Here's the next race in the line of special Balmortis races I'm working on. While this race might be a bit too high LA for a player to take, they should be interesting opponents. Remember that the LA listed is not the "final" LA, since the "final" LA would be racial Hit Dice + LA.
Red Hand Orc
The red hand orcs are a sub-race of common orcs, created through successive generations of ruthless line breeding. Perhaps one in a thousand survived the extensive culling. From these specimens came the Red Hand Orc: warrior elite, guardsmen and executioners of the nobles. Each noble family in elven society would keep a small stock of red hand orcs around their estates and their training and equipment soon became a symbol of the wealth of the family itself, a status symbol. The greatest of the noble houses even have their own orc bloodlines, ongoing orc-breeding projects that are a source of great pride. Each noble house value different physical or mental traits in their orcs, and directs their selective breeding accordingly. Champion orcs change hands for astronomical sums among the aristocracy.
A lifetime could pass for a noble elf without him ever seeing a common orc, they fought wars and lost their lives in battle without ever being in the presence of the nobility that ruled them. The red hand orcs, on the other hand, were given lavish estates in elven lands, they were given dozens of slaves to tend to their needs, so that they might focus solely on their training.
Appearance: Red hand orcs are to orcs what orcs are to normal men. When the common orcs rebelled against their elven masters, the process of selective breeding stopped and they settled down. The development of the red hand orcs have never stopped, each new generation of red hand orcs further strengthens the vicious traits desired by their masters. Not only are red hand orcs the last line of defence between the enemies of the elves, they have also become quite a hobby for the elven nobility, just like human nobility spend their time breeding hunting dogs or birds. There are few sights that can rival that of a platoon of red hand orcs on the battlefield, enormous creatures clad in thick, ornamented armor wielding their ancestral swords. A red hand orc stands from nine to twelve feet tall, having skin ranging from dark brown to ebony black. Those who have not seen red hand orcs think they are red, due to their name, but the name red hand refers to the color of nobility in elven lands, the color red, not the color of the orcs themselves. The name red hand basically means "servants of the aristocracy". Not only are they taller than common orcs, they are also much more muscular and broad. Many who see a red hand orc will suspect it of being immobile, yet they move with an unusual grace for their size. The bone in their forehead is overdeveloped, having grown to such a size that it even extends down to cover the top of the eyes of the red hand orc, giving the creature a brooding appearance. Their eyes are small and beady, their nose is flat and wide and they have unusually wide mouths. As with common orcs, red hands orcs have large fangs protruding from their lower jaw. The arms and legs of the red hands orcs are extremely thick, even compared to their height. A normal human would not even be able to hold his arms around the arm of a red hand orc.
Very few creatures ever see a red hand orc without armor, and those that did have a chance to witness them unarmored can't avoid noticing the numerous, bony spikes protruding from their body. These bones spikes are a creation of the elves and their effort to refine the red hand orcs. When a red hand orc reaches adulthood, a set of armor if forged by the finest elven craftsmen, an armor that is specially tailored to the individual orc. The armor is crafted with numerous small holes, holes that the bone spikes connect into when the armor is donned. As soon as the armor is put on by the adult orc, his body starts changing, the spikes start expanding until they lock the armor plates unto the body of the orc. As soon as the plates are secured, small nerves start growing from the spikes, extending out until they cover the entire armor. These diminutive nerves are capable of picking up all the sensations that only skin is usually capable of, turning the armor into something akin to a second layer of skin to the orc, an extension of himself. The red hand armor is constructed from very dense, solid plates of nemi-mithral, a heavier variant of normal mithral. A red hand armor constantly overlaps across their body, leaving no gaps or vulnerabilities. The exterior of the armor is decorated with symbols and letters denoting the rank of the orc and the standing of the noble family to which he belongs. The only part of the body that isn't covered completely by armor is the head of the red hand orc. Instead, two nemi-mithral rods are attached to the front and rear of the neck of the armor, so they bend over the head of the orc to offer a minimum of protection for their head while allowing virtually normal sight and hearing. The majority of the armor is of a very dark, grey color, while the shoulder plates are painted red to showcase the status of the red hand orc. It is virtually impossible for other creatures to use the armor, for two reasons. First of all, it is extremely heavy even to other creatures of a similar size. Ogres trying to wear red hand armor have been known to collapse under its weight. Secondly, it is made to be grafted unto the orc, not to be worn as a normal armor. Before a non-orc can even wear it, it has to be heavily modified. The only part of the armor that can be removed by the orc without tearing of his flesh is the plates around the groin, which can be removed for practical reasons.
