Certain races should be able to forge using materials other races can’t:

• Dwarves can forge with crystal items, and possibly stone.
• Orcs can forge with stone items. Bone would be more flavorful for orcs, but less flavorful in being something that can actually be forged with.

A Minetown variant where Frontier Town is in the process of being invaded by orcs. Most denizens are still alive, but swarms of orcs are trying to destroy the town, and if you are an orc the leader will try to press you into service to join them in trashing it. If you decide to join them, all the normal Minetown inhabitants become hostile to you but murder penalties are removed.

Orcish characters will never be able to tame elves, and elvish characters will never be able to tame orcs.

Add some incentive for orc characters to prefer orcish shields over elven ones.