A thousand years ago, in the land of Lozze, a land filled with bountiful forests and abundant resources, humans and orcs were caught in a constant state of war. Battles were waged every day by the two warring races, an attrition that seemed eternal. The humans and elves, with their magic, polished swords and their armies, and the orcs, with their ferocity, their brutish axes and their many gangs. Until one day, trying to put an end to the conflict once for all, many powerful human wizards gathered together and with a singular, precise, overwhelming spell, they banished all orcs from the realm of existence forever. All orcs were banished to a new land, a land which they named "Skator" or Hell, in their tongue. Skator was barren, dead, inhospitable and unforgiving. Its lands were littered with demonic creatures that feasted on the flesh of any unprepared, scarce in food and water, dry, and hot, its cursed ground cracked and crumbled under the orc's feet.
The orcs, however, unyielding as they were, tamed Skator and turned that wasteland, that hell, into their home. For centuries, the orcs organized, banded and disbanded in war and conflict, as their dominion spread all over Skator, their culture urged them to fight, not against the land, but against each other and in doing so, they continued to find new and more advanced ways of surviving. Their bows were traded for crossbow, then, as time went on, even the crossbows became outdated weapons of murder, as the orcs began to discover the ample deposits of minerals deep within the caves of Skator. The orcs had discovered powder and steam, and with that, a great technological revolution occurred in those forgotten lands. The wars constantly became more and more brutal, the orcs, having no enemies to fight but each other, continued to find more efficient, quicker ways of killing each other, until a great hero, by the name of Shura'Dul, turned their attentions elsewhere.
Shura did what many thought impossible, he defeated each and every single great leader of the orcs, uniting all orcs under his powerful, unflinching banner. There were those who tried to overpower Shura, betray him and take his position, but none succeeded. Shura was unbeatable, undefeated and unrelenting. And in the end, he succeeded, Shura became the first, Great War boss, the first great leader of the orcs. The first, great unifier. And under Shura's guidance, the orcs were reminded of their original enemies, the humans and elves who had banished them from their lands full of abundance and wealth, the ones who no living orcs even remembered anymore, the ones truly responsible for the slaughter that the orcs had been putting themselves through for all those years. The orcs, turned their attention back to Lozze and to figuring out how they would return to their promised land, not the land they had been jailed in.
Shura died of old age at the age of 65. Something no orc had ever done before, either. Even in his last years, it was said Shura could still fight a dozen orcs and put them all down on the floor with merely his cane as a weapon. And as the first and last Great War boss, Shura left to his successors a singular order, finish what he started and take back Lozze from the humans, who banished him long ago. His servants, the other twelve War Bosses that governed the regions of Skator, carried out his wish, even as they, themselves were replaced by stronger orcs, they all continued to work towards the day where orcs would once again step foot in the bountiful lands of Lozze.
That day is now. The great sages of the orcs have finished a portal, which will be able to take a small squad back into Lozze, so that this squad may be the force that reminds humanity and elvenkind of the threat they have long forgotten.
You, as an orc, baptized with Shura's ashes. Shall step forth through this portal and bring glory to your people, repopulate the lands of Lozze with orc kind, and become the first of a new line of War Bosses, that shall complete the war that was started over a thousand years ago. This, is the legend of your ashes, fueled by the cinders of Shura'Dul.
Orc society, though savage and fierce, has its own set of rules that all orcs follow and abide to, though their interpretation is loose and varies from orc to orc, all of them follow the "ABCD" to a certain degree.
Ascendancy
Orcs pride themselves as a meritocracy. All orcs must be given equal opportunities from the moment they leave the womb, but in turn, their society expects results. Every orc is measured not by their lineage or their blood, but by their own personal achievements, be they on the battlefield, in a workshop, or in a game table. Did you rally your fellow gang mates to battle when your war boss failed you? You're the new war boss. Discovered a more efficient way of working metal than your master blacksmith was using? You're now master blacksmith. Beat the local bartender in a drinking game? Your bar now. Orcs lives are short but tense, every orc must constantly be keeping themselves at peak performance of body, mind, and spirit, or risk being replaced by someone younger, stronger, or smarter. No position in orc hierarchy is absolute, the losers must always follow the winners, until at least, their grace period (of one week) has ended and they may be challenged by someone else. Challenges may be of skill, intellect, or might, regardless of the orc's upbringing because...
