
Xelah |
For a custom setting I've been pondering how to make orcs cooperate. The answer I've come up with is to splash them with a bit of social-insect-like communication, which leaves them appearing to be simple brutes to everyone else, but capable of coordinated behavior despite low intelligence. Just fishing for some feedback.
Added abilities: Wuug? (ex) - Once per day after failing a skill check or seeing another orc die in battle, an orc may use Wuug? as a move action to emit distress pheromones. For skill checks this grants a cumulative +1 racial bonus to other orcs and half-orcs attempting the same check within one minute, though half-orcs do not add to the bonus for their attempt. For battle situations, after at least six orcs within 50 feet of each other have used Wuug? and at least one orc has died, one orc within this area gains the advanced template for the next 24 hours. If all orcs are the same level, the orc is chosen at random, otherwise it is added to the orc with the highest class level.
New feat:
Wuug is in my blood
Prerequisites: Half-orc
Benefit: You gain full use of Wuug? (ex), in addition, when using Wuug? for skill checks you may forgo adding to the current bonus should you fail to instead roll again taking the second result, even if it is worse.
Normal: You can neither start a Wuug?, add to the racial bonus, nor gain the advanced template from it

mardaddy |

There was a space-based RPG, I want to say Traveller 2300 or 2300AD, but not sure, where the evil orc-like brute aliens got more cunning the longer they were exposed to danger. Whether individually or in a group, you had to kill them quick because they got more deadly the longer an encounter lasted, something with the brain chemistry focusing them steadily when threatened by danger.
Would a mechanism like that be useful for you?

Scott Wilhelm |
Well, if you are the GM, you can just make them cooperate, and nevermind the mechanics.
There are a couple of things already in the rules you can use.
Half Orcs can get Scent as a Feat, I seem to remember a type of Orc in the Bestiary that gets Scent. If they train together as a unit, and somebody in the unit is given an Eversmoking Bottle, well that can be devastating to a party that neglects to prepare for contingencies.
There is the Half Orc Teamwork Feat Amplified Rage that gives all Orcs an Half Orcs (or anyone that has that Feat) Raging together an extra +4 Strength.