Orc Quest; or, A Critical Examination of Agency Through in Interactive Fiction (Warcraft)

Could he talk to the dead with his pyre caller and light skills?
Weirdly the class skill isn't even that useful.

At 6th level, the pyremaster may speak with the ashes of a dead creature. He may ask as many questions as he wishes. The ashes' knowledge is limited to what the creature knew during life, including the languages it spoke (if any). Answers are usually brief, cryptic or repetitive. If the creature's alignment was different from the pyremaster's, the ashes get a Will save (DC 10 + the pyremaster's levels in this class + the pyremaster's Charisma modifier) to resist this ability. The pyremaster can use this ability on ashes that have been deceased for any amount of time, but the ashes must represent the bulk of the creature's body. Partial ashes may be able to give partial answers or partially correct answers. The pyremaster cannot actually speak to the person (whose soul has departed). This ability instead draws on the imprinted knowledge stored in the ashes. The ashes retain the imprint of the soul that once inhabited them, and thus they can speak with all the knowledge that the creature had while alive. The ashes, however, cannot learn new information. Indeed, it can't even remember being questioned.

If I was running a warcraft tabletop game then I'd rely on the players to decide what to ask and go from there. If you had something specific then sure we can discuss, but it looks like there's not a lot you can get out of them.

Also, in terms of tabletop levels I suppose, Grok is pretty multiclassed by now. In tabletop terms, he probably only has 1 level in pyremaster, whereas he has most of his levels in Orc Warrior or Gladiator (as that's what the tabletop treats Blademasters as), he'll have a few in shaman, and now recently a couple in paladin. Obviously in the 'real life' of the story, there's not the same incentives to single class as there are in tabletop. For example, Grok's 'levels' in blademaster, shaman and pyremaster all sort of flow together.

For interest, the blademaster from the rpg book. I must admit I've never fully grasped how DnD works, so if anyone happened to be aware of it you could comment on whether Moogul here would be powerful or not.
Typical Blademaster — Moogul the Sly, 6th-Level Warrior/ 10th-Level Gladiator

Once part of the Burning Blade clan, the few blademasters who still exist are now loyal to the Horde. They have sworn oaths to free their people from demonic corruption, and they usually do this through example: If they can be as formidable as they are without the Legion's help, other orcs can as well.

Moogul the Sly, Male Orc Warrior 6/Gladiator 10: CR 16; Medium humanoid (orc); HD 15d10+45, hp 137; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +16; Grp +24; Atk +22 melee (2d6+10/17–20, greatsword); Full Atk +22/+17/+12/+7 melee (2d6+10/17–20, greatsword); SA command (5 rounds), critical strike (+4d4 4/day), maximize blow (3/day), supreme cleave, two-handed mastery; SQ low-light vision, orc traits; AL LN; SV Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 17, Agy 15, Sta 16, Int 13, Spt 13, Cha 12. Languages Spoken: Common, Orcish and Taur-ahe. Skills: Bluff +15, Climb +21, Intimidate +24. Feats: Battle Shout, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip); Furious Charge, Great Cleave, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Intimidating Shout, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Focus (grapple), Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (greatsword), Whirlwind Attack.

Possessions: Mithril +3 breastplate, +2 keen greatsword, amulet of natural armor +2, ring of protection +1, four potions of cure serious wounds.

Description: The orc moves with quickness and fluidity, carrying a long, slender blade in one hand. A red banner rising over his back marks him as a leader, and his long white beard marks him as a sage. Blademasters lead their people into melee combat, unhesitatingly seeking the most vulnerable enemy champions — magi, druids and the like. Blademasters willingly go toe-to-toe with other melee experts as well, drawing from ages of tradition to fuel their combat prowess. Their sashimono banners allow their troops to identify them on the battlefield and move to where the action is thickest. Many act as bodyguards for other Horde champions.
 
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Weirdly the class skill isn't even that useful.



If I was running a warcraft tabletop game then I'd rely on the players to decide what to ask and go from there. If you had something specific then sure we can discuss, but it looks like there's not a lot you can get out of them.

