Half-Orcs
Orcs in the world of Etharis exist only as villains
in fairy tales told to scare naughty children. They
were described as violent brutes who lived only
to inflict mayhem on everyone. Nevertheless,
orcs roamed Etharis even before the dwarves and
the elves, and their description in the fairy tales
preserves a sinister truth. No one knows why the
orcs disappeared from Etharis en masse, except
that the last of them were seen in Valika, before
they were presumably slain or bred out. However,
all know the ominous reminder of their dark and
violent past.
The half-orcs of Etharis are tall, daunting, and
fierce warriors. Some say that these humanoids
are the result of breeding between early human
tribes and the last orcs. Others say they are
the creation of a lost war god who wanted to
immortalize his own image. In any case, the
half-orcs combine the best out of their two
parts: the formidable resilience of an orc, and the
adaptability of a human.
The only part of Etharis where half-orcs gather
under any form of organization is in the frozen
north among the Valikan Clans. There, nomadic
tribes of humans, half-orcs, and giants roam the
northern wastelands. The unforgiving climate
seems to suit half-orcs and encourage humans to
accept them for their hardiness. The other field
where a half-orc can thrive is war. Half-orcs
are often found among the raiding parties of the
Valikan clans.
Outside of Valika, half-orcs are a rare sight, but
they can be found across the various cities of
the continent. The stereotypes involving their
ancestors, combined with their intimidating
appearance, strike fear among the other races, so that half-orcs are rarely accepted or trusted
despite their capabilities. Warriors of other
races often prefer to mock what they
fear, all the while hoping they will never
have to face an angry half-orc on
equal terms.
Half-Orc
Ability Score Increase +2 Str, +1 Con
Size Medium
Speed 30ft
Darkvison:
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.
Languages. Imperial Norm and Valikan
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