Orc Alternative

[zarakstan]

I'm wondering if there is a non-cliched alternative to using orcs in my next campaign. I want a savage race that lives in the mountains if anyone has any non-orc/goblin/kobold etc. ideas I would appreciate it.

P.S. Edition 3.5

Thanks in advance

[Yuki Akuma]

You could use goliaths. Or wild dwarves.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Raptorans from Races of the Wild could be a decent choice, unless you want them living underground. Neanderthals in Frostburn could also work, when the PCs gain a few levels and would have run into a few Ogres, you can use Yetis instead.

[Saph]

What's wrong with the goblinoid races? There's goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, blues, dekanter goblins, dark goblins, and all the environmental-typed goblins.

And kobolds aren't exactly savage. They're very organised, they just happen to be evil.

But eh, if for some reason all of those don't work for you, here are some more suggestions, all from the SRD:

• Troglodytes
• Derro/duergar
• Gnolls
• Minotaurs
• Ogres
• Giants
• Trolls
• Grimlocks

[Foryn Gilnith]

Wood Elves. They're brutal.

[Jayngfet]

Elves. Lots of takes have them brutal, callous and arrogant. They're perfect antagonists. They already look down on everyone else, just take it to the logical step.

After all, they can ave kids for a long time so there's a lot to mow down.

[zarakstan]

What's wrong with the goblinoid races? There's goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, blues, dekanter goblins, dark goblins, and all the environmental-typed goblins.

And kobolds aren't exactly savage. They're very organised, they just happen to be evil.

But eh, if for some reason all of those don't work for you, here are some more suggestions, all from the SRD:

• Troglodytes
• Derro/duergar
• Gnolls
• Minotaurs
• Ogres
• Giants
• Trolls
• Grimlocks

My adventuring group has played so many games with goblins that any more and it would just be repetitive and tedious.
I used savage as a more broad word relating to evil merely for convience's sake.

Elves. Lots of takes have them brutal, callous and arrogant. They're perfect antagonists. They already look down on everyone else, just take it to the logical step.

After all, they can ave kids for a long time so there's a lot to mow down.

I think I will use elves. Thank you for the idea.

Wood Elves. They're brutal.

Thank you everyone for your quick responses

[oxybe]

take a page out of dark sun: cannabalistic halflings. you think big, hairy, green skinned tusked brutes are nasty?

imagine an entire race that look like children, their giggling echoing through the caves as they taunt you from afar when the ground in front of you suddenly burst as a ravenous child goes for your jugular.

and bites.

[Gamerlord]

UNDEAD!

Oh wait, you want a sentient race, my bad.

In that case, MINOTAURS!

[Mongoose87]

Gnomes!!!!!

[CockroachTeaParty]

Other fun options:

Neanderthals (Frostburn): Similar to humans, but more savage, and could easily be viewed as degenerative. The normal humans might look down on them with a mixture of disgust, shame, and fear.

Mongrelfolk (Races of Destiny/Fiend Folio): Hideous creatures of heavily mixed ancestry, again evoke lots of gut reactions of fear, shame, and hatred.

Vasharan/Jerren (Book of Vile Darkness): Humans and halflings, respectively, corrupted beyond all hope and reason. Irredeemably evil, and friggin' scary (especially the Jerren. Picture a whole nation of Belkars).

Kuo-toa: Perhaps coming from deep beneath the mountains, I've always found something awesomely creepy and Lovecraftian about the sticky, googly-eyed fish folk.

Spawn of Tiamat (MM IV): Some of the smaller, swarmy ones, such as the Whitespawn (whatever they're called... the little ones) could be an interesting alternative to kobolds.

TEMPLATES!: You can make tired races such as orcs or goblins fresh and interesting again by applying templates! Want something creepy and alien? Perhaps pseudonatural or half-farspawn (Lords of Madness) orcs are in order. How about a hive of industrious insectile (Savage Species) goblins?

Dolgrims (Eberron Campaign Setting): Creepy four-armed, double-mouthed goblins. Surprisingly nasty foes in combat.

[The Rose Dragon]

take a page out of dark sun: cannabalistic halflings.

Dark Sun halflings are not cannibals. They have never been known to eat other halflings. In their defense, humans are so delicious.

[oxybe]

Dark Sun halflings are not cannibals. They have never been known to eat other halflings. In their defense, humans are so delicious.

well that's just because there were none alive to talk about it.

they're very thorough. nomnomnom.

[Zeta Kai]

Have you thought of Oaves? They're not your typical antagonists, but they make for fun & unusual opponents. Plus your local rules lawyer has probably never heard of them.

[mostlyharmful]

Goliaths can be nice a flavourful.

[Johel]

Agree with the aboves :
Elves should be an antagonist race.
These arrogant tree-huggers shall be cast away from human civilization then kill on sight !!

[Artanis]

What about cannibal Gnomataurs that live in mountainside forests?

[Eldariel]

Why not just Humans? Make the elder races PCs and Humans the evil conquistadors; there's a ton of precedent for this even in our own feudal history. Also, fiction like The Witcher offers good bases for this, and most fictional forms have some antagonist Humans. It's not a big leap to make all Humans evil, powerhungry megalomaniacs or savages; they're a young race and thus relatively undeveloped, after all.

If you don't want Humans in your world though, how about Ettercaps, Sahuagin or similars?

[Foryn Gilnith]

Most Elves are Chaotic Good. This usually means Hippie Pansy. Wood Elves are different. They're usually Neutral. This means they act naturally and do what seems like a good idea. I.E. using their stealth and +2 Str to predate your puny ass into the ground next to the deer carcasses.

[good_lookin_gus]

Have you thought of Oaves? They're not your typical antagonists, but they make for fun & unusual opponents. Plus your local rules lawyer has probably never heard of them.

That's awesome! I've been meaning to introduce the Galoots from Ren and Stimpy.

[The Rose Dragon]

What about cannibal Gnomataurs that live in mountainside forests?

The problem with cannibals is that they aren't much of a problem if you're not one of them.

[Thatguyoverther]

Why not just Humans? Make the elder races PCs and Humans the evil conquistadors; there's a ton of precedent for this even in our own feudal history. Also, fiction like The Witcher offers good bases for this, and most fictional forms have some antagonist Humans. It's not a big leap to make all Humans evil, powerhungry megalomaniacs or savages; they're a young race and thus relatively undeveloped, after all.

If you don't want Humans in your world though, how about Ettercaps, Sahuagin or similars?

I vote for humans too. Maybe not as universally evil but certain tribes/clans/nations are bound to be antagonistic. And humans fit into just about any environ.

Allot of times I dump other races entirely from my games or have them as obscure minorities at the peripheral of human civilization and understanding.