Red hand orcs have a natural lifespan of around 120 years, with some living to be as old as 200 years. The elves have aimed to give the red hand orcs a very long lifespan compared to the common orcs, as each red hand orc represents a very sizable investment. As with common orcs, females red hand orcs are less bulky and aggressive than males. A normal red hand orc gestation period is around ten months and the females give birth to a single child. A red hand orc reaches sexual maturity at an age of sixteen years and is considered an adult at around twenty.
Psychology: Red hand orcs, while having many similarities with common orcs, have evolved greatly from their kin, both physically and mentally. The red hands orcs have always received preferential treatment from the elves, being their elite guard, and this has shaped the personality of the red hand orcs. Red hands orcs are share the love for warfare with their common brethren, training from birth to become great warrior and guards to their elven masters. The elevated social status of the orcs have caused them to become similar to their masters in some ways, as they have a tendency to be arrogant and cruel towards those of a lower status than themselves. Slaves in their household are punished harshly if they disobey. The red hand orcs are used to relying on their great size and visage to terrify others and will use their size to intimidate. Red hand orcs have a tendency to be somewhat more refined in their taste when it comes to food and beverages, compared to common orcs. With a large household of slaves and their wealthy elven masters to fund them, red hand orcs can afford large, lavish meals accompanied by fine wine or ale. The elves seem to enjoy the refinement of their red hand orcs, taking their cultured behavior as a sign of their respect for elven culture. Some red hand orcs have even been known to hire artists and sculptors to have their homes decorated to an extent that is only rivaled by the homes of their elven masters.
Unlike common orcs, who have a well-developed sense of humor, the red hand orcs seem to be quite dull and serious. They rarely, if ever, laugh and they don't find sarcasm or irony to be humorous. Some red hand orcs have even known to turn aggressive if people around them are joking. Some have speculated that red hand orcs, due to their somewhat limited mental capabilities, are incapable of grasping humor. While it is true that red hand orcs are not as clever as, for example, humans, they are intelligent enough to understand the vast majority of jokes and puns. While red hand orcs have a tendency to be rather loud and to use violent gestures when speaking, they actually don't enjoy this trait in others.
Society: Red hand orcs have a tendency to develop a very strict hierarchy amongst themselves, based on battle proves. When a group of red hand orcs convenes, they quickly arrange a number of duels and brawls to set up the hierarchy. These fights are never fought to the death, usually the orcs just fight until a predetermined goal is reached. The most common goal is for one orc to have lost half or more of his Hit Points (naturally, that is not the term used when arranging the duel, the term used is "moderately wounded"). Another typical type of duel is a wrestling match where two red hand orcs both attempt to bull rush one another out of a ring. The orcs never fight their elven masters in duel.
As with common orcs, red hand orcs have a tendency to give birth to far more males than females. Unlike the society of common orcs, where it is normal for an orcish female to have multiple partners, red hand orcs are strictly monogamous. It is not the orcs themselves that choose a partner, the choice is made by the elven nobles. Since the art of line breeding is a very sophisticated science, the choice is never left to the orcs. Females in an orc household are just slightly above the slaves in the household. They are hardly ever permitted to leave the estates. While the females do have some power over the slaves in the household, they have absolutely no sway over their husband, unlike the society of common orcs where it is considered bad luck to not adhere to the advice of a female.
Another difference between common orcs and red hand orcs is the structure of their society. Red hand orcs have no need to craft anything, they have no need to gather or grow their own food. They rely solely on slaves to do all the work. Most of the red hand orcs do have some training in foraging, as it is a common way to provide for yourself while engaged in a lengthy military campaign.
Art: Compared to common orcs, red hand orcs are far less artistic and they haven't developed any art forms of their own. Instead, they simply copy the art of the elves. It is almost impossible to spot a difference between an elven household and a red hand orc household, except for the differences in size. The orcs love adorning their armor with a variety of elven symbols meant to represent their various accomplishments. They also decorate their houses with statues and banners of elven design.
