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[Aigre Excalibur]

Orcs

Fluff:
They drove you out. Cursed you yrch. And then repeatedly and unfairly beat you down whenever you tried to carve out something for yourselves. Is it any wonder that so many of your kind flocked to the Dark Lords' call when they offered vengeance against the proud beings that drove you from fertile lands and civilization to reducing you to caves and rocks.

Concept: Chieftians commanding Orc hordes to take objectives. Gameplay built around military decision making.

Chieftian Creation:

Personal Stats:

Power - determines personal physical combat and force of presence when inspiring troops in the field.

Enterprise - A measure of resourcefulness in acquiring material from both friendly and hostile sources. "Any idiot can command panzers orc hordes, but it takes a genius to supply them."

Coup d'oeil - Vision. Your ability to sense the larger picture, anticipate the enemy, or get intuitive forewarnings of intereference by wizards, unkillable ghost armies and the likes.

You have 50 xp points to distribute between the 3 stats. Each level costs N*5 points.
It takes 5 points to go from level 0 to 1, 10 points from 1 to 2, 15 from 2 to 3, 20 from 3 to 4 etc...
It takes 5*(n/2)*(n+1) to go from level 0 to level n.
You can save any leftover xp points.

Units:

Snaga - Poorly equipped newborns, grown quickly by dark magic and pressed into battle

Grunts - Common orc infantry, slightly smaller than a man, but more vicious.

Uruks - Giant orcs! Like football players. Meatier and more attrition proof.

Weaponmasters - Orcs that live long enough to be considered highly skilled at arms. If they eat right, they also grow pretty big.

Orcs grow into bigger orcs just by living long enough or by eating a lot.

Equipment:

Armor:

Light: Simple Padded cloths and leathers for long distance foot marches. They offer much more protection than civilian dress or running about naked. Many can even take repeated hits from lighter ranged weapons.

Medium: Standard chainmail stuff that provides a balance between protection and mobility.

Heavy: Munition Platemail armor for units expecting intensive combat. A pain to march in.

Masterwork: Plate armor for kings.

Weapons:

Crude: Sticks, flint weapons, wooden javelins, slingshots

Simple: Farming implements, spears, axes, hunting bows

Common: Mass produced military weapons

Advanced: Finely crafted weapons, heat treated longbows, tempered swords and the like.

Masterwork: Knightly weapons, repeating crossbows, gold-leaf embroided elven bows...

Shields:

Buckler: Small hand-shield often used by archers or skirmishers not expected to stand in a battle-line

Light-shields: Targe and Heater pattern light infantry shields designed for flexibility in personal combat while offering decent projectile protection rather than for holding formations in the front line.

Cavalry shields: Shields that offer a compromise between coverage and mobility, they often hang down to cover the legs of the cavalryman. They can be used dismounted in a shield wall.

Heavy-shields: Broad shields for heavy-infantry formations.

Pavises: Anti-Projectile shields for archers not expected to move much. The weight can be too overwhelming to be used in hand ot hand combat.

Mounts:

Wargs: giant wolves the size of a horse, they brawl better than most horses too. But eat a lot more.

War ponies: converted ponies for military use, often used as cheap light cavalry.

Rounceys: A catch-all term for common warhorses of questionable breeding.

Coursers: Horses built for speed and racing, sometimes used as chargers as well.

Destriers: Heavy charging horse bred and trained to work with a knight in battle.


Other Weapons: Artillery and such will be described on a piece by piece basis. They can also be built and dismantled during and after sieges rather than marched around with.

Fatigue:
Simulated narratively after extended fighting, or long and forced marches. Besides fatigue the other draw back of heavy equipment is that they require more material and expertise to maintain.

Supply:
1 Bushel of grain feeds about 125 people at full rations. Can be stretched. Warbands can also acquire other sources of food from forage or cannibalism.
Most infantry formations will forage wherever they go. Cavalry are used to scout out new sources of supply along a march or to simply raid for it.

Tribe creation:
You start with 100 grunts and 100 orc camp followers... You know domestic orcs (of all genders) that do the cooking and cleaning or tend to the children if you're not conscripting them straightaway. You also have 200 pieces of silver to barter with. The prices of goods and war materiel fluctuate wildly, but you can roll for it. You can designate military orcs as infantry, archers and cavalry and then equip them. Try to make relatively homogeneous units.

