Search Results
All Results
Characters
Compendium
Spells
Items
Monsters
Vehicles
Forums
Returning 35 results for 'war of orcs'.
Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
races
Volo's Guide to Monsters
great unknown.
NISHREK AND THE ETERNAL WAR
Orcs believe that if they die with honor, their spirits go to the plane of Acheron, the Infinite Battlefield — specifically the layer of Nishrek
Luthic. He predicts that the war will end with Luthic the only deity standing, as the cave mother ascends to rule her warrior children.
Life in the Tribe
Orcs survive through savagery and force of
Half-Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
races
Basic Rules (2014)
Gruumsh—lord of war and fury—created the first orcs, and even those orcs who turn away from his worship carry his blessings of might and endurance. The same is true of half-orcs. Some half
fierceness, and his wits. Human ancestry was no blemish against a warrior—provided he was every bit as strong, enduring, and bloodthirsty as his full-blooded kin. Half-orcs who were weaker than their
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
operate up and down the Sword Coast and throughout the North. Most are small-scale operations that employ a dozen to a hundred folk who offer security services, hunt monsters and brigands, or go to war in
-states in the North are willing to field an army alongside the Chill, but several are happy to quietly pay the Chill to battle the Uthgardt, orcs, trolls of the Evermoors, and other threats to
classes
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
committing brave deeds in battle. The mere presence of a knight in a hamlet is enough to cause some orcs and bandits to seek easier prey. A lone knight is a skilled warrior, but a knight leading a
band of allies can transform even the most poorly equipped militia into a ferocious war band.
A knight prefers to lead through deeds, not words. As a knight spearheads an attack, the knight’s actions can awaken reserves of courage and conviction in allies that they never suspected they had.
classes
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
committing brave deeds in battle. The mere presence of a knight in a hamlet is enough to cause some orcs and bandits to seek easier prey. A lone knight is a skilled warrior, but a knight leading a
band of allies can transform even the most poorly equipped militia into a ferocious war band.
A knight prefers to lead through deeds, not words. As a knight spearheads an attack, the knight’s actions can awaken reserves of courage and conviction in allies that they never suspected they had.
races
appearance of their parent species. The Mror Holds have seen a surge of Ruinbound births since the War Below began, and there have always been Ruinbound orcs and humans in the Shadow Marches. Even in these
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Gruumsh, is the god of pure, brute strength, renowned for his power but disdained by some for his oafishness. Horde Leader The patron deity of half-orcs is the war god Ilneval. He has the title of War
Half-Orc Deities As befits their dual nature, many half-orcs revere deities from both the human and the orc pantheons. Alone or among themselves, half-orcs offer prayers to orc deities, particularly
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
Iceshield Orcs Orc raids are common occurrences throughout the frontier, as small bands of orcs steal livestock or waylay the occasional supply wagon. In recent days, a tribe hiding in the rough
lands east of the Sumber Hills has become markedly bolder. The Iceshield orcs are attacking farms and cattle ranches throughout the region, and orc scouts have been sighted by patrols less than a day’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
can subsist on this sort of prey and booty for quite some time. War Wagons Orcs pillage and scavenge wherever they go — everything is loot, and loot is always something to be proud of. In order to
haul as much food and booty as possible back to the tribe’s den, every tribe has a sturdy war wagon. Since orcs are poor crafters, most of their wagons are stolen from human or dwarven strongholds, and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
into death and the great unknown. NISHREK AND THE ETERNAL WAR
Orcs believe that if they die with honor, their spirits go to the plane of Acheron, the Infinite Battlefield — specifically the layer of
weakness of their enemy like a pack of hungry wolves. Bahgtru, “the Leg Breaker” Despite the influence of Ilneval, orcs are and will forever be brutal and feral in how they wage war. Bahgtru is the deity who
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata
to combat rampaging orcs, with mixed results. The War of the Silver Marches (1484–1485 DR), the latest such conflict, saw orcs fighting alongside white dragons and frost giants. Though the orcs and
Orcs and Half-Orcs (p. 68) This section is now called “Orcs,” and the text has been replaced by the following: The history of the North is replete with tales of orc hordes spilling out of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
invulnerability. Each of the other mercenaries carries a pouch that holds 2d10 gp. Ear Seekers The wood elves of the Ardeep Forest are at war with a neighboring tribe of orcs called the Ear Seekers (so named
