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Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes (PFRPG)

**½( )( ) (based on 2 ratings)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes (PFRPG)
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Blood and Brutality

Orcs are the scourge of civilization, the raiders who come in the night, slaughtering innocents for treasure and the simple joy of the kill. Their brutality extends even to their own kind, with tribes battling for supremacy and only the strongest individuals surviving to adulthood. Yet despite their fearsome image, orcs maintain a society of their own, having carved out the legendary Hold of Belkzen. Within this chaotic region, warlords vie for supremacy, adventurers plunder ruins long lost to orc barbarism, and those bold orcs who imagine a better life struggle for change.

Whether your players are treasure hunters stealing the riches of the past, soldiers seeking to end the orc threat once and for all, or orcs seeking to escape or rule their brethren, this book has everything you need to run a campaign in the war-torn Hold of Belkzen, including:

  • Detailed gazetteers of Belkzen’s settlements, from the surprisingly cosmopolitan capital of Urgir to the turbulent Blood Plains and the rare non-orc settlements such as Freedom Town and the hanging monastery of Sech Nevali.
  • Information on the terrifying orc gods, such as Dretha the Dark Mother and the Blood God, Nulgreth.
  • Overviews of the most prominent orc tribes, from the Empty Hand and the Broken Spine to the Ice Tooth and the Skull Eater.
  • Information on orc warfare, including their beast-powered war machines.
  • Tons of new adventure sites ripe for exploration, including the draconic Sleeper and the Flood Road, plus a detailed regional map ready to lead your player characters to riches—or a bloody death.
  • Nine new monsters, random encounter tables, and more!

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes is intended for use with the Pathfinder campaign setting, but can be easily adapted to any fantasy world.

Written by Tyler Beck, Jason Garrett, Alex Greenshields, and David Schwartz

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-710-9

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Campaign Setting Subscription.

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PZO9276

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**½( )( ) (based on 2 ratings)

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Disappointing

**( )( )( ) —

Read my full review on Of Dice and Pen.

Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes should have been an opportunity to add more depth to orcs in Pathfinder, and to be fair, it makes a couple tokens attempts to do so. However, on the whole, it misses out on the opportunity, instead focusing mostly on describing locations and adventure sites, many of which happen to have orcs in them. It does little to give the orcs any real character beyond violent killers or to differentiate one orc tribe from another. By the end of the book, orcs remain pretty much as faceless as they’ve always been, just fodder waiting for for the PCs to kill them.

Good but not great!

***( )( ) —

THE GOOD:
All major locations are mentioned and get a description.
Half of the inside art is great.
4 solid settlement stat blocks.
8 orc gods get half a page each.
24 orc tribes get a short write-up inclusive their leaders and their level.
The 4 orc warmachines are all solid.
The adventure site section is absolutely awesome - this is were the book shines! All 15 sites are great!
Half of the monsters in the bestiary are good.

THE BAD:
The inside-cover map of Belkzen is not very beautiful.
The timeline spans 10.000 years and is only one page.
3 settlements don´t get a stat block.
The city maps are not detailed enough.
Only 4 of 8 orc gods get pictures.
Not enough orc war-machines and the art for the 2 large ones that are shown is not very awe-inspiring.
Half of the monsters in the bestiary are lame.

THE UGLY:
Half of the inside art is too dark.

Worth it for the adventure site section alone!

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Webstore Gninja Minion
13 people marked this as a favorite.

Announced! Product image and description subject to change.
Paging Mikaze to the white courtesy phone...
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Paizo Charter Superscriber; Pathfinder Deluxe Comics Subscriber; Pathfinder Legends Subscriber; Pathfinder Tales Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Hmm, that throws an interesting light in the direction of the next Adventure Path...
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Oh my...
Zaister wrote:
Hmm, that throws an interesting light in the direction of the next Adventure Path...

Indeed it does!

