Half-Orc

Whether united under the leadership of a mighty warlock or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, orc and human tribes sometimes form alliances, joining forces into a larger horde to the terror of civilized lands nearby. When these alliances are sealed by marriages, half-orcs are born. Some half-orcs rise to become proud chiefs of orc tribes, their human blood giving them an edge over their full-blooded orc rivals. Some venture into the world to prove their worth among humans and other civilized races. Many of these become adventurers, achieving greatness for their mighty deeds and notoriety for their barbaric customs and savage fury.

Scarred and Strong

Half-orcs' grayish pigmentation, sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see. Half-orcs stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds.
Orcs regard battle scars as tokens or pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Other scars, though, mark an Orc, or half-orc as a former slave or a disgraced exile. Any half-orc who has lived among or near orcs has scars, whether they are marks of humiliation or of pride, recounting their past exploits and injuries. Such a half-orc living among humans might display these scars proudly or hide them in shame.

The Mark of Gruumsh

The one-eyed god Gruumsh created the Orcs, and even those orcs who turn away from his worship can't fully escape his influence. The same is true of half orcs, though their human blood moderates the impact of their orcish heritage. Some half-orcs hear the whispers of Grummsh in their dreams, calling them to unleash the rage that simmers within them. Others feel Gruumsh's exultation when they join in melee combat-and either exult along with him or shiver with fear and loathing. Half-orcs are not evil by nature, but evil does lurk within them, whether they embrace it or rebel against it.
Beyond the rage of Gruumsh, half-orcs feel emotion powerfully. Rage doesn't just quicken their pulse, it makes their bodies burn. An insult stings like acid, and sadness saps their strength. But they laugh loudly and heartily, and simple bodily pleasures-feasting, drinking, wrestling, drumming, and wild dancing-fill their hearts with joy. They tend to be short tempered and sometimes sullen, more inclined to action than contemplation and to fighting than arguing. The most accomplished half-orcs are those with enough self control to get by in a civilized land.
Tribes and Slums Half-orcs most often live among orcs. Of the other races, humans are most likely to accept half-orcs, and half-orcs almost always live in human lands when not living among orc tribes. Whether proving themselves among rough barbarian tribes or scrabbling to survive in the slums of larger cities, half-orcs get by on their physical might, their endurance, and the sheer determination they inherit from their human ancestry. Grudging Acceptance Each half-orc finds a way to gain acceptance from those who hate orcs. Some are reserved, trying not to draw attention to themselves. A few demonstrate piety and good-heartedness as publicly as they can (whether or not such demonstrations are genuine). And some simply try to be so tough that others just avoid them.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Half-orcs were, on average, somewhere from 5 feet and 9 inches to 6 feet and 4 inches (1.8 to 1.9 meters) in height and usually weighed around 155 to 225 pounds (70.3 to 102 kilograms). making them a little taller and stronger than humans on average. Most half-orcs had grayish skin, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, a sloping forehead, and coarse body hair, which caused them to stand out from their Human brethren, though their canines were noticeably smaller than a full-blooded Orc’s tusks. Half-orcs as such appeared bestial to humans, though amongst orcs they were considered human-like physically. Half-orc hair was most often black, though it grayed very quickly with age. In general, half-orcs did not live as long as humans, maturing by their sixteenth year and often dying before their sixtieth.
Half-orcs that have lived amongst orcs have often picked up the common orcish tradition of ritual scarring. Half-orcs with such a background did not look upon scars as marks of shame or as unattractive blemishes, but rather as marks of pride that demonstrate their skill and bravery in battle. On occasion, however, scars were used for a darker purpose, with orcs marking half-orc slaves with scars in the same manner a rancher might brand cattle.
Half-orcs had shorter lifespans than humans, reaching maturity slightly earlier and rarely living longer than seventy-five years.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Half-orcs usually have names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. A half-orc who wants to fit in among Human 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, Vola, Volen, Yevelda

History

Half-orcs have existed in the world for many, many centuries, although like most half-breeds they’ve never had an independent cultural history. Half-orcs of historical note have made their impact not through a civilization of their own, but by excelling at whatever path they’ve taken within another people’s culture. Since the Era of Upheaval, however, half-orcs have come somewhat more unto their own, with the founding of Many-Arrows by Obould in 1371 DR. Since then, relations between orcs and humans have eased, as have the circumstances from which half-orcs are born.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Half-orcs often had poor relations with other races, in particular the Elf or Dwarf, due to mutual racial enmity. Halflings and Gnomes are also typically distrusting of half-orcs, although not to the degree of dwarves or elves. Even among their Human brethren, half-orcs were generally distrusted or feared.
Half-orcs reacted to this distrust in a number of ways. Some half-orcs will fall into introverted behavior, trying to attract as little attention to themselves as possible in a manner paradoxical to the image of boisterous Barbarian half-orcs typically evoke. Others have tried their hardest to do good unto others, whether out of sincere charity or simply a desire for approval and acceptance. Some half-orcs have taken neither approach, accepting who they are and instead will give others no choice but to accept them or leave.
The troubles that their heritage has brought them teaches most half-orcs to be mistrusting and suspicious. Some half-orcs had as much trouble forming bonds with others as other races have had accepting them, making friends with great difficulty and losing them with much greater ease.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Human
• Orc

Lifespan

62–80 years

Average Height

Male: 5′0″‒6′10″ (1.5‒2.1 m)
Female: 4′7″‒6′5″ (1.4‒2 m)

Average Weight

Male: 154‒438 lb (69.9‒199 kg)
Female: 114‒398 lb (51.7‒181 kg)

Ability Scores:
Str +2; Con +1
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.
Languages.
You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc. Orc is a harsh, grating language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script.