Half-orcs are 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 ancestors, half-orcs are formidable individuals.
Physical Appearance
Half-orcs are, on average, somewhere from 5'9" – 6'4" (1.75 – 1.93 meters) in height and usually weigh around 155 – 225 pounds (70 – 102 kg) making them a little taller and stronger than humans on average. Most half-orcs have grayish skin, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, a sloping forehead, and coarse body hair, which causes them to stand out from their
Human brethren, though their canines are noticeably smaller than a full-blooded
Orc’s tusks. Half-orcs as such appear bestial to humans, though amongst orcs they are considered human-like physically. Half-orc hair is often black, though it grayed very quickly with age.
Half-orcs that have lived amongst orcs often pick up the common orcish tradition of ritual scarring. Half-orcs with such a background do 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 are used for a darker purpose, with orcs marking half-orc slaves with scars in the same manner a rancher might brand cattle.
Lifespan and Maturity
Half-orcs typically have a shorter lifespan than humans, with most who don’t die as the result of violence living to the ge of fifty, though in both civilised society and rare cased half-orcs have been known to reach the age of ninty. Half-orcs reach full maturity at the age of 13, and as their life goes on visibly age at a faster rate than humans, with a half-orc at the age of seventy looking similar to a
Human at the age of ninety.
Half-Orc Abilities
Half-orcs have a strength uncommon to most humans, though comparable with orcs. Half-orcs are less durable than their full-blooded kin, however, they tend to be more dexterous and indeed, more so than most other humanoids. Half-orcs also have a resilience unique to them and when gravely injured, simply seem all the more determined to inflict pain. Similarly, all half-orcs are capable of channeling their feral fury into a powerful attack. These qualities are only temporary, however, and like any other mortal, half-orcs eventually tire as a battle wares on and can be broken physically.
Half-Orc Homelands
Being the offspring of two races the half-orcs have no homeland of their own. Half orcs are however present throughout much of Runetalras as both humans and orcs have spread to virtually every corner of the known world. Half-orcs are however, particularly common to the Rugged Pass and the
Free States.
Half-orcs within Human Kingdoms
Half-orcs are reviled by almost all humans, who view them as savages and one bad day away from embracing their orcish heritage. Half-orcs face discrimination, racism, and social stigma wherever they are found, and few are able to avoid this stigma inspite of their actions.
Half-Orc Traits
Ability Score Increase. When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. You can't raise any of your scores above 20.
Size.
Half-Orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your
Orc blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and
Orc.
Orc is a harsh, grating language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script.
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