Orc

Orcs are aggressive, callous, and domineering. Bullies by nature, they respect strength and power as the highest virtues. On an almost instinctive level, orcs believe they are entitled to anything they want unless someone stronger can stop them from seizing it. They rarely exert themselves off the battlefield except when forced to do so; this attitude stems not just from laziness but also from an ingrained belief that work should trickle down through the pecking order until it falls upon the shoulders of the weak. They take slaves from other races, orc men brutalize orc women, and both abuse children and elders, on the grounds that anyone too feeble to fight back deserves little more than a life of suffering. Surrounded at all times by bitter enemies, orcs cultivate an attitude of indifference to pain, vicious tempers, and a fierce willingness to commit unspeakable acts of vengeance against anyone who dares to defy them.

Note:
Orc player characters are not representative of their race, and are rather outliers of them. The vast majority of orcs in Astora are evil, violent, and selfish creatures, and would be a poor fit for most any adventuring party.

Description

Powerfully built, orcs typically stand just a few inches taller than most humans but have much greater muscle mass, their broad shoulders and thick, brawny hips often giving them a slightly lurching gait. They typically have dull green skin, coarse dark hair, beady red eyes, and protruding, tusk-like teeth. Orcs consider scars a mark of distinction and frequently use them as a form of body art.

Racial Traits

Ability Adjustment: 4 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom, and –2 Charisma. Orcs are brutal and savage.
Size: Medium.
Speed: Orc base land speed is 30 feet.
Type: Humanoid (Orc).
Age: Orcs age faster than humans, reaching adulthood at 12 years of age and typically living into their 50's.
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and orcs can fuction just fine with no light at all.

Special Qualities

Ferocity: Orcs possess the Ferocity ability which allows them to remain conscious and continue fighting even if their hit point totals fall below 0. Orcs are still Staggered at 0 hit points or lower and lose 1 hit point each round if acting while at negative hit points.
Weapon Familiarity: Orcs are always proficient with greataxes and falchions, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
Light Sensitivity: Orc lives in darkness have caused them to suffer from Light Sensitivity, causing them to become Dazzled when in areas of bright light.

Languages

Automatic Languages: Common and Orc.
Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above.


Dayrunner: Orcs refuse to yield to any foe, including the sun. Some spend hour upon hour glaring at the sun until their ruined eyes acclimatize to bright light. Orcs with this racial trait take a –2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls. This racial trait replaces light sensitivity.
Feral: Orcs have the ability to fend for themselves long before they master the rudiments of their language and culture. Having needed to hunt bugs and tiny animals for food to survive while still infants, feral orcs fight all the harder to survive when at the brink of death. Orcs with this racial trait gain Survival as a class skill and gain a +1 Racial bonus on melee weapon attack and damage rolls when at negative hit points. This racial trait replaces the orc’s weapon familiarity and automatic languages. Feral orcs without additional languages due to high Intelligence scores or ranks in Linguistics can only communicate with grunts and gestures.
Reckless Climber: Mountain-dwelling orcs thrive on taking insane risks to defeat foes and show up rivals. They gain a +4 Racial bonus on Climb checks without rope and on Acrobatics checks to maintain balance. This racial trait replaces ferocity.
Smeller: Orcs with this racial trait gain a limited Scent ability with half the normal range. This racial trait replaces ferocity and weapon familiarity.
Squalid: Some orcs exist in surroundings so filthy and pestilent that even other orcs would have difficulty living in them. Orcs with this racial trait gain a +2 Racial bonus on saving throws made to resist the Nauseated, Sickened, and Diseased conditions. This racial trait replaces ferocity.