long hair forming a plume on the head, dusty yellow to brown. Pekingese face. Favor mismatched pieces of oriental armor and frightening helms. Nomads of the vast Ethengarian steppes, and of Yellow Orkia (Broken Lands)."
- Half-orcs, orogs, and ogrillons also exist on Mystara, one would assume.
Planescape:
- Planar Orc: Needless to say, far less common than other planar races.
Ravenloft:
- There are no orcs or half-orcs in Ravenloft. Their niche of half-orcs is filled by Calibans (see RL3E).
Spelljammer:
- Orcs and other savage humanoids were once a major power in arcane space. Following their massive defeat in the Unhuman Wars, however, they are now uncommon in space.
- Scro: The descendants of a sect of defeated orcs after the wars, the Scro transformed their culture into a massive war machine. Now they are out for revenge against the Imperial Elven Navy.
- Half-orcs and half-scro, and probably orogs and ogrillons, can also be found in space.
World of Greyhawk:
- Just plain orcs and orc crossbreeds.
Orcs from no particular campaign setting:
- Jor: aka Swamp Orcs. See the Creature Catalog.
- Norke: No connection to norkers. Mountain-dwelling orcs, perhaps with a bit of hobgoblin blood. From Dragon Magazine 158.
Orc crossbreeds:
- Half-orc: See PH.
- Orgrillon: Offspring of a male orc and female ogre. Sterile. See the CC.
- Orog: Offspring of a male ogre and female orc. See the CC.
- Scorpiorc: Scorpion-orcs. See the CC.
- Tanarruk: Orc/demon planetouched. See MoF and RoF.
And there it is.
Anything else? Goblinoids, perhaps?
Edit: Added the Kruegel orcs to Mystara.
Birthright:
- Cerillian Orog: Not really orcs (there are none on Aebrynis) but similar enough to warrant a mention. Similar to apes in appearance. Inhabitants of the caves beneath Cerillia. Though they share the Faerunian Orogs' name and habitat, the similarity pretty much ends there.
Dark Sun:
- Athasian Orc: Extinct.
Dragonlance:
- There are no orcs native to Krynn.
Forgotten Realms:
- Deep Orcs: aka Orogs. No connection to half-ogre orogs. See 'Races of Faerun'.
- Gray Orcs: See 'Races of Faerun'.
- Mountain Orcs: Basic MM orcs.
- Neo-Orogs: Enhanced orogs created by the Zhentarim. Two varieties: red warriors and black spies.
- Ondonti: LG orcs created by the goddess Eldath. Some captured and trained as assassins by the Zhentarim.
- Viperhand Orcs: The orcs of Maztica, created along with Viperhand ogres and trolls just over a decade ago by the god Zaltec from evil humans.
- Zakharan Orcs: Just as civilized as any other race in Zakhara.
- Half-orcs, orogs, and ogrillons can also be found on Toril.
Mystara:
With excerpts from 'Orcs of Thar' in quotation marks...
- Common Orc: "The most common of them all, the orcs come in many sub-races. They can be found in most regions of the D&D game Known World. They usually are slightly larger than a normal man, their faces bearing some obvious beastly traits." The Common Orc ethnic groups:
-- Orcus Porcus: "Definitely most common, with obvious porcine features. Pink, brown, black, or greenish-grey skin, sometimes with spots. Any color and length of hair arranged in any style imaginable. Tribal members identified by their smell. Wear anything shabby and filthy."
-- Orcus Hyborianus: "Northern reaches' breed with sickly white or light grey skin. Wear various furs. Can be found in some glaciers in high mountains."
-- Orcus Imperator Rex: "Porcine features less obvious allowing them to pass for really ugly humans. Prefer black or dark grey hooded cloaks. Copper skin, smaller snout. Psychotics and megalomaniacs believing other orcs to be inferiors. Some found in Orcus Rex territory (Broken Lands)."
-- Robrenn Orc: Orcs living on the plateaus north of the kingdom of Robrenn on the Savage Coast.
-- Yazak Orc: The orcs of the Savage Coast, from the northern Yazak Steppes.
- Kruegel Orc: An obscure orc subrace now found only in the Hollow World. Rounder forehead and higher intelligence than other orcs.
- Red Orc: "This is a sub-race of the orcs, recognizable by their generally red hides and simian features. Red orcs are about the size of a human, with small round ears." The Red Orc ethnic groups:
-- Orcus Rubeus Vulgaris: "Very short hair if any, brick-red to reddish brown. Simian features emulating many of the various monkey faces found in nature. Usually wear mismatched armor pieces, preferring chain mail and great helms. Southern Red Orcland natives (Broken Lands)."
-- Orcus Simius Terribilis: "Long, shaggy hair, bright orange to dull red. Much more muscular and aggressive than the Vulgaris. Favor black, studded leather armor and hoods. Natives of southern Red Orcland (Broken Lands)."
- Yellow Orc: "Another sub-race of the orcs, identifiable by their dull yellow hides. Come with ugly rat or pekingese faces. They are about human size, with pointed ears." The Yellow Orc ethnic groups:
-- Orcus Facies Ratis: "Very short hair, ranging from tan to dull light brown. Longer, pointed snout. Favor black garb with hooded cloak. Nomads of the hills and mountains north of Alfheim."
-- Orcus Canis Oriensis: "Long hair forming a plume on the head, dusty yellow to brown. Pekingese face. Favor mismatched pieces of oriental armor and frightening helms. Nomads of the vast Ethengarian steppes, and of Yellow Orkia (Broken Lands)."
- Half-orcs, orogs, and ogrillons also exist on Mystara, one would assume.
Planescape:
- Planar Orc: Needless to say, far less common than other planar races.
Ravenloft:
- There are no orcs or half-orcs in Ravenloft. Their niche of half-orcs is filled by Calibans (see RL3E).
Spelljammer:
- Orcs and other savage humanoids were once a major power in arcane space. Following their massive defeat in the Unhuman Wars, however, they are now uncommon in space.
- Scro: The descendants of a sect of defeated orcs after the wars, the Scro transformed their culture into a massive war machine. Now they are out for revenge against the Imperial Elven Navy.
- Half-orcs and half-scro, and probably orogs and ogrillons, can also be found in space.
World of Greyhawk:
- Just plain orcs and orc crossbreeds.
Orcs from no particular campaign setting:
- Jor: aka Swamp Orcs. See the Creature Catalog.
- Norke: No connection to norkers. Mountain-dwelling orcs, perhaps with a bit of hobgoblin blood. From Dragon Magazine 158.
Orc crossbreeds:
- Half-orc: See PH.
- Orgrillon: Offspring of a male orc and female ogre. Sterile. See the CC.
- Orog: Offspring of a male ogre and female orc. See the CC.
- Scorpiorc: Scorpion-orcs. See the CC.
- Tanarruk: Orc/demon planetouched. See MoF and RoF.
And there it is.
Anything else? Goblinoids, perhaps?Edit: Added the Kruegel orcs to Mystara.
Last edited:
Knight Otu
First Post
The tanarukk, which I have not seen mentioned yet, are a race of planetouched orcs, which, I think, bred in Hellgate Keep, on Faerun (Not too sure about it, though).
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