Also, in terms of tabletop levels I suppose, Grok is pretty multiclassed by now. In tabletop terms, he probably only has 1 level in pyremaster, whereas he has most of his levels in Orc Warrior or Gladiator (as that's what the tabletop treats Blademasters as), he'll have a few in shaman, and now recently a couple in paladin. Obviously in the 'real life' of the story, there's not the same incentives to single class as there are in tabletop. For example, Grok's 'levels' in blademaster, shaman and pyremaster all sort of flow together.

For interest, the blademaster from the rpg book. I must admit I've never fully grasped how DnD works, so if anyone happened to be aware of it you could comment on whether Moogul here would be powerful or not.
Typical Blademaster — Moogul the Sly, 6th-Level Warrior/ 10th-Level Gladiator

Once part of the Burning Blade clan, the few blademasters who still exist are now loyal to the Horde. They have sworn oaths to free their people from demonic corruption, and they usually do this through example: If they can be as formidable as they are without the Legion's help, other orcs can as well.

Moogul the Sly, Male Orc Warrior 6/Gladiator 10: CR 16; Medium humanoid (orc); HD 15d10+45, hp 137; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +16; Grp +24; Atk +22 melee (2d6+10/17–20, greatsword); Full Atk +22/+17/+12/+7 melee (2d6+10/17–20, greatsword); SA command (5 rounds), critical strike (+4d4 4/day), maximize blow (3/day), supreme cleave, two-handed mastery; SQ low-light vision, orc traits; AL LN; SV Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 17, Agy 15, Sta 16, Int 13, Spt 13, Cha 12. Languages Spoken: Common, Orcish and Taur-ahe. Skills: Bluff +15, Climb +21, Intimidate +24. Feats: Battle Shout, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip); Furious Charge, Great Cleave, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Intimidating Shout, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Focus (grapple), Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (greatsword), Whirlwind Attack.

Possessions: Mithril +3 breastplate, +2 keen greatsword, amulet of natural armor +2, ring of protection +1, four potions of cure serious wounds.

Description: The orc moves with quickness and fluidity, carrying a long, slender blade in one hand. A red banner rising over his back marks him as a leader, and his long white beard marks him as a sage. Blademasters lead their people into melee combat, unhesitatingly seeking the most vulnerable enemy champions — magi, druids and the like. Blademasters willingly go toe-to-toe with other melee experts as well, drawing from ages of tradition to fuel their combat prowess. Their sashimono banners allow their troops to identify them on the battlefield and move to where the action is thickest. Many act as bodyguards for other Horde champions.
Typical it's gonna take a magical amulet to do the asking like in baldur's gate 3.
 
Ask him if he knows what killed him and some Syndicate secrets.
I suppose it would depend on a roll, but 'some syndicate secrets' isn't specific enough. Again, from the rulebook 'Answers are usually brief, cryptic or repetitive'. If you wanted to know for example, the location of their heir, if one existed, they might just answer 'safe from you' or something equally unhelpful, but in any case you'd have to be specific about what you wanted to know.
 
I suppose it would depend on a roll, but 'some syndicate secrets' isn't specific enough. Again, from the rulebook 'Answers are usually brief, cryptic or repetitive'. If you wanted to know for example, the location of their heir, if one existed, they might just answer 'safe from you' or something equally unhelpful, but in any case you'd have to be specific about what you wanted to know.
Actually now that you mention it, Grok can find out if the king he killed has a successor.
 
- If the King has heirs
- Who could unify the kingdom of Alterac after his death
- What is the greatest threat that Alterac faces? (to get his perspective and see if he has information)

Somehow, this quest has returned :D. I have finally caught up from 2022
 
Could even ask him about the raiding orcs too.

Those orcs as they're mentioned to be of Black Rock/burning blade could mean they're related to the ones Arthas slaughtered.

Handling them may get Grok closer to his true objective.
 
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It's d20system so I don't fully grok it but Moogul's a martial so he's not bending reality to his whim, a general disadvantage in these rpgs, but being CR 16 he's got a nice 137 HP pool to pull from which is just gonna make it real hard for any other martials beneath him to ever hope to bring him down in a fair fight.

He does an average of 17 damage per hit(a third of a Knight's 42 HP, from the Alliance players guide), and this is without factoring in power attack, his large crit range, or his class abilities. In a full-attack his first 2 attack have a 95% chance to hit the Knight, 3rd is 55%, 4th 30%.

