Orc
In many fantasy worlds, orcs are portrayed as evil or at least violent by nature. We're taking a different angle in Drintera: Orcs are people. Drintera is a world with wizards and warriors, knaves and nobles, pioneers and urbanites, and you can find orcs among any of them. There are many orc ethnic groups with a diverse range of cultures. You can play any of these orcs as a player character.
Physically, orcs are humanoids who are about the same height as humans, with a tendency toward heavier musculature. They have a green skin pigment that varies in shade from pale to very dark, depending on the specific ethnic group. Their ears are pointed but are not much larger than those of humans. Orcs have about the same lifespan as humans: roughly 70 years.
Rules Integration
If your game system gives characters special abilities based on lineage, orcs may have options related to physical strength and hardiness or mental toughness—resistance to fear and mind control.
Pathfinder
Disregard the generalization that "orcs are forged in the fires of violence and conflict." You can certainly make an orc character with that sort of background, but you can also make an orc with a nonviolent temperament. See Ethnicities & Cultures for orc cultural backgrounds.
From a gameplay perspective, you can use the rules for orc player characters as written.
Tales of the Valiant
Disregard the lore and refer to Ethnicities & Cultures for examples of orc cultures in Drintera. The rules for orcs on page 108 of the Player's Guide can be used as written.
Shadowdark
Simply use same rules for "half-orcs" on page 16 to define orcs
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This article originally appeared in Issue #8 #8 of Drintera Magazine (October 2024), which is included in the Volume 1 bundle.
