Half-Orc

A half-orc is the offspring with one parent of the Orc species and the Humans. It is not often that the pairing is concensual, though rare tales persist that tell of a powerful orc warrior becoming smitten with the fair human they captured from raiding a village, and the victim becoming taken with their captor's strength and resilience.
Half-Orcs are usually shunned by both sides of their racial heritage. While usually larger and brawnier than most humans, the full blooded orcs see their mixed offsrping as weak, small, and their blood tainted. If a half-orc were to rise to prominence, he would have to overcome the hardest challenges, kill more enemies than his comrades, etc. In human settlements, half-orcs are treated with mistrust, fear, and outright hate. Seen as a representative of the evil species that has raided and slaughtered human villages and outposrs for centuries, a half-orc living amongst humans usually ends up in less than savory livelihoods; such as tavern bouncer, underworld enforcer, mercenary, or an assassin. On a rare occassion, a half-orc will leave it all behind him and take up the adventuring life; the quickest and most dangerous way to gold and glory.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

A half-orc's reprodduction cycle and frequency are pretty similar to both racial heritages. If a half-orc were to reproduce with a human; their offspring would be human. Similarily, if an orc and half-orc were to mate (eww!), the offspring produced would be orc.

Growth Rate & Stages

A half-orc enters puberty or adolescence between 10 to 13 years of age. The half-orc then reaches full maturity, or adulthood between 16 to 18 years of age. Middle-age is typically reached around 35 years of age. Old age usually happens when a half-orc turns 50, and venerable age around their 60th year of life.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Almost all half-orcs are considered outsiders, and typically shunned, no matter which parentage they were raised by. If a half-orc was unlucky enough to be raied in an orc tribe (though lucky to have survived infnacy as the orc tribesman would have done their best to kill the child at birth), the orcs would have considered the half-orc to be weaker and therefore inferior as the orcs place size and strength above all else. 
If a half-orc were to be raised in a human settlement, it would be treated likely with pity, as well as outright hatred, fear, and distrust. Humans and orcs have historically been bitter enemies, so a human populace would constantly be waiting for a half-orc to be consumed by their orcish heritage's bestial nature.
So it is not uncommon, that half-orcs typically grow to be bouncers, thugs, bodyguards, bandits, warriors, and adventurers. It would not be unreasonable, for a half-orc to be driven out of their village at a very young age and have to learn to survive in the wild on their own, becoming a savage barbarian.

Facial characteristics

Half-Orcs typically possess harsh and angular facial features such as a protruding brow, and short almost porcine nose. Half-orcs were also seen sporting small sharp fangs that jut from the lower jaw. Their eye color ranges red red, brown, and even black irises and seems to be smaller in size when compared to other sentient species.

Average Intelligence

The intelligence of a half-orc is typically greater than those of the orc heritage. If the half-orc in question favors his orcish heritage, he might be slower or dimmer than most humans, though stil; might be smarter than most orcs. If she favors her human heritage, her intelligence could rise above your typical human specimen.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It has been discovered that all half-orcs have the ability to see in dark and dim lighting conditions. Likely, a product of their orc heritage.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

A half-orc's name will depend on which society the being is raised in. If raised among their orc brethren, the half-orc would possess a name in the orc language, but the name would mean something in orcish that denotes their mixed racial heritage, and quite possibly derogatory. 
If raised in a human settlement, the half-orc would likely receive a human name that would be appropriate to the kingdom/nation'region they are raised in.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

A half-orc will choose to speak either orc, trade, or a human dialect appropriate  for free when the game starts.

When creating your half-orc adventurer use the racial rules for half-elf found in the Player's Handbook.

by Generated by Malekoth using Image Creator from Microsoft Designer via Bing

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Humans
• Orc

Lifespan

60 Years

Average Height

Ranges from 5'9" to 7' tall.

Average Weight

Ranges from 170 to 270 lbs.

Average Physique

Half-orcs are typically larger than their human relative and more athletic with a bulkeir physique. To what extreme, however, depends on which heritage the half-orc emobodies most. It is not impossible for a half-orc  adventurer to slightly larger and stronger than your run-of-the-mill human denizen, but compared to a full blooded orc he will be of shorter stature and will look more lithe and wiry compared to a warrior of his orcish heritage.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The skin of a half-orc is again determined by which racial feature is the dominant. Skin colors can range from a pale green to a light tan. Their hair colors can be fromt he darkest of black to a light, sandy brown.