He has a decent AC of 23(The Knight has to roll 14 to hit him, and does 8.5 damage on average, and can only attack once a round) so, less than elite enemies(looking at the Alliance book, militiamen,footmen, kinda the knights) can basically just be waded through en masse like a scythe in the fields. Don't let him get next to your squishy spell casters.

Happy with the results here, Myzrael is OP. Shame about the King as well, but oh well. I'm wondering which course of action the Bishop would prefer.
 
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Im honestly am on the he opinion that the king was betrayed, probably by one of the guardians of his heirs.
 
It's 3.5 so I don't fully grok it but Moogul's a martial so he's not bending reality to his whim, a general disadvantage in these rpgs, but being CR 16 he's got a nice 137 HP pool to pull from which is just gonna make it real hard for any other martials beneath him to ever hope to bring him down in a fair fight.

He does an average of 17 damage per hit(a third of a Knight's 42 HP, from the Alliance players guide), and this is without factoring in power attack, his large crit range, or his class abilities. In a full-attack his first 2 attack have a 95% chance to hit the Knight, 3rd is 55%, 4th 30%.

He has a decent AC of 23(The Knight has to roll 14 to hit him, and does 8.5 damage on average, and can only attack once a round) so, less than elite enemies(looking at the Alliance book, militiamen,footmen, kinda the knights) can basically just be waded through en masse like a scythe in the fields. Don't let him get next to your squishy spell casters.

Happy with the results here, Myzrael is OP. Shame about the King as well, but oh well. I'm wondering which course of action the Bishop would prefer.
If Grok continues to do things he would approve of especially if it's light related he might try other things when Alterac hasn't seen better days since the previous king's didn't do well.

But most of all you can give him and the people hope. Not very clear but something the people of Alterac would like to look forward to after seeing a couple generations of them end up in misfortune because of the decisions of their king and his successor.
 
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Ultimately I don't think there's a reason to let our foot off the gas here just at this moment... but got dang it I really wanna talk to these orcs.

[X] Go into the mountains to seek out the raiding orcs, and to stop them.
 
- If the King has heirs
- Who could unify the kingdom of Alterac after his death
- What is the greatest threat that Alterac faces? (to get his perspective and see if he has information)
So for the purposes of yours and @rx915's questions, I'll note that while Grok is aware this is a thing, he's never done it, and wouldn't know how to do it very well. We know for example about the limtiations of the summoning ash thing, Grok doesn't.

Happily though these specific questions would have answers Grok could just ask around for. For example, the heirs are unlikely to be public if they exist, because Perenolde would be worried about assassination. However, it's a system of nobility and Perenolde is a middle aged noble, so he's likely to have a relative, legitimate or not, who could be an heir.

In terms of unifying the kingdom, that's rather more difficult. The bishop would be decent, but isn't a syndicate member so might only be supported by the peasantry. Comparably, some powerful figure among the syndicate would have a much better chance of unifying everyone. You've also got Lady Prestor, who isn't really relevant just now, but is one of the claimants.

Greatest threat would probably be the alliance, givne the Scourge has been defeated in teh Plaguelands.

Interesting, so thanks for that. Obviously the system doens't completely translate over, as Blademasters are supposed to be able to go invisible and stuff too, but quite accurate that they're dangerous to spellcasters etc.

I'm wondering which course of action the Bishop would prefer.
Split really. On one hand, he doesn't like the orcs raiding people, and knows Grok is the best person to resolve that situation. However, on the other hand, he's now in charge of an army who aren't that loyal to him, and it would be really good to have a force of orcs about to steady them.
 
Split really. On one hand, he doesn't like the orcs raiding people, and knows Grok is the best person to resolve that situation. However, on the other hand, he's now in charge of an army who aren't that loyal to him, and it would be really good to have a force of orcs about to steady them.
So he would be open to either of Grok's decisions.

Possibly nipping the future nascent Syndicate insurgency might solve the heir issue by dint of Grok finding the heir during his attempt at COIN.
 
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Grok'mash's Dream
I will send poor Grok'mash a dream:ninja:, it could be an Omake. Maybe it's just baseless fears, maybe it can push him (and us) to reflection.

