Afrodyte
Explorer
I'm working on a campaign that redefines some of the core assumptions about standard D&D. With regard to the races, I am working on creating a definite role for them in the world and reworking the mechanics around that definition while simultaneously keeping them balanced with each other. As it stands now, I only have humans and elves relatively complete because they are the key figures in the campaign. I'll probably visit the other races as I come to them in the setting. Please keep in mind that what I write below is meant to replace the PHB races for this setting, so I'm only interested in how these compare with each other.
My goals when redesigning these races was to focus each race on a central idea that defines the vast majority of what that race is about as well as to provide opportunities for a variety of character concepts within the races as supported by the overriding concept. I wanted to give a framework within which players can define and develop their characters but not make things so rigid that there is only one way to properly portray such a character.
When I detemined how I would represent these races mechanically, my primary concern was to fit the central concept of the race while leaving room for further development. As such, I did not include traits based upon a specific culture of the race. What I have here represents purely innate characteristics. IMC, I'm planning to use other rules to represent the cultural influence (similar to D20 Modern's occupations or the cultural skills and feats found in other settings). Without further ado:
HUMANS
In most campaigns, humans are the dominant race, but few explain why this is such a common thing. Most would say that it's laziness, but I believe it goes deeper than that. Humans are usually the force of familiarity. We know how humans develop. We know how humans think and feel. We know what humans are capable of. We know what humans believe. We can relate to human beings because we are human beings. Humans establish a sense of normalcy that helps in the introduction of exotic elements. By placing a familiar face on something, we can understand the unfamiliar a bit more clearly.
Also, in D&D terms, humans often embody the spirit of adventure. While not necessarily present in individual humans, this is true on a collective level. Look at the knowledge human beings have gained and the things human beings have done. What traits have allowed us to do this? We learn, adapt, and apply the knowledge and skills to other things.
Racial Traits
No adjustments for ability scores. To begin with, they are the standard for this campaign. In addition, there are far too many exceptions to make rules about what is appropriate, but most human scores fall within a certain range. There's no point to fiddling with it, not even with the +2/-2 thing.
Quick learner. Humans get the bonus skill points as described in the PHB. In addition, at 1st level they get a number of bonus class skills equal to 1 + Intelligence bonus (minimum bonus +0). Humans are quick to pick up the basics of new skills.
Adaptable. Humans gain two bonus entry-level feat sat 1st level. Humans are quick to master specialized skills.
Enhanced abilities. Humans get either Great Fortitude, Iron Will, or Lightning Reflexes for free at 1st level. Human beings can be particularly resilient, tenacious, or elusive as a result of evolving through struggle.
ELVES
Elves IMC require a bit more explanation.
When I think about of elves, there is something that is absolutely essential for me to see them as something other than skinny humans with pointed ears: magic. By magic, I don't simply mean having wizard as a favored class. Being so similar in a lot of ways to human beings (they seem to have the same basic structure, size, capacity for reason and range of emotions as humans do), it made me wonder what made them so different, so intriguing. Why did it bother me when I saw certain traits stripped from elves ("All my elves are just metrosexual humans with really good health care")? Why don't I see them fitting in every quasi-medieval setting? Then I realized that in a manner of speaking, elves are magical humans. Naturally, you could say the same about the other humanoids, but it seems that elves in particular, due to their closer resemblance to human beings, are well-suited for this role. Magic is what accounts for their "otherness" from humankind, that familiar-but-not aspect of them that I find particularly fascinating.
I see at least two outgrowths of this inherent magic that seem essential to elves: immortality and heightened perception.
Being personally removed from the natural order of things (birth, growth, decline, death, decay) solidifies the elves' place (or origin) beyond the natural world. Everything grows old and dies; elves do not. Therefore, some other influence must be at work beyond nature (at least the common understanding of it). It also has some interesting effects on psychology. Immortality would present a view of life that is not at all limited by time. While to a mortal a lifespan of some 500 to 1,000 or more years is virtually immortal, I think there is a fundamental difference between someone for whom death is inevitable and one for whom it isn't. It is a great way to set elves apart, seeing as how everything in nature eventually grows old and dies, but they themselves do not. As to why this is so, I'll leave it a mystery. Is it a gift? A curse? Just the way things are? I'll leave this open for individual elves and groups of elves.
