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View Full Version : What would/could orcs trade for a ship?



Jeivar
2014-02-12, 04:00 PM
I'm DM-ing a viking game using D&D 5, and last saturday my players were raiding in Fantasy Britain and captured among other things a warship. They sailed to an orc village to sell slaves and then decided to trade the orcs for the ship as well.

The session ended there so I didn't have to decide what on Earth I should make the orcs hand over in exchange for something so valuable.

It's been previously established that the orcs aren't good blacksmiths, but they do raid against nearby dwarves. Still, I think it would take a hell of a lot of weapons to trade for a ship. The vikings will have to fit their payment onto a longship already loaded with loot.

So . . . ideas?

Cikomyr
2014-02-12, 04:04 PM
Loot is, indeed, obvious. Currencies, gemstomes, etc.. Anything orcs can't break.

Also, the obvious would also be product of hunting. So things like Fur might work.

Just because the Orcs aren't good smith doesn't mean there isn't stuff they aren't good at crafting. Maybe they have some special grease that gives cold resistance? Or potions that allow them to psych themselves into a frenzy?

Rhynn
2014-02-12, 04:12 PM
Do the orcs want/need a ship?

Why are the PCs offering to trade them a ship if the orcs don't have something the PCs want? Make them ask for something.

A "village", though, is unlikely to have anything valuable enough for a ship. Now, an orc tribe spread over a larger area might have a chief with enough power and wealth to afford it, and enough ambition to want it...

Why not just sail the ship back home, too? I'm not sure if viking ships generally had enough men for a "prize crew", though... and given they occasionally require rowing, under-manning a longship may not be a great idea.

The Oni
2014-02-12, 04:15 PM
Blows.

Hah, ah'm so funny

Eric Tolle
2014-02-12, 04:17 PM
From what I understand, orcs consider pie to be a valuable resource. You might have a hard time getting them to part with it though.

Cikomyr
2014-02-12, 04:20 PM
Orcs would obviously see a ship as a mean to do some raiding and pillaging.

Now, there's a hundred zany schemes popping in my head where the PCs just recruit Orcs as shocktroopers and cannon fodder in their raid, but that's not what you asked.

delenn
2014-02-12, 11:18 PM
Is it possible the orcs would have raided a valuable item or two, magical or otherwise , that they weren't able to identify or appraise properly (something that the orcs either don't realize is powerful, or just can't use)? Otherwise, if they don't have much of value to offer in exchange, it's really just up to the PCs if they want to sell the ship at a loss, or keep it and try to find a better market. Just because they want to sell something valuable doesn't mean they'll be able to do it anywhere they want.

Slipperychicken
2014-02-13, 12:06 AM
A smaller, faster ship? They might be willing to trade crops or livestock if they have enough.


A better question to ask is "what would a village even do with a ship?" I would be tempted to make the PCs find a larger settlement to sell the ship.

GungHo
2014-02-13, 10:02 AM
Weapons, furs, gems, or coin in a currency they have no use for.

You just gave them a bunch of thralls, so I guess I don't see a reason for them to give you more thralls, unless their thralls were either runt orcs or thralls they couldn't do much with, like dwarves who refused to smith or elves who wouldn't perform labor.

Maybe they have some spell books or other items that they captured in a raid and cannot use because they cannot read or their magical traditions are shamanistic/sorcerous.

I agree with Rhynn, though... it seems like a warship would be pretty valuable in and of itself to Vikings, unless it has too deep a draft for river raids. In which case, they're probably better selling it off to people who have an actual maritime interest or bringing it back near shore to their home and dismantling the furnishings and other things that can actually be removed from the ship before scuttling the hull. Hell, if I'm the Jarl, I'd have people pull it into my own private lake. Can you imagine the look on the other Jarls' faces when I host the next Thing on my boat? "You mean you don't have one of these?" I'd have my skald do the early medieval version of "I'm on a Boat", while I stand on the bow wearing a nautical-themed pashmina afghan. Do you think that there's a spell for autotune?

Fortis
2014-02-13, 10:25 AM
Eh, being orcs, the first thing that came to mind is 'the severed heads of the PC's enemies.'

Weirdlet
2014-02-13, 12:14 PM
The chief's daughter as a barbarian cohort? A McGuffin raided from the dwarves that they think is inert but looks awfully fancy, which then turns out to be a plot hook because it's a lot more than it seems/they realized when they traded it?

Cikomyr
2014-02-13, 12:20 PM
I would still suggest some sort of special orc-made alchemical stuff they would use.

Cold-resistance ointment, frenzy-inducing potion, stuff that grants Endurance (to help carry bigger loads).

Or you could go into the more exotic stuff. Maybe trained dire wolves that can be used as mounts?