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Well we did know that the next AP was going to be traditional. And nothing says traditional like punching orcs in the face.
Silver Crusade
9 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

An AP about GENOCIDING ENTIRE TRIBES OF CG ORCS BECAUSE WE CAN. Mikaze, you're welcome. ;-)

Hmm... This looks like something that would appeal to me. December release date... And with the Giant Hunter's Handbook releasing the same month.

An AP with giants and orcs. Definitely sounds very traditional, if they do foreshadow the next AP installment. Either way, definitely one I am looking forward to. Love me some orcs.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Yeah, while I dunno if Giant Hunters has anything to do with the next AP, this book definitely makes it look like the next AP is in Belkzen.Which is awesome, because we really haven't seen a whole lot of detail about orcs in Paizo products, considering how popular they are. It'll be neat to see them in more detail here, and hopefully in the next AP.
Shadow Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Companion, Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Hrk! My heart, it stops with joy. Why is this not out now? I needs this for my homebrew.
9 people marked this as a favorite.

Hmmm. Jason Garrett. That name sounds familiar. For some reason, it's reminding me of orcs.
Silver Crusade RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
4 people marked this as a favorite.

AAAAHHH MY NAME IS RIGHT THERE! :-D

Extremely excited to see this come out!
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Woohoo! Called it!

(maybe. Still a ways away from knowing for sure, though.)

This could also just be a sort of supplement to the Daughters of Fury module.

(Though my money's still on Belkzen/orcs vs. humans AP)
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

if Oloch and Imrijka are not in this possible Orcs Vs Humans AP I will be slightly sad.
Silver Crusade
18 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber; Pathfinder Comics Subscriber

Lastwall vs the Orc Hordes. There will be blood for the blood gods and good for the good gods and swords for the sword gods and fire for the fire gods.
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:
Lastwall vs the Orc Hordes. There will be blood for the blood gods and good for the good gods and swords for the sword gods and fire for the fire gods.

Yeah I think that's the basic gist. plus battle combat.

3 people marked this as a favorite.
DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:
Lastwall vs the Orc Hordes. There will be blood for the blood gods and good for the good gods and swords for the sword gods and fire for the fire gods.

And death for the death gods. And hot orc lovin for the Mikaze god! >.>

Shadow Lodge
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

So this is for that Hugs and Kisses AP that they've been hinting at?
Silver Crusade
11 people marked this as a favorite.

knowing smile

Cheapy wrote:
Hmmm. Jason Garrett. That name sounds familiar. For some reason, it's reminding me of orcs.

He sounds handsome.

cartmanbeck wrote:
AAAAHHH MY NAME IS RIGHT THERE! :-D

It's quite the feeling, isn't it? :D

16 people marked this as a favorite.

Seriously though, I'm really excited to get to be a part of this. :)

^_^
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 8
cartmanbeck wrote:

AAAAHHH MY NAME IS RIGHT THERE! :-D

Extremely excited to see this come out!

Congrats, Tyler!

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

So, since Mikaze's a contributor, we can expect to see lots of orcs and humans living in harmony in Belkzen, right? ;D
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Not too interested in this one, might get it, unless there is a lot I am getting for that month already.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Jason S Garrett wrote:
Seriously though, I'm really excited to get to be a part of this. :)

Wait, really?! Well, now I have to get it.

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Nate Z wrote:
Jason S Garrett wrote:
Seriously though, I'm really excited to get to be a part of this. :)
Wait, really?! Well, now I have to get it.

Maybe he meant that he's literally a part of it.

Like, he supplied some blood that they mixed into the ink or something.
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I've never liked the "always CE, bloodthirsty and violent" orcs, so they've never appealed to me as a fantasy race due to author hang ups.

However, in just a few long posts in a few short months, Mikaze has really won me over with just how rad orcs can be if given the chance (and a good author).

Now he gets to do it officially, and I'm stupid excited to read it :DDDDD
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Cards, Modules, Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, Tales Subscriber; Pathfinder Deluxe Comics Subscriber; Pathfinder Legends Subscriber

Cry Havoc and Unleash the Dogs of War!

