ORCSES!

They thrive live in the shadow-lands. Where we are weak, the orcs are cruel. When we offer mercy, they give no quarter. They howl at the border of our kingdoms, raze our villages, and slaughter our people. And when the last city falls into burning ruin, the orcs will stand victorious, their grisly war-banners and bloody spears raised in triumph. The first in a series of master tomes that illuminate the strengths and weakness of the foes that prey upon the kingdoms of good, Monstercology: Orc s brings mankind’s oldest enemy to light. Know thine enemy: Monstercology. Monstercology: Orcs is a great new 4E sourcebook by Rick Maffei. If you don't know Rick's work, you should ... and you will. Rick's one of the great unsung gaming writers I know. His adventure "The Scaly God" is one of the best DCCs ever published; he's written some of the best and most fiendish encounters for the various Dungeon Crawl Classic tournament adventures; and his most recent DCC,...

Regions: Damara, Moonsea, Orc, Rashemen, Thesk, Vaasa, or The Vast. Racial Feats: Daylight Adaptation, Headlong Rush. Racial Prestige Class: Orc warlord. Level Adjustment: +1. The orcs of the eastern lands are concentrated in the Moonsea and Endless Wastes today, with a much smaller number scattered through the various lands that lie between. Gray orcs look less bestial than their more savage northern kin, but are still obviously nonhuman. They are somewhat hairy, with long manes of bristly hair on their heads, shoulders, and backs. Their faces are less porcine than the mountain orcs, with the exception of their tusks. They have yellow, orange, or red eyes, lupine ears, and black or gray hair. Gray orcs are more apt to wear "civilized" clothing than mountain orcs, and prefer varying shades of brown, black, blue, and other dark colors. Skin tones are usually gray with mottled patches of lighter or darker gray on the chest and flanks. Gray orc characters have the starting a...

The orc warlord is a savage general of an unruly army, the leader of one of the deadly and all too common orc hordes that rampage down from the Spine of the World to savage and brutalize the civilized lands of Faerûn. An orc warlord is an imposing figure, often slathered with scars both ritualistic and all too real in origin. Barbarians and fighter/barbarians are the best suited to become orc warlords, as they already excel in battle and often attract large armies on their own. Barbarian/clerics sometimes become orc warlords to better lead their followers into religious wars. Orc barbarian/rangers and barbarian/rogues usually operate alone, although it is not unknown for one of these to become a warlord in desperate times. Perhaps the most potent of orc warlords, though, is the barbarian/bard; his natural abilities to handle large groups and inspire greatness stack quite well with the abilities granted by this prestige class. An NPC orc warlord is usually encountered on the field of ba...

Adventurers frequently leave the safety of civilization behind and sojourn into uncharted and uncivilized lands. The lack of civility they might encounter has no greater representative than the orc. An orc, no matter the tribe, embodies barbarism in one form or another. When you need an enemy that disrupts the civilized world by its mere presence, you need an orc or even a tribe of them. Each tribe has its own strengths, weaknesses, and goals, and the differences in each tribe can keep those dealing with them off guard. Sometimes, though, a single tribe of orcs is insufficient to achieve an end that an orc leader desires. In these cases, orc tribes join together to form a horde, and strong leaders can utilize the strengths of each tribe to lessen the weaknesses, thereby creating a stronger force. Within a tribe, an orc’s position is determined by its strength, though strength can be a relative term depending on what the orc tribe prizes most in its members. Orcs take challenges fr...

They thrive live in the shadow-lands. Where we are weak, the orcs are cruel. When we offer mercy, they give no quarter. They howl at the border of our kingdoms, raze our villages, and slaughter our people. And when the last city falls into burning ruin, the orcs will stand victorious, their grisly war-banners and bloody spears raised in triumph. The first in a series of master tomes that illuminate the strengths and weakness of the foes that prey upon the kingdoms of good, Monstercology: Orcs brings mankind’s oldest enemy to light. Know thine enemy: Monstercology. Rules Set: 4E (GSL). Writer: Rick Maffei Cover Art: Ben Wootten Graphic Design: Erik Nowak GMG3100, 112 pages, $21.9

(Left to right) orc raider, orc bloodrager, orc eye of Gruumsh, and orc warrior