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rojomoke
2010-10-13, 03:45 PM
Hi,
I have an idea for a campaign setting where the characters aremembers of a nomadic tribe of horse warriors, with a Mongols/Scythians/Parthians feel. Their tribal grasslands are under threat from an invading nation of orcs.
My problem is, what would nomadic warrior orcs use as mounts? Plain old horses don't seem right, and the worgs that they would use in the original source material are too small and relegated to goblins in D&D.
So, any suggestions? I'm using 3.5

Drakevarg
2010-10-13, 03:46 PM
Dire Wolves, refluffed so they don't have huge bloody spikes sticking out of their back?

Oh, Bear Cavalry! :smallbiggrin:

shadowmage
2010-10-13, 03:46 PM
I used Dire Wolves for aan encounter I built, or Dire Boars might also work.

ericgrau
2010-10-13, 03:49 PM
You say they were originally riding worgs? How about dire wolves then?

EDIT: twin strike ninja'd

Greenish
2010-10-13, 03:50 PM
Advanced wolfs (4 HD and up) are Large. 4 animal HD doesn't really make them hugely powerful, so that ought to be okay.

If you want something different, have them ride bugs. Large Monstrous Centipede or a Giant Stag Beetle ought to be rather memorable rides.

Eldan
2010-10-13, 04:55 PM
Rhinoceroses.

Wooly ones, if you prefer orcs from an arctic climate.

herrhauptmann
2010-10-13, 04:55 PM
Dire Wolves, refluffed so they don't have huge bloody spikes sticking out of their back?

So fluffy dire wolves?

Eloel
2010-10-13, 05:00 PM
Rhinoceroses.
This.
Rhino-riding is too awesome to pass.

Edit: Or dinosaurs. Dino-riding is almost as awesome as rhino-riding.

Thajocoth
2010-10-13, 05:02 PM
If you don't want to use Worgs or Dire Wolves, you could try:

* More orcs
* People they've conquered (Such as elves or gnomes)
* Beholders
* Tarrasques
* Earth Elemental Beasts
* Mobile plants
* Animated weaponry
* Unicorns (The horn actually makes them more viable as a war mount, honestly)
* Kittens

Zeofar
2010-10-13, 05:11 PM
Dire Wolves, refluffed so they don't have huge bloody spikes sticking out of their back?


Better yet, saddles are attached to the spikes (with a very thick leather cap at the point...) to give a little extra stability.

You could homebrew Beak Dogs (The Goblinoid mount of choice in Dwarf Fortress that seem to be some sort of raptor-ish dinosaur with, as the name suggests, a beak), which would be pretty "holy–" to most people playing in the campaign when they hear the description.

Also, you could always try bucking the trend that Orcs and all minions and animals that they use are a somehow evil or twisted version of humans and other races. Why not horses? That would still be awesome. It would really drive home the impact that you don't have to be "evil evil" to be horribly brutal and fear-instilling. Expand on it, too. Not crushing and killing an entire town consists of conscripting any man who wants to live as a foot soldier - and they go along with it, too, when they're promised the rights of all the other grunts if they prove their worth. The fact that these guys aren't only ready to massacre anyone in their way, but also making converts among the people that they are massacring has to be pretty demoralizing to anyone with the intent of resisting them. They'll turn people not only with the infamous "look at what we did here. Surrender immediately or there will be no second chances," but actually be finding people happy to join the murderous rampage.

Drakevarg
2010-10-13, 05:13 PM
If you don't want to use Worgs or Dire Wolves, you could try:

* More orcs
* People they've conquered (Such as elves or gnomes)
* Beholders
* Tarrasques
* Earth Elemental Beasts
* Mobile plants
* Animated weaponry
* Unicorns (The horn actually makes them more viable as a war mount, honestly)
* Kittens

He's looking for Orc mounts, not Ork mounts. :smalltongue:

Scow2
2010-10-13, 05:17 PM
Goblins have Wolves.

Rhinos or Dire Warhogs/Boars would be better for Orcs. Something as big, mean, and ugly as they are.

Dinosaur mounts are restricted to halflings.

Catfolk ride Tigers/Dire Tigers.

Eloel
2010-10-13, 05:20 PM
He's looking for Orc mounts, not Ork mounts. :smalltongue:

I laughed at that.

Also, Rocs, or Giant Eagles, if only for what I call the 'what the heck' factor.

Edit: How about Pegasi?

Notreallyhere77
2010-10-13, 05:24 PM
I second the rhinos, but if you have the money and want to pick up good minis, Warhammer fantasy makes regiments of orcs on boars.

