Orcs, Vikings, and Bias Within Survivor Narratives

When I say the word Viking to you, chances are it conjures a very particular image in your mind. You probably picture a huge warrior with a flowing beard, bellowing battle cries while he lays about with his ax, slaying men, burning towns, and stealing anything not nailed down. Even if you have enough historical literacy to know they didn't have horned helms, or that they may have had red hair instead of blonde, this image of the defiling raider is firmly etched into our collective consciousness.

And while this sort of individual certainly existed in the historical record (a Viking is, by trade, often a pirate after all), this one aspect has grown to encompass an entire people in the minds of a lot of us. Even if you were a trader, a farmer, a skald, or a normal sailor, there was the fear of what the most dangerous and violent of the Norsemen had done when one laid their eyes upon you.

Which brings me to orcs, and how we could have some fun examining them.

She was huge! Ten feet tall, with blood dripping from her tusks!

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What Contact Do You Have With Them, Really?

Despite the vast reach of Viking longships, which ranged from the shores of North America all the way to the heart of the Eastern Roman Empire, from the frozen Russian steppes to deep into the Muslim world, the Norse people weren't some huge players on the world stage in the way that empires tended to be. They were relatively small in number, came from a remote, frozen place, and though they did some very notable things (the raid on Lindisfarne and populating the ranks of The Varangian Guard as examples), they weren't some massive influence that was going to take over the world.

Probably the biggest thing about Vikings that has survived (we're talking specifically about the raiders and pirates, not Norse people in general) was the legendary fear they produced. Their raids were ruthless, they ignored the conventions that so many other cultures followed, and the sheer maneuverability of their ships meant they could turn up nearly anywhere. If there was water nearby (and even if the water was miles away) it meant the Vikings could reach you. And in the dark, with the fires barely holding the night at bay, it was easy to imagine dangerous pirates with minds full of murder and robbery, their hands tight on the hilts of their weapons as they drew ever closer at the behest of their strange, foreign gods.

Hope the waterfront property was worth it!

Because I've had orcs on the brain ever since my latest Species of Sundara dropped where I talked about several of the varieties of these creatures that populate my setting (available for both Pathfinder Classic and Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition), this has been a natural connection that I figured might be of-use to players and GMs alike.

To be clear, I'm not saying to pattern orcs off of the culture and/or pop culture we associate with the Norse (there's more than enough GMs and designers who've taken a stab at that already). However, as orcs and characters of orc heritage have grown and changed over the years we've had to re-imagine them, and expand on their place in our worlds and our games. Original orcs were the Tolkien model of monsters who served dark masters, and this is very much in line with the outlandish myths of Vikings told by those who survived their raids, or who merely observed the carnage left behind. The idea that the children of orcs with other species could only have been the product of violence or threats of violence is also much in-line with the sorts of tales told about the brutality of the Northmen.

As we expanded orcs further, we've seen that their violence toward towns and cities may be for more reasons than sheer wickedness, or raw personal gain. They might have been pushed off their old lands, and are fighting against resettlement. They might be fighting against prejudices that have led others to shun and mistreat them. They might even be fighting for the families and communities that those on the other side never even thought about, because to them there are no children or civilians among orcs; they're just a nameless, faceless hoard of roaring warriors because that's all they've ever seen, or all the legends have told of them. Yet much like the Norse people there was a vibrant, shifting, ever-changing culture that went beyond the Ulfbehrt and the Dane ax, and that was more than golden armbands and berserkers. Those things were a part of it, yes, but they were by no means what defined the whole of who they were. There were multiple nations, holds, and smaller clans within the larger whole, and examined on that small scale you could see stark differences between the myths of their culture, and who they really were at ground-level.

For GMs and players alike who want to bridge that gap between the orcs of older RPGs who were brutal, savage raiders at the behest of a violent, one-eyed god of battle and death, and newer RPGs where orcs are diverse and varied, each with their own cultures and interior life, this strategy might be worth thinking about.