Increased perceptive abilities would seem odd, but considering their stronger connection to magic, it seems logical that they would be more sensitive to its presence and fluctuations. This heightened awareness may even enhance their physical senses such that they are able to focus them better than mortals the same way that a sniper or fighter pilot can focus his vision better than most ordinary people.
Appearance
At least average human height, but often about half a head taller. Tall elves frequently stand head and shoulders above most humans. Nevertheless, they are often thin for a human of comparable height, sometimes even seeming frail. Hair, eyes, and skin come in a variety of colors and combinations, even those which would seem unnatural in a human.
Personality
As humans with all the time in the world and a sixth sense connection to their environment.
Ecology
Because of their sensitivity to their environment, they need more space to be comfortable. Being constantly surrounded by physical and metaphysical noise makes them uneasy (to put it mildly). Even small villages can prove too much for them. Some crave the stimulation, but even they need periods of quiet and solitude to rest. Therefore, elven settlements tend to be lightly populated, spacious, and isolated. They tend to build and settle along with the terrain to sustain the equilibrium of their environment, but this is more for their own comfort than out of any particular reverence for the wilderness.
Society
The basic elven group is the clan, a coalition of elven families linked by blood (distantly) or necessity (such as when families break up due to natural or unnatural disasters and find other families to live with). The oldest elf in the clan is commonly the de facto ruler, although all elders are venerated. In the rare cases when there are twin elders, both share governing power of the clan. After the clan comes the tribe, a group of at least two elven clans linked by custom, language, and geography, much like their human counterparts. Some tribes are ruled by a council of elders, others by a powerful central ruler, mirroring the clan structure. Some are ruled by a junta of the most capable leaders. A few are even democratically governed by all members who have undergone their rites of passage. It is never certain which system a particular elven tribe uses, although they are all designed to ensure the well-being of the tribe.
As creatures of innate magic, elves are likely to choose classes that reflect, enhance, or complement their magical aspects. As such, they often have levels throughout the generic classes. However, they often advance beyond this, taking up adventuring classes that assist in the well-being of their homes and tribes.
Experts make up the largest percentage of elven communities, just as they do for other races. Artisans make up the bulk of these experts, but hunters and gatherers make up a sizeable portion of the population as well since they provide the vast majority of the food for the clan. The best amongst them often become rangers later on. Loremasters and minstrels, though far less common, are essential for preserving the clan's traditions and history. This role grants them a great deal of respect, almost as much as the leaders of the clan.
Elven warriors often favor feats and abilities taking advantage of Dexterity as opposed to Strength. As such, they often develop great ability as archers and finesse-based melee fighters.
Spellcasters, as can be expected, are relatively common in elven clans, but they typically multiclass with the expert and/or warrior to develop useful skills and abilities alongside magical powers. It is not unknown for warriors to show some of the Gift as well. However, spellcasters most often rise to become the most influential members of society, if not its leaders. As spellcasters, though, they lean towards the being mages rather than mystics, and the Gift frequently manifests as an affinity for Fey, Green, or Seer magic (The classes are redesigned for my campaign as well).
Racial Traits
These are innate characteristics. Even if an elven infant is dumped on a human family's porch right after being born, she will possess these traits, which become more noticeable as she matures.
+2 Wisdom, -2 Strength. Elves are naturally more perceptive and alert, but they are not as physically powerful as other Medium humanoids. They are more aware of their surroundings than most people, picking up on the subtlest changes in their environment. Though not as strong as other humanoids of the same size, they tend to develop their agility, balance, and reflexes to compensate. I think that a penalty to Strength due to less muscle mass seemed more fitting than a penalty to Constitution. Besides, I never really bought the idea that the average elf who lives several times longer than a human being, and in the woods (or even more hostile environments) to boot, would be less robust than the average urban human. I chose Wisdom over Dexterity for the bonus (very reluctantly) because it fit the central concept not just adequately, or even well, but best. Once again, refer to the baby elf dropped on the doorstep idea.
