Orc (or-k)
A brutal warrior race born from the blood of spilled gods, orcs are feared through the land for their savage attitudes and devastating raids.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Orcs reproduce in typical fashion for most humanoids, but go through much faster and more brutal pregnancies, lasting only 4 months. Death in childbirth is common for orc woman, but the birth rate of female orcs is slightly higher to compensate. It is common for an orc to give birth in multiples, but even those that give single births often produce many children over their lifetime.
Growth Rate & Stages
Orcs mature quickly, reaching adulthood at 12 years of age. Those that cannot fend for themselves in orc society are quickly killed off, and thus orc children must adapt quickly or perish.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Orcs are carnivorous, consuming all meat they can find with wanton gluttony. Such un-sustaining practices often leads to food shortages, and orc tribes are quick to turn to cannibalizing the old, the weak, and the defenseless of their tribe for meat.
Biological Cycle
Orcs are relatively seasonal, preferring to raid in the warmer months and breed in the colder ones, but tribes that fail to procure enough supplies must remain active in the winter. More cunning tribes might also keep raiding in the winter, as they realize that their targets might have expected them to stop and have lowered their guard.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Orc society is based solely on physical strength. The strongest orc rules over all the orc warriors, while the most powerful shaman leads the tribes magic users and the female with the most children is the de-facto leader of the tribes woman. At any time an orc can challenge another for supremacy, but failure to win such a challenge often leads to the death or enslavement of the challenger.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
While an orcs physical strength makes them an ideal target for slavers, their uncontrollable temper and the difficulty of breaking them often causes slavers to target Half-Orcs instead.
Facial characteristics
Orcs have large, tusked teeth that stick out of the side of their mouths, and often have beady red or yellow eyes.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
A vast majority of orcs dwell in the borderlands between Central Matera and Ardlam, a rugged patch of badlands known as the Orken Hold. Here, orc tribes raid both realms, as well as each other, in a constant battle for supremacy and resources.
Average Intelligence
Orcs are brutish, and eschew any education that doesn't involve violence.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Orcs have darkvision, but some orcs dwell in deep underground caverns, increasing the range of their darkvision in exchange for their ability to see in daylight. Some orcs also sometimes develop a strong sense of smell, and are able to track enemies by their scent alone.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Orcs rarely form any sort of organizations outside of their immediate tribe, but every couple of decades, a powerful tribal leader will succeed in uniting many or all of the tribes in an attempt for a large scale crusade known as the Rumbling. Luckily for the other races, such alliances are short-lived, as the defenses of the realms are on constant alert for orken advancements, and the leader of a Rumbling will quickly have their own men turn against them if they cannot produce swift results.
Beauty Ideals
Orcs view scars as signs of strength, and often won't allow a wound to be properly treated so that the scar can be much more prominent.
Gender Ideals
Orcs view woman solely as a vessel to create more orcs, and thus orc women are allowed few privilege's in orc society.
Courtship Ideals
Orcs mate almost solely through violence, taken women who are not strong enough to resist them and creating a harem. Orcs often challenge each other for their woman, with the victor taking the spoils. The leader of the orc tribe is often found through such challenges, as their strength is made apparent when their harem becomes the largest.
Relationship Ideals
Orcs have make little to no friendships, and what relationships they do form are often of the master-lacky type, with weaker orcs serving stronger orcs as a form of self-preservation. Rivalries are quick to form in orc society, as orcs strive to prove themselves as a superior warrior or child-bearer.
Average Technological Level
Orcs are loathe to build or create anything for themselves, and thus take nearly everything they have from other races. Followers of Ghrek, the orken god of war, sometimes work to create massive and new weapons of warfare, but such orcs are a rarity.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Most orcs speak Orkish and have a rudimentary understanding of Common, but rarely fully master it or any other language. The rare orc that does pick up more languages can often be found speaking Alka, Goblin, Nezu, Terran, or Undercommon.
Common Etiquette Rules
Orcs view things like etiquette, politeness, and honor as things for the weak and cowardly, and thus have little in the way of societal rules asides from the will of the tribe leader.
Common Dress Code
Orcs rarely wear little other than loincloths and peacemeal armor crafted from scraps found on the battlefield, but many orcs like to adorn themselves with the bones of their fallen victims, often crafting cauldrons, jewelry, and hairpieces out of grisly remains.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Orcs live to pillage, viewing it as a part of their culture and as their destiny to crush the weak. Traditions vary on tribe to tribe on who to best raid and how to deal with prisoners'. Followers of Vonga believe in working the enslaved to death, while followers of Lobod leave no prisoners, sacrificing all to the blood god.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Orc shamans often light massive bonfires with toxic plants, breathing in the burning fumes to receive visions from their deities.
Common Taboos
An orc showing signs of mercy or compassion would be shunned as a weakling, and if a orc who remains a weakling for too long will be swiftly cast out or killed.
Historical Figures
One of the members of the villionus Darkmoon Alliance, the group that brought about the Sundering, as an Orc warrior-preist named Felmurd.
