Half-oruch

The vast majority of those known as Half-orcs trace their origins to the 'Great Orcs' through willing unions between human and orc brought about by a variety of different reasons. Some of these reasons can be as simple as a passionate fiery tryst in some frontier tavern muted by the universal lubricant of alcohol. Others can be as driven by honor, as the required union of Great Orc tribe and Human tribe, sealed by the marriages of chief members of their societies for the purposes of survival and mutual good.

Some Half-orcs are simply humans who carry a strong trace of their orcish blood. Though it may be that their grand parent or great grand parent were an Orc, the Half-orc race breeds true and so carries the fiery strength and passion on throughout their family line. A Half-orc will produce another Half-orc just as an Orc and Half-orc will produce a Half-orc. In this sense the name of the species is more a nickname that hearkens to their origin than a true descriptor of what they actually are. But no matter the source and origin, Half-orcs are children of two worlds bringing forth the near uncontrolled fire of Orc kind in with the energy and ingenuity of Humanity.

Physical Description

At a glance, Half-orcs seem to take more heavily after their Orcish blood than the Human, being capable of immense builds and averaging easily between six and seven feet tall. This stereotype however, perpetuated by the appearance of the occasional Half-orc barbarian and fighter, is but one variety of the species. They can be lean and whip-cord thin like a wound shipping cable, or lanky and long armed. It usually depends as much on their human half as their orc. However, many of their overt features are heavily influenced by the Orc blood in them. Their canines grow long (though not so long as true Orcs), giving them their tusk like appearance, and skin is usually tinged with green, brown or occasionally grey. Heavy brows and pointed ears are universal among them.

Society and Lands

A Half-orc is a fireball of independence and adaptability, being equally capable of operating in Orc and Human society as the need calls for it. If left to their own devices, Half-orcs value their freedom and ability to wander the world with impunity, forging their own paths. Thus no single society unites them. Instead they'll either bear the colors and trappings of the parents who raised them or forge their own identities, choosing one people or the other. Or neither.

The frontier region is wild and rugged and consists of some of the fiercest inhabitants of the known world. Along these border kingdoms, congregations of Great Orcs gather and regularly interact with Humanity on a consistent basis. Further south such mixing becomes rarer and rarer until the sight of a Great Orc is an exotic thing and, by the ignorant, at times confused with the Fel Orc (the more common breed of Orc). Thus Half-orcs tend to only find native comfort among the lands of the Savage Frontier or in regions where ones strength and capabilities are valued more then the color of their skin or the shape of their ears. Communities of Half-orcs are rare; the focused temper of the Orc mingling with the impulsiveness of the Human often makes them less suited to the organization necessary for civil needs. Nonetheless, families of Half-orcs have been known to congregate in places where their particular talents are sought after.

Other Races

Half-orcs relate well to those who value physical exertion, strength of will and surviving under adverse conditions. They are usually, like the Great Orcs, lumped into a category of monsters by the uneducated. Due to this, they tend to get along with the disenfranchised or outlaw components of the societies in which they find themselves.

Despite their mixed heritage, old rivalries die hard and misunderstandings between Half-orcs, Dwarves and Elves are common, in large part due to their close resemblance to Orcs. For humans it varies from culture to culture. Where Orcs are viewed as savage, bloodthirsty monsters, so too will Half-orcs. Generally, the more accommodating a society is to seeing exotic peoples, then the more likely a Half-orc is to find himself able to make a living and blend in.

Alignment and Religion

Half-orcs are rarely lawful, having often learned to be capable of quickly adapting to new scenarios and environments, raised in border-lands where violence is common and the denizens and landscape wild and untamed. Rigidity rarely suits them, though they may develop strong internal laws. There is no cultural predisposition towards worship either. They will either follow deities best beloved by their parent races or they will find their own path in life upon striking out on their own. Many are martially inclined, and so they will invariably favor such religious faiths if any are to be preferred.

Adventurers

Their considerable talents cause many Half-orcs to take well to adventuring and other high-risk jobs. Mercenaries, bandits, bodyguards and other assorted forms of soldiers-of-fortune are positions that come naturally to most Half-orcs. Their versatility means that a half-orc can serve a variety of different roles in an adventuring party and those who can see past their brutish exterior will find staunch allies and powerful comrades in arms.

Half-breeds in the Pathfinder Campaign

Half-elves and Half-orcs have, as a species, not undergone major change. Throughout the years, world shaping events have occurred and they have always managed to survive and continue to eke out a place in the world, albeit a place made up by the fact that they themselves are children of two often conflicting worlds.

Half-orc Racial Traits

• Classification: See Orc Blood, below.
• +2 to One Ability Score: Half-orc characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
• Medium: Half-orcs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Half-orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Orc Blood: Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.
• Rugged Upbringing: Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate skill checks and +2 to Survival due to their fearsome nature and disposition towards harsh lifestyles.
• Hardy: Mingling of human and orc blood produces exceptional sturdiness. Half-orcs receive a +2 bonus on checks to resist fatigue and exhaustion.
• Orc Ferocity: Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for one 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.
• Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs are proficient with greataxes and falchions and treat any weapon with the word orc in its name as a martial weapon.
• It Was Nothing (Ex): At 9th level and once per day, a half-orc may reroll a Fort save and take the second result, even if it is lower. This ability must be declared before success of the original roll is known.
• Languages: Half-orcs begin play speaking Common and Yrch-Speak. Half-orcs with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Gnoll, Goblin-Talk or Jotun.