Light sleeper. Elves do need sleep, but due to their magical nature, their need for sleep is greatly reduced, and they have more control over how deeply they may sleep. Elves only need 4 hours of deep sleep or 8 hours of light sleep each day. Though they prefer the restfulness of deep slumber, while they are in dangerous surroundings, they often opt for light sleep, so they will not be caught completely unaware. When elves sleep lightly, their penalty to Listen checks is only -5 instead of -10. As part of the idea of being less limited by physical reality than humans, I can see elves having less of a need to replenish energy than humans do. They would also need to eat a lot less, eating more only for the enjoyment of it, but since there is no mechanical benefit that I can predict using during the campaign, I omitted it.
Awareness. Elves have an intuitive awareness of their surroundings. They gain the Alertness feat for free at 1st level. Elves can also sense and avoid danger before it comes to them. Elf characters may choose to use their Wisdom or Dexterity modifier for reflex saves. I thought about letting them add their Wisdom modifier to reflex saves, but it might be a tad too potent.
Beings of magic. They gain the Alertness and Magical Aptitude feats for free at 1st level. They may also cast detect magic up to their Charisma bonus times per day. Elves are more sensitive to the ebb and flow of magic in their surroundings, and they show up as magical auras when detect magic and similar spells are cast within range of them.
HALF-ORCS (renamed Orcs)
I've never been entirely comfortable with how D&D modeled half-orcs. It hits too close to home about attitudes that persist in the real world with the mechanics backing up such beliefs. I've done some thinking on how this can be reversed or at least refined, and I've come up with something I think is more interesting. I call them orcs instead of half-orcs because I find them more intriguing as a race in their own right.
Physical Description
Orcs are huge, frequently standing head and shoulders taller than other medium-sized humanoids. Their skin tends toward the colors of rock and stone, so they are usually various shades of brown and gray, although a bluish or reddish tinge can be observed in many orcs. Sometimes, orcs are black like obsidian, but such creatures are markedly rare. Orcs also have fangs and claws, although these are far less pronounced than the protruding tusks rumors report. Even for the slender members of their race, their bones and muscles are very dense, often making them seem bulky and clumsy, although in reality they can be quite agile, and they are rarely obese or gaunt. Orc skin feels like a snake's, smooth and scaly but not flaky except in the rare event that an orc is ill. Their hair and eyes have the same variance in color and texture as humans', but they tend toward dark hair and eyes. Often called ugly by urban folk, orcs are in general possessed of a primal beauty reminiscent of great cats, serpents, and other predators. In general, think Disney's Gargoyles without wings and tail instead of Tolkien's mindless hordes.
Psychology
The most striking difference between orcs and humans lies in how they view themselves as individuals, or rather, how they don't do so. While orcs are certainly aware of themselves, their self-concept is not an abstract entity, but is intimately tied into where they are and what they do. Oftentimes, who they are is what they are doing at any particular moment. As Omar Orc nibbles on bread, he does not think of himself as "Omar Orc eating the bread," but simply "eating the bread" or "bread is good." On the one hand, this gives them tremendous focus. It is not easy to distract orcs. However, this single-mindedness also makes it harder to learn new things, particularly abstract concepts, which leads to the second major difference between orcs and other humanoids.
Humans, as a general rule, are reasoning animals. They perceive and understand through logic, with instinct being at best secondary. Orcs, however, are primarily instinctive, with reason taking a back seat to gut feelings and intuitions about things that cannot be understood rationally. Neither orcs nor humans lack reason or instincts, but each shows a preference for relying on one or the other.
This difference in orientation has led some to consider orcs as nothing more than animals and thus not sentient, justifying all kinds of abuses against orcs which would never be tolerated in humans.
Culture
It would seem that orcish culture is an oxymoron. However, despite the fact that many orc tribes are hunter-gatherer societies, the cultural divisions are much greater than most can observe. Orc societies are as diverse as those of other humanoids, but most are carried out in a way that seems so effortless that most observers would think that they did so naturally rather than deliberately.
Many orc tribes are nomadic, following their staple prey as it migrates, but some make permanent settlements in very bountiful areas.
Cultural tidbit: Orc names tend to be 1 word based on things seen or used in nature that bear resemblance to an individual's personality, skill, or some other quality. An orc named Flint, for instance, can be steadfast and practical, or someone who is good at making stone tools. Someone can be named Blaze for being good at starting and keeping fires, or because of a bold and fiery disposition. Shadow could be a secretive, withdrawn individual or somebody who excels at stealth. Wind can be the name of a capricious personality or a swift runner.