Zaydos
2010-10-13, 05:32 PM
Black Unicorn from the Forgotten Realms Monstrous Compendium (3.0) (CR 3 I believe)
Hornsaw Unicorn from (White Wolf's) Scarred Lands book Creature Collection II (might be I).
Dire Wolves (CR 3)
Rhinos
Giant Praying Mantises (CR 2)
Tauric gnoll/horses
Large Monitor Lizards

I'd say avoid boars.

Cieyrin
2010-10-13, 05:34 PM
Bulette or Elephants? Rhinos are definitely classy orcish mounts. For flying mounts, why not Dragonnes or Manticore? Basically, orcs will ride anything they can bully into carrying them into battle. Alternatively, especially for the smarter mounts, it could be an agreement between the two or the mount could actually be the one in control!

The Gilded Duke
2010-10-13, 05:37 PM
I actually ran a pretty successful one shot with a series of Orc Fighters on Heavy War Horses. Heavy War Horses are actually quite dangerous at low levels. To make it more Orcy, I had the heavy war horses wearing barding with Huge Sized Armor Spikes. Made it so the horses couldn't use them in a grapple sure, but they did a decent amount of damage on a charge.

Gave all the Orcs Exotic Weapon Proficiency Lasso, Mighty Throw, Javelins and Lances. They were quite terrifying even at level 2. Orc strength works well with the Lasso mechanics.

KillianHawkeye
2010-10-13, 06:03 PM
Don't forget about Winter Wolves! :smallbiggrin:

avr
2010-10-13, 06:08 PM
How about horses with a template? In Eberron, Magebred or Horrid. There's plenty of others if you'd prefer.

I'm surprised that bears only got one mention above.

Alternatively, the orcs might travel in groups centered around an elephant carrying ballistae or something.

Ossian
2010-10-13, 06:14 PM
Give them kinton clouds, cloth exotic armour, and ninja weapons..

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T0aFOb08VmQ/SRnIeFleISI/AAAAAAAAAmM/Ckvp2-iipKY/S250/Bola_de_Drac_(Taringa-net)+(1).jpg

AslanCross
2010-10-13, 06:40 PM
How about horses with a template? In Eberron, Magebred or Horrid. There's plenty of others if you'd prefer.


Magebred actually isn't a template. It's like Dire. There are so many monsters that have the qualifier attached so it looks like a template, but it's actually just a bunch of monsters with a common theme. (In this case, A Wizard Did It.)

J.Gellert
2010-10-13, 06:49 PM
Tigers?

Bears?

Griffins!

And +1 for Rocs, and the orcs must be dual-wielding throwing axes.

The Gilded Duke
2010-10-13, 06:50 PM
Actually magebred is a template. It is on page 295 of the Eberron Core book.
As is Horrid on 289.

The Mentalist
2010-10-13, 07:31 PM
Magebred actually isn't a template. It's like Dire. There are so many monsters that have the qualifier attached so it looks like a template, but it's actually just a bunch of monsters with a common theme. (In this case, A Wizard Did It.)

Magebred is a template. It's in ECS I believe.


I was ninja'd

Drakevarg
2010-10-13, 07:33 PM
Magebred actually isn't a template. It's like Dire. There are so many monsters that have the qualifier attached so it looks like a template, but it's actually just a bunch of monsters with a common theme. (In this case, A Wizard Did It.)

A Wizard Did It (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AWizardDidIt), or a Wizard did it? :smallamused:

AslanCross
2010-10-13, 09:35 PM
Hoist me on my own petard. I always thought it wasn't a template for some reason.


A Wizard Did It (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AWizardDidIt), or a Wizard did it? :smallamused:

...TMI

lightningcat
2010-10-14, 12:40 AM
I like the idea of orcs riding boars.

But, only because I like the idea of dwarves riding rhinos more.

Ravens_cry
2010-10-14, 01:14 AM
The first module I ever read came in a PDF on a CD that came with a D&D book I got from the library and it had mounted Orcs. These Orcs were mounted on Hippogriffs and I remember thinking that was pretty cool at the time.

Xefas
2010-10-14, 01:26 AM
Alright, prepare yourself. Here goes: Voidmind Cattle. The Orcs' version of Genghis Khan is actually a Mind Flayer, and he Voidminds cows into horrible feral monsters with slime-tentacles coming from their cracked, seeping skulls.

No man in all of the fantasy equivalent of Asia, Europe, or the Middle East would not fear the baleful cry of hundreds of "Moooooooo, ftaghn" descending upon their settlement in the night.