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Are You Still Worthy? (An Alternative View on Alignment Restrictions)

Judging by the numbers, if you have a heartbeat, you've probably seen Avengers Endgame at least once. A lot of you reading this right now probably saw it several times. And while there were all sorts of awesome moments in it, one particular arc that captured audience's attention was Thor's journey. For the first time in all the years of his life, it seemed, he couldn't make something right by killing his enemy. His hollow victory over Thanos forced him to face failure, and the permanent loss of countless friends and allies. He secluded himself, sequestered away from the world with his grief, and punished himself for not being able to do more.

In the end, though, he was still worthy of the power that had been given him. It was only his will to use that power that he'd lost, and watching him rekindle that fire was a triumphant moment.

And let's be honest, one of the movie's most badass moments.

I've had this character arc on my mind for a while now, and between updating my Pathfinder Conversion Guide for Thor, and reading the conversations cropping up around my recently re-released 5 Tips For Playing Better Paladins, I realized Marvel's take on Thor perfectly illustrates what an alignment restriction is supposed to look like, and how classes who live with one function.

Are You Worthy?

From Lancelot to Samson, literature is full of characters whose powers are entirely dependent upon their behavior. And, in these cases, that power typically comes from a source outside of that character. It isn't a part of them, and they have no ownership over it. They are a vessel that can be filled, or emptied, according to the terms and conditions of the source.

It's doesn't matter WHO cut my hair, woman, point is, it's cut!

 

This is where we get into the most common alignment-based superpower: divine favor. From druids and paladins, to clerics, warpriests, and inquisitors, these agents of the divine must live and act according to the strictures of that divine source in order to continually prove themselves worthy of the power that's been entrusted to them.

Put another way, it doesn't matter if you think you deserve those powers or not. That's how Thor felt when Odin cast him down in the first film for his arrogance and recklessness, but that anger and bitterness didn't help him lift his hammer again. It didn't matter if he felt he was justified in invading Nifleheim and potentially starting a war with the frost giants, because whether he was worthy wasn't his call to make. It was only by proving he had learned his lesson through selfless acts to save others that he brought himself back into alignment with the power he'd once wielded, and showed that he deserved to once more be allowed to lift Mjolnir, and the might that came with it.

That is the thing to keep in mind when it comes to classes that call on divine might that require the character stay within certain alignment guidelines. Those exist as a meta concept for the player to judge where the boundaries are, but at the end of the day the question is not if the character feels they were justified. It's whether their patron, the one who is granting power to that character, feels they still deserve it.

Because if they're deemed unworthy, their patron will strip them of their power, and cast them down. That's the price for using borrowed power; you need to follow the restrictions for using it, else it will be taken away from you.

What About Non-Divine Restrictions?

There are, of course, a few restrictions that have nothing to do with divine will at all. The most notable examples are that monks must remain lawful, and barbarians cannot be lawful.

I'd promise to kick your ass, but I don't want to risk my alignment.

 

These restrictions are, at least partially, a way to make sure that you can't mix and match certain concepts mechanically. However, thematically, they also represent the yin and yang of the superior warrior.

Or as most of us know them, Raven and Starfire.

If you're a fan of the Teen Titans, you've likely seen the one where Raven and Starfire switch bodies, and they're each trying to figure out how the other's powers work. Raven can only manifest her abilities through carefully controlled focus and tight emotional control. Starfire's powers, on the other hand, are directly tied to her emotional state. Her feelings are the fuel that feeds her abilities, and without those free-flowing emotions she's unable to so much as light a spark.

There's a similar feeling with these two classes. Barbarian Rage is not just anger; it's something deeper. Something more primal than that, and it can take many different forms. Whatever form it takes, though, too much control smothers the character's ability to give themselves over completely to that state of being. Whether it's the unfeeling wrath of the berserker, or the armored carapace of an abyssal totem, a certain loss of control is required to fall back into that pool, and to become one with Rage.