Racial Traits
+2 Strength and/or(?) Constitution, -2 Intelligence (and Charisma?). Orcs are powerful and resilient but not typically adept at abstract thinking and are not as individualistic as other humanoids. I am unsure about exactly which attribute adjustments to use here, and I'd appreciate some help with this.
Honed Instincts. Orcs gain the Alertness feat for free at 1st level. In addition, they get a +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive and Survival checks.
Resilient. Orcs get the Great Fortitude or Toughness feat for free at 1st level. In addition, their hides give them a +1 natural armor bonus.
Imposing. Because of their size and "monstrous" appearance, orcs are granted the Skill Focus (Intimidate) feat for free.
Social Stigma. Because of the attitudes many have toward orcs, most of the people they come across are Unfriendly (see Diplomacy skill in PHB and "NPC attitudes" in DMG for more info). The more open-minded persons tend to be Indifferent. These attitudes can be changed through deeds that gain the favor of others or by some rare coincidence that an individual learns to rethink their beliefs about orcs.
HALF-ELVES
I haven't really thought out half-elves yet, but here is a basic mechanical guide. I am toying with the idea that half-elves live in two worlds but are never fully at home in either. On the one hand is the mortal world with its cold realities and cozy comforts, and its dizzying array of things to stimulate the senses, and the frantic pace at which life passes. On the other hand is the world of magic, where everything is mysterious and meaningful and dangerous.
No ability score adjustments. Most half-elves tend to be a little more perceptive and a little less powerful than typical humans, but the differences are too slight to merit ability score adjustments.
Being of magic. As elf racial trait. Half-elves do not show up as magical auras when detect magic and similar spells are cast unless they are spellcasters.
Alertness. Half-elves get the Alertness feat for free at 1st level.
Quick learner. As human racial trait.
Adaptable. Half-elves gain a bonus entry-level feat at 1st level.
DWARVES, GNOMES, HALFLINGS
The problem I'm having with these guys is that I want them to be distinct from each other, but I don't want to rely on stereotypes to do so. I really want some variety within each race, so I will more than likely wind up ditching one of them or combining them with each other (dwarves and gnomes) or with another race (halflings = really short humans). The only thing left to do is come up with a guiding concept for each of them.
My goals when redesigning these races was to focus each race on a central idea that defines the vast majority of what that race is about as well as to provide opportunities for a variety of character concepts within the races as supported by the overriding concept. I wanted to give a framework within which players can define and develop their characters but not make things so rigid that there is only one way to properly portray such a character.
When I detemined how I would represent these races mechanically, my primary concern was to fit the central concept of the race while leaving room for further development. As such, I did not include traits based upon a specific culture of the race. What I have here represents purely innate characteristics. IMC, I'm planning to use other rules to represent the cultural influence (similar to D20 Modern's occupations or the cultural skills and feats found in other settings). Without further ado:
HUMANS
In most campaigns, humans are the dominant race, but few explain why this is such a common thing. Most would say that it's laziness, but I believe it goes deeper than that. Humans are usually the force of familiarity. We know how humans develop. We know how humans think and feel. We know what humans are capable of. We know what humans believe. We can relate to human beings because we are human beings. Humans establish a sense of normalcy that helps in the introduction of exotic elements. By placing a familiar face on something, we can understand the unfamiliar a bit more clearly.
Also, in D&D terms, humans often embody the spirit of adventure. While not necessarily present in individual humans, this is true on a collective level. Look at the knowledge human beings have gained and the things human beings have done. What traits have allowed us to do this? We learn, adapt, and apply the knowledge and skills to other things.
Racial Traits
No adjustments for ability scores. To begin with, they are the standard for this campaign. In addition, there are far too many exceptions to make rules about what is appropriate, but most human scores fall within a certain range. There's no point to fiddling with it, not even with the +2/-2 thing.
Quick learner. Humans get the bonus skill points as described in the PHB. In addition, at 1st level they get a number of bonus class skills equal to 1 + Intelligence bonus (minimum bonus +0). Humans are quick to pick up the basics of new skills.