Gabe the Bard
2010-10-14, 01:26 AM
If the worgs are too small, you could make them a bit larger and tougher. The orcs could have conquered a tribe of goblins that lived near the grasslands, and then took their worgs in order to breed or mutate them into more fearsome beasts.

Tvtyrant
2010-10-14, 02:11 AM
You could have them ride Bargheests into battle! Goblin-werewolf mounts that cast spells! And then have goblins pulling a giant iron chariot with the leader in it! Slaves, what can't they do?

Thajocoth
2010-10-14, 11:59 AM
He's looking for Orc mounts, not Ork mounts. :smalltongue:

Never seen "Ork" spelled with a 'k'... What's the difference?

Xefas
2010-10-14, 12:01 PM
Never seen "Ork" spelled with a 'k'... What's the difference?

Orks are Warhammer Orcs. D&D Orcs just can't match the WAAAAAGH in pure Tarrasque-riding potential.

Knaight
2010-10-14, 12:04 PM
D&D is less over the top in that regard, yes.

I'm going to add yet another vote to boars, but the bull is another contender. The boar however, gets this:
http://www.legendofzelda.com/gallery/data/616/medium/boarrider.jpg

dsmiles
2010-10-14, 12:07 PM
Orks are Warhammer Orcs. D&D Orcs just can't match the WAAAAAGH in pure Tarrasque-riding potential.

Because red Tarrasques go FASTA!!!

Seriously, though. I usually put my orcs on Clydesdales, or equivalent. Heavy Warhorses/Draft Horses are probably comparable in size, and these guys are ginormous. But I like wartrukks for my Orks.

Although, the Scro ride Spelljammers. That's even cooler, IMO.

Worlok
2010-10-14, 12:29 PM
Dinosaur mounts are restricted to halflings.

But noone has to stick to that, right? I mean, personally I think a combat-trained triceratops is more suitable for ogre cavalry, anyway, but I could picture a horde of orcs, mounted on deinonychus...

Be that as it may, I second boars, or even better/worse, dire boars, as a very good choice, it fits in well with orcs. It would also provide them with that much more sheer staying power, seeing how boars get that ferocity thing. Picture it: Massive, furious, hairy, tusked combat monsters, borne into battle by even more massive, furious, hairy, tusked combat monsters... That's doing it in style, right there.

Although bulls or bisons could do it just as well, I guess. That's talking herd-based Trample damage, all 'bull'-rushing enemy entrenchments, crashing into their ranks, taking names and heads and stopping for nothing... Plus it's the more common species in open, grassy plains, which would blend in with the Mongol style. Hmm... I'm afraid that's sort of a draw for me. :smallbiggrin:


The boar however, gets this:
http://www.legendofzelda.com/gallery/data/616/medium/boarrider.jpg

Awesome. Love the horns on that pig. On the other hand, bulls might just as well get this:

http://zeldawiki.org/images/b/b1/Goht.png

Not so much with bearing riders, though... :smalltongue:

Gerrtt
2010-10-14, 12:38 PM
I like the idea of bulls, but I also like the idea of any of the following:

Big Crocodiles
Some kind of War Tortoise (the tortoise can actually move fairly quick when it needs to, but riding a tortoise is about style, not speed)
Nightmares (could require some explanations)
Centaurs
Fiendish animals

pife
2010-10-14, 12:42 PM
Enlarged Miniature Giant Space Hamsters

Benejeseret
2010-10-14, 01:46 PM
+1 for the earth elemental type rides (earth elemental creature template)

Or

Have them ride plants. Options include plant monsters (often low movement) or can include woodlings or Topiary Guardian templated aninmals. Topiary guardians are a cool concept as sneaking into a orc camp and using the bushes as cover just got....complicated

But as you can tell I am biased towards orcs being 'connected to nature'

Worlok
2010-10-14, 03:40 PM
Boars/Bulls, wearing Hide Armor and Armor spikes, bearing orc fighters/barbarians with the Mounted Fury, perhaps even Spirited Charge feat... That could get really dangerous, really fast, particularly when using boars. I love it. And it would suit the whole tone the original post and the recurring dire wolf idea (spikes) have set, I think. Perhaps have them accompanied by trained wolves or worgs, think sentry dogs. With some of the orcs riding bactrian-type camels instead, playing huge battle-drums (perhaps a bard level or two would be in order) to rally the masses, Golden Horde style.
The 'fiendish animal' approach could play into this. Perhaps the orc horde really are the type of hellspawn the European powers back then considered the mongols to be? Fiendish Dire Boars? Combat-trained Stenchkows? Why not, actually?