Monks, on the other hand, need to keep that tight focus in order to channel ki. While they might not be trained at a monastery, or even follow a widely-accepted doctrine, it is that intense focus that grants them their powers. Their ability to move more quickly, to armor themselves in speed, and to perform superhuman feats is precisely because they don't give in, and they maintain their laser-sharp edge that holds their mind, body, and spiritual parts in perfect harmony. That extends out into the rest of their lives, and it's why a monk will find their abilities falling away if they fall out-of-sync with their own inner spirit and ki.

Incidentally, for more on these classes, you might want to check out my 5 Tips For Playing Better Barbarians as well as my 5 Tips For Playing Better Monks.

What Does This Restriction Lead To in Your Character?

Alignment restrictions on character classes are often seen as killjoys, or as limiting what kinds of characters you can play. However, it's important to incorporate these restrictions into who your character is, and what makes them tick.

Was your cleric chosen by their god because they were already a good person, and so they were the ideal bearer of this power, or were they a diamond in the rough that's still being shaped away from darker impulses that marked their youth? Does your barbarian struggle with their Rage, simultaneously afraid of what it could make them do and hungry for the wild power it fills them with? Does your monk have trouble keeping their focus, needing to overcome inner challenges of doubt, wrath, or fear, and either leaving those challenges by the wayside, or embracing them so they are now assets rather than weaknesses?

I'm sorry he left you... maybe we can be friends, instead?

 

There's also the question of what happens when you step over the line... does your character try to re-orient themselves, to prove their worth and climb back up the mountain? Or do they embrace their change and continue on the path of their downfall? Does the divine champion find a new patron, one more in-line with their actions and methods? Does the failed monk embrace their inner turmoil and chaos, becoming a barbarian? Does the barbarian, locking their Rage away and refusing to give into it, instead become a monk or a paladin, driven by iron-clad vows and a deeper purpose?

How you remain within your initial boundaries is interesting... but what you do when you cross them also has the potential to lead to unique growth. Especially if your DM allows for retraining rules.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. If you've used alignment restrictions to create interesting story results, tell us how in the comments below!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

10 Backgrounds for Your Martial Characters

Every group of adventurers is a team of specialists who bring separate skills to the table. The master of the arcane brings years of wisdom and knowledge, the servant of the gods provides protection and healing, and the canny dungeon delver offers a light touch along with the capability of bypassing the most ingenious traps. Sooner or later, though, the steel has to come out, and when that time happens every party is grateful for their warrior.

He makes your enemies bleed, so you don't have to.

One of the constant criticisms of the party combatants is that they end up with too much focus on their equipment slots and feat lists, and not enough focus on aspects that don't have a slot on the character sheet. That's why this week Improved Initiative is here with 10 backgrounds for your martially-inclined characters!

Also, keep in mind that these are not specific to any one class. If you see something you want to give to a magus, a paladin, or a multi-class swashbuckler/wizard, then embrace that idea and run with it. Lastly, I mention several characters as examples; if they're highlighted, it means I've done a Pathfinder character conversion for them, and you can see it by clicking the link.

Additionally, I've written a follow-up titled 10 Backgrounds For Your Scoundrels, for those who want to play someone a little on the shady side, or 10 Backgrounds For Your Spellcasters for those who want a big of magical muscle.

#1: The Champion For Hire

Dueling is an ancient way of settling slights, whether it's between individuals, towns, or even entire nations. It's also been tradition that instead of fighting the battle yourself, you may have a champion stand in your stead. The champion for hire is a mercenary who has carved a career out of winning duels, acting as a bodyguard, political tool, and legal instrument all at once. Whether the champion is renowned for his great strength and striking power (like Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane), or for his speed and canny fighting skill (like Prince Oberyn Martell, The Red Viper), those who know who he is will avoid getting into the ring with him at all costs.