Adaptable. Humans gain two bonus entry-level feat sat 1st level. Humans are quick to master specialized skills.
Enhanced abilities. Humans get either Great Fortitude, Iron Will, or Lightning Reflexes for free at 1st level. Human beings can be particularly resilient, tenacious, or elusive as a result of evolving through struggle.
ELVES
Elves IMC require a bit more explanation.
When I think about of elves, there is something that is absolutely essential for me to see them as something other than skinny humans with pointed ears: magic. By magic, I don't simply mean having wizard as a favored class. Being so similar in a lot of ways to human beings (they seem to have the same basic structure, size, capacity for reason and range of emotions as humans do), it made me wonder what made them so different, so intriguing. Why did it bother me when I saw certain traits stripped from elves ("All my elves are just metrosexual humans with really good health care")? Why don't I see them fitting in every quasi-medieval setting? Then I realized that in a manner of speaking, elves are magical humans. Naturally, you could say the same about the other humanoids, but it seems that elves in particular, due to their closer resemblance to human beings, are well-suited for this role. Magic is what accounts for their "otherness" from humankind, that familiar-but-not aspect of them that I find particularly fascinating.
I see at least two outgrowths of this inherent magic that seem essential to elves: immortality and heightened perception.
Being personally removed from the natural order of things (birth, growth, decline, death, decay) solidifies the elves' place (or origin) beyond the natural world. Everything grows old and dies; elves do not. Therefore, some other influence must be at work beyond nature (at least the common understanding of it). It also has some interesting effects on psychology. Immortality would present a view of life that is not at all limited by time. While to a mortal a lifespan of some 500 to 1,000 or more years is virtually immortal, I think there is a fundamental difference between someone for whom death is inevitable and one for whom it isn't. It is a great way to set elves apart, seeing as how everything in nature eventually grows old and dies, but they themselves do not. As to why this is so, I'll leave it a mystery. Is it a gift? A curse? Just the way things are? I'll leave this open for individual elves and groups of elves.
Increased perceptive abilities would seem odd, but considering their stronger connection to magic, it seems logical that they would be more sensitive to its presence and fluctuations. This heightened awareness may even enhance their physical senses such that they are able to focus them better than mortals the same way that a sniper or fighter pilot can focus his vision better than most ordinary people.
Appearance
At least average human height, but often about half a head taller. Tall elves frequently stand head and shoulders above most humans. Nevertheless, they are often thin for a human of comparable height, sometimes even seeming frail. Hair, eyes, and skin come in a variety of colors and combinations, even those which would seem unnatural in a human.
Personality
As humans with all the time in the world and a sixth sense connection to their environment.
Ecology
Because of their sensitivity to their environment, they need more space to be comfortable. Being constantly surrounded by physical and metaphysical noise makes them uneasy (to put it mildly). Even small villages can prove too much for them. Some crave the stimulation, but even they need periods of quiet and solitude to rest. Therefore, elven settlements tend to be lightly populated, spacious, and isolated. They tend to build and settle along with the terrain to sustain the equilibrium of their environment, but this is more for their own comfort than out of any particular reverence for the wilderness.
Society
The basic elven group is the clan, a coalition of elven families linked by blood (distantly) or necessity (such as when families break up due to natural or unnatural disasters and find other families to live with). The oldest elf in the clan is commonly the de facto ruler, although all elders are venerated. In the rare cases when there are twin elders, both share governing power of the clan. After the clan comes the tribe, a group of at least two elven clans linked by custom, language, and geography, much like their human counterparts. Some tribes are ruled by a council of elders, others by a powerful central ruler, mirroring the clan structure. Some are ruled by a junta of the most capable leaders. A few are even democratically governed by all members who have undergone their rites of passage. It is never certain which system a particular elven tribe uses, although they are all designed to ensure the well-being of the tribe.
As creatures of innate magic, elves are likely to choose classes that reflect, enhance, or complement their magical aspects. As such, they often have levels throughout the generic classes. However, they often advance beyond this, taking up adventuring classes that assist in the well-being of their homes and tribes.
Experts make up the largest percentage of elven communities, just as they do for other races. Artisans make up the bulk of these experts, but hunters and gatherers make up a sizeable portion of the population as well since they provide the vast majority of the food for the clan. The best amongst them often become rangers later on. Loremasters and minstrels, though far less common, are essential for preserving the clan's traditions and history. This role grants them a great deal of respect, almost as much as the leaders of the clan.