First Mission:
Your tribes were driven deep into the caves and hills of Morgai around castle Durthang after an alliance of men and elves razed your once proud city of Barad Dur and occupied your homes. But their unity is strained and their watch grows lax. Small orc forts grow unchallenged in the hills. Your wisemen speak of the Return of the King, and urge the collective chieftians to liberate the lands of mordor to prepare for his return.

Your first mission is to sally out through the passages of Castle Durthang, go north into the wastes beyond Ithillien, and attack the town of Gelebrin that is supplying the Gondorian garrisons around Morannon. Gondor no longer has the means to man Durthang itself, but you are warned to be ready for anything.

To play:
1. Create your orc chieftian
2. Allocate grunts into infantry, archers, cavalry
3. Make requisition orders for equipment, this will be rolled for. But you have to offer silver to barter for it on the first turn. You can just forage or loot for your equipment as well, or attempt to get your orcs to specialize into blacksmithing or various crafts. (like getting an entire steel economy going)


Turn order:
1. Make plans, do initial camp things. Break camp for day's march.
2. Execute plans, march,
3. Repitch camp, consolidate, cook dinner. Eat, breed, sleep, etc.

Spoiler: Mordor (click to show/hide)

https://i.imgur.com/cCW3WhY.png

Spoiler: Canon Map of Middle Earth (click to show/hide)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/World_map_.jpg

Spoiler: Map of major settlements (taken from DaC submod for TATW (click to show/hide)

http://i.imgur.com/Coo4xuC.jpg

[TricMagic]

Power - 5  Level 1

Enterprise - 5-10-15   Level 3

Coup d'oeil - 5-10  Level 2

0 Exp left.

Your first mission is to sally out through the passages of Castle Durthang, go north into the wastes beyond ithillian, and attack the town of Gelebrin that is supplying the Gondorian garrisons around Morannon. Gondor no longer has the means to man Durthang itself, but you are warned to be ready for anything.


100 silver.
Buy 20-30 Bushels of Grain at low cost.
Equip 50 Archers with Common Bows, and 50 bucklers.

Equip 10-25 Orcs with common axes.(Most allowed by silver cost)

[Aigre Excalibur]

Power - 5  Level 1

Enterprise - 5-10-15   Level 3

Coup d'oeil - 5-10  Level 2

0 Exp left.

Your first mission is to sally out through the passages of Castle Durthang, go north into the wastes beyond ithillian, and attack the town of Gelebrin that is supplying the Gondorian garrisons around Morannon. Gondor no longer has the means to man Durthang itself, but you are warned to be ready for anything.


100 silver.
Buy 20-30 Bushels of Grain at low cost.
Equip 50 Archers with Common Bows, and 50 bucklers.

Equip 10-25 Orcs with common axes.(Most allowed by silver cost)

Chieftian TricMagic

Power: Level 1
Enterprise: Level 3
Coup D'oeil: Level 2
0 spare xp

100 Grunts
100 Camp Followers
200 silver pieces

You make a roll on your enterprise to to bargain for the goods: 3d6>=4  = (6 4 4, 3 successes) = 3

You realize that military grade bows and axes would be too costly, and that you could get a better deal for more utilitarian (simple) weapons.
You are offered 25 woodsplitting axes for 75 silver.

You are also offered simple ash bows for 7 silver each. 10 Arrow packs are offered to you at 1 silver each.

You also get a good price on bucklers at 3 silver each.

You can buy 30 Bushels of grain that can last for 3750 ration-days for a discounted price of 10 silver. Apparently this is re-fenced grain liberated from a human Yeoman farm.

The orc merchant at the local fort also gives you intelligence about a group of dwarves encamped less than a day's march away, they seem to be a prospecting team looking for iron.








More players can still join. Orcs are routinely massed into overwhelming armies before being hilariously slaughtered by dirty tricks, magic and bad luck.

[Egan_BW]

Power: 4
other things: fuck 'em

My ork boyz don't need no stinkin' armor. If some of emz takes an arrow and dies, dat jus' means he weren't 'ard enuff.
Food's easy, just need some spears an nasty traps to catch whatever poor beastie what comes along. Real 'ard Uruks won't eat nothing that ain't bloody anyways. 5 silver for food, tops, for if our hunters turnz out to be a right load of pansies.
Nah, wots we really wants to spend the filthy man-silver on is weapons; sturdy spears and traps for beasts, an' right big smashas for the man-swines.

