Half-Orc
Though much more common in the Age of Rebirth, half-orcs still rise from the union of humans and orcs. Depending on the culture and family half-orcs are raised in, they can be everything from proud, honorable warriors and intelligent scholars to bloodthirsty barbarians and battleragers, still shackled to Marzak's bloodrage.
Scarred and Strong
Half-orcs’ gray to green pigmentation, sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see. Half-orcs stand between 5 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 300 pounds. Depending on how close they are to traditional, ancient orcish culture, half-orcs tend to carry scars and injuries with pride. To sacrifice life and limb in the defense of something greater than themself is the highest honor, and their scars and injuries are testament to their struggle. Despite any impediment they may cause, half-orcs (and orcs, by extension) hold great injuries like lost limbs or paralysis on a truly high pedestal, for they believe that that person has sacrificed much yet continues to push on.The Ragebinder's Stain
Orcs and their half-orc progeny were originally born on and to defend the frontiers of Yophas. Stewards of nature, defenders of peace, that is what orcs were throughout the Age of Rebirth. And, though some bastions of this ancient culture still remain -- and many other places have been fighting to restore it -- the fact of the matter is that orcs and half-orcs fell from grace in the Reckoning, and they fell hard. Just as they did with the drow, the Obsidian Lords delighted in perverting the designs of the Children of Yamma. To this end, Marzak enslaved almost all orcs during the Reckoning, binding them to their own rage. Orcs had always been impassioned; they were granted a heart of fire to ensure they would do what needed to be done to defend the people and the wild of Yophas. Marzak twisted this and bound orcs to their own rage. At Marzak's hand, millennia of orcish culture backslid until orcs became feared and reviled. To this day, orcs, half-orcs, and their culture and reputation, have limped towards recovery. Though perhaps less so than full orcs, half-orcs struggle with the history of their people. Even if they themselves are at peace with what happened or truly understand that it wasn't really the fault of the orcs, half-orcs are often reminded by others of the on-going cultural struggle for orcs and half-orcs. Though most societies have evolved past overt racism, it is not uncommon for half-orcs to deal with microaggressions and unwanted stares, even in the most "progressive" places.Passion and Rage
Half-orcs meld the passion of orcs with the flame of hope in humans. To this end, half-orcs can sometimes be more determined and forward-moving than either of their ancestor races. At best, this means half-orcs are unstoppable engines of hope and determination, finding a place in all societies as forward-thinkers and forward-movers. At worst, this means half-orcs are slaves to their temperaments, struggling to manage their extreme passions and ambitions.Half-Orc Names
Half-orcs usually have names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. A half-orc who wants to fit in among humans might trade an orc name for a human name. Some half-orcs with human names decide to adopt a guttural orc name because they think it makes them more intimidating. Male Orc Names: Dench, Feng, Gell, Henk, Holg, Imsh, Keth, Krusk, Mhurren, Ront, Shump, Thokk Female Orc Names: Baggi, Emen, Engong, Kansif, Myev, Neega, Ovak, Ownka, Shautha, Sutha, Vola, Volen, Yevelda Additionally, you can use a culture specific name, as seen in the articles under Cultures/Ethnicities. All but Camaerithian would likely work for a half-orc.Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose what race your character belongs to. If you choose a half-orc, follow the rules found below to make your half-orc hero -- or villain.Ability Score Increases
When determining your character's ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The "Quick Build" section of your character's class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can't raise any of your scores above 20.Languages
Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you can your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player's Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.Creature Type
Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. Your race tells you what your character's creature type is. Here's a list of the game's creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don't have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn't work on a Construct or an Undead.Half-Orc Traits
Your half-orc character has certain traits deriving from your orc ancestry.Age
Half-orcs mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.Size
Half-orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Darkvision
Thanks to your orc blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.Menacing
You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.Relentless Endurance
When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.Savage Attacks
When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.Creation Mythos
Like all hybrids, half-orcs don't really have a "creation mythos," as they are consciously aware that they are a hybridization of humans and orcs; however, they do tend to embrace the culture and history of one ancestor race over the other.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
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