Brutality
Being a baker or a carpenter as a profession is your choice, being a warrior isn't. All orcs are trained, ever since children, how to wield weapons, properly take care of your own armor, and how to tame and ride a dire wolf. By the time an orc is a teenager, he is expected to know at least 65 different ways of murdering another living creature or he's getting sent back to primary school. All orcs, no matter if they spend most of their day cracking open skulls, barking orders at soldiers, or picking flowers, are expected to be able to grab the closest sharp (or blunt) object nearest to them and use it efficiently as a weapon to protect themselves and their fellow orcs, which leads into...
Confraternity
Every orc is your rival but, at the same time, every orc is your blood brother. Orcs must always prioritize fighting a greater threat to them over each other. Even two orcs that have sworn to kill each other for years will join forces and work together if something that threatens both of them appears. Though a degree of backstabbing, plotting, and deceiving is expected, and even encouraged, among orcs, putting the community, your gang, your clan, your family, in danger over a dispute with another orc is utterly despicable and will be punished with death.
Death
Everything dies. It is the only certainty that all orcs have in their lives. Death is not seen as a tragedy, merely as another step in the cycle. All orcs die, are cremated, and their ashes are used to baptize newborn children, so that their spirit will give strength to a new generation of orcs, who will make their own legends. The newborn is then given a second name, the name of the ashes used in their baptism, to complement the name given to them by their parents. A child is born and named Zugorim by their parents, Zugorim is baptized with the ashes of Dushnamub, making the child Zugorim'Dush, so that one day, they may die in glory, so their ashes can be used to name a new child with the second name 'Zugo. Though all orc children are treated generally the same, those with the second name of important or legendary heroes are often held in high expectations by those around them. Ashes are usually public for any children to be baptized with, though it is not uncommon for some prouder families to keep the ashes of their most esteemed family members private for their own children.
Orc Subraces
Though you may only play Orcs in this campaign, that does not mean you have limited options when it comes to your race. Before they were banished all together, orcs had spread far around the globe, picking up different characteristics each one. As they all were forced together, their races mixed and evolved, resulting in four main "subraces".
Mountain Orc (Or Morc)
These are by far the most numerous race of Orc out of all of them, seen in all sorts of places and types. Green skinned and with long, sharp ears and usually with large tusks protruding from their lower jaw. They range from six to eight feet in height and are perhaps the first image that comes to mind whenever a non-orc tries to visualize an orc in their head.
Gray Orc (Or Gorc)
Also known by some as Underground Orc, though it's been millennia since they actually lived underground. These orcs usually have shorter ears, their skin tends more towards gray than green, they have shorter tusks, sometimes barely visible, and are slightly shorter than mountain orcs. Gray orcs are gifted with the ability to see in the dark better than their fellow brothers and are famous for being excellent plotters, tacticians and ambassadors. Their voice tends to be smoother than that of other orcs, though anyone who's been in combat with one can attest their bite can be just as fierce as any other orc.
Ogrillon (Or Org)
The result of a cross between orcs and ogres. Ogrillons are giant, fearsome creatures, which tend to tower over their cousins. They range from nine to thirteen feet in height and are inherently physically stronger than their brothers. This does not make them any less intelligent, cunning or quick, however. Though their increased size also means they eat and drink four times as much as a normal orc, that, coupled with the fact most armor needs to be re-fitted for their girth, means they're not as common in the military as one would expect. Still, when the war bosses are willing to push for that extra-mile, a fully armored Ogrillon is usually the topic, and the threat, of the battlefield.
Ondons (Or Ord)
Somewhere, sometime, for some reason, an orc, an elf, and a demon had a really fucked up threesome. The result was the Ondon. Or so the legend goes, at least. Ondon, though still orcs, are quite visually different from their brothers. While most orcs are beefy and look like they could break someone's spine in two, Ondon are generally much slimmer, and their skin is much closer to red than green. They tend to be slightly taller than mountain orcs, but their lighter frame gives them a much more elegant appearance. Though most still only have tusks as their most distinguished facial features, it is not uncommon to see Ondons who have horns, which they proudly proclaim to be part of their demonic heritage, often adorning them with jewelry or markings.
Though the actual truth is foggy, one thing is certain, Ondons posses a clear affinity for the arcane that none of their brothers possess. While most orcs are utterly incapable of using magic, most Ondons possess a spark of power within them that allows them to naturally summon and bend fire to their will. They are often religious and spiritual leaders of their people, and most baptism ceremonies are conducted by Ondons.
