39 points

I am legitimately kind of confused as what’s going on with TTRPGs and goblins et al. Back in teh day goblins were little green dudes who did horrible things because Gygax was kind of a shithead and adopted the race-essentialism of Tolkien’s Orcs without Tolkien’s “These guys are literally fake humans/elves created by the god of evil as weapons. Actual humans, including specifically black or dark skinned humans, have conscience and free will and can do good things or bad things according to their beliefs”. Like racism in Tolkien, big topic, very popular, many posts, but Tolkien’s orcs were militant, organized, industrial, arguably the most industrialized society in Middle Earth, and in so far as they could be said to represent anything it’s much easier to make a case that Tolkien’s orcs in LOTR are a representation of the industrialization of warfare than they are a British Imperialist racial caricature.

Then Gygax and later creators took orcs from “We have a huge, organized military capable of extended field operations away from our power base. We have the necessary industrial and agricultural base to produce food, weapons, armor, goods, and everything else needed to sustain that army in the field.” to pretty much just racist caricatures of “primitive” black people or “primitive” indigenous people, leaning heavily on the “Noble Savage” trope. Orcs became gigantic, absurdly muscular brutes prone to grunting, hitting things with clubs, being angry, and not wearing clothes (Tolkien orcs top out at five feet, aren’t particularly strong despite having notable endurance, and do wear clothes). Unlike the tall, robust, blond humans they don’t seem to have any industry or agriculture.

Well, obviously that’s all bullshit, and starting with Millenials it started being rejected and replaced with new stuff. But the new stuff, as near as I can tell, is just making everyone ridiculously hot, but they’re green and have tusks. I’m not clear exactly what narrative role is served by hot green people, some tall and ripped, some very short and curvy, but I suspect it is not of god nor sanctioned by the

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26 points

Was the whole fantasy race thing ever gonna turn out good? They’re effectively walking metaphors for real world races or other slices of humanity, exaggerated for physical and behavioral traits for this reason.

It’s not like people stereotype based on the art and philosophy of a people

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18 points

But the new stuff, as near as I can tell, is just making everyone ridiculously hot

To quote The Good Place, why wouldn’t you imagine everyone as ridiculously hot? You can do it for free.

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17 points

The VOLCEL POLICE are on the scene! PLEASE KEEP YOUR VITAL ESSENCES TO YOURSELVES AT ALL TIMES.

نحن شرطة VolCel.بناءا على تعليمات الهيئة لترويج لألعاب الفيديو و النهي عن الجنس نرجوا الإبتعاد عن أي أفكار جنسية و الحفاظ على حيواناتكم المنويَّة حتى يوم الحساب. اتقوا الله، إنك لا تراه لكنه يراك.

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7 points

Oh shit internal affairs!

You’ll never take me alive!

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This is why Orks will always be superior to Orcs

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18 points

“Extremely violent fungus with british soccer hooligan tendencies” was one of GW’s better ideas.

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13 points

Orks are canon realitywarpers when they believe hard enough. My headcannon is that the whole WH40K universe is the collective unconscious will of Orkdom for infinite paradise of combat.

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10 points

Gygax orcs absolutely did have the “these guys were created by evil gods as weapons” thing going on. Orcs and goblins explicitly did not have free will until well after Gygax lost creative control over D&D

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10 points

I am legitimately kind of confused as what’s going on with TTRPGs and goblins et al.

I’m not clear exactly what narrative role is served by hot green people, some tall and ripped, some very short and curvy, but I suspect it is not of god nor sanctioned by the

It most certainly is not Volcel approved! You would be in terrible peril!

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8 points

The VOLCEL POLICE are on the scene! PLEASE KEEP YOUR VITAL ESSENCES TO YOURSELVES AT ALL TIMES.

نحن شرطة VolCel.بناءا على تعليمات الهيئة لترويج لألعاب الفيديو و النهي عن الجنس نرجوا الإبتعاد عن أي أفكار جنسية و الحفاظ على حيواناتكم المنويَّة حتى يوم الحساب. اتقوا الله، إنك لا تراه لكنه يراك.

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It’s probably just an offshoot of furry culture, I wouldn’t overthink it too much. People like characters that they’re attracted to

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6 points

My theory is everyone was already secretly horny for monsters, but didn’t have a chance to go stir-crazy enough to start exploring that until the COVID lockdowns. Because there has definitely been an uptick in this stuff.

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Tolkien orcs top out at five feet

Wait what

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Well that’s honestly unclear. Orcs and goblins are presented as the same thing within LOTR. But Uruk-hai are a specialized breed of orcs who are more person sized. I don’t think I remember their height being specified though, other than they’re taller than normal orcs

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37 points

Where orc muscle mommy

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New Halloween costume/cosplay idea. Thanks!

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26 points

tfw when no beautiful orc partner

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25 points

Mfw when the femboy orc boy wife 🥺

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