Half-Orc
Torn between civility and savagery and respected by neither, half-orcs more often than not find themselves with all the struggles of each. Viewed as monstrous and bestial by Human society and soft and weak by Orc standards, half-orcs must constantly struggle not to give into their frustrations and become what everyone believes them to be.
Basic Information
Growth Rate & Stages
Half-orcs reach adulthood at 15 years of age.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Half-orcs often find themselves need to consume much more calories than human, and will often become much more restless when they don't consume enough meat.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Most half-orcs will grow a large set of pointed tusk-like teeth from the sides of their mouths, and will have slightly pointed ears and heavy brows or other forehead features.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Most half-orcs can be found in the areas surrounding The Orken Holds, both in Central Matera and Ardlam. They can often be found in the Skretir Desert, as the hardy people there care less about their orken ancestry, and there is always a need for strong workers in the harsh desert.
Average Intelligence
While half-orcs are often much more intelligent than orcs, and have the capacity to be just as intelligent as a human, they often lack the resources and access to the education they need to bring out those strengths.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Half-orcs have darkvision, usually to a range of 60 feet
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Half-orcs lack any major organizations of their own, but will often join criminal networks, bandit parties, or mercenary gangs who are in need of muscle.
Beauty Ideals
Half-orcs struggle greatly identifying beauty, as orc society only recognizes strength while humans persecute half-orcs for their monstrous appearance. This leads many half-orcs to struggle greatly with self-esteem issues, and often to resent their appearance. A half-orc raised by humans most often values the softness and beauty they lack, while ones raised by orcs want for the brutal power of their peers.
Gender Ideals
Females in orc society are viewed only good for rearing children, and thus a female half-orc in an orc society will have the hardest life, as they will be viewed as only bearing weak children. A female half-orc in a orc tribe may only be accepted as a mate just because the male orc was curious about the "runt." While not treated quite as harshly in human socieity, and female half-orc will still be shunned, as their appearance means that they will struggle to find friends and their gender will have them struggling to find work.
Male half-orcs in an orken society will find that their life is a constant test, a need to forever prove themselves to their peers. They must work to show their strength and ferocity through ever-increasing feats, so that they are not marked a weakling. Male half-orcs in a human society will often find themselves recruited into a workman or thug position, used for their physical power.
Courtship Ideals
Half-orcs raised in orken society will often share the same ideals of courtship through strength and polyamory, but will often find achieving any sort of successful courtship quite difficult. Those raised in human societies must learn to reign in their violent tendencies, and will often become frustrated with the complexities of romanticism.
Relationship Ideals
Half-orcs are slow to trust and make friendships with others due to the stigma and hardships they face daily. Most prefer to find someone to work under, and tend to simply view them as their boss. This boss often becomes their only "friend", and often leads to the half-orc relying one them for support. Often, this practice leads the boss to manipulate the half-orc, but some value the loyalty that the half-orc shows and will try to act as a parental figure and guide for them.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Most half-orcs speak either Ard Common or Maran Common and Orcish, but can with effort can easily learn Abyssal, Alkan, Giant, Goblin, and Terran.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Half-orcs generally worship the same gods as the society they are raised in, but they rarely have the patience for long term commitment, and the treatment they receive from others often leads them to forgo religion altogether. Most half-orcs that choose to do extended worship venerate Zahid, the Orc god of provings and outcasts.
History
Orcs have raided humanity since the beginning of their existence, and with those raids came children born of violence and pain, the first half-orcs.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Both Elves and Dwarves disdain orcs, and rarely do they treat half-orcs any better, and humans are fearful of half-orcs because of their appearance alone. Half-Elves understand the plights of half-orcs a bit better, and this can lead to common ground, but they can much easier bond with Half-Giants, who are also feared for their great strength.