Combat: Red hand orcs are terrifying foes in combat, having been bred to be both aggressive, sturdy and competent combatants. When fighting alongside an elven army, the red hand orcs are transported around the battlefield on chariots driven by slaves. The orcs never fight while mounted on these chariots though, they always dismount before engaging in battle, allowing the chariots to pull back and wait for the orcs to give them the command to pick them up again. Usually, the red hand orcs are never deployed on the front line when the elven army goes to war, instead they are kept in the rear as a reserve. The elves prefer to let the slave regiments soak up the initial losses, as the red hand orcs are too valuable to use as mere cannon fodder. With the great mobility provided by the chariots, the red hand orcs are able to quickly be deployed to any regiment that is having difficulties. While the elven armies only field a very few red hand orcs on the battlefield, their mobility combined with their fighting proves have proven to be a very potent military tool. The standard size of a red hand orc unit is twelve men (opposed to the standard regiment size in the elven army being 320 men).
Opposed to common orcs, the red hand orcs deploy a smaller number of tactics on the battlefield. They still use a mix of melee and throwing weapons as the common orcs, with the khopesh sword being their primary melee weapon. The three throwing axes that red hand orcs usually wield are used to wear down an enemy unit before the orcs change in. Unlike common orcs, who have a problem when facing highly organized units of heavy infantry, the red hand orcs have proven to be very potent against these types of units, being able to deploy far more pressure to a small part of a formation than common orcs.
When red hand orcs are found apart from the elven army, they still organize themselves in a similar structure, forming units of either twelve or four members. When fighting alone, the red hand orcs typically use their great size to drive a wedge in enemy formations to reach softer targets stationed in the rear. A typical maneuver employed by a twelve-man unit is to have eight orcs form a wedge that drives through the enemy line. As soon as an opening is created, four orcs will turn to the left and four orcs will turn to the right to create an opening through which the four orcs held in reserve will move. The four orcs will either move to engage archers or spellcasters in the rear, or they will outflank the enemy front line unit and engage it from the rear. When facing numerically superior foes, red hand orcs prefer to use the terrain to their advantage as much as possible. They will either make a defensive formation on top of a hill, forcing their enemy to move up the hill to engage them, or they will find a natural bottleneck in which to fight. Unlike most units, red hand orcs have nothing against being heavily bombarded by enemy archers, due to their ability to absorb enemy fire by using their special solid stance. This makes them exceptionally competent at fighting from a very defensive position, as opposed to most melee units which are incapable of sustaining constant bombardment.
Red Hand Orcs as characters
* +12 Strength, +8 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
* Large size. –1 penalty to Armor Class, –1 penalty on attack rolls, –4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.
* Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
* Red Hand Orc land base speed is 40 ft.
* Arrogant: The red hand orc has been bred and raised as a superior creature. Red hand orcs feel superior over all creatures except elves and other red hand orcs, making them rather arrogant when dealing with others. Red hand orcs suffer a -4 penalty to all Diplomacy checks made to influence creatures other than elves or red hand orcs.
* Bonus feat: Red hand orcs gain the Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush and Toughness feats for free.
* Darkvision: Red hand orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
* Fast recovery: Red hand orcs are able to recover very quickly from wounds, gaining Fast Healing 2.
* Heavy Body: Since red hand orcs have denser bones and muscles, they are hard to physically move, granting them a +2 bonus when performing or defending against Bull Rush, Grapple and Overrun attempts. Red hand orcs, due to their heavy body, suffer a -5 penalty to all Climb and Swim checks.
* High Metabolism: Red hand orcs, with their large bodies and redundant design, require twice as much food and water as a normal humanoid of the same size.
* Last Stand: Red hand orcs are not easy to subdue, they will only become disabled if brought to -5 Hit Points or less. An orc still dies when brought to -10 Hit Points.
* Special Maneuvers: Red hand orcs have access to a small number of special combat actions listed below as a benefit from their unique training.
* Stalwart Combatant: Being tough and virtually immune pain, red hand orcs suffer only half subdual damage.
* Tough Body: Due to their innate tenacity and the redundancy in their design, orcs are less vulnerable to critical hits. The critical hit range of any opponent attacking an red hand orc is reduced by one point.
* +4 morale bonus on saving throws against magic fear. Red hand orcs, being incapable of feeling strong pain, are not prone to being intimidated or scared by anything.
* Racial Hit Dice: A red hand orc begins with four levels of humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +4, Ref +1, and Will +1.
* Racial Skills: A red hand orc’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 7 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Listen, and Spot.
* Racial Feats: A red hand orc’s humanoid levels give it two feats.
* Natural Armor +6
* Automatic languages: Common and Orc. Bonus languages: Any
* Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass red hand orc’s fighter class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
* Level Adjustment +3
Special Maneuvers
The following maneuvers can only be performed by red hand orcs.