I remember being first introduced to this area by Eando Kline's pathfinder journal. It will be nice to see more on orcs and interesting to see the hold of Belkin fleshed out
Paizo Employee Developer
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Mikaze wrote:

knowing smile

Cheapy wrote:
Hmmm. Jason Garrett. That name sounds familiar. For some reason, it's reminding me of orcs.

He sounds handsome.

cartmanbeck wrote:
AAAAHHH MY NAME IS RIGHT THERE! :-D
It's quite the feeling, isn't it? :D

Well done, gents.

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Daddy Want.
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

This sounds interesting. Also: Mikaze has been unleashed upon Golarion, and nothing shall ever be the same!

I'm looking forward to a Mikaze spin on the Orc Nation in Avistan.
Paizo Charter Superscriber; Pathfinder Deluxe Comics Subscriber; Pathfinder Legends Subscriber; Pathfinder Tales Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Oh, that's interesting. Congratulations, Mikaze!
4 people marked this as a favorite.

The age of Men is over. The time of the Orc has come!
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules, Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, Tales Subscriber; Pathfinder Comics Subscriber

Grats Mikaze and Beck!!!!!

I apologize in advance for breaking Dealer's heart.
Sovereign Court
6 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber; Pathfinder Comics Subscriber

I really don't want to see a bunch of redeemed orcs in this.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Twist! Mikaze's contributions are going to involve the most bloodthirsty and debase orcs in the book.

I look forward to this one, and it has me a bit excited about the next adventure path reveal. Of course, it's quite possible that this book is tied to Daughters of Fury and not an upcoming adventure path.

In any event, should be an interesting read.
Silver Crusade
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

CG tribe of bloodthirsty orcs who are into same-sex inter-racial marriages officiated by priests of Desna?
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
CG tribe of bloodthirsty orcs who are into same-sex inter-racial marriages officiated by priests of Desna?

The tribe would storm across the land (because Desna, travel) pillaging only from the evil orcs who refuse to be saved and continue worshiping those dark and evil gods of theirs. They would leave behind them a holy swath of righteous destruction and divine decimation, all in the forceful name of Chaos, Good and Desna!

Liberty's Edge
8 people marked this as a favorite.

Wait...Mikaze is contributing to a book about Orcs?!

I'm in. Where do I hand over all my money?
1 person marked this as a favorite.

How about orcs vs. dwarves for the next AP? War for sky!
Here's hope for some Droskar love then, too!

Ruyan.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Mikaze wrote:

knowing smile

Cheapy wrote:
Hmmm. Jason Garrett. That name sounds familiar. For some reason, it's reminding me of orcs.

He sounds handsome.

cartmanbeck wrote:
AAAAHHH MY NAME IS RIGHT THERE! :-D
It's quite the feeling, isn't it? :D

Congratulations! This book sounds amazing!

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules, Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Gorbacz wrote:
CG tribe of bloodthirsty orcs who are into same-sex inter-racial marriages officiated by priests of Desna?

Just because he wrote it doesn't mean the Paizo guys let him sneak that in. ;)

Oh awesome, really looking forward to seeing this! And coming out in December is giving me ideas...
1 person marked this as a favorite.

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!

Congrats to Mikaze and Cartmanbeck! I hope this is but the first of mnay contributions for Paizo. :)
Shadow Lodge

HUZZAH!!!

I asked Mr. Jacobs before about how the orc lands seem to be surrounded...

And then while watching the Desolation of Smaug, I noticed the last Hobbit movie comes out around when we'll see a new AP...
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Do we get to play the orcs?
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Paizo Charter Superscriber; Pathfinder Deluxe Comics Subscriber; Pathfinder Legends Subscriber; Pathfinder Tales Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Kairos Dawnfury wrote:
I asked Mr. Jacobs before about how the orc lands seem to be surrounded...

Now that's interesting.

4 people marked this as a favorite.

A book about Belkzen written by Our Lord of the Complex Orc? I am more than sold.

Congrats, Mikaze and may it be the first of many :)
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