Swamp Orc (Or "Fukkin' Gobbo", Goblin)
Goblins are...Interesting. Though they bear the same green skin and long ears as their cousins, they have one feature that clearly distinguishes them from others. Their height...And...Not like Ogrillons. Goblins are short, very short, usually around three to four feet tall, at most. They are known for breeding like rats and for their loud, high-pitched voices. Still, there are no better rogues than goblins. They are known to attack suddenly, quickly and in a ferocious swarm that takes all by surprise. Goblins are much more instinctive than their brothers, while this means that they tend to be a bit more on the slow side of things when it comes to intellectual pursuits, they are prone to occasional bursts of genius when it comes to finding non-convenient solutions to difficult problems. Their reflexes and senses are also unmatched by any other type of orc, which created the custom of many war bosses having a goblin bodyguard, only to often end up killed and replaced by the very same.
Mechanics in Cinders are built around the follow attributes.
Brawn - Your physical strength, endurance and stamina.
Craft - A measure of a character's problem-solving ability, technological knowledge, and threat assessment.
Spirit - A measure of a character's common sense, spirituality, and force of will.
Agility - A measure of how agile a character is. Dexterity controls attack, movement speed, and accuracy, as well as how well you can evade an opponent's attack.
Senses - A measure of a character's awareness of their surroundings. Perception controls the chance to detect vital clues, traps or hidden enemies, also influences combat sequence or the accuracy of ranged attacks.
(And if you're an Ondon)
Arcane - A measure of the character's ability to cast spells, communicate to mystical entities, and discern the solution for a problem or obstacle created by magic.
All characters have a level for each skill, which ranges from 1 to 5. With 1 being someone who has the bare minimum for a living creature with that attribute and with 5 being the level necessary for amazing awe-inspiring achievements with that attribute. Your level with an attribute dictates what dice you roll when making a check with that attribute.
1- 2d4
2- 2d6
3- 2d8
4- 2d10
5- 2d12
(The following can be achieved with special buffs or skills)
6- 2d20
7- 2d30
8- 2d100
When making a roll with an attribute you roll two die of a given type and take the highest result. So, for example:
Gorm tries to force open a locked door with a challenge rating of 6. He has Level 4 Brawn, so he rolls 2d10 and gets 3 and 8. 8 is the highest result and it is higher than the door's challenge rating, so he succeeds.
Challenge rating generally go as follows:
Routine task: 0
Easy task: 2
Medium task: 6
Hard task: 8
V. Hard task: 10
Legendary task: 15
Godlike task: 30
Other than your attributes, characters also have perks, which are given to them based on their sub race. Characters may have custom perks, but these may be discussed with a DM before they're allowed.
Combat in Cinders works in the following manner:
All PLAYER characters have a number of hit points equal to their base Brawn level times two. (A Brawn 1 character has 2 HP, a Brawn 2 character has 4 HP, a Brawn 3 character has 6 HP, etc.)
NON-PLAYER characters have a number of hit points equal to their base Brawn level.
Every successful hit on a player or non-player character will usually deal one damage if the weapon is one-handed, or two if the weapon is two-handed, though it may also incur additional effects. A character may also carry two one-handed weapons to attack twice per round.
For a hit to succeed, it must get through a defender's armor rating. Armor rating is equal to the flat value provided by your armor, plus the result of an Agility check. Heavier armor incurs a penalty on your agility, lowering the rank of dice you can throw both inside as well as outside of combat.
When attacking with a melee weapon, the attacking character rolls a contested check of their Brawn Vs. the defender's Armor Rating (Which is again, flat value + Agi Check). If they get a result higher (Not equal, HIGHER) than the armor rating, the attack connects and the defender takes one point of damage.
When attacking with a ranged weapon (Except magic), however, the attacking character simply rolls their senses against a medium task check (6), this can change depending on the size of the target (Smaller targets are harder to hit, bigger targets are easier to hit). If they succeed, the attacking weapon's ARMOR PENETRATION (flat value) is compared against the defender's Armor Rating, if it is higher, the attack hits, if it is lower, the projectile simply bounces off. Ranged weapons have one weakness, however. Orc technology, though advanced, is brutish and unrefined, after their ammo is depleted, guns need to be unjammed and reloaded manually, which requires a Craft check with a difficulty that varies by gun complexity.