Expert Bull Rush
Prerequisites: Must be wielding a weapon
The red hand orcs are trained to be effective at breaking up enemy formations, which is why they have adopted a special combat technique used when performing a Bull Rush. A red hand orc who performs a successful Bull Rush against an opponent may make a free attack against that opponent with a -5 penalty to the attack roll immediately after the Bull Rush attempt has been resolved.
Reactive Bull Rush
Prerequisites: None
A part of the red hand orc's training in bull rush techniques allows them to perform a bull rush instead of a regular attack when an attack of opportunity presents itself. Only one reactive bull rush can be performed each round, even if the red hand orc has additional attacks of opportunity, and the red hand orc can not push an opponent further than 5 ft. with a reactive bull rush. A reactive bull rush does not provide the red hand orc with a free attack from the expert bull rush maneuver. Any opponent who is attempting to move through an area threatened by the red hand orc who is successfully bull rushed through the use of the reactive bull rush maneuver will be unable to move again after the bull rush attempt has been resolved, even if the opponent intended to move further. Reactive bull rush is usually used by red hand orcs to stop opponents from moving past them or to disrupt enemy spellcasters.
Solid stance
Prerequisites: Must be wearing red hand armor and using a shield
The red hand orc takes a defensive stance, raising his shield and bracing himself for enemy attacks. Being in solid stance is considered a full round action during which the red hand orc can take no other actions besides making his 5 ft. step. Entering solid stance can only be done during the red hand orc's turn. While in solid stance, all damage taken by the red hand orc is reduced by an amount equal to his Constitution Modifier and his Strength Modifier is doubled for the purpose of defending against Bull Rush, Grapple or Overrun attempts. The damage reduction from Solid Stance stacks with the damage reduction granted from wearing red hand armor.
Red Hand Armor
Cost: 25.000 gp
Armor Bonus: +10
Maximum Dex Bonus: +2
Armor Check Penalty: -6
Arcane Spell Failure Chance: 40%
Weight: 175 lb.
The red hand armor doesn't reduce the movement speed of its wearer like most heavy armors do. The armor, in addition to the armor bonus it grants, also grants its wearer DR -/3. The armor is permanently attached to the red hand orc for whom it was crafted. The armor is never crafted for any other race besides red hand orcs.
Khopesh
Cost: 650 gp
Dmg (L): 2d6
Critical: 19-20/x2
Range Increment: -
Weight: 15 lb.
Type: Slashing
The khopesh sword is a sword crafted by elven craftsmen solely for the red hand orcs. These large weapons have an unique sickle-sword shape. The lower part of the blade is dull, with the crescent shaped head being the only sharpened part. The weapon is used more like an axe than a sword. The peculiar shape of the weapon allows for some special combat maneuvers not possible with other weapons. All khopesh swords are considered to be of Masterwork quality.
You can use this weapon to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the khopesh to avoid being tripped.
Racial Feats
Armor Expertise
You are more mobile while wearing heavy armor.
Prerequisites: Must be a red hand orc wearing red hand armor, base attack bonus +5
Benefit: The Maximum Dex Bonus of your armor is increased by one point.
Armored Resilience
You are able to use your armor instead of your mobility to resist some magic spells and effects.
Prerequisites: Must be a red hand orc wearing red hand armor, armor expertise, base attack bonus +10
Benefit: You may choose to add your armor bonus to your Reflex Saving Throws instead of your Dexterity modifier.
Khopesh Focus
You are able to use your khopesh sword to pull out enemies from a formation.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus (Khopesh), Base Attack +8
Benefit: When you perform a bull rush against an opponent while armed with a khopesh, you may choose to move the enemy towards you instead of away from you by grabbing him with the crescent-shaped part of the blade.
Khopesh Grand-Mastery
You are able to able to quickly attack foes being tripped in your vicinity.
Prerequisites: Khopesh Mastery, Base Attack +15
Benefit: Whenever an opponent is being tripped within the area you threaten with your khopesh, you may make an immediate attack of opportunity against that opponent.
Khopesh Mastery
You are better at performing the maneuvers granted by the Khopesh Focus and Khopesh Specialization feats.
Prerequisites: Khopesh Specialization, Base Attack +12
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to any Bull Rush or Trip attempts made while wielding a khopesh.
Khopesh Specialization
You are able to trip opponents when your are using the Khopesh Focus feat.