#2: The Former Athlete

Speaking of stepping into the ring, another individual who takes to the adventuring lifestyle is the former athlete. Whether an injury has made it impossible for the character to continue competing, the sport simply lost its appeal, or some scandal led to a loss of face and a ban from the sport, their previous occupation is something they've chosen to forsake. However, the skills they mastered are greatly prized by adventurers who need someone capable in combat. Perhaps the athlete needs a greater challenge, seeks to prove himself, or simply needs money now that he can no longer win purses by competing in games and tournaments. Whether the character is a former tourney knight (which is totally a job you can actually have in the modern day, thanks to Knight Fighting Leagues), a martial artist, a javelin thrower, or even a professional wrestler, these characters are sure to find a welcome in the world of freelance adventuring. Depending on where the party goes, though, the competitor's reputation may precede them.

#3: The Performer

Similar to the athlete, the performer developed his or her skills for the pleasure of the crowd. However, while those watching the show saw an amusing diversion, none of them really understood the dedication and sheer skill it took to make that act look effortless. Perhaps the character was an archer who specialized in trick shooting (the original backstory of Hawkeye, from the Avengers), or she had a knife throwing act that required pinpoint precision. A former strongman, with his carefully cultivated physical power combined with showmanship and a force of personality, could easily act as a deterrent for foes who might think the party is easy prey. Acrobats, dancers, and aerial performers may also find themselves quickly embraced by a party of adventurers, assuming they can use their speed and grace with a sword or a spear.

#4: The Criminal

Those who study violence often get their on-the-job-training at the hands of criminals. From orc raiders and forest bandits to coastal pirates and syndicate enforcers, there is always a need for those willing to inflict harm on others when the boss says so. Perhaps your character is trying to leave that life behind, constantly reminded by the scars and tattoos that she was once a part of something dark and destructive. Maybe your character is still very much a member of a criminal organization, like the Aspis Consortium, but is given a freer reign to act in the field. Maybe the character is a freelancer, offering to protect adventuring parties for a share of the bounty with the same enthusiasm as he would crack skulls for a gang lord who offered the right price. A dark past, a new name, or a black reputation could all play into what twists and turns the story takes.

If you're looking for inspiration then you might want to start with 100 Random Bandits to Meet, as well as 100 Pirates to Encounter. Filled with established crews of brigands, there are plenty of blackguards to work with in here!

#5: The Squire

Your character's combat education began very young, indeed. Perhaps you came from a noble family, and you were sent to squire with a great knight. Maybe you came from a poor village, and the knight you studied under was only great in his own mind. Your tribe may have selected you to learn at the feet of one of its great warriors, or a renowned reaver took a liking to you and decided to teach you the ways of war. Whether your master was stern or kind, abusive or determined, you received an apprenticeship in the deadly arts from a master of the trade. Maybe you're seeking great deeds to earn a knighthood of your own. Perhaps you want to make your master proud of you. Or perhaps you're running away from the life you were expected to lead, even though anyone who watches you handle a sword knows you were no mere town guard or militia soldier.

If you're looking for noble families for your character to be trained by (or to be from), then A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families can come in handy! Or if you'd rather know which order of knights you squired for, then 100 Knightly Orders might be closer to your needs.

#6: The Soldier

There are countless reasons someone could decide to become a soldier. Maybe you were dazzled by the medals and honors, and wanted to be a great hero. Perhaps a lumpy bed and bad food was preferable to eating scraps out of the trash and sleeping in the gutter. The character could have been drafted, or volunteered for duty in order to wipe a crime off of his record. Perhaps he comes from a society where all citizens are required to go through military service, like you find in Lastwall or Mendev. Infantry, cavalry, scout, archer, crossbowman, whatever role the character filled, from rank-and-file to special operations, he was shaped by a war machine.

For those looking for for a force you could have fought with (or perhaps still belong to), 100 Random Mercenary Companies might be just up your alley.

