The common (some might say lowly) orc is ubiquitous in fantasy gaming, and while clearly dangerous in numbers, they can become stale with repeated use, especially to the seasoned group. Fortunately, it shouldn't take much to keep them interesting. Tribal politics alone can invigorate these pig-faced humanoids. They're more than just a pretty face, and the inventive can always find ways to spice up the individual encounters where these beasties frequently appear, using the following as inspiration. The key lies in defying convention:
1. Orc berserkers who fight on for 3 rounds after death.
2. Orcish cavalry, ritually burned, riding firedrakes.
3. Orc devotees of a dark god so foul other orcs shudder.
4. Orcish engineers equipped with high explosives.
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5. Orc flagellants so pious they turn their whips on heretics.
6. Orcish minstrels who sing to summon deadly spiders.
7. Orc pacifists who eschew violence and might help the party.
8. Orcish regulars outfitted with razor-sharp boomerangs.
9. Orc shamans (magic-users) carried in baskets on an ogre's back.
Once again, they key is to defy convention, but also to challenge. Giving orcs unique, often powerful allies and servitors, equipping them with unconventional weapons, and granting them unexpected and effective strategies collectively ensures not only cinematic encounters replete with spectacle, but challenging ones to test the toughest of parties. Of course, this operates best when coupled with campaign lore. Who is the dark god feared by the foulest of foes? And why do orcs have engineers? The game alone knows the final answer...