Tortoises and crocodiles would rock just as well, as would the aforementioned dinosaurs, but perhaps that would seem strange, especially since both tend to be aquatic, while orcs obviously don't. Also, crocodiles would look really funny when charging into battle while effectively sat upon, except for the Postosuchus type of crocodile perhaps. Which, of course, is merely my opinion and by no means a generally or even neutrally binding judgment.

Centaurs make great horde-type enemies in their own right if properly refluffed, but I'm not entirely sure whether they would ally with (or even allow themselves to be ridden by) orcs. I mean, of course that may be fluffed over as well, but it just seems... off to me.
Sure, from a mechanical point of view it's an awesome idea, tacking Spirited Charge and lances on the centaurs would crank up the damage-dealing potential of the horde, especially with the orcs primarily using composite bows and picking off the survivors while the centaurs already initiate regrouping for another go. Heck, I once went for a similar idea with wild elves and centaurs which worked out devastatingly.
But: Wouldn't orcs (or anyone, really) riding centaurs lead to all sorts of compromising situations? Awkward, if accidental buddy-groping in the heat of battle, most notably? That would sort of take the menace out of them, especially if the players think this through (Which they likely will. These things have a nasty habit of coming down to innuendo about someone's mount, even speaking from my limited experience.)

Elementals would make for a really interesting backstory, but it would likely involve some sort of conjurer and quickly get down to the whole 'Evil brutes used by eeevil mastermind' staple story, I'm afraid. Unless, of course, there is something about dimensional rifts or whatever and the orcs simply chanced across that untapped potential. Anyway, it might distract from whatever background is planned for them so far...

Just another two dimes on the matter. :smallwink:

Tetsubo 57
2010-10-14, 04:54 PM
The visuals of orcs riding wolves is awesome. But the practicality of using carnivorous mounts is an issue. Herbivores make much better choices. I like the rhino idea. I also suggest maybe a dire boar. Or even a smaller scale elephant, something large.

Cieyrin
2010-10-14, 05:13 PM
Elementals would make for a really interesting backstory, but it would likely involve some sort of conjurer and quickly get down to the whole 'Evil brutes used by eeevil mastermind' staple story, I'm afraid. Unless, of course, there is something about dimensional rifts or whatever and the orcs simply chanced across that untapped potential. Anyway, it might distract from whatever background is planned for them so far...

Actually, you could just as easily go with Orc Druids, which are actually rather common, given Wis is the only stat they don't have a penalty to. Besides that, both Eberron and Warcraft have strong Orc Druid traditions that you can draw on for getting earth elementals to do services for you and/or ally with. No 'grunts for the EVILLL wizard' storyline required and its all internal to the race. :smallbiggrin:

the humanity
2010-10-14, 05:16 PM
some type of fast, giant slug with slime that poisons non orcs would be memorable.

Greenish
2010-10-14, 05:30 PM
Actually, you could just as easily go with Orc Druids, which are actually rather common, given Wis is the only stat they don't have a penalty to.Actually, orcs (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/orc.htm) have a -2 to all mental stats, +4 to strength, and no adjustment for con or dex.

Cieyrin
2010-10-15, 02:42 PM
Actually, orcs (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/orc.htm) have a -2 to all mental stats, +4 to strength, and no adjustment for con or dex.

I'm thinking of Half-Orcs, then. Not quite as dim as their Orcish brethren. Though, on the other hand, you could go with Grey Orcs, which have a Wis bonus and are a very spiritual people.

Thajocoth
2010-10-15, 06:14 PM
So no one else thinks that a unicorn makes a great war mount? It's got the trainability of a horse, with the charging horn-skewering potential of... having a horn!

I also suggested kittens... They're carnivorous... And can kill a commoner on their own...

AslanCross
2010-10-15, 07:07 PM
While bulls have been mentioned, I was thinking more along the lines of bison. Domestic cattle? No, thanks, I've got a one-ton mount right here, and a couple of thousand more stampeding behind me.

Plus they have that cool stampede (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/bison.htm)ability that I don't remember seeing on any other statblocks. Even if the organization entry lists a maximum of 30 individuals in the herd, that's still 6d12 damage to everything in the way.

TheThan
2010-10-15, 07:32 PM
Buffalo work pretty well. as do dire wolves and Rhinos.

I once had Arabic dwarfs that rode giant Iguanas.