Half-Orc

Half-orcs were humanoids born of both human and orc ancestry by a multitude of means. Having the combined physical power of their orcish ancestors with the agility of their human ones, half-orcs were formidable individuals.[6] Though they were often shunned in both human and orcish society for different reasons, half-orcs have proven themselves from time to time as worthy heroes and dangerous villains. Their existence implied an interesting back story that most would not like to dwell on.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Description

Half-orcs were, on average, somewhere from 5 feet and 9 inches to 6 feet and 4 inches (1.8 to 1.9 meters) in height and usually weighed around 155 to 225 pounds (70.3 to 102 kilograms).[7] making them a little taller and stronger than humans on average. Most half-orcs had grayish skin, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, a sloping forehead,[8] and coarse body hair, which caused them to stand out from their human brethren, though their canines were noticeably smaller than a full-blooded orc’s tusks.[7] Half-orcs as such appeared bestial to humans, though amongst orcs they were considered human-like physically.[9] Half-orc hair was most often black, though it grayed very quickly with age. In general, half-orcs did not live as long as humans, maturing by their sixteenth year and often dying before their sixtieth.[10] Half-orcs that have lived amongst orcs have often picked up the common orcish tradition of ritual scarring. Half-orcs with such a background did not look upon scars as marks of shame or as unattractive blemishes, but rather as marks of pride that demonstrate their skill and bravery in battle. On occasion, however, scars were used for a darker purpose, with orcs marking half-orc slaves with scars in the same manner a rancher might brand cattle.[11]
Half-orcs had shorter lifespans than humans, reaching maturity slightly earlier and rarely living longer than seventy-five years.[11]

Biological Traits

Smaller tusks than a regular Orc

Genetics and Reproduction

Like that of a human

Growth Rate & Stages

Like that of a human

Ecology and Habitats

Waterdeep Various

Dietary Needs and Habits

Omnivore

Additional Information

Social Structure

Varies

Facial characteristics

Tusks shorter than the Orc

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Waterdeep Half-orcs had no true home to call their own, with the possible exception of the city Palischuk in Vaasa, a ruin rebuilt during the Era of Upheaval by half-orc settlers. Another city with a great number of half-orc members was Phsant in Thesk, which had strong ties to the gray orcs of the east. Half-orcs were also common in Northwest Faerûn,[15] particularly the nation of Many-Arrows,[16] nor were they entirely uncommon in Amn, along the Moonsea, or in Waterdeep.[15

Average Intelligence

Varies

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Varies

Courtship Ideals

Like that of a human

Relationship Ideals

Like that of a human

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Common, Orc

Common Etiquette Rules

Varies

Common Dress Code

Varies

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Half-orcs had no home to truly call their own in most places, excepting Palischuk in Vaasa, where a half-orc community thrived. There was also the possible exception of Many-Arrows, an orcish kingdom whose borders were laid along several human nations. As such half-orcs had no common culture. Most half-orcs grew up amongst either humans or orcs, either in urban environments or—more often—along the outskirts of civilization, taking on many of the qualities of their home culture. The majority of half-orcs born since the Spellplague had half-orc parents, rather than being first generation half-orcs, although it was still not wholly uncommon for a half-orc to be born from an orc and human coupling.[10] In most culture, half-orcs suffered prejudice. Within the lands of their human ancestors, half-orcs were commonly seen as savage thugs and looked down upon. As a result, most half-orcs in human society were forced into menial labor or violence for a career. Some chose to take on the life of an adventurer, perhaps merely as another acceptable means to wealth and power or sometimes as a way to throw off the shackles of other people's perceptions.[10]
Within orc society, half-orcs were often looked down upon as weaker and inferior creatures, but overall they tended to fare better. Most orcs grudgingly acknowledged the superiority of the half-orc's intellect as well as their comparable strength. As a result, it was not entirely unusual for a half-orc raised amongst orcs to rise to a position of power within his or her tribe.[10]
Half-orcs who lived among humans were frequently drawn to adventure simply because few opportunities were present to them for less-violent occupations. Pressured into martial lifestyles and rejected by polite society, half-orcs often only found acceptance among other races by proving their worth as adventurers. Likewise, the only friends a half-orc was likely to make were other adventurers, often being an outcast of sorts.[11]

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Religion

Half-orcs who lived among orcs commonly took to worshiping the orc pantheon, sometimes with even greater zeal than their orcish brethren, feeling the need to prove themselves worthy. Half-orcs raised among humans, on the other hand, typically worshiped other deities including Garagos, Hoar, Loviatar, Malar, Talona, and Tempus. Tyr was also commonly worshiped by many half-orcs prior to the god’s death.[14]

History

Half-orcs have existed in the world for many, many centuries, although like most half-breeds they’ve never had an independent cultural history. Half-orcs of historical note have made their impact not through a civilization of their own, but by excelling at whatever path they’ve taken within another people’s culture.[17] Since the Era of Upheaval, however, half-orcs have come somewhat more unto their own, with the founding of Many-Arrows by Obould in 1371 DR. Since then, relations between orcs and humans have eased, as have the circumstances from which half-orcs are born.[16]

Lifespan

62- 80 years

Average Height

Male: 5'0 to- 6'10
Female: 4'7 - 6'5

Average Weight

Male: 154- 438 lbs Female: 114-398 lbs

Average Physique

Muscular

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Color can vary but mostly green or a light purple