We play the game over 8 Chapters.
The Core Loop
Each Chapter describes a key battle or event in the war for which we’ve created Orcs:
1. Narration: One player narrates the situation (e.g., a siege or ambush). This comes straight from the book, so for PbP, I will simply copy and paste.
2. Choose Stratagem: The Council (players) picks two of the Orcs’ stats (Brute, Clever, Numbers, or Loyalty) to represent the Orcs’ approach. The catch: you can only use each combination once.
3. Roll: You roll 1d6 + the sum of those two chosen stats. Each chapter has a target number (difficulty) to beat.
4. Victory or Defeat:
• Victory lets you pick 3 Warps to evolve the Orcs.
• Defeat means you pick 2 Warps and suffer some penalty or complication.
5. Warps: Each chapter has unique "Warps"—genetic, magical, or cultural modifications you can apply to the Orcs (e.g., night vision, extra fury, forging new armor, etc.). These boost or reduce the Orcs’ stats.
6. Shifts (optional): At the end of each chapter, players can also apply "Shifts"—extra tweaks like making the Orcs larger/smaller or indoctrinating/educating them.
Key Stats & How They Evolve
The Orcs have four core stats, each starting at 0:
1. Brute: Physical strength and power.
2. Clever: Intelligence, cunning, magical aptitude.
3. Numbers: Population size and ability to muster large forces.
4. Loyalty: Devotion to the Council or to a chosen bound item/person.
Across the chapters, Warps and Shifts change these stats, shaping how your Orcs grow (or degrade). Hitting ±4 or ±8 in a stat triggers a new custom—a cultural or biological trait that separates Orcs further from ordinary humans.
• Each chapter represents a major confrontation or turning point.
• After each chapter, you alter the Orcs.
Player Experience & Expectations
• Collaborative Storytelling: Every player gets to narrate scenes in turn. There’s no "primary GM," so everyone contributes ideas, descriptions, and twists.
• Worldbuilding & Strategy: You’re essentially co-authoring the history of your Orcs and their culture. Decisions about Warps and Shifts are both mechanical (choosing which stats to buff) and narrative (deciding what those changes look like in the story).
• Light Rules, Big Impact: The rules are simple—pick two stats, roll 1d6, then apply Warps—but each choice drastically changes the Orcs’ development and the kingdom’s fate.
• Moral Dilemmas: The game deals with "dark fantasy" themes: war, atrocities, forced creation of a warrior race, betrayals, curses, etc. Players should expect some grim or morally ambiguous turns, though you can tone it down (or up) to suit your group’s preference. Ultimately, it’s a game about the hubris of attempting to control other lives.
• Short to Medium Play Time: A typical campaign takes 90–120 real time minutes to get through all 8 chapters (a bit longer with more players or extra roleplay).
• Minimal Prep: You only need the rulebook, some dice, paper (or a digital note-taker) to track the Orc stats, and a willingness to improvise.