Jay R
2014-02-13, 12:58 PM
The orcs will trade the shipowner's trachea for the ship. All they have to do it get their hands on the trachea.

Cikomyr
2014-02-13, 01:03 PM
The orcs will trade the shipowner's trachea for the ship. All they have to do it get their hands on the trachea.

Orcs are more than pure psychopathic rampaging machines, ye know

Felhammer
2014-02-13, 01:12 PM
They are natural hunters, so they could have quality leather/hide armor. Additionally, being more pastoral-ly inclined in nature, Orcs could very well have amazing bows. Additionally, living so close to the land, the Orcs would be master herbalists (so some potent/rare potions could very well be available). You mentioned the Orcs are not good at Blacksmithing but they do take slaves. Perhaps they have a Dwarven slave who they make craft items.

Failing that, trade a multitude of things, including the above items and plunder (like treasure maps, sea routes, rare/exotic items, etc.).

Berenger
2014-02-13, 01:46 PM
The oriental princess, of course. What oriental princess? Well, the oriental princess that was part of the legation to the dwarven lands but got ambushed and enslaved by -tada!- orcs. Instant love interest / magically gifted cohort / valuable hostage / plothook to sail to the Sultanate of Farway.

Gavran
2014-02-13, 02:25 PM
I imagine whatever a village has to offer for a boat is both pretty meager (pretty sure building simple ships would be a better option for them, generally) and of little use to an adventuring party. Something that large can only be really "sold" to someone pretty wealthy. So, I like the "making allies" route. Give the orcs a ship, now you have a raiding party that owes you some favors. Let the players figure out how to put that to use, I'm sure they'll succeed.

Warlawk
2014-02-13, 05:41 PM
It's been previously established that the orcs aren't good blacksmiths, but they do raid against nearby dwarves.

The first thing that comes to mind right there is either Mithril or Adamantite. Dwarves are known for being great miners as well as smiths. Perhaps the orcs stole a chest of raw mithril or adamantite, but since they lack the skill to actually make anything out of it, they are interested in trading it for something they want. This gives your PCs something valuable, they can trade it themselves or have custom items created from the stuff.

veti
2014-02-13, 06:02 PM
Orcs are often fluffed as "good with mechanisms" - traps, machinery etc. They might have useful gadgets, or (if they're a bit more organised) designs/blueprints that the vikings might be interested in.

Slipperychicken
2014-02-13, 06:09 PM
Orcs are often fluffed as "good with mechanisms" - traps, machinery etc. They might have useful gadgets, or (if they're a bit more organised) designs/blueprints that the vikings might be interested in.

I would fully support using the principles of 40K Ork technology (http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Orks#Ork_Technology).

And now I have an excellent idea to screw PCs out of loot :smallbiggrin:

Cikomyr
2014-02-13, 06:18 PM
Wouldn't the trapmakers be the Kobolds rather than the Orcs?

Jay R
2014-02-13, 06:25 PM
Orcs are more than pure psychopathic rampaging machines, ye know

I know. That's why I suggested the kind of extortion that pure psychopathic rampaging machines would never do.

oudeis
2014-02-13, 10:14 PM
Make it the in-game equivalent of $20 worth of beads. The Orcs are a lot smarter than the PCs are willing to credit. :smallcool:

Cikomyr
2014-02-13, 10:17 PM
Make it the in-game equivalent of $20 worth of beads. The Orcs are a lot smarter than the PCs are willing to credit. :smallcool:

Yes yes! This Orc Special Infusion of Virility! Promise to you make you strong as horse! Made out of Honored Elder's Dried Testicles! This very prized among my people!

Or Dwarves' Testicles..?

Yhea, let's got with Dwarves

Avilan the Grey
2014-02-14, 05:35 AM
What comes to mind for me is
hides, pelts, raided rare materials (as above), maybe a high quality (magical) bow...

Also, I think orc hunters are slightly less vary of big prey; In a "viking" world I would guess they would have more exclusive pelts and furs to trade, like Giant Cave Bears, Owlbear pelts etc, things that human hunters might not go for and hence actually making them a fair trade for a boat or ship.

Sampi
2014-02-14, 06:26 AM
A plot hook!

A piece of a four-piece artifact, a treasure map, a spellbok written in an ancient language, whatever you like!

hemming
2014-02-14, 09:04 AM
Maybe there are a good deal of military veterans of orc war campaigns there - with knowledge of how to make special siege weapon ammo (barbed ballista bolts w/ bleed dam/fire shot/etc.) for your PCs existing ship

hemming
2014-02-14, 09:13 AM
Orcish moonshine - made from fermented root vegetables buried in jars, this high alchohol content orc 'shine will fetch a good price in the Vikings homeland (where only low alchohol content mead is available)