Pimp My Orc (and everything else)

One of the things that I aim to achieve with the World of TSRan project (see here, here and here) is to vastly expand the variation and range of existing 'standard' TSR D&D monsters based on geographical location and terrain/climate type. The reader should be able to identify a hex as, say, jungle or hot desert or tundra or whatever, and be able to populate it with terrain-appropriate variants on old standards.

To give a short applied example, here is what that would look like with respect to orcs inhabiting 'cold coast' terrain (meaning coastal regions in cold temperate and subarctic climates):

Orc Variants: Cold Coast

Wilderness encounter: 3d6 hunters or raiders, with a leader and 1d3 ‘big-men’ with maximum hp; all are armed with harpoons/spears and clubs, and half have darts, or short bows; all wear reinforced hide armour (AC 6)

Lair encounter: 30-300 warriors, with same number of females and infants; for every 100 warriors there is a 5 HD shaman (cleric) and a 4 HD witch doctor (magic-user), and a 2 HD sub-chief and 2d6 guards with maximum hp, and the entire lair has one 3 HD chief and 3d6 guards with maximum hp; a lair also has a 1 in 6 chance of having each of the following type of pets: 1d3 giant hermit crabs, 1d6 seals, 1d3 elephant seals, 1d2 cave bears, or 1d2 polar bears

Treasure variations: Cold coastal orcs have TT C, L, Qx10, S in lairs, and Ox2 and Px2 in wilderness encounters

Cold coastal orc tribe generator

Dice	Aesthetic variation	Lair	Other flavour	Hook
1	Semi-aquatic (have flipper feet and hands and fish scales; can swim at 120)	In huts made from porpoise or whale corpses	Daub themselves in whale blubber – vile stench means they never surprise opponents, but opponents must successfully save vs poison in order to make a first melee attack (subsequent attacks do not require a roll)	Have a tribe of rival orcs living nearby
2	Cormorant heads		Can explosively spray white fecal matter in a 6’ x 2’ cone, acting as a stinking cloud; this attack must be prepared a round in advance by disrobing	Live near a giant, dragon, etc. of appropriate type, to whom they make sacrifices
3	Fur seal heads	In cliff caves	Use skins as trophies; must spend 1d3 rounds skinning or scalping slain opponent if delivering the coup de grace	Live near a valuable source of guano which they mine
4	Gull heads		Worship a bestial shark, gull, kraken or orca god; must spend 1d3 rounds devouring body parts of slain opponent if delivering the coup de grace	Prey upon nearby human settlement for slaves (holding 3d6 at any given time)
5	Shark heads	On floating rafts, moored a short distance from shore	Worship a hungry shark, gull, kraken or orca god; will attempt to capture opponents reduced to 1-4 remaining hp for subsequent sacrifice	Lair near a gigantic glacier within which is a vast network of tunnels
6	Sea-bird feathered		Daub themselves in silt mud as camouflage; surprise opponents on a roll of 1-3 on surprise roll	Are engaged in summoning a demigod or demon from the deep
7	Lichen-covered	In huts made from rocks and seashells	One in every six individuals has a crab pincer for a hand and has an additional attack doing 1d4 hp damage and grabbing the victim on a successful hit, doing 1d4 hp damage automatically thereafter	Are the escaped slaves of a powerful tribe of ogres, merrow, sea trolls, etc.
8	Seaweed hair		Bleed brine – sprays out after a serious wound (doing 4+ hp damage) or at death, blinding melee opponent for next round on a failed save vs poison	Are split into two warring factions under rivals for power