Magic is exclusive to the Ondon and orcish magic can only be fire related (Though the exact interpretation is up to you, you can make a simple fire mage...Or a smoke mage, a magma mage, etc). When attacking with magic, you simply roll an arcane check and, the higher the result, the higher the damage you deal. Magic always hits. If you roll higher than 2. You deal 1 damage. If you roll higher than 6, you deal 2 damage. If you roll higher than 8, you deal 3 damage, so on and so forth.
Once a character's hit points are reduced to 0, they are killed.
Orcs are hardy creatures, however. Especially those powered by the ashes of Shura'Dul.
Even if your hit points are reduced to 0, player characters then perform a spirit check, which starts at easy and raises in difficulty each time it is attempted. If they succeed, the orc will wake up a few hours or even days later, maimed and likely bearing quite a few new scars, but alive.
Equipment in Cinders is divided in four categories.
Melee Weapons - Weapons for killing people in close-range.
Ranged Weapons - Weapons for killing people at long-range.
Armor - Things to keep people from killing you.
Trinkets - Shiny stuff that gives you perks or stat boosts.
Melee Weapons
Bladed weapons - Axes, swords, daggers...
An enemy hit with a bladed weapon is put into a bleeding state. Meaning they will lose one more HP every turn after their first hit until they pass a Brawn check (Automatic) or receive medical help through a Craft check (Requires someone's full attention for one turn), which can come from themselves or from someone else.
Blunt weapons - Maces, hammers, gauntlets...
Simple and to the point. Blunt weapons reduce an opponent's flat armor value every time they miss an attack, meaning the following attack is much more likely to hit. Armor can be repaired out of combat through a Craft check.
Mechanical Weapons - Chainsaws, saw blades, industrial saw gloves...
Mechanical weapons have the effects of both bladed and blunt weapons together, however they suffer the same fault as ranged weapons, and require a craft check 2 to unjam them after every successful attack. For dual wielding, two separate checks must be made for each individual weapon. These do not cost an action.
Ranged Weapons
Revolvers
One handed, practical and stylish. Revolvers have 6 armor piercing, the lowest out of all firearms. However, they carry two unique advantages, not only are they the only firearm that can be wielded with a single-hand, allowing dual-wielding of revolvers. They only have a craft check requirement of 2 for unjamming then, and unjamming a revolver does not use a turn, meaning it can be done in an instant by an experienced orc, so that they can keep firing constantly, without having to stop to fix their equipment.
Rifles
Two handed only and very precise. Rifles have 8 armor piercing and a craft check requirement of 6, requiring a full turn to unjam after they have been fired.
Blunderbusses
Two handed only and great for starting parties. Blunderbusses have walloping 10 armor piercing and a craft check requirement of 8, requiring a full turn to unjam after they have been fired.
Explosives
Explosives are special, in that they cannot be used during combat, rather, they must be set previous to the battle's start, however, this is due to their incredible destructive power. An explosive requires a check of 8 to be properly deployed into the field of battle. Once successfully set, it will explode at the deployer's command, dealing guaranteed 5 damage to all caught in the blast. Once used, an explosive is consumed and if a new one is to be acquired, it must be purchased or made.
Armors
No Armor
No flat armor. You use your full Agility check results as your AC.
Light Armor
2 flat armor. You can use up to level 5 Agility checks as a bonus to your AC.
Medium Armor
4 flat armor. You can use up to level 3 Agility checks as a bonus to your AC.
Heavy Armor
8 flat armor. You can only use level 1 Agility checks as a bonus to your AC.
Shields
Requires a free hand to wield, therefore cannot be used alongside dual wielding or two-handed weapons. Lowers the level of agility checks you can use by 1, but gives you +2 flat bonus to your AC.
Trinkets
Trinkets are wondrous items that give you extra advantages in combat. You can only ever have one trinket equipped at a time. Custom trinkets may be discussed, these are only examples.
Hellflame bullets - Your ranged attacks all get +1 armor penetration.
Shrapnel bullets - Your ranged attacks now apply the blade's bleeding effect.
Smoke cloak - You are treated as one size smaller when the target of a ranged attack.
Quick reloader - Craft checks to unjam weapons are one difficulty easier. (2 -> 0, 6 -> 2, 8 -> 6, ...)
Nullifying Orb - All magic damage on you is reduced to one damage rank lower.