< "No matter what death magic you use," Drek'thar of the Frostwolves was saying as he looked at you, "No matter what new dishonour you bring to the traditions of our people, no matter what, I must destroy you. Only then will we survive."
You don't even try to block his next strike, and as the Farseer puts all his weight into the stroke, dropping his dagger to bear his axe in both hands, you feel serenity.
Then, it is not gold that overtakes you. Instead, the floor is not there as it should have been. Drek'thar finishes the blow, but it doesn't hurt. He and you and the walls of the clan stronghold and everything are just starting to plummet into a vast darkness, falling down, ever further from each other.

You blink, and find yourself crashing onto the earth, under the orange light of dusk. Actually, it's not the earth, you fell on bones. It's the bottom of a mountain path, full of bones, white and creaking under your step as you get back up.
The mountain of the stand against the Kolkar, given the many Centaur skulls here, and a few Orc skulls. You wonder why you are seeing this.
"Kartha! Scorn!... Are you there?" You call them instinctively. They should be here somewhere.

Then, in the arid landscape, an immense wave of water sprouts. It's mostly black, with specks of sickly green, and it rages across the land, turning towards you. You start to run fast on the mountain path, cric-crick-crock go the bones.
The wave of water comes towards the base of the path. Fast, faster, faster, you start flying as it is the wont of a Blademaster, taking great strides across the air. Vark is on the mountain too, to your right, walking towards the top and favouring his injured side. He smiles in haste and urges you forward, so on you go.

As you stride forwards and upwards over the circling path, the water has become a sea of darkness, covering the sun. The only light is a candleflame right at the tip of the mountain.
The water is not rising anymore, but you want to reach the light, you know that in the Light you are safe. You are so close...
Then a terrible weight brings you to the ground. It seems your Bloodstone has become infinitely heavy, and drags you down. You can rotate around it, and move your arms and legs, but that's it.
Somehow, with great effot, you manage to get your legs under you and be on one knee.
That's when you see the shadow, darker and grey and strange, a few steps ahead.
"No... Jubei'thos"
"Did you really believe that it was the light you were calling upon?"
You try to recall it: to defend, to protect, to guard the world and all the ones you care about from this, but to no avail.
"It was death..." he comes a few steps closer "... all along".
"The cathedral... was a place full of death and battle, yours, the enemy's, your companions'. The temple in Varnhold, it has always been a place for funerals, no wonder that you could bring forward so much light and flame. So many... " if a shadow could have a sneering, terrifying grin, he would have it now "... funerary candles."
"In a sense, you have become the ultimate pyremaster, unbeknownst to you. You can gather the energy of rite and ritual, of death and mourning, and use it as the kindling for flame. Impressive"
"And now... I have come to collect".

A moment of absolute silence follows. In that silence, a new presence arrives, from the side.
"Father"
Neeru Fireblade arrives, in silence, and gives you his hand. It's slightly scorching, but you don't complain, and take it to start to get up.
Jubei'thos growls angrily, steps forward and grabs you by the collar. A moment of blank terror... and you are awake.
"Spirits..."
 
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[X] Go south to pacify the remnants of the Syndicate, and to prevent any insurgency.
 
[X] Go south to pacify the remnants of the Syndicate, and to prevent any insurgency.

Well a few levels in Pyremaster and he will have ultimate info gathering ability. Like he didn't even need to torture enemies. Kill and burn them and ask questions and that's all. That's very powerful, imo.
 
@FractiousDay does Grok have the capability to eventually get the services of a light elemental or lightspawn as they're called?
in theory, sure. In practicality though it's pretty unlikely. They're a very specialised and high level thing, so would be likely to only be available to the highest level and most powerful priests. I might even call them a recent innovation, given they appear in legion once the class halls start setting up
 
[X] Go south to pacify the remnants of the Syndicate, and to prevent any insurgency.

The orcs can probably wait. They aren't that dangerous to the future of alterac at the moment and are only raiding. The syndicate risks serious annoyances in the future if we end up as ruler of this area.
 
[X] Go south to pacify the remnants of the Syndicate, and to prevent any insurgency.

Better to take care of the threat within imo.
 
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