Orcs... in... Spaceeeeeeeeeeee!


General Discussion


Reminded me of the Muppet show segment with Pigs in Space. But with orcs instead. I'm thinking they would probably wreck the ship every adventure. :-p


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Wouldn't matter, it would still work because they think it does.

The Exchange

Sounds awesome and great fun!


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Gorka Morka?


Fallen_Mage wrote:
Wouldn't matter, it would still work because they think it does.

Orcs can think? That's a first.


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Despite how i feel every home game will go they will probably put effort into making Starfinder Orcs feel separate from 40K Orks. Possibly by making them Krogan stand ins, not technological developers but able to use what other have made and such excellent shock troopers that they are hired on or coerced into space faring service.


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WAAAAGH!!


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Actually, the Krogan angle would be better I think. Since they're already hard to take down due to Ferocity.


Fallen_Mage wrote:
Actually, the Krogan angle would be better I think. Since they're already hard to take down due to Ferocity.

The Krogan serve a setting purpose of letting a race that is not as technologically inclined as the majority of "PC" races being as active and involved as other main races. In more table top terms, how would you justify an Int penalty species being competent star farers? Make them desirable talent for other reasons.

The Exchange

Must be playable!


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Silly humie er demon fing theirz no orcs in space because SPACE BELONGZ TO THA ORKS WAAAGH!!! DAKKADAKKADAKKA!!!


Torbyne wrote:
Fallen_Mage wrote:
Actually, the Krogan angle would be better I think. Since they're already hard to take down due to Ferocity.
The Krogan serve a setting purpose of letting a race that is not as technologically inclined as the majority of "PC" races being as active and involved as other main races. In more table top terms, how would you justify an Int penalty species being competent star farers? Make them desirable talent for other reasons.

Reavers from Firefly don't strike me as particularly intelligent and they seem to do just fine. So why couldn't an Orc as is? The Int penalty isn't that harsh.


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SMORC?

okay, really though, reavers are as intelligent as any other human. they're just hyper-aggressive and therefore don't think friendly thoughts, but how to get the ship over there so we can [redacted] isn't outside the realm of possibility.


Fallen_Mage wrote:
Torbyne wrote:
Fallen_Mage wrote:
Actually, the Krogan angle would be better I think. Since they're already hard to take down due to Ferocity.
The Krogan serve a setting purpose of letting a race that is not as technologically inclined as the majority of "PC" races being as active and involved as other main races. In more table top terms, how would you justify an Int penalty species being competent star farers? Make them desirable talent for other reasons.
Reavers from Firefly don't strike me as particularly intelligent and they seem to do just fine. So why couldn't an Orc as is? The Int penalty isn't that harsh.

I suppose it all boils down to how you want to set the tone in the setting. Orcs as we know them seem unlikely to devote the years of training and the resources required to build and operate advanced technology. I would think that an Int penalty race in a high tech society would be at more of a disadvantage than in a fantasy setting as knowledge becomes more important with specialization of jobs that is usually paired with industry. My opinion is that Orcs wouldn't be Orcs if they went to Orc school for theoretical physics, earned their doctorate and went to work for one of the major Orc aerospace firms. Hobgoblins might have the discipline for something like that but at this point Orcs have become something so far removed from their normal presentation that they might as well be a new race.

As for the Reavers, they had their fleet, and really all of their advanced tech, before they had their condition. They did some modifications afterwards but they as a society are never really explained. One would think that their exposure to radiation, complete lack of any medical care, no thought given to food cultivation and no means of creating new Reavers would mean they are only a threat for a few years before they disappear into the history of the 'verse.

I guess what i am getting at is that realism takes a back seat to the needs of the story at a certain point but there should be careful balance to where that point is.


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Scoundrel the Tiefling wrote:
Reminded me of the Muppet show segment with Pigs in Space. But with orcs instead. I'm thinking they would probably wreck the ship every adventure. :-p

My group threatened this in a Star Wars game, just with Gammoreans instead.


I was in a game once where the orcs basically evolved into a Klingon type society.

Think that would be perfect for Orcs in space myself.

Torbyne wrote:
As for the Reavers, they had their fleet, and really all of their advanced tech, before they had their condition. They did some modifications afterwards but they as a society are never really explained. One would think that their exposure to radiation, complete lack of any medical care, no thought given to food cultivation and no means of creating new Reavers would mean they are only a threat for a few years before they disappear into the history of the 'verse.

Remember there was an episode where one of the Reaver 'victims' became a reaver. So there was the possibility of them 'making' more.

