Half-Orcs

Common Names

Male Names: Ausk, Davor, Hakak, Kizziar, Makoa, Nesteruk, Tsadok. 

Female Names: Canan, Drogheda, Goruza, Mazon, Shirish, Tevaga, Zeljka. 

Physical Description

Half-orcs average around six feet tall, with powerful builds and greenish or grayish skin. Their canine teeth often grow long enough to protrude from their mouths, and these “tusks,” combined with heavy brows and slightly pointed ears, give them their notoriously bestial appearance. While half-orcs may be impressive, few ever describe them as beautiful. Despite these obvious orc traits, half-orcs are as varied as their human parents. 

Age Range: Adult 15, old age 45, max age60-80.

Half-orc Males: Height 5'0"-6'10" and weight 164-318 lbs (average 5'11", 241 lbs).

Half-orc Females: Height 4'7"-6'5" and weight 124-278 lbs (average 5'6", 201 lbs).

Society

Unlike half-elves, half-orcs get the worst of both worlds: physically weaker than orcs, they also tend to be feared by humans who don’t bother making the distinction between full orcs and halfbloods. Even on the best of terms, half-orcs in civilized societies are not exactly accepted,

and tend to be valued only for their physical abilities. On the other hand, orc leaders have been known to deliberately spawn half-orcs, as the halfbreeds make up for their lack of physical strength with cunning and aggression.

Within orc tribes, half-orcs find themselves striving to prove their worth with feats of strength. These half-orcs are likely to file their tusks and cover themselves in tribal tattoos. Tribal leaders quietly recognize that half-orcs are more clever than most orcs and often apprentice them to the tribe’s shaman. Apprenticeship to a shaman is a brutal and often short-lived distinction and those who survive it either become influential in the tribe or are driven to leave.

Half-orcs have a mixed experience in human society, where many view them as little more than monsters. They often are unable to get normal work, and are pressed into service in the military or sold into slavery. In these cultures, half-orcs often lead furtive lives, hiding their nature whenever possible.

Less commonly, human cities may allow half-orcs a more normal existence, even enabling them to develop small communities of their own. These communities are usually centered around the arena districts, the military, or mercenary organizations where their brute strength is valued and their appearance is more likely to be overlooked. Even surrounded by their own kind, half-orc life isn’t easy. Bullying and physical confrontation comes easy to a people who have been raised with few other examples of behavior. Even more rarely, certain human cultures come to embrace half-orcs for their strength. There are stories of places where people see half-orc children as a blessing and seek out half-orc or orc lovers.

Relations

Elves and dwarves tend to be the least accepting of half-orcs, seeing in them too great a resemblance to their ancestral enemies, and other peoples aren’t much more understanding. A lifetime of persecution leaves the average half-orc wary and quick to anger, yet people who break through his savage exterior might find a well-hidden core of empathy. Human societies with few orc problems tend to be the most accommodating, and half-orcs dwelling there can often find work as mercenaries and enforcers.

Half-orcs are envious of the measure of acceptance half-elves have within human and elven society and resent their physical beauty, which contrasts starkly to the half-orcs’ brutish appearance. While half-orcs avoid antagonizing their half-breed cousins directly, they won’t hesitate to undermine them if the opportunity presents itself.

Half-orcs are most sympathetic with halflings, who often have an equally rough lot in life. Half-orcs respect their ability to blend in and disappear and admire their perpetually cheerful outlook on life in spite of hardships. Halflings fail to appreciate this fact because they usually are too busy avoiding the large, intimidating half-orcs.

Religion

Half-orcs worship the human or orc gods venerated in the area where they were raised. Those who live alongside humans most often worship human gods of war, freedom, or destruction. Half-orcs raised in orc tribes find themselves most drawn to the gods of blood, fire, and iron—depending more on what god the tribe worships rather than the half-orcs’ personal preference. Many half-orcs are contrary about religion, either ignoring it entirely, or getting deeply involved in it and trying to find meaning in a life filled with hate and misunderstanding. 

Adventurers

Staunchly independent, many half-orcs take to lives of adventure out of necessity, seeking to escape their painful pasts or improve their lot in life. Half-orcs raised in orc societies often take up the brutish ways of those around them. Those who survive their shaman training may eventually succeed their masters as tribal shamans, or flee and practice their magic as outcasts. 

Half-orcs are fascinated by alchemy, and its destructive capabilities make its usefulness obvious in any orc tribe. Half-orc alchemists treat themselves as living experiments, even to the point of trying to separate their orc and human halves through alchemy.

Languages: Common and Orc.

• Darkvision: Half-orcs ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10” (20 yards).

• Intimidating: By their very nature, half-orcs inspire fear and awe. They start with a d4 in Intimidation. This increases maximum Intimidation to d12+1.

• Orc Ferocity: Half-orcs are as tough as old boots. They gain +1 Toughness.

• Outsider (Minor): Most cultures are suspicious of half-orcs, and orcish societies distrust their human sides. They subtract 2 from all Persuasion rolls and are often resented or belittled by others.

• Strong: Half-orcs possess some of the might of their orcish ancestry. They start with a d6 in Strength instead of a d4. This increases maximum Strength to d12+1.

Alternate Ancestral Abilities

• Sacred Tattoo: Many half-orcs decorate themselves with tattoos, piercings, and ritual scarification, which they consider sacred. Half-orcs with this ability gain an additional Novice power the first time they take an Arcane Background. This replaces Orc Ferocity.

• Scavenger: Some half-orcs eke out a living picking over the garbage heaps of society, and must learn to separate rare finds from the inevitable dross. These half-orcs have +1 on Notice rolls to find hidden objects (including traps and secret doors), determine whether food is spoiled, or identify a potion by taste (see Detect Magic). This replaces Intimidating.

• Skilled: Second- and third-generation half-orcs often favor their human heritage more than their orc heritage. Half-orcs with this ability start with 14 skill points instead of 12. This replaces Darkvision.