Orc Tribes and Characters

Greetings!

Here I present some interesting tables for quickly generating details about various orc tribes and cultures, with quick character-traits for individual orcs encountered. Yes--I know orcs do not usually live long enough to do more than scream a ferocious oath, or gnash out harsh, growling noises--but on the occasions where the orcs have a speaking role, such tables can be helpful.

Enjoy!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Orc Tribe Technology Level
01-05% Stone Age
06-10% Bronze Age
11-30% Iron Age
31-50% Dark Ages
51-70% Early Middle Ages
71-90% High Middle Ages
91-95% Late Middle Ages
96-00% Renassiance

Orc Government and Leadership
01-25%: Single Powerful Chieftain or King+Strong Advisor Council
26-50%: Single Powerful Chieftain or King+Weak or Submissive Advisor Council
51-75%: Powerful Couple: King and Queen+Strong Advisory Council
76-00%: Powerful Couple: King and Queen+Weak or Submissive Advisory Council

Orc Social Power Centers
01-20% Single Powerful King or Chieftain possesses primary power and authority
21-40% Powerful Couple: King and Queen possess primary power and authority
41-55% Strong Primary Single Leadership, plus shared power with strong Religious leadership, and strong Nobility
56-70% Strong Primary Couple Leadership, plus shared power with strong Religious leadership, and strong Nobility.
71-80% Strong Primary Single Leadership, plus shared power with strong Nobility; weak Religious leadership
81-90% Strong Primary Single Leadership, plus shared power with strong Religious leadership, but weak Nobility.
91-95% Strong Primary Couple Leadership, plus shared power with strong Nobility; weak Religious leadership
96-00% Strong Primary Couple Leadership, plus shared power with strong Religious leadership, but weak Nobility.

Orc Tribe Size
01-10% Small Tribe 100-300 members
11-25% Medium Tribe 400-700 members
26-50% Large Tribe 700-1200 members
51-75% Huge Tribe 2,000-or more members
76-90% Strong Chieftain Leads Confederation of several tribes (3-8 small-huge tribes)
91-00% Orc Kingdom of multiple tribes (7-12 orc tribes, from small to huge)

Orc Character Trait Templates

The DM should roll on the Orc Character Traits table once for a particular Orc NPC. The table can be used to add a bit of variation and color to a single Orc, as well as providing some variety for individual members within a group of Orcs encountered.

Orc Character Traits
01-10% Simple Beast
11-20% Brilliant Moron
21-30% Greedy Brute
31-40% Loyal Savage
41-50% Suspicious Guardian
51-60% Savage Warrior
61-70% Cunning Advisor
71-80% Strange Mystic
81-90% Relentless Hunter
91-00% Disciplined Warrior

01-10% Simple Beast
The Simple Beast Orc is muscular, reasonably quick, and skilled in combat. Simple Beast Orcs are particularly simplistic, harsh and brutal in thinking, judgement, and social skills.

11-20% Brilliant Moron
The Brilliant Moron Orc is famous for spontaneously spouting off some brilliant idea or analysis--and just as frequently, comes up with insanely stupid ideas or if in charge of executing some great plan, often botches it from a series of stupid decisions, assumptions, or interpretations.

21-30% Greedy Brute
The Greedy Brute is famously known for always seeking personal gain--whether that is booty, food, or some other benefit, the character often voices their own desires and announces their intentions and expectations of profit to their companions.

31-40% Loyal Savage
The Loyal Savage is a solid, conservative character. Loyal Savages are famously stubborn in their loyalty, and stoic in their refusal to accept bribes or support treachery of any kind. Loyal Savages often stand with their leaders whom they have pledged their loyalty to, and will go to the ends of the earth for their leader.

41-50% Suspicious Guardian
Suspicious Guardians are always watchful, wary, and suspicious of others true motives or intentions. Suspicious Guardians are especially scornful of lesser orcs down the pecking order, and always on the lookout for treachery, laziness, or gross stupidity.

51-60% Savage Warrior
The Savage Warrior is brutal, ambitious, and harsh. Savage Warriors are relatively simple in their desires, and straightforward in their ambitions and intentions.

61-70% Cunning Advisor
The Cunning Advisor is intelligent, cautious, and capable of fairly advanced schemes and is relatively smooth and skilled at manuevering in political environments.

71-80% Strange Mystic
The Strange Mystic are often bizarre in their spiritual philosophy and mannerisms, though they are typically cunning, shrewd and wise.

81-90% Relentless Hunter
Relentless Hunters are skilled in forestry, ambush, evasion and infiltration--and are tough, relentless hunters that zealously pursue their prey. Relentless Hunters are also cunning and skilled in surmising the prey's likely escape routes, and often can arrive at a guessed-at juncture before the prey arrives.

91-00% Disciplined Warrior
Disciplined Warriors are courageous, strong, and steadfast. Disciplined warriors are loathe to ever retreat, though may do so if they believe the battle is hopelessly lost.