Elven warriors often favor feats and abilities taking advantage of Dexterity as opposed to Strength. As such, they often develop great ability as archers and finesse-based melee fighters.
Spellcasters, as can be expected, are relatively common in elven clans, but they typically multiclass with the expert and/or warrior to develop useful skills and abilities alongside magical powers. It is not unknown for warriors to show some of the Gift as well. However, spellcasters most often rise to become the most influential members of society, if not its leaders. As spellcasters, though, they lean towards the being mages rather than mystics, and the Gift frequently manifests as an affinity for Fey, Green, or Seer magic (The classes are redesigned for my campaign as well).
Racial Traits
These are innate characteristics. Even if an elven infant is dumped on a human family's porch right after being born, she will possess these traits, which become more noticeable as she matures.
+2 Wisdom, -2 Strength. Elves are naturally more perceptive and alert, but they are not as physically powerful as other Medium humanoids. They are more aware of their surroundings than most people, picking up on the subtlest changes in their environment. Though not as strong as other humanoids of the same size, they tend to develop their agility, balance, and reflexes to compensate. I think that a penalty to Strength due to less muscle mass seemed more fitting than a penalty to Constitution. Besides, I never really bought the idea that the average elf who lives several times longer than a human being, and in the woods (or even more hostile environments) to boot, would be less robust than the average urban human. I chose Wisdom over Dexterity for the bonus (very reluctantly) because it fit the central concept not just adequately, or even well, but best. Once again, refer to the baby elf dropped on the doorstep idea.
Light sleeper. Elves do need sleep, but due to their magical nature, their need for sleep is greatly reduced, and they have more control over how deeply they may sleep. Elves only need 4 hours of deep sleep or 8 hours of light sleep each day. Though they prefer the restfulness of deep slumber, while they are in dangerous surroundings, they often opt for light sleep, so they will not be caught completely unaware. When elves sleep lightly, their penalty to Listen checks is only -5 instead of -10. As part of the idea of being less limited by physical reality than humans, I can see elves having less of a need to replenish energy than humans do. They would also need to eat a lot less, eating more only for the enjoyment of it, but since there is no mechanical benefit that I can predict using during the campaign, I omitted it.
Awareness. Elves have an intuitive awareness of their surroundings. They gain the Alertness feat for free at 1st level. Elves can also sense and avoid danger before it comes to them. Elf characters may choose to use their Wisdom or Dexterity modifier for reflex saves. I thought about letting them add their Wisdom modifier to reflex saves, but it might be a tad too potent.
Beings of magic. They gain the Alertness and Magical Aptitude feats for free at 1st level. They may also cast detect magic up to their Charisma bonus times per day. Elves are more sensitive to the ebb and flow of magic in their surroundings, and they show up as magical auras when detect magic and similar spells are cast within range of them.
HALF-ORCS (renamed Orcs)
I've never been entirely comfortable with how D&D modeled half-orcs. It hits too close to home about attitudes that persist in the real world with the mechanics backing up such beliefs. I've done some thinking on how this can be reversed or at least refined, and I've come up with something I think is more interesting. I call them orcs instead of half-orcs because I find them more intriguing as a race in their own right.
Physical Description
Orcs are huge, frequently standing head and shoulders taller than other medium-sized humanoids. Their skin tends toward the colors of rock and stone, so they are usually various shades of brown and gray, although a bluish or reddish tinge can be observed in many orcs. Sometimes, orcs are black like obsidian, but such creatures are markedly rare. Orcs also have fangs and claws, although these are far less pronounced than the protruding tusks rumors report. Even for the slender members of their race, their bones and muscles are very dense, often making them seem bulky and clumsy, although in reality they can be quite agile, and they are rarely obese or gaunt. Orc skin feels like a snake's, smooth and scaly but not flaky except in the rare event that an orc is ill. Their hair and eyes have the same variance in color and texture as humans', but they tend toward dark hair and eyes. Often called ugly by urban folk, orcs are in general possessed of a primal beauty reminiscent of great cats, serpents, and other predators. In general, think Disney's Gargoyles without wings and tail instead of Tolkien's mindless hordes.
