| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 31 Jan 2018 : 04:17:58
From the pages of Dragon Magazine comes the Swamp Orcs!
quote:
JOR Jor Orc Picture
Created by: Michael J. Szarmach
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-20 (20-200 in lair)
ARMOR CLASS: 5 or 6
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 2 + 3
% IN LAIR: 35%
TREASURE TYPE: K, M on individuals; O, U in lair
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 weapon
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Back-stabbing, poison, surprise on 1-3
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hiding, surprised on 1 in 8
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average (low)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M (6' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Jors, also known as swamp orcs, are the most powerful and cunning breed of orcs. They have developed limited assassin abilities which they use to the utmost advantage. When surprising any victim, jors have a 35% chance to kill by backstabbing. In addition, jors make a special sleeping poison from swamp plants and waters. They use this poison to coat their weapons (saving throw vs. poison at +2 or sleep for 2-12 rounds; one use only).
Jors are extremely hard to find in the swamp and are surprised only on a 1 in 8 as a result. In addition, they have a 50% chance to hide in natural terrain. Jors surprise on a 1-3 in 6, and are typically armed as follows:
Weapons
Scimitar and crossbow 30%
Scimitar and shield 30%
Bastard sword and axe 10%
Bastard sword and spear 20%
Battle axe and flail 10%
Jors wear a form of scale mail armor (AC 6). Shield use betters this to AC 5. Jors, like their orcish cousins, hate sunlight and are therefore found outside their lairs only after sunset. For every group in excess of 15 jors, there is a leader and two assistants. Each leader and assistant has 18 hp, and because they are the strongest and most cunning creatures of their group, also have a 50% chance to kill when back-stabbing. If 30 or more jors are encountered, the group includes a subchief (AC 3, 3 +4 HD) and 1-4 bodyguards (AC 4, 3 + 1 HD). This large group also contains a master jor (AC 3,4 + 2 HD) who has a 75% chance to kill when backstabbing. A master jor also has a 90% chance to hide in natural terrain and surprises on 1-5 in 6. Jors general travel through swamps in small hunting parties composed of young males.
Jor lairs contain females equal to the number of males. All females fight as well as the males but have a less-effective backstabbing ability (15% chance to kill when employing this tactic). Jor lairs also contain jor young (AC 8, 1 HD, noncombatants) equal to 150% of the males. In addition, each lair contains the following: a chief (AC 2, 4 + 5 HD), two subchiefs, 4-16 bodyguards, 12-15 leaders, and 1-6 master jors. Jor chiefs always have the abilities of master jors.
The jors and lizard men are great rivals in the swamp, and they often attack each other on sight. Jors look much the same as orcs, except that their skin tends to be greenish blue in color. It is rumored that all jors belong to an assassin#146;s guild whose goal is to destroy mankind bit by bit.
These guys are pretty nasty!
Where might they fit into the Forgotten Realms? |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Markustay |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 16:38:17
At least they got the two trolls right. LOL |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 16:38:01
quote:
Originally posted by TomCosta
Just like Luthic is the mother of the orogs (Underdark orcs), perhaps Shargaas is the father of the jors.
I think Shargaas is the obvious choice for these guys!
Either him or Yurtrus...but Shargaas is a better fit even though these guys live on the surface. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 16:36:27
Yeah, the Illustrators did a nice job of drawing the different monsters...then layout screwed it all and labeled most of them wrong LOL |
| Markustay |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 16:20:31
Yeah, I found it. Thanks, though.
You'd have thought they would have put slightly more effort into labeling the illustrations, eh? 
And they do seem more like a 'society' than an actual offshoot. Maybe if you wanted to keep their 'superiority' and use them in a regular FR game, you could say a Scro ship crash-landed in the swamp many years ago, and those are the descendants of the survivors.
Just about any swamp works. People forget the shear size of The Realms. The Mere of Dead Men is 85 miles long and is about 40 miles wide at its widest point. The island I live on is approximately half that size (a little longer, but MUCH narrower). Long Island has a population 7.5 million people. Double that and that's 15 million people.
I can't even see my neighbors, have woods on three sides, and have deer and wild turkey grazing on my front lawn.
So can a tribe of 'swamp orcs' fit in the Mere of dead without disturbing anything? YEAH, I'm pretty damn sure they could.
Or they could fit in any other swamp in FR, for the same reasons. The Marsh of Chelimber might be another interesting spot - I've always had a thing for 'The Backlands'. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 16:08:45
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
What issue of Dragon is that from?
141 |
| Markustay |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 09:14:16
What issue of Dragon is that from? |
| TomCosta |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 03:15:27
Just like Luthic is the mother of the orogs (Underdark orcs), perhaps Shargaas is the father of the jors. |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 03:13:58
quote:
Originally posted by Shadowsoul
I could see them living in the Mere of Dead Men, maybe the agents of a black dragon.
The niche is already taken by lizardfolk and bullywugs.
Generally, there are lizardfolk/bullywugs/merrrow/scrags everywhere. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 01 Feb 2018 : 01:06:50
quote:
Originally posted by Shadowsoul
I could see them living in the Mere of Dead Men, maybe the agents of a black dragon.
It makes me feel like they are not a breed of orc, so much as a society of orcs.
I like the idea of the Mere of Dead Men...does it have Lizardmen in it? |
| Shadowsoul |
Posted - 31 Jan 2018 : 06:00:54
I could see them living in the Mere of Dead Men, maybe the agents of a black dragon. |
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