Common Myths and Legends
At the beginning of the Titan uprising, the titan of light Menoti, forced himself upon Eve, the gods first attempt at a Human creature. In their struggle, it is said the Eve cut Menoti, and that his blood mixed with hers and the earth, from which Dennu, the first Orc was formed. Dennu would then go on to dominate and be dominated by other gods and demigods, giving birth to the rest of the Orken pantheon.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Few creatures view orcs with any sort of positivity, and orcs share those feelings. If a race is able to physically overpower an orc, they will earn its respect. Orcs respect the Rhoceni, who are known for their legendary strength, but this means that orcs will often try to hunt a rhoceni in order to overpower it and prove their own strength.
Racial Table - Orc: Hit Dice: D8; Class Skills: Craft, Handle Animal, Profession, Ride, Survival; Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier; Weapon Proficiency: Marital, plus all greataxes, falchions, and any weapon with "orc" in its name; Armor Proficiency: Medium
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Ferocity |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Intimidating, Orc Weapon Expertise |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Ferocious Action, Orken Lore |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Zealot, +1 Strength, +1 Constitution |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Deathless |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intutive1 | Self-Taught1 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 years | +1d4 years (13 - 16) | +1d6 years (13 - 18) | 2d6 years (14 - 20) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 5 ft. 1 in. | +2d12 in. (5 ft. 3 in. - 7 ft. 1 in.) | 160 lbs. | +(2d12x7 lbs.) (174 - 328 lbs.) |
| Female | 4 ft. 9 in. | +2d12 in. (4 ft. 11 in. - 6 ft. 9 in.) | 120 lbs. | +(2d12x7 lbs.) (134 - 288 lbs.) |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 30 years | 40 years | 40 + 1d20 years (41 - 60 years) |
Random Orc Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-50 | Orc Settlement | Brute |
| 51-75 | Subterranean | Surface Stranger |
| 76-90 | Non-orc Town or Village | Adopted or Outcast |
| 91-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Orc Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-39 | Both of your parents are dead |
| 40-66 | Only Mother is alive |
| 67-91 | Only Father is alive |
| 92-00 | Both of your parents are dead |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-60 | 1d6+1 Orc siblings |
| 61-70 | 1d4 Half-orc siblings |
| 71-00 | No siblings |
Lifespan
41 - 61 years; though many orcs are unlikely to even make it to 25 due to their extremely violent lifestyle.
Average Height
4 ft. 11 in. - 7 ft. 1 in.
Average Weight
134 - 328 lbs.
Average Physique
Orcs are incredibly strong and physically tough, as they often must survive in extremely harsh coonditions.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Most orcs have a greenish skin tone, but some are born with a more grey tone, and all orcs have darker hair colors, often black or brown.
Geographic Distribution
Orc
Type
Humanoid (Orc)
Ability Score Modifier
+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence. Orcs are brutal and savage.
Size
medium
Speed
Orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Language
An orc begins play speaking Common (Ard or Maran) and Orc. An orc with a high intelligence score can pick from any of the following languages: Alka, Goblin, Nezu, Terran, or Undercommon
- Materil: Orcs can be tied to either the Earth, Hate, or Fire Materil, allowing them to become Earthbreakers, Hatecrafters, or Firedancers.
- Darkvision: Orcs can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
- Ferocity (Ex): If an orcs hit points fall below 0 but the orc is not yet dead, the orc can continue to fight. If it does, it is staggered, and still loses 1 hit point per round. An orc still dies when it’s hit points reach a negative amount equal to its Constitution score.
- Intimidating: Starting at 2nd racial level, an Orc gains a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every three hit dice beyond 2nd.
- Orc Weapon Expertise: At 2nd racial level, an orc gains Orc Weapon Expertise as a bonus feat.
- Ferocious Action: At 3rd racial level, an orc gains Ferocious Action as a bonus feat.
- Orken Lore: At 3rd racial level, an orc gains a +2 racial bonus on any skill checks related to orcs. This bonus increases by one for every 3 hit dice the orc gains beyond 3rd. An orc gains Knowledge (Dungeoneering) as a class skill.
- Zealot: At 4th racial level, an orc gains a +2 racial bonus on saves to resist the effects of spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by +1 for every five hit dice the orc possesses beyond 4th.
- Deathless: At 5th racial level an orc doesn't lose hit points from its ferocity trait when below 0 hit points and gains a +2 on attack and damage rolls when below 0 hit points.
Alternate Racial Traits
- Darkdweller: Some orcs dwell deep underground, never seeing the surface. Orcs with this trait increase their darkvision to 120 feet, but gain the light sensitivity trait. This trait alters the Darkvision trait.
- Feral: Orcs learn to fend for themselves long before mastering language and culture. Orcs with this trait gain Survival as a class skill and gain a +1 racial bonus on melee attack and damage rolls while at negative hit points. This trait replaces Weapon Familiarity and automatic languages. Feral orcs without additional languages due to high intelligence or ranks in Linguistics can only communicate in grunts and gestures.
- Smeller (Ex): Some orcs have a greater sense of smell. Orcs with this trait gain the scent ability, but at only half the normal range. This trait replaces ferocity and weapon familiarity.
- Squalid: Some orcs dwell in surroundings so filthy even other orcs have difficulty living with them. Orcs with this trait gain a +2 racial bonus on saves against effects that grant the sickened or nauseated conditions, as well as against diseases. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the first the orc possesses. This trait replaces ferocity.
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