95 silva's enuff to buy some good choppas, andz if the seller disagrees, I'll crump 'em.

And none of me boyz are gonna be using no stupid bows or horsies.

[Aigre Excalibur]

Power: 4
other things: fuck 'em

My ork boyz don't need no stinkin' armor. If some of emz takes an arrow and dies, dat jus' means he weren't 'ard enuff.
Food's easy, just need some spears an nasty traps to catch whatever poor beastie what comes along. Real 'ard Uruks won't eat nothing that ain't bloody anyways. 5 silver for food, tops, for if our hunters turnz out to be a right load of pansies.
Nah, wots we really wants to spend the filthy man-silver on is weapons; sturdy spears and traps for beasts, an' right big smashas for the man-swines.

95 silva's enuff to buy some good choppas, andz if the seller disagrees, I'll crump 'em.

And none of me boyz are gonna be using no stupid bows or horsies.

Chieftian Egan
Power: 4
Enterprise: 0
Coup D'oeil: 0

100 Orc Grunts armed with heavy flint spears and crude choppers
100 Camp Followers
300 Spare flint spears
100 remaining silver

625 Rations

You don't roll for negotiating with the merchants, but they are intimidated enough to not outright rip you off too badly.

5 silver gets you 5 stinking bushels of rations. 625 Ration-days, enough to feed your 200 orc tribe for only 3 days.

Random luck roll: 1d6  = (6) = 6

Some of the boys tell you that they can make most of the spears themselves. The whole tribe goes into a frenzy of pointy stick making and forget to do anything else. 200 orcs make 400 sturdy flint spears, too heavy for un-orcly ranged combat, but strong and durable substitutes for any battle-ready metal spear. You reckon that any cave orc could hunt wargs and spiders with these things.

You also acquire poor quality crude choppers at a rip-off price of 1 silver each. They are effective hand weapons against... meat targets? But the local knife supplier flatters you about how tough you would look with them.

[Devastator]

Power: 2  15xp
Enterprise: 2  15xp
Vision: 2  15xp
5xp left over.

I want to buy and equip 5 or so orcs with Wargs, medium armour, common-grade weapons, and cavalry shields.

I also want to buy enough food for at least two weeks, say 15 days.

The remainder I want to buy with miscellaneous crude hand weapons, what we can scrounge up or buy, clubs, spears, etc.

If there's leftover money after that I'll consider buying more stuff.

[TricMagic]

30 bushels bought. -10 S

25 wood-splitting axes bought. -75 S

2 Ash Bows bought. -14 S
10 arrow pack bought and split into 5 each. 1 S

0  Silver remaining.


Equipped.
Break Camp and march for the Dwarves' location.

Set Up camp 3/4s of the way there in a defensible location.

[Aigre Excalibur]

Power: 2  15xp
Enterprise: 2  15xp
Vision: 2  15xp
5xp left over.

I want to buy and equip 5 or so orcs with Wargs, medium armour, common-grade weapons, and cavalry shields.

I also want to buy enough food for at least two weeks, say 15 days.

The remainder I want to buy with miscellaneous crude hand weapons, what we can scrounge up or buy, clubs, spears, etc.

If there's leftover money after that I'll consider buying more stuff.

Chieftian Devastator

Power: 2
Enterprise: 2
Coup D'oeil: 2

5 xp left

100 Grunts armed with 100 heavy flint spears, 300 Javelins, 100 Bludgeons, 100 Targe shields
100 Camp Followers
175 Pieces of Silver

3,125 Wheat ration days

Requisition roll: 2d6>=4f1  = (2 1, -1 successes) = -1

The merchants and local orcs laugh at you. Wargs? The tribes barely have enough to feed themselves, much less sustain giant meat eating wolves. No one has seen warg cavalry in centuries. There are rumors that actual wargs might still be found in the hills around Durthang however.

Out of pity, someone offers a sickly farm pony for 30 silver. You feel like he's trying to just get rid of it and rip you off.

You reroll requisition for other weapons:
(6 6, 2 successes) = 2

Your tribe advises you that they can start making crude weapons from scratch. Flint, sticks and twine, the gifts of nature. Javelins can be made from just hardened wood as well.

