Orcs

Orcs are aggressive, callous, and domineering. Bullies by nature, they respect strength and power as the highest virtues. On an almost instinctive level, orcs believe they are entitled to anything they want unless someone stronger can stop them from seizing it. They rarely exert themselves off the battlefield except when forced to do so; this attitude stems not just from laziness but also from an ingrained belief that work should trickle down through the pecking order until it falls upon the shoulders of the weak. They take slaves from other races, orc men brutalize orc women, and both abuse children and elders, on the grounds that anyone too feeble to fight back deserves little more than a life of suffering. Surrounded at all times by bitter enemies, orcs cultivate an attitude of indifference to pain, vicious tempers, and a fierce willingness to commit unspeakable acts of vengeance against anyone who dares to defy them. Physical Description: Powerfully built, orcs typically stand just a few inches taller than most humans but have much greater muscle mass, their broad shoulders and thick, brawny hips often giving them a slightly lurching gait. They typically have dull green skin, coarse dark hair, beady red eyes, and protruding, tusk-like teeth. Orcs consider scars a mark of distinction and frequently use them as a form of body art. Society: Orcs usually live amid squalor and constant mayhem, and intimidation and brutal violence are the glue that holds orc culture together. They settle disputes by making increasingly grisly threats until, when a rival fails to back down, the conflict escalates into actual bloodshed. Orcs who win these ferocious brawls not only feel free to take whatever they want from the loser, but also frequently indulge in humiliating physical violation, casual mutilation, and even outright murder. Orcs rarely spend much time improving their homes or belongings since doing so merely encourages a stronger orc to seize them. In fact, whenever possible, they prefer to occupy buildings and communities originally built by other races. Relations: Orcs admire strength above all things. Even members of enemy races can sometimes win an orc’s grudging respect, or at least tolerance, if they break his nose enough times.

Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
12 years	+1d4 years (13 – 16 years)	+1d6 years (13 – 18 years)	+2d6 years (14 – 24 years)

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.	+(2d12×7 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.)

Standard Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: Orcs are brutal and savage. They gain +4 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom, and –2 Charisma.
Type: Orcs are humanoids with the orc subtype.
Size: Orcs are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Orcs begin play speaking Common and Orc. Orcs with high Intelligence scores can chose from the following: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Offense Racial Traits

Ferocity: Orcs possess the ferocity ability which allows them to remain conscious and continue fighting even if their hit point totals fall below 0. Orcs are still staggered at 0 hit points or lower and lose 1 hit point each round as normal.
Weapon Familiarity: Orcs are always proficient with greataxes and falchions, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
Darkvision: Orcs can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.

Weakness Racial Traits