- For other Orcs, see Orc (disambiguation).
| Chapter 2: Humanoid Races |
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| Humanoid Races |
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Orc, Half-Orc (Complete Book of Humanoids)[]
Ability Score Adjustments The initial ability scores are modified as follows:
- Orc: +1 Str; -2 Cha
- Half-Orc: +1 Str, +1 Con; -2 Cha
| Ability | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 6/6 | 18/18 |
| Dexterity | 3/3 | 17/17 |
| Constitution | 8/13 | 18/19 |
| Intelligence | 3/3 | 16/17 |
| Wisdom | 3/3 | 16/14 |
| Charisma | 3/3 | 12/12 |
| Class | Maximum Level |
|---|---|
| Warrior | |
| 10/10* | |
| — | |
| — | |
| Wizard | |
| — | |
| — | |
| Priest | |
| 9/4* | |
| — | |
| 6/4* | |
| 6/4* | |
| Rogue | |
| 11/8* | |
| — |
- * Single Class characters can rise higher. See CBOH Table 2.
Hit Dice: Player character ores and half-orcs receive hit dice by class
Alignment: Orcs tend toward lawful evil, half-orcs tend toward true neutral. PC orcs and half-orcs may be of any alignment.
Natural Armor Class: Orcs and half-orcs have natural armor classes of 10.
Languages: Orc, goblin, hobgoblin, ogre, common. Half-orcs speak orc and receive common as a bonus language.
Monstrous Traits: Appearance.
Superstitions: Fear of sickness, the weak, the lame, cowards, sunlight.
Background: Orcs look like primitive humans with gray-green skin and coarse hair. They stoop slightly, have low jutting foreheads snouts, canine-like teeth, and short pointed ears. The average orc stands between 5M and 6 feet tall. Half orcs have much more human features.
Orcs are aggressive humanoids that live in tribal societies. They band together to hunt and raid, believing that to survive they must expand their territory. This need to expand puts them in a constant state of war with humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, and even other orc tribes.
Orc communities are usually found underground (75% likely), but wilderness villages do exist. These lairs are protected by the best defenses the orcs can invent or steal. Some of these communities are built around active mines. All make use of slave labor.
The orc mentality views aggression as the natural order. They believe that other races are inferior to them, and bully weaker creatures. Enslaved orcs will rebel at the first opportunity. When allied with others, orcs are quick to take offense and break agreements.
To orcs, the greatest challenge they can set for themselves is the test of battle. They value territory above all else, though they also take great pride in battle experience and prowess, wealth, and lots of offspring. Orc society is male dominated; females exist to bear young. Though carnivorous, orcs prefer game meats or livestock to intelligent races.
Half-Orcs: Half-orcs result from orc unions with virtually any humanoid or demihuman race except elves. These mixed breeds tend to favor their orcish parent, though a small number can pass for ugly humans. PC half orcs are assumed to be crossbreeds within the upper 10% of the mongrel orc-humans that can pass for human. These have the ability to surpass their orcish heritage, rising beyond the limits a normal orc can reach. However, they have difficulty finding a place in either society, as neither culture trusts them.
Role-Playing Suggestions: Player character orcs are not as rare as other humanoid races. The call to battle is not much different than the call to adventure, and orc heroes sometimes come to the forefront. If treated with care and patience, orc adventurers can become effective partners and allies. Because females have few rights in orc society, many of them turn to adventuring to escape their lot in life.
A few orcs even attempt to reject their evil natures in order to try to become honorable warriors. While an orc will never become a paladin, some do attain the orcish equivalent of holy warriors. However, those orcs that attempt to fight fair and with honor are sneered at and rejected by their own kind. Why fight face to face, the common orc thinks, when fighting from an advantageous hiding place is so much more effective?
Half-orcs: Half-orcs have an easier time of it as adventurers, for they are usually free of tribal ties. Both heritages reject them, so they must carve their own destiny out of what life throws their way. They often flaunt their superior ability in the presence of full orcs, and tend to associate with humans who do not care about appearances.
Half-orcs tend to be serious and brooding. They seek acceptance and friendship, even though most will have little to do with them. While most of the half-breeds walk the path of neutrality, a few do become lawful good.
Special Advantages: Orcs (only) are skilled miners. They can spot new and unusual constructions 35% of the time, and sloping passages 25% of the time.
Orcs and half orcs have 60-foot infravision.
Half-orc single classed characters with exceptional ability scores can advance further: Fighter 17th at 21 Strength (20—14th; 19—12th; 18/00—11th). Priests gain one level per point of Wisdom up to 7th level. Thieves gain one level per point of Dexterity up to 11th level.
Special Disadvantages: Orcs fight with a -1 penalty to their attack rolls and morale when in direct sunlight. Half-orcs do not have this disadvantage.
Weapon Proficiencies: Battle axe, crossbow, flail, hand axe, spear, any bow, any pole arm, any sword.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, armorer, blacksmithing, bowyer/fletcher, carpentry, chanting, close-quarter fighting, hunting, intimidation, looting, religion, set snares, spellcraft, tracking, weaponsmithing.