Henchthings

Half-price hirelings?

This is an intriguing line from the first edition of D&D (Book III, The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures, 1974):

"Hired fighters can be men, dwarves or elves. Chaotic characters may wish to employ Orcs; Orc support and upkeep is only half that of a man." (p. 23)

I don't recall ever seeing a PC with orc hirelings in any RPG, but it would add a lot of interest to a campaign. They would fit best into a sort of Mos Eisley setting, in which all kinds of species mingle freely, but many D&D settings end up being that by default, what with all their new-fangled dragon-men and devil-men and whatnot.

So what would the considerations be for a PC with orcish followers? Well, except in the most Mos Eisleyan locales, the henchthings might have trouble getting put up in an inn ("We don't serve their kind!"). And if they did, there would be a fair chance of involvement in a brawl, or worse.

There might be trouble in the wilderness too. If a PC's orcish back-up are carrying the "filthy badges" of one tribe into the territory of another, they could incur all sorts of hostilities. And they'd be likely to draw the ire of elves and dwarves if they passed through their lands.

But there would be advantages too, quite apart from costs. For one thing, orcs see well in the dark. For another, they might well make better infiltrators into monster-held territory than human men-at-arms. And for intimidation purposes - whether in some subterranean lair or in a frightened merchant's townhouse - they're ideal.

So how do you recruit them? Well, some of the orc guards in your typical dungeon might be bullied, bribed or just bored. If you're a half-orc, you might have an 'in'. If you kill their leader, you might almost be expected to take command. And if you can provide opportunities for violence, loot and carousing (as the typical D&D PC can), then why not?