Racial Table: Half-Orc - Hit Dice: D8; Class Skills: Craft, Intimidate, Profession, Survival, Any other one skill; Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier per level; Weapon Proficiency: Simple, plus greataxes, falchatas, and any weapon with "orc" in its name; Armor Proficiency: Light
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Intimidating, Orc Ferocity |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Bonus Feat, Orken Rage |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Ferocious Resolve, Halfman Resilience |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Bonus Feat, +1 to any two ability scores |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Unstoppable |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 years | +1d4 years (15 - 18) | +1d6 years (15 - 20) | +2d6 years (16 - 26 years) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4 ft. 10 in. | +2d12 in. (5 ft. - 6 ft. 10 in.) | 150 lbs. | +(2d12x7 lbs) (164 - 318 lbs.) |
| Female | 4 ft. 5 in. | +2d12 in. (4 ft. 7in. - 6 ft. 5 in.) | 110 lbs. | +(2d12x7 lbs.) (124 - 278 lbs.) |
Half-Orc Aging Table
| Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex, and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Old (-2 to Str, Dex, and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex, and Con, +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 years | 45 years | 60 years | 60 + 2d10 years (62 - 80 years) |
Random Half-Orc Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-25 | Subterranean | Surface Stranger |
| 26-60 | Orc Settlement | Scrapper |
| 61-75 | Human Homeland | (Roll on Human Homeland table) |
| 76-90 | Abandoned | Outcast |
| 91-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Half-Orc Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-10 | Both of your parents are alive |
| 11-35 | Only Father is alive |
| 36-60 | Only Mother is alive |
| 61-100 | Both of your parents are dead |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-60 | 1d6+1 Orc siblings |
| 61-70 | 1d4 Human siblings |
| 71-80 | One half-orc sibling |
| 81-00 | No siblings |
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
62 - 80 years
Average Height
4 ft. 7 in. - 6 ft. 10 in.
Average Weight
124 - 318 lbs
Average Physique
Most half-orcs are weaker than full orcs, but are often more physically built then humans.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Half-orcs range in skin color from green to grey, to brown. A half-orc in an orken society will often get numerous tattoos and other ritual scarification in order to help prove its fortitude and strength.
Geographic Distribution
Half-Orc
Type
Humanoid (Human, Orc)
Ability Score Modifier
Half-orcs gain a +2 to one ability score of their choice to represent their varied nature.
Size
medium
Speed
Half-orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Language
A half-orc begins play speaking Common and Orc. Half-orcs with a high intelligence score can pick from any of the following languages: Alka, Abyssal, Giant, Goblin, or Terran.
- Materil: Half-orcs can be tied to any of the Materils, but a majority of half-orcs manifest as Hatecrafters or Earthbreakers.
- Darkvision: Half-orcs can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
- Intimidating: Half-orcs gain a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks This bonus increases by 1 for every two hit dice the half-orc possesses beyond the 1st.
- Orc Ferocity: Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit points and is not killed, it can fight on for one more round as if disabled. At the end of its next turn, if not brought above 0 hit points, the half-orc immediately falls unconscious and begins dying.
- Bonus Feats: At 2nd and 4th racial levels, a half-orc gains a bonus feat. The half-orc must meet the prerequisites of those feats.
- Orken Rage: Starting at 2nd racial level, 1/day as a swift action a half-orc can gain the effects of a barbarians rage for a number of rounds equal to ½ its total hit dice. If the orc has rage from another feature, this rage stacks with rounds from that rage.
- Ferocious Resolve: At 3rd racial level, a half-orc gains Ferocious Resolve as a bonus feat.
- Halfman Resilience: At 3rd racial level, a half-orc gains bonus hit points equal to ½ its Constitution score. Temporary increases to its Constitution score doesn't grant the half-orc more bonus hit points.
- Unstoppable: At 5th racial level, whenever the half-orc takes damage from a critical hit, that damage is converted into nonlethal damage.
Alternate Racial Traits
- Acute Darkvision: Some half-orcs can draw on their orken ancestry to see much better in the dark. These half-orcs have Darkvision 90 feet instead of 60 feet. This trait replaces the the Orc Ferocity trait.
- City Raised: Half-orcs raised in more civilized areas know little of their orc heritage. They are only proficient with whips and longswords, and gain a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (Local) checks; this bonus increases by 1 for every two hit dice beyond the first. This trait alters the half-orcs weapon proficiencies.
- Orc Atavism: Some Half-orcs are more orc than human, They count only as orcs or half-orcs (not human) for effects related to race. They gain a +2 to their Strength score and a -2 penalty to any mental score of their choice. They also gain the Ferocity ability. This trait replaces the Intimidating, Orc Blood, and Orc Ferocity trait, and alters the half-orcs starting ability scores.
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