Prerequisites: Khopesh Focus, Base Attack +10
Benefit: When you perform a successful bull rush attempt against an opponent using the Khopesh Focus feat, you may make a free trip attempt against that opponent.
Orc Toughness
You are able to sustain grievous wounds and still recuperate quickly due to your orcish blood.
Prerequisites: Must be orc or red hand orc.
Benefit: You gain +5 Hit Points and your Fast Healing increases by one point.
Red Hand Orc
The red hand orcs are a sub-race of common orcs, created through successive generations of ruthless line breeding. Perhaps one in a thousand survived the extensive culling. From these specimens came the Red Hand Orc: warrior elite, guardsmen and executioners of the nobles. Each noble family in elven society would keep a small stock of red hand orcs around their estates and their training and equipment soon became a symbol of the wealth of the family itself, a status symbol. The greatest of the noble houses even have their own orc bloodlines, ongoing orc-breeding projects that are a source of great pride. Each noble house value different physical or mental traits in their orcs, and directs their selective breeding accordingly. Champion orcs change hands for astronomical sums among the aristocracy.
A lifetime could pass for a noble elf without him ever seeing a common orc, they fought wars and lost their lives in battle without ever being in the presence of the nobility that ruled them. The red hand orcs, on the other hand, were given lavish estates in elven lands, they were given dozens of slaves to tend to their needs, so that they might focus solely on their training.
Appearance: Red hand orcs are to orcs what orcs are to normal men. When the common orcs rebelled against their elven masters, the process of selective breeding stopped and they settled down. The development of the red hand orcs have never stopped, each new generation of red hand orcs further strengthens the vicious traits desired by their masters. Not only are red hand orcs the last line of defence between the enemies of the elves, they have also become quite a hobby for the elven nobility, just like human nobility spend their time breeding hunting dogs or birds. There are few sights that can rival that of a platoon of red hand orcs on the battlefield, enormous creatures clad in thick, ornamented armor wielding their ancestral swords. A red hand orc stands from nine to twelve feet tall, having skin ranging from dark brown to ebony black. Those who have not seen red hand orcs think they are red, due to their name, but the name red hand refers to the color of nobility in elven lands, the color red, not the color of the orcs themselves. The name red hand basically means "servants of the aristocracy". Not only are they taller than common orcs, they are also much more muscular and broad. Many who see a red hand orc will suspect it of being immobile, yet they move with an unusual grace for their size. The bone in their forehead is overdeveloped, having grown to such a size that it even extends down to cover the top of the eyes of the red hand orc, giving the creature a brooding appearance. Their eyes are small and beady, their nose is flat and wide and they have unusually wide mouths. As with common orcs, red hands orcs have large fangs protruding from their lower jaw. The arms and legs of the red hands orcs are extremely thick, even compared to their height. A normal human would not even be able to hold his arms around the arm of a red hand orc.
Very few creatures ever see a red hand orc without armor, and those that did have a chance to witness them unarmored can't avoid noticing the numerous, bony spikes protruding from their body. These bones spikes are a creation of the elves and their effort to refine the red hand orcs. When a red hand orc reaches adulthood, a set of armor if forged by the finest elven craftsmen, an armor that is specially tailored to the individual orc. The armor is crafted with numerous small holes, holes that the bone spikes connect into when the armor is donned. As soon as the armor is put on by the adult orc, his body starts changing, the spikes start expanding until they lock the armor plates unto the body of the orc. As soon as the plates are secured, small nerves start growing from the spikes, extending out until they cover the entire armor. These diminutive nerves are capable of picking up all the sensations that only skin is usually capable of, turning the armor into something akin to a second layer of skin to the orc, an extension of himself. The red hand armor is constructed from very dense, solid plates of nemi-mithral, a heavier variant of normal mithral. A red hand armor constantly overlaps across their body, leaving no gaps or vulnerabilities. The exterior of the armor is decorated with symbols and letters denoting the rank of the orc and the standing of the noble family to which he belongs. The only part of the body that isn't covered completely by armor is the head of the red hand orc. Instead, two nemi-mithral rods are attached to the front and rear of the neck of the armor, so they bend over the head of the orc to offer a minimum of protection for their head while allowing virtually normal sight and hearing. The majority of the armor is of a very dark, grey color, while the shoulder plates are painted red to showcase the status of the red hand orc. It is virtually impossible for other creatures to use the armor, for two reasons. First of all, it is extremely heavy even to other creatures of a similar size. Ogres trying to wear red hand armor have been known to collapse under its weight. Secondly, it is made to be grafted unto the orc, not to be worn as a normal armor. Before a non-orc can even wear it, it has to be heavily modified. The only part of the armor that can be removed by the orc without tearing of his flesh is the plates around the groin, which can be removed for practical reasons.