But I would have to agree with you overall. Miranda had about 30,000,000 people at the time of the Pax and 1/10 of 1% went Reaver. While that is still 300,000 Reavers, that number will go down far faster than it will go up as you say. Left unchecked eventually their raiding will clear out outlying planets and since they don't farm or such they would have to move into the core worlds where the Alliance would be forced to start dealing with them.


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Orcs, monstrous humanoids, and goblinoids -- make them various sects of rabble, pirates, and mobsters.

Hobgoblins might be like the Vulcans from the Trek Mirror Universe (Goatee Spock's people), sociopathic but very logic-driven, they got their hands in everything. They're the most mobster-y race second only to Humans :)

Goblins - common thieves and burglars, they often work for orcs and hobs

Orcs - space pirates

Gnolls, Ogres & Bugbears - mercenaries unhindered by ethical considerations

Kobolds - a race of con-men and charlatans, many of them using enchantment magic to charm their marks


Matthew Shelton wrote:

Orcs, monstrous humanoids, and goblinoids -- make them various sects of rabble, pirates, and mobsters.

Hobgoblins might be like the Vulcans from the Trek Mirror Universe (Goatee Spock's people), sociopathic but very logic-driven, they got their hands in everything. They're the most mobster-y race second only to Humans :)

Goblins - common thieves and burglars, they often work for orcs and hobs

Orcs - space pirates

Gnolls, Ogres & Bugbears - mercenaries unhindered by ethical considerations

Kobolds - a race of con-men and charlatans, many of them using enchantment magic to charm their marks

I like this. I am so using it.


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Why do we need orcs when clearly humans are the true orcs of space.

With our famous motto of: 'KICK ASS, GO TO SPACE!

REPRESENT THE HUMAN RACE!'

Anyway, man is the true villain and true orc. Deep down, we are all orcs.


As an aside, doesn't "orc" mean "pig" in another language, like Celtic or something?

I'm curious as to how space travel will work in this system, and I think that will heavily shape how orcs function. If they can plausibly scavenge and/or enslave a people to make ships for them, they will probably be the same bloodthirsty marauders we are familiar with. If not, they probably will be handled like infestations that steal and overrun ships and planets.


I recently played through a home brew 'starfinder' (we didn't apply a name to it and starfinder had yet to be introduced i'd made for my group combining a pathfinder setting as the origin of all life on one planet where we combined starwars, starcraft, halo, and warhammer 40K themes. The Goblinoids became the Covenant, with goblins as grunts, orcs as elites, hobgoblins as Jackals, Bugbears as brutes, with trolls as hunters. Prophets were the Kathsatha. Dwarves had a Warhammer feel like the Imperium of Man, Humanity became a sith-esque empire with Halo soldiers and ships but led by antipaladins and such, Elves became Protoss, another human faction was basically terrans(same plot as to how they arose as exiled prisoners), and a smattering of monsters from the bestiarys to make the zerg (with some upgrades to HP and DR and speed, as well as collective mind traits and low psychic abilities), but we took away all races ability minus's and added new bonuses or doubled current ones to account for evolution.


Been done.

Scro from Spelljammer.


Harpies == honeypots

Minotaurs == enforcers

Medusas and Drow == assassins, hitmen

Skulks, Lizardfolk, Mongrelmen == mobsters like to use these and other social invisibles to serve as lookouts and tails on low-level enemies.

Derro == 'mad scientists', interrogators

Trolls == the rare semi-civilized troll will work as a 'fixer' or 'cleaner', willing and able to get rid of things (or people) and make them disappear very quickly and without a trace (by eating it, if necessary). Only the most gifted of trolls can find work, which is balanced by their insatiable appetite and intense territoriality. A troll cleaner works alone, and will barely tolerate assistants to help with tasks needing the use of fire. But equally desperate are those willing to work for a troll cleaner because if they cannot earn their keep, they become their boss's next meal. A troll fixer may also keep captive a rust monster or some kind of golem as a pet or 'garbage disposal'.


xorial wrote:

Been done.

Scro from Spelljammer.

"Their armor is always pitch black"

Only artwork shows it as red.

GJ artist/writer communication topnotch.

Sovereign Court Organized Play Coordinator

Removed a derogatory post and one that quoted it. Discuss the topics, not the users please!


wabbitking wrote:
Silly humie er demon fing theirz no orcs in space because SPACE BELONGZ TO THA ORKS WAAAGH!!! DAKKADAKKADAKKA!!!

I Gorka! I morka! I GORKA AGAIN!


wabbitking wrote:
Silly humie er demon fing theirz no orcs in space because SPACE BELONGZ TO THA ORKS WAAAGH!!! DAKKADAKKADAKKA!!!

I think space belongs to the Imperium of mankind. Long live the Imperium!

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