Orc

Spirits of the Grasslands

Orcs are humanoid creatures with wide frames along with an almost beastial-human hybrid appearance due to boar-like tusks, high cheekbones and often square jawline. The origin of the species has been lost to history. However, some scholars have suggested there is a distant connection between orcs and bugbears.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Adults of the species range from six to six and a half feet in height. Orcs have a second layer of muscle structure on their body. This provides the species with an extra layer of protection against the elements and damage. But this also means orcs are not naturally fast swimmers. They are strong swimmers but not as adept in the water as other species. This second muscle layer also accounts for a slightly heavier build overall.

Skin tone for the orc species does vary widely from light green to dark emerald to olive green. Scholars believe this might be a holdover from the distant past where their skin tone was developed as a natural camouflage for hunting prey. Orcs have hair that covers the same color range as a human with the hair growing gray to white in old age. However, their hair is often thick with some curl to it. Straight hair is uncommon. Their eye color is either black, brown or the rare color of gray-blue. Orcish ears do come to a point but the angle isn't very prominent. It's closer to a halfling's slightly pointed ears.

Like humans, orcs have little trouble growing facial hair which matches or compliments the color of their hair.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Orcs are omnivorous. The fact that orcish diets tend toward animal and plant proteins tends to obscure the fact that they prefer an equal amount of grains and leafy vegetables with their animal protein. Root type vegetables are eaten as well but these play a secondary role in their diet.

Lifespan

average of 100 years

Average Height

6 to 6 1/2 feet tall

Average Weight

the average healthy adult is between 190 - 250 pounds

Related Ethnicities

• Cuali
• Karim'ar
• Orisnuc

Orc Ancestral Traits

A character that is descended from an orc or has orc in their bloodline has the following available, regardless of ethnicity.

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Age Orc biologically become an adult by 14 yet live on the average to 100

Ability Score Increase Strength +2

Size Medium. Orcs are slightly larger and bulkier than humans but not to the extent as a bugbear, orcs range between 6 and 6 1/2 feet tall.

Speed Their base walking speed is 30 feet

Darkvision The character is able to see in dim light up to 60 feet in and in darkness as though it was twilight. However, in darkness the character is only able to see in shades of gray.

I Can Do This All Day When the character’s hit points drop to 0 or below (with some exceptions such as a disintegrate spell), they are not killed or incapacitated. They may instead drop to 1 hit point. This can only be used once per game day.

Discerning Scent This allows the character to detect, or track, items based on their smell. Such characters are able to identify familiar odors just as other species - like humans - do familiar sights. Scents can be detected up to 30 feet under normal conditions. This increases to 60 feet if the source of the scent is upwind and drops to 15 feet if downwind. When a character detects one or more scents, this doesn't reveal the location where the scent is coming from, only that it is nearby. To find the location, a character must use a move action to track down the direction. Once they are within 5 feet of the source, they know the location.

This can allows the character to track a target by smell, meaning the character may roll their Survival to follow a track. Tracking in this manner ignores effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.