Half-Orc

The children of human and orc, wanted nor welcomed by neither

Base Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: (+2 Strength, +2 to any other ability score of their choice) Half-orcs, as inheritors of Orcish Physique, are renowned for their strength but at the same time have inherited human adaptability.
Size: Half-orcs are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Half-orcs are Humanoid creatures with both the human and orc subtypes.
Base Speed: Half-orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Vision: Half-Orcs have darkvision, allowing them to see in the dark out to 60ft.
Languages: Half-orcs begin play speaking The Regional Language(See Languages of Zheng-Kitar) that reflects their origins, and Orc. Half-orcs with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following(Common, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Terran, Auran, Ignan, Aquan, Tenebran, Luxan)
Intimidating: Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks due to their fearsome nature. They may use STR in place of CHA on intimidate checks if doing so would be beneficial for them.
Orc Ferocity: Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for 1 more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying.
Tribal Lineage: Half-orcs gain one racial trait of their choice from one of the six Orcish Tribes - this represents which tribe their Orcish parent or ancestor was a member of. They may take the alternate racial trait that replaces their chosen racial trait if they wish. They may take the racial feats from their tribe. The list of these tribes may be found on the page for full-blooded orcs: Orc - Level Adjustment 0.
Lineage of Slaughter: Whenever a Half-Orc reduces a living creature below 0HP, they can heal for 2HP per HD of the creature slain. They can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + CONMOD(Min 1).
Orc Blood: Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Half-Orcs, while not as physically dominating as full-blooded Orcs, are nonetheless physically impressive - they are far taller and mightier than most humans, and have highly developed bodies with increased muscle mass and bone density, as a sign of their orcish heritage. And like orcs, they get a real, physical burst of pleasure from the act of slaughter and violence not dissimilar to a dose of a drug - but unlike Orcs, they have no biological compulsion to do so, making them perfect warriors and soldiers.

Biological Traits

Half-orcs average around 6 feet tall, with powerful builds and greenish or grayish skin. Their canine teeth often grow long enough to protrude from their mouths, and these “tusks,” combined with heavy brows and slightly pointed ears, give them their notoriously bestial appearance. While half-orcs may be impressive, few ever describe them as beautiful. Despite these obvious orc traits, half-orcs are as varied as their human parents.

Genetics and Reproduction

Half-Orcs inherit both the fertility of their human parents and the rampant lustful desires of their orcish ones - making them an unfortunate amalgamation of both races. They tend to have incredibly strong desires and emotions, and have more than enough fertility and bodily capacity to satisfy them.
They reproduce sexually just like humans, with female half-orcs carrying their children to term for 7-9 months inside of them before giving live birth afterwards.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once born, Half-Orcs are quick to reach maturity - the brutality of their lives demands nothing less. They reach full maturity no younger than age 14, and lead lives not much shorter than humans, assuming they don't die to violence or disease. They reach middle age around age 30, become old around age 45, and become venerable at age 60 and die shortly thereafter.

Ecology and Habitats

Half-Orcs, owing to their human parentage, can be found and thriving in almost any environment. Like orcs, they tend to consume and destroy their environment and prove a most unhealthy force for the world around them.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Half-Orcs are omnivores, though they have a strong preference for meat and curiously, blood, owing to their orcish lineage. They can gain suprisingly large nutrirional value from blood, and naturally filter out harmful agents in it, even acidic blood, through unique biological valves inside of their bodies.

Biological Cycle

Half-Orcs show outward signs of aging much like humans, with greying skin, whitening hair, and failing bodies as they age and wither away.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Half-Orc faces are a mix between the varied faces of humanity and harsh, brutal, jagged features of orcish kind. They have heavy brows, pointed tusks emerging from their mouths, and slightly pointed ears, giving them a notoriously bestial appearance.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Half-orcs, much like humans, can be found most anywhere on Zheng-Kitar.

Average Intelligence

Half-Orcs tend to be as smart as their human parents, though many assume them dumb brutes due to their orcish lineage.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Owing to their orcish lineage, Half-Orcs have eyes adapted to life underground and in the dark, and gain darkvision out to sixty feet.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Half-Orcs tend to take their names from either human or Orcish naming traditions, depending on which culture they were raised in.

History

As seen by civilized races, half-orcs are monstrosities, the result of perversion and violence—whether or not this is actually true. Half-orcs are rarely the result of loving unions, and as such are usually forced to grow up hard and fast, constantly fighting for protection or to make names for themselves. Half-orcs as a whole resent this treatment, and rather than play the part of the victim, they tend to lash out, unknowingly confirming the biases of those around them.
A few feared, distrusted, and spat-upon half-orcs manage to surprise their detractors with great deeds and unexpected wisdom—though sometimes it’s easier just to crack a few skulls. Some half-orcs spend their entire lives proving to full-blooded orcs that they are just as fierce. Others opt for trying to blend into human society, constantly demonstrating that they aren’t monsters. Their need to always prove themselves worthy encourages half-orcs to strive for power and greatness within the society around them.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Orc

Lifespan

60 years

Conservation Status

Half-Orcs are not entirely common, but are plentiful enough to not require protection nor conservation - they can be found just as commonly in orcish tribes as they can in civilization.

Average Height

6.1ft - 7.5ft (1.85 - 2.28 Meters)

Average Weight

175lbs - 290lbs (79.3kg - 131.5kg)

Average Physique

Half-Orcs are towering behemoths, inheriting the threatening physique from their orcish parents and the incredible muscle mass, height, and weight from them as well. They are veritable walls of muscle that stand taller than the tallest human but come short of the tallest orc, with bodies of rippling muscle and power.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Half-orcs typically have greenish or grayish skin, with eyes that can range from almost any possible color. Their hair tends to be dark in color and incredibly thick, allowing for easy braiding into thick locks.

Unwanted and Unloved

Half-Orcs are creatures that by their very nature are cursed to live a troubled and tragic existence - they are almost always shunned by both their human and orcish parents for different reasons: To Orcs, a Half-Orc represents everything that this unfair, cruel world has denied to them by way of their curse that leads them to slaughter and kill - a living representation of all the good things in life that many orcs wish they could obtain(A life free of slaughter, a destiny unclouded by killing, a family, etc). Because of this, full blooded Orcs shun and deride and torment these 'Half-Breeds' out of bottomless jealousy of their free natures - though many Orcish chieftains deliberately spawn Half-Orcs as their gifts make them natural leaders and strategic advisors in the orcish clans, minds unclouded by their orcish blood curse. Half-Orcs often find themselves constantly striving to make up for their lack of orcish physicality with increased cunning and aggression.
Humans, on the other hand, often shun Half-Orcs out of a misunderstanding - they believe that just like their Orcish parents, Half-Orcs are cursed with the Curse of the Incomplete that drives Orcs to kill intelligent life, and thus are a danger to all around them - and so shun them out of fear for their lives, always looking upon them with suspicion and mistrust, wondering when 'their next kill' will happen. Half-Orcs, for their part, are truly free from this curse - and to further add insult to injury to their orcish parentage, they actually benefit from this curse - the desire for blood pumping through their veins often makes them hot-headed, brash, and violent, but just as easily lets them tap into it to draw strength from the blood of their enemies.
To many, they are a supreme existence - the best of both worlds, with the penalties of neither - but are unfortunately welcome in neither.