Dungeons and Dragons, even fantasy in general, has few villains more iconic than the classic orc. If goblins are the weak fodder, orcs are the monstrous marauders bent on pillaging and plundering. Recent trends have shown an effort to make orcs grow beyond that standard. That’s all well and good, namely for newer settings. However, I say it’s better to really understand what orcs are before you go making them hippies. And, yes, there is more to orcs than just savagery. And by the end of this post, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. Because if you’re not killing it, you’re not playing it to the hilt!

Probably the most unexpected quality of orcs is their faith. Orcs follow the infamously powerful and wrathful Gruumsh, the one-eyed god. Some stories hold that when Gruumsh was trying to pick a place for his creations to roam, the other gods objected. Their objections reached the point where Gruumsh lost his patience and chose the wild places of the world for his children. Further, he instructed them to procreate and take the land they were denied away from the weaklings who cannot hold it. This is the underlying conflict every orc must contend with. A divine calling to destroy and subjugate. They can fight this calling, of course, but most aren’t bright enough to do so. What’s more, despite being an evil deity, Gruumsh actually cares for his orcs, in his own way. Should they fall in a fight, their souls are secured as part of his unholy army to fight beside him forever. Some might say this is uncharacteristic of a chaotic evil deity. That perspective on alignment reduces it to inflexible rules rather than the general outlook, attitudes, and behaviors of a free-willed creature. However, that’s another topic entirely. The point is the orcs have a good reason to follow their wicked god. They’re always on the lookout for omens and signs from Gruumsh that suggest a course of action. The easiest way to show this is to say you look for any omens in the open while traveling. You might even stop and ask the party cleric to cast such a spell for guidance, or go out of your way to gain these abilities yourself. Your orc could go in the opposite direction, recognizing that Gruumsh isn’t always a good influence and be very distrustful of magic in general. Picking a class and/or background related to divinity or battle is a solid start in any event. As for adventuring motivation, it’s quite possible you saw an omen telling you to carve out your own path of destruction. Maybe your path will ultimately lead to a more suitable place for the orcs to live.

So what exactly did Gruumsh put into his creations anyway? Well, if half-orcs have “diluted” aggression, then pure bred orcs are aggression personified. Orcs are very physical creatures. They need to strengthen their muscles, run through the wild, hunt, destroy, and fight, fight, fight! Orcs confined to a smaller place build up this aggression to the point that they may as well be an animal. No wonder Gruumsh tells them to die in battle. Their traits, particularly in 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons, reflect this, as they are able to move in double time (provided they’ve moved closer to an enemy when they stop). The best way to show this off is to come across as something of a fitness fanatics, only in a fantasy context. Brag about the buckets of water you can heft, the stones you can throw. Even when talking about something else, say you’re doing bicep curls with a rock as you converse. Strength, in one form or another, should accent your life. That said, it goes much deeper than just showing you’re fit. Strength, being their key ability, is of the utmost importance to orcs. Orcs who are runts, orcs who are sickly, orcs who are old, all risk some form of exile from their tribe. This is actually an excellent excuse for an orc to adventure. If you build your orc to be a rogue or a non-divine spellcaster, you can easily say you left your tribe because you were weak. Do you care about strength? Do you want revenge or are you going to try and prove power isn’t about just raw strength? All excellent questions to be answered for an orcish character. Even if you are strong, you could say that a rival of equal or greater strength ousted you and your tribe will feel your wrath. You just need a little help getting it done. Bingo! You have a common enemy with the rest of your party.

Taking the influence of the divine and the influence of the body into account, how does that shape their minds? The truth is, the majority of orcs are just plain dumb. There’s not much to shape. The surges of adrenaline and the call to battle shape them into their monstrous reputation. This, however, makes the ones who do have better cognition that much more notable. They can aim their aggression themselves. Imagine your mind is burning with fury. Inner voices are silent. There is only recognition, recognition of your surroundings, recognition of yourself, and recognition of your target. Nothing else matters, nothing else is expressed in verbal ways. Pure instinct is your guide and nothing will stand between you and your target, or you’ll die trying. This is how it is for most orcs in the heat of battle. Focus and fury. For a smarter orc, they just pick their own goal and apply the same aggressive instincts towards it.

Orcs are indeed the monstrous humanoids of myth. They’re not limited to that, yes, but what they are and what they represent is necessary. More importantly, it can be amazing to play. For all the same reasons someone wants to play a barbarian, you could want to play an orc. For them, they are guided by divinity, fueled by their fury, and honed by their aversion to weakness. Dangerous for certain, often used for evil, but not a terrible lifestyle in and of itself. The orcs are far more complicated than what they appear to be. So the next time you make a character, and you see the orc, remember this post. Because if you’re not killing it, you’re not playing it to the hilt!