Psychology
The most striking difference between orcs and humans lies in how they view themselves as individuals, or rather, how they don't do so. While orcs are certainly aware of themselves, their self-concept is not an abstract entity, but is intimately tied into where they are and what they do. Oftentimes, who they are is what they are doing at any particular moment. As Omar Orc nibbles on bread, he does not think of himself as "Omar Orc eating the bread," but simply "eating the bread" or "bread is good." On the one hand, this gives them tremendous focus. It is not easy to distract orcs. However, this single-mindedness also makes it harder to learn new things, particularly abstract concepts, which leads to the second major difference between orcs and other humanoids.
Humans, as a general rule, are reasoning animals. They perceive and understand through logic, with instinct being at best secondary. Orcs, however, are primarily instinctive, with reason taking a back seat to gut feelings and intuitions about things that cannot be understood rationally. Neither orcs nor humans lack reason or instincts, but each shows a preference for relying on one or the other.
This difference in orientation has led some to consider orcs as nothing more than animals and thus not sentient, justifying all kinds of abuses against orcs which would never be tolerated in humans.
Culture
It would seem that orcish culture is an oxymoron. However, despite the fact that many orc tribes are hunter-gatherer societies, the cultural divisions are much greater than most can observe. Orc societies are as diverse as those of other humanoids, but most are carried out in a way that seems so effortless that most observers would think that they did so naturally rather than deliberately.
Many orc tribes are nomadic, following their staple prey as it migrates, but some make permanent settlements in very bountiful areas.
Cultural tidbit: Orc names tend to be 1 word based on things seen or used in nature that bear resemblance to an individual's personality, skill, or some other quality. An orc named Flint, for instance, can be steadfast and practical, or someone who is good at making stone tools. Someone can be named Blaze for being good at starting and keeping fires, or because of a bold and fiery disposition. Shadow could be a secretive, withdrawn individual or somebody who excels at stealth. Wind can be the name of a capricious personality or a swift runner.
Racial Traits
+2 Strength and/or(?) Constitution, -2 Intelligence (and Charisma?). Orcs are powerful and resilient but not typically adept at abstract thinking and are not as individualistic as other humanoids. I am unsure about exactly which attribute adjustments to use here, and I'd appreciate some help with this.
Honed Instincts. Orcs gain the Alertness feat for free at 1st level. In addition, they get a +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive and Survival checks.
Resilient. Orcs get the Great Fortitude or Toughness feat for free at 1st level. In addition, their hides give them a +1 natural armor bonus.
Imposing. Because of their size and "monstrous" appearance, orcs are granted the Skill Focus (Intimidate) feat for free.
Social Stigma. Because of the attitudes many have toward orcs, most of the people they come across are Unfriendly (see Diplomacy skill in PHB and "NPC attitudes" in DMG for more info). The more open-minded persons tend to be Indifferent. These attitudes can be changed through deeds that gain the favor of others or by some rare coincidence that an individual learns to rethink their beliefs about orcs.
HALF-ELVES
I haven't really thought out half-elves yet, but here is a basic mechanical guide. I am toying with the idea that half-elves live in two worlds but are never fully at home in either. On the one hand is the mortal world with its cold realities and cozy comforts, and its dizzying array of things to stimulate the senses, and the frantic pace at which life passes. On the other hand is the world of magic, where everything is mysterious and meaningful and dangerous.
No ability score adjustments. Most half-elves tend to be a little more perceptive and a little less powerful than typical humans, but the differences are too slight to merit ability score adjustments.
Being of magic. As elf racial trait. Half-elves do not show up as magical auras when detect magic and similar spells are cast unless they are spellcasters.
Alertness. Half-elves get the Alertness feat for free at 1st level.
Quick learner. As human racial trait.
Adaptable. Half-elves gain a bonus entry-level feat at 1st level.
DWARVES, GNOMES, HALFLINGS
The problem I'm having with these guys is that I want them to be distinct from each other, but I don't want to rely on stereotypes to do so. I really want some variety within each race, so I will more than likely wind up ditching one of them or combining them with each other (dwarves and gnomes) or with another race (halflings = really short humans). The only thing left to do is come up with a guiding concept for each of them.