because they wear necklaces made of elf ears). Gurrash, the orc war chief, recently led an attack on the forest. Unfortunately for the orcs, the elves were ready for them. More than half of the orc horde
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Ghaash’kala Characters The Ghaash’kala are primarily orcs, but their numbers include a few half-orcs and members of other races. They devote their lives to guarding the Labyrinth and containing the
Silver Flame, Kalok Shash is a harsh faith that requires all able-bodied folk to fight in the endless war against the forces of darkness. Sacred Champions. As a Ghaash’kala, you are a champion of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak
, as are its attacks. A crumbling fortress on the northeast spur of Icespire Peak serves as the dragon’s lair. Cryovain seized the icy fortress from a tribe of savage orcs, killing the orc war chief and
forcing the tribe’s survivors to flee into the foothills and forests. Enraged by the death of their war chief, the orcs have called upon ancient allies — evil, shapechanging, half-orc spellcasters who
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
of food often brings them to the surface to hunt. Orcs respect an orog’s strength and cunning, and a lone orog might command an orc war band. Stronger and Smarter. An orog uses its strength to bully
foremost — because they believe that the gods have strength beyond reason, and physical might is all they respect. Servants of Darkness. Mistrusted by orcs, some orogs form independent mercenary war
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
the blast of a horn, they all rush the structures simultaneously. The battle is on. The war band includes forty orcs led by a lone orog and his second-in-command, an orc Eye of Gruumsh. When the orcs
solely on the characters and their foes, glossing over all of the other fighting and just making an educated guess as to the outcome. This method is the quickest for resolving the battle. The orcs could
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
there are few such places in the North. A small community was growing near the Kingdom of Many Arrows, but the recent war with the orcs of that realm caused this burgeoning population to disperse
Half-Orc Homelands In lands far from the Sword Coast, such as Thesk and Chessenta, there are large communities of half-orcs, where generations of them have lived as a people in their own right. Yet
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
The Mark of Gruumsh The one-eyed god Gruumsh—lord of war and fury—created the first orcs, and even those orcs who turn away from his worship carry his blessings of might and endurance. The same is
true of half-orcs. Some half-orcs hear the whispers of Gruumsh in their dreams, calling them to unleash the rage that simmers within them. Others feel Gruumsh’s exultation when they join in melee
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
and destroy a rampaging orc horde. Settlements throughout the North form their own coalitions to combat rampaging orcs, with mixed results. The War of the Silver Marches (1484–1485 DR), the latest
Orcs The history of the North is replete with tales of orc hordes spilling out of the mountains to attack the mines, ranches, farmsteads, and settlements of other folk. These orcs hear the call of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak
H19. Orc War Chief’s Lair Kra, the orc war chief, dwelled here until Cryovain ate him. All that remains of Kra is a severed right hand still clutching the haft of an elegant-looking nonmagical
greataxe, which the war chief found in area H17. The room is decorated with the spoils of war, including impressive-looking furniture that was mostly destroyed when Cryovain attacked. Also heaped about the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
The Mark of Gruumsh The one-eyed god Gruumsh—lord of war and fury—created the first orcs, and even those orcs who turn away from his worship carry his blessings of might and endurance. The same is
true of half-orcs. Some half-orcs hear the whispers of Gruumsh in their dreams, calling them to unleash the rage that simmers within them. Others feel Gruumsh’s exultation when they join in melee
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Orcs: The Godsworn To feel the thunder of orcish war drums outside the gate and to hear a chorus of voices growling, “Gruumsh!” is the nightmare of every civilized place in the world. For no matter
how thick its walls, skilled its archers, or brave its knights, few settlements have ever withstood a full-scale onslaught of orcs. Every soldier who lives through a fight with orcs tells of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
, the orcs wage an endless war on humans, elves, dwarves, and other folk. Orcs hold a particular hatred for elves. The elven god Corellon Larethian half-blinded Gruumsh with a well-placed arrow to the
Orcs Orcs are burly raiders with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks. Gruumsh One-Eye. Orcs worship Gruumsh, the mightiest of the orc deities and their creator. The orcs believe that in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