#7: The Living Weapon

For some, fighting is a means to an end. Violence may be a necessity to protect yourself, aid your country, or just to get what you need to survive, but the violence is always a tool. For the living weapon, violence is the goal. The whistle of steel, the thrum of the bow, the bellow of the gun, these men and women live for the fight. Untamed berserkers who laugh as they slaughter, or silent swordsmen who move so precisely that time seems to slow around them, the living weapon can take many forms. Whether it's the savage victory of caving in an opponent's skull with your bare hands, or the pulse-pounding thrill when weapons are drawn and there's no turning back, these characters can be both an aid and a liability. Masters of their chosen arts, they are unparalleled on the battlefield... but when there's no one left to fight, who will they set their sights on next?

#8: The Slave

Slaves have long been given the most arduous, unwanted tasks, and no task is more detestable than the shedding of blood. From gladiators who live and die on the sands of the arena, to slave soldiers trained from birth to perfection on the battlefield (like the Unsullied), slaves can be deadly warriors. Once they're freed they may wish to lay aside their weapons, but quickly realize they have no other choice but to continue to practice the only, bloody trade they know in order to make a living.

#9: The Tradesman

Not all great warriors are trained in military colleges, or forged on battlefields. Some of them develop their skills from performing more common trades. A butcher is skilled with a variety of blades, and is unfazed by the sight and stench of death. Smiths are used to the weights of heavy hammers, and can wield them with astonishing speed and accuracy when called upon to do so. For a hunstman, bringing down a prize buck and putting an arrow into a zombie's skull is just a difference of fletching and range. Even headsmen, who are dedicated to the single, perfect cut, may turn to adventuring when more regular work is no longer available.

#10: The Warrior of Faith

While paladins are often seen as the swords of faith, these men and women are few and far between. However, militant faiths and armed religious societies are never shy about recruiting the faithful and sincere into their ranks. Dervishes devoted to Sarenrae may join battle in a whirlwind of steel, whereas the faithful of Gorum go to war sheathed in iron like their lord. Warriors of the church of Zon Kuthon may feel no pain and fight on long past when wounds should have killed them, whereas the faithful of Iomedae join battle with swords held high.

Warriors of holy orders may be sent far and wide in service to their faith. Crusades against encroaching demons, assaults on centers of religion, or just safeguarding important persons while they journey are all duties that might fall to militant members of a church or cult. And, of course, just because someone once fought for the faith that doesn't mean he or she hasn't since turned their back on those beliefs to strike out on their own.

Remember, Show, Don't Tell!

While it's really tempting to spill your guts about your character's cool backstory, it's a lot more fun to let it come out in RP. For example, if your character was a Taldan legionnaire, don't just tell people that. Instead, mention a unit tattoo on his shoulder, or drop details to characters familiar with the legions (bards, Taldans, soldiers who may have fought against Taldor) would recognize, like a detail of his equipment, or the specific way he fights. If your character was a champion wrestler from a region the party travels through, ask the DM if NPCs recognize him. Maybe fans who saw his matches want to hear about his latest journeys, leading him to talk up not just himself, but his allies. If you're a former bandit, include a detail like a missing middle finger, or a rope scar around the neck, insinuating that the character was punished for a crime in another jurisdiction once upon a time.

By doing a slow character reveal you let the table see different aspects as you go. For the first three or four levels they think of the gregarious fighter with the obsessively cared for bastard sword as Gregory Black, capable warrior, decent cook, and friend. Then around level seven they discover that the reason he became an adventurer was because he'd once been known as Black Hood, a despotic noble's headsman who did grisly work several times a day. How do they find out? Because his companion, someone he was supposed to execute but didn't, joins up with him as a cohort!

Remember, it's a long campaign. You don't have to dump all of your exposition by the time you hit level two.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used this tactic successfully in your games why not leave a comment below?

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!