Half-Orcs

Half-orcs have a reputation for being violent, intimidating, and quick to anger. Many people who have never met a half-orc assume they are little more than thugs, mercenaries, and brigands. While there are certainly half-orcs who fit this description, most are simply practical folk who place little value on appearances and even less value on the opinions of strangers. A half-orc may not always be polite, but they are usually honest, and many people find that preferable.

Half-orcs are generally taller and broader than humans, possessing powerful builds and remarkable endurance. Their culture values hard work, personal responsibility, and self-sufficiency. Unlike dwarves, who often specialize in a single craft, half-orcs tend to value versatility. Most learn a wide variety of practical skills throughout their lives, ensuring they can solve problems without relying on others. Half-orcs produce many laborers, soldiers, sailors, hunters, foresters, and tradesmen. Although they are not generally known for scholarship, most half-orcs possess a great deal of practical knowledge that cannot be learned from books.

Half-orc communities tend to place more value on personal reputation than written laws. A person’s word carries great weight, and those who repeatedly fail to honor their promises quickly find themselves distrusted. Crime exists in half-orc settlements much as it does elsewhere, but thieves, swindlers, and cowards are rarely tolerated for long. Half-orcs generally prefer direct solutions to problems, and disputes are often settled face to face rather than through lengthy legal proceedings. To outsiders this can make half-orc communities appear harsh, but most half-orcs consider it the fairest way to handle disagreements.

Half-orcs can be found living almost anywhere, although they tend to favor frontier regions, borderlands, and other places where hard work is valued. Their settlements are practical and functional, with little concern given to appearances beyond what is necessary. Buildings are constructed to last and are repaired rather than replaced. Half-orc villages often appear rough around the edges to outsiders, but they are usually well maintained and surprisingly orderly. Half-orcs have little patience for waste and prefer sturdy construction over decoration.

Half-orcs care far less about fashion than most peoples. Clothing is expected to be durable, comfortable, and suitable for the task at hand. Decorations are usually earned rather than purchased, with many half-orcs displaying medals, trophies, heirlooms, or other items that commemorate important accomplishments. Men and women alike often wear their hair long, commonly braiding it to keep it out of the way while working. Scars are not hidden, and many half-orcs view them as reminders of lessons learned. While other peoples may judge a half-orc by how they look, half-orcs generally judge one another by what they have accomplished.

Many half-orcs find themselves frustrated when dealing with other peoples. Dwarves can seem stubborn, elves can seem indecisive, and gnomes can seem concerned with things that do not matter. Likewise, other peoples often mistake a half-orc’s blunt honesty for hostility. Despite this, half-orcs are often respected by those who know them well. They have a reputation for keeping their word, standing by their friends, and seeing difficult tasks through to the end. If a half-orc gives you their promise, most would consider that worth more than a written contract.

Half-Orc Gameplay

All half-orcs share the following gameplay elements.

Ancestry Traits

Ancestry Traits

Ancestry Keywords

Animus, Humanoid, Human, Orc

Movement Speed

Your base move speed is 25 feet.

Size

You are a medium sized creature.

Native Langauges

Your native language is either common or orcish.

Vision

You have normal vision.

Half-Orc Features

As a half-orc, you automatically gain access to all features below.

Brutality

Brutality

Ancestry Feature

You treat all melee weapons that you wield as if they had the Brutal weapon feature. You must be at least proficient with the weapon, and must make your attack and damage rolls using Brawn to take advantage of this feature.

Half-Orc Toughness

Half-Orc Toughness

Ancestry Feature

Increase your maximum hit points by 2.

Class Keyword Features

After selecting your class, you gain access to an additional ancestral feature based on your selected classes keyword. If your class has multiple keywords, or you are a multi-classed character, you can select 1 of the keywords granted to you by your class, and gain the feature with that keyword listed below.

Arcanist

Arcanist

Class Keyword Ancestry Feature

The Grit die granted by the class that provided your Arcanist keyword increases by one die step, to a maximum of d8. This feature does not affect any static Grit bonuses.

Example

A Magic-User normally gains 1d4+1 Grit per level from levels 1-9. A half-orc with this feature instead gains 1d6+1 Grit per level. The +1 static bonus is unchanged.

Adept

Adept

Class Keyword Ancestry Feature

Any time you deal ambush damage, you increase the ambush damage dice by 1 dice step.

Priest

Priest

Class Keyword Ancestry Feature

When you cast a clerical spell that provides healing via a dice roll, you also recover grit equal to the level of the spell cast.

Soldier

Soldier

Class Keyword Ancestry Feature

You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with melee and thrown weapons when attacking with Brawn.