noncombatants. Orcs establish their encampments mainly in mountainous areas, around and within deep caves or large crevasses in the rock. Although they prefer such terrain for strategic purposes, they can
followers of Yurtrus and Shargaas are relegated to the deep, dark recesses of the site, away from the rest of the tribe. At the center of the camp is the tribe’s war hearth. Once a war hearth is lit
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
a significant population of orcs and half-orcs from the Shadow Marches. Immigrants from the Lhazaar Principalities have settled in the Warden Towers district, which is primarily a garrison for the
Sharn Watch. The district of Smoky Towers had a significant Cyran community even before the Last War; now, this area has become a haven for Cyrans wealthy enough to escape the refugee camps of High
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Treasure Orcs are consummate raiders. When they attack and overwhelm, they claim as booty anything of value that they can carry — and an orc’s definition of “value” can be very loose indeed. The
strongest or most dominant orcs will always claim the best loot after a successful raid, and since the pecking order in the group is almost always firmly established, there are usually no squabbles over
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Orcs of the Shadow Marches The orc Gatekeepers played a crucial role in defeating the daelkyr and binding their evil in Khyber, and their descendants continue to maintain the ancient seals and fight
aberrations spawned by the daelkyr’s corruption. However, many orcs succumbed to that same corruption and embraced the madness of the cults of the Dragon Below. Orcs who follow both of these paths
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
Half-Orcs of the Shadow Marches Where the people of the Five Nations know little of your kind, in the swamps of the Shadow Marches half-orcs are celebrated. Human refugees settled in the Shadow
Marches centuries ago, and the first half-orcs helped to cement the bond between these outsiders and the native orcs. Many Marchers feel that the half-orc carries the best traits of both races, with the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a2
The Forge of Fury Two centuries ago, the great dwarf smith Durgeddin the Black and his clan were driven from their home by a horde of fierce orcs and trolls. They plundered the dwarves’ ancestral
was captured by a powerful orc tribe during a raid, and the orcs learned of their enemy’s hidden stronghold. The orc chieftains raised a great army and marched on Khundrukar. In a hard-fought siege
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
particularly defensible lair for decades. The orcs of such a tribe must range far across the countryside to sate their appetites.
Leadership and Might. Orc tribes are mostly patriarchal, flaunting such vivid
or grotesque titles as Many-Arrows, Screaming Eye, and Elf Ripper. Occasionally, a powerful war chief unites scattered orc tribes into a single rampaging horde, which runs roughshod over other orc
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
Ghaash’kala are orcs or half-orcs. They’re deeply devoted to their faith and might be paladins (Vengeance or Devotion), clerics (Life, Light, or War) or Zealot barbarians. Hermit and outlander are logical
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
five stones at dawn before a long journey, you will always find your way back to the war hearth. Stomping your foot three times and uttering “Gruumsh” wards off bad magic. Symbolic Communication Orcs
Orc Culture and Beliefs Orcs live in constant fear of their gods, and their behavior is rooted in that mentality. They believe that they can see the influence of the gods everywhere in the world
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
. Goblinoids — bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins — ruled Khorvaire long ago, before the madness of the daelkyr undermined them. After serving as mercenaries in the Last War, they now seek a place in the world’s
new order. Kalashtar are humanoids bound to spirits from the plane of dreams, imbued with wisdom and telepathic talent. Orcs, along with their half-orc kin, are a fierce people who have fought world
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
Background The Iceshield orcs reside in a handful of lodges spaced about a day apart along the western edge of the High Forest. They have long been a thorn in the side of the denizens of that wood
elemental cults has been taken as a sign from Gruumsh that blood and gold must flow from the lands of lesser races. The orcs seek supply sources in the valley. Scouts found that the farmers and ranchers
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
Bridge has a significant population of orcs and half-orcs from the Shadow Marches. Immigrants from the Lhazaar Principalities have settled in Warden Towers. And Smoky Towers had a significant Cyran
community even before the Last War; this has become a haven for Cyrans wealthy enough to avoid the refugee camps of High Walls. This results in a diverse array of cuisine, entertainment, and services drawing