<Devastator> half as inf, half as javelins.

Your orcs can be both javelin throwers and infantry!

You make 100 heavy flint spears, 100 bludgeons and about 300 wooden javelins. Someone finds some metal and prototypes an actual Pilum, they hand it to you in humble offering. The point is, they say, you can throw the Pilum, but the head bends, so it can't be thrown back!

2d6>=4f1  = (4 4, 2 successes) = 2

Your men also craft 100 targe shields.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You also learn of a supply convoy leaving Cirith Ungol for Barad Dur. It is manned by fresh troops for a shift change. The local rumor mill swears hat they are bound to have good quality arms for the taking. Otherwise the market price for a single arming sword is about 30 silver. A mail hauberk will cost about 200 silver. A gambeson will also cost about 10 to 30 silver. What money can't buy can always be stolen.

You spend about 25 silver to buy 25 bushels of wheat ration, enough to last the tribe just over 2 weeks.

[Devastator]

Lets head for that supply caravan, maybe I can nick some decent weapons.  Or even pay for them.  The crafting rolls are good, but I'd like a few more serious weapons.

[Aigre Excalibur]

30 bushels bought. -10 S

25 wood-splitting axes bought. -75 S

2 Ash Bows bought. -14 S
10 arrow pack bought and split into 5 each. 1 S

0  Silver remaining.


Equipped.
Break Camp and march for the Dwarves' location.

Set Up camp 3/4s of the way there in a defensible location.

Chieftian TricMagic

Power: Level 1
Enterprise: Level 3
Coup D'oeil: Level 2
0 spare xp

25 Grunts with wood-splitting axes (Simple 2-handed)
30 Grunts with Clubs (crude 2-handed)
2 Grunts with Ash Hunting bows and 10 Hunting arrows between them.

43 Grunts unarmed
100 Camp Followers
100 silver pieces

3,750 ration days of meat.

Requisition roll: 3d6>=4f1!6  = (5 5 1, 1 success) = 1
While you were looking to trade your silver for weapons, some of your tribe sensed the coming battle and made another 30 clubs.

Break Camp and march for the Dwarves' location.

Set Up camp 3/4s of the way there in a defensible location.

You march with your vanguard of warriors for about 10 miles until you find the dwarves where the merchants said they would be. Your camp is trailing about 2 miles behind you. The dwarves are hard to miss because of the fire they have going in the open, they seem to be merrily preparing their dinner as the sun sets.

Coup D'oeil roll - 2d6>=4f1!6  = (6 1 4, 1 success) = 1

In a literal stroke of the eye, you observe only 7 of them. However you surmise that they are better armed than they look, their coats are too thick to be simple civilian garb.

You also notice that apart from their deceptive gear, their demeanor is generally relaxed, they are either naive, or they simply do not fear the local orc tribes.

[Aigre Excalibur]

Lets head for that supply caravan, maybe I can nick some decent weapons.  Or even pay for them.  The crafting rolls are good, but I'd like a few more serious weapons.

Chieftian Devastator

Power: 2
Enterprise: 2
Coup D'oeil: 2

Personal Gear:
Battle Axe (Common 1 or 2 handed)
Gambeson

5 xp left

100 Grunts armed with 100 heavy flint spears, 300 Javelins, 100 Bludgeons, 100 Targe shields
100 Camp Followers
175 Pieces of Silver

3,125 Wheat ration days

Vanity roll on your own power: 2d6>=4f1!6  = (2 6 3, 2 successes) = 2

Before you head out, someone manages to sell you gear worthy of a big bad chieftian like you! You pay 30 silver for a military battle axe and another 30 for a comfortable gambeson. Just for yourself. Now no stray arrows are going to kill you easily!

It is a full day's march across Gorgoroth to intercept the Caravan. It is open ground, and your tribe elects to keep the supply train close with them, making the horde move more slowly.

Coup D'oeil: 2d6>=4f1!6  = (4 3, 1 success) = 1

By dusk you spot the caravan in the horizon. It is about 3 miles from your position. You see about 10 to 30 human sized shapes with them along with pack animals and wagons.
If you ditch your own camp and run your own warriors, you can probably intercept the caravan before it becomes too dark. Or you can continue trailing the humans, but who knows what will happen in the night. Interception will require your orcs to run continuously for half and hour while lugging their equipment before engaging the enemy, you surmise however that your orcs are very lightly equipped anyway.