Half-Orc Ages

Half-orcs rise early into strength and burn through it with little mercy. Their bodies peak quickly and begin to fail sooner than most, each year hard-earned and harder-kept. Those who live long enough to age do so with scars and wisdom both, survivors in every sense of the word.

To randomly roll your starting age, you must first determine your class keywords. If you have 1 class keyword, take the Base Age for the keyword, and add the result of the Roll for the keyword as well. If you have more than 1 class keyword, you use the highest base age for your keywords, but roll all dice in the roll column for each class keyword you have.

Class Keyword	Base Age	Roll
Arcanist	23	2d8
Adept	14	1d10
Priest	13	2d12
Soldier	13	2d6

Two Half-Orcs

Channda has selected the Thief class, which contains the Adept class keyword. Thus, she rolls 1d10, getting 6. She adds that to the base age of 14, and Channda is 20 years old. She can choose to still be young, or be considered in her Prime. However, if she selects to be Young, she cannot decide to be in her Prime until at least one year “in game” has past. She will be in her Prime the first rest after this year past. If she reaches 21 during this time, she will ignore being in her prime until the year wait time finishes.

However, Ironjaw is a Fighter\Theif which has the Adept and Soldier keywords. Since the base age of adept is higher, his base age is 14. He then rolls 1d10 for his adept, getting 4, and 2d6 for his soldier, getting a 10. Ironjaw is 28 (14 + 4 + 10), very solid in his prime .

After determining your age, you apply all age factors below for your current age, and every age lower. Thus, an elf who starts in their prime must step through all Young and Prime attribute adjustments. Note that some age requirements are optional.

As a reminder, during character creation, your attributes cannot go above 19, nor below 6 due to aging bonuses and penalties. Simply ignore any bonuses or penalties that would adjust your attributes so.

Some age breakpoints overlap; and when aging a character, once you hit the age breakpoint, you can choose to delay your attribute adjustments for up to 1 year, but must apply the attribute adjustments before you reach the age that doesn’t overlap. For example, 20 is both Young and Prime. Once you reach 20, you can choose to apply the attribute adjustments for being Prime, but you do not have to. During any rest between age 20 and 21 you can decide to apply the attribute adjustments, but it must be done by the time you turn 21, or it is done the first rest you have once you turn 21.

Young Half-Orcs (15 - 20)

Young half-orcs are judged harshly by strength and capability; weakness is punished socially, while strength earns immediate respect.

As a young half-orc, you have the option to make the following attribute adjustments. If you do, you must apply all of the adjustments listed.

• Select one attribute from the following list: Brawn, Heartiness, Agility, or Precision. Increase the selected attribute by +1.
• Select one attribute from the following list: Logic, Reason, or Savvy. Reduced the selected attribute by -1.

Prime Half-Orcs (20 - 35)

Half-Orcs in their prime are recognized for effectiveness and reliability in conflict or hard labor; valued for directness rather than diplomacy.

As a half-orc in your prime, you must make the following attribute adjustments.

• Select two attributes from the following list: Brawn, Heartiness, Agility, or Precision. Increase the selected attributes by +1.
• Alternatively, you can select Brawn only. Increase your Brawn attribute by +2.

Mature Half-Orcs (35 - 50)

Mature half-orcs have earned respect through survival; seen as proven individuals who have outlasted expectation and earned a voice.

As a mature half-orc, you must make the following attribute adjustments.

• Your Precision, Reason, and Presence attributes are increased by +1.
• Your Brawn and Agility attribute is reduced by -1.

Aging Half-Orcs (50 - 60)

Aging half-orcs are often sidelined from front-line roles; respected but treated as near-retired unless exceptional.

As an aging half-orc, you must make the following attribute adjustments.

• Your Reason and Presence attributes are increased by +1.
• Your Heartiness, Agility and Precision attributes are reduced by -1.

Elderly Half-Orcs (60+)

Rare figures of grim respect; elderly Half-Orcs are either honored as veterans of countless struggles or pitied as those who refused to fall.

As an elderly half-orc, you must make the following attribute adjustments.

• Your Logic, Reason, and Presence attributes are increased by +1.
• Your Agility, Precision, and Savvy attributes are reduced by -1.

Height and Weight

To randomly determine your character’s height and weight, start with rolling a 2d10, and note this as “extra inches”. Then roll a 2d6, and multiple the result of this roll by your “extra inches” to get your “extra weight”.

If your half-orc is a male, add your “extra inches” to 60 inches to get how tall you are in inches, additionally, add the “extra weight” to 150 lbs. to get your starting weight. If your half-orc is female, add your “extra inches” to 55 inches, and add your “extra weight” to 125 lbs.