[TricMagic]

Hmm...

Go back to camp and wait for night to fall. When they sleep, 22 orcs will move behind them under my command.

Cheif TricMagic, +20 Club infantry, 2 Orc Archers.
Plan is to have my archers take an arrow and shoot 2 of the sleeping dwarves . My Club infantry will then move in and beat them back.

They'll make plenty of noise and that will be the signal.

The other 10 Club infantry and 25 Axe infantry, will surround them on our camp side in an arc circle, and when the signal is sounded, they will they will charge and blindside them.

The rest will hang back in case I need to draw the dwarves into an ambush through our retreat. Though I will be heading around the battle to these Orcs to command them to attack with a final blow.

[Aigre Excalibur]

Chieftian TricMagic

Power: Level 1
Enterprise: Level 3
Coup D'oeil: Level 2
0 spare xp

25 Grunts with wood-splitting axes (Simple 2-handed)
19/20 Grunts with Clubs (crude 2-handed) (1 wounded)
10 Grunts with Clubs
2 Grunts with Ash Hunting bows and 10 Hunting arrows between them.

43 Grunts unarmed
100 Camp Followers
100 silver pieces

3,750 ration days of meat.

Hmm...

Go back to camp and wait for night to fall. When they sleep, 22 orcs will move behind them under my command.

Cheif TricMagic, +20 Club infantry, 2 Orc Archers.
Plan is to have my archers take an arrow and shoot 2 of the sleeping dwarves . My Club infantry will then move in and beat them back.

They'll make plenty of noise and that will be the signal.

The other 10 Club infantry and 25 Axe infantry, will surround them on our camp side in an arc circle, and when the signal is sounded, they will they will charge and blindside them.

The rest will hang back in case I need to draw the dwarves into an ambush through our retreat. Though I will be heading around the battle to these Orcs to command them to attack with a final blow.

You wait for darkness and observe the dwarves snuggling into their sleeping bags.

You move close enough to shoot a sleeping dwarf. About 20 meters or so.

Inverse Power roll for finese: 1d6  = (3) = 3

Your gang of 20 or so orcs are spotted about 20 meters away. The dwarves hastily wriggle out of their bedding and take up arms.

Coup D'oeil roll: 2d6>=4f1!6  = (3 4, 1 success) = 1

You charge them while they are still groggy with sleep. 2 Arrows fly before you at close range and seem to bounce harmlessly off the dwarves' coats. You smash into the dwarves just as they attempt to form a defensive circle.

The dwarves parry your club orcs with picks and mattocks, but they aren't given any space to counter-attack.

You charge in, swinging a heavy club at the knot of dwarves 1d6 = (2), but you hit the haft of a heavy mattock repeatedly as the dwarf competently parries your blows.

One of your club orcs is shot in the chest by a crossbow from point-blank range. He stumbles and falls. The remaining dwarves hold their ground.

Power roll for yelling for reinforcements: 1d6>=4  = (4, 1 success) = 1

You make enough noise that the rest of your forces come charging down from towards the camp. The dwarfs are resolute and unbroken by the savage attack, you have one wounded orc with a crossbow bolt in her chest.

[Devastator]

Try to intercept the caravan before it becomes too dark.  Are the humans with it human allies?  Slaves?  Or enemies?

[Aigre Excalibur]

Try to intercept the caravan before it becomes too dark.  Are the humans with it human allies?  Slaves?  Or enemies?

The humans are self-style "peacekeepers" in the arrogant manner of Gondor. In reality, they exterminate orcs on sight while protecting men, elves and dwarves trying to exploit the natural resources of your home.

You break your men into a run and catch up to the caravan.

Coup D'oiel: 2d6>=4f1!6  = (1 1, -2 successes) = -2

You are spotted running towards the caravan. 20 or so soldiers escorting the wagons form a defensive line to meet you. They hold spears and form a shield wall. They are wearing gambesons with the emblem of the white tree emblazoned across their chests in a tabard.

Your senses tell you that a straight on scrum with a spear formation would get pretty messy. You could try disrupting them with javelins, or find a way to press one of the corners of their line.