Red hand orcs have a natural lifespan of around 120 years, with some living to be as old as 200 years. The elves have aimed to give the red hand orcs a very long lifespan compared to the common orcs, as each red hand orc represents a very sizable investment. As with common orcs, females red hand orcs are less bulky and aggressive than males. A normal red hand orc gestation period is around ten months and the females give birth to a single child. A red hand orc reaches sexual maturity at an age of sixteen years and is considered an adult at around twenty.
Psychology: Red hand orcs, while having many similarities with common orcs, have evolved greatly from their kin, both physically and mentally. The red hands orcs have always received preferential treatment from the elves, being their elite guard, and this has shaped the personality of the red hand orcs. Red hands orcs are share the love for warfare with their common brethren, training from birth to become great warrior and guards to their elven masters. The elevated social status of the orcs have caused them to become similar to their masters in some ways, as they have a tendency to be arrogant and cruel towards those of a lower status than themselves. Slaves in their household are punished harshly if they disobey. The red hand orcs are used to relying on their great size and visage to terrify others and will use their size to intimidate. Red hand orcs have a tendency to be somewhat more refined in their taste when it comes to food and beverages, compared to common orcs. With a large household of slaves and their wealthy elven masters to fund them, red hand orcs can afford large, lavish meals accompanied by fine wine or ale. The elves seem to enjoy the refinement of their red hand orcs, taking their cultured behavior as a sign of their respect for elven culture. Some red hand orcs have even been known to hire artists and sculptors to have their homes decorated to an extent that is only rivaled by the homes of their elven masters.
Unlike common orcs, who have a well-developed sense of humor, the red hand orcs seem to be quite dull and serious. They rarely, if ever, laugh and they don't find sarcasm or irony to be humorous. Some red hand orcs have even known to turn aggressive if people around them are joking. Some have speculated that red hand orcs, due to their somewhat limited mental capabilities, are incapable of grasping humor. While it is true that red hand orcs are not as clever as, for example, humans, they are intelligent enough to understand the vast majority of jokes and puns. While red hand orcs have a tendency to be rather loud and to use violent gestures when speaking, they actually don't enjoy this trait in others.
Society: Red hand orcs have a tendency to develop a very strict hierarchy amongst themselves, based on battle proves. When a group of red hand orcs convenes, they quickly arrange a number of duels and brawls to set up the hierarchy. These fights are never fought to the death, usually the orcs just fight until a predetermined goal is reached. The most common goal is for one orc to have lost half or more of his Hit Points (naturally, that is not the term used when arranging the duel, the term used is "moderately wounded"). Another typical type of duel is a wrestling match where two red hand orcs both attempt to bull rush one another out of a ring. The orcs never fight their elven masters in duel.
As with common orcs, red hand orcs have a tendency to give birth to far more males than females. Unlike the society of common orcs, where it is normal for an orcish female to have multiple partners, red hand orcs are strictly monogamous. It is not the orcs themselves that choose a partner, the choice is made by the elven nobles. Since the art of line breeding is a very sophisticated science, the choice is never left to the orcs. Females in an orc household are just slightly above the slaves in the household. They are hardly ever permitted to leave the estates. While the females do have some power over the slaves in the household, they have absolutely no sway over their husband, unlike the society of common orcs where it is considered bad luck to not adhere to the advice of a female.
Another difference between common orcs and red hand orcs is the structure of their society. Red hand orcs have no need to craft anything, they have no need to gather or grow their own food. They rely solely on slaves to do all the work. Most of the red hand orcs do have some training in foraging, as it is a common way to provide for yourself while engaged in a lengthy military campaign.
Art: Compared to common orcs, red hand orcs are far less artistic and they haven't developed any art forms of their own. Instead, they simply copy the art of the elves. It is almost impossible to spot a difference between an elven household and a red hand orc household, except for the differences in size. The orcs love adorning their armor with a variety of elven symbols meant to represent their various accomplishments. They also decorate their houses with statues and banners of elven design.
Combat: Red hand orcs are terrifying foes in combat, having been bred to be both aggressive, sturdy and competent combatants. When fighting alongside an elven army, the red hand orcs are transported around the battlefield on chariots driven by slaves. The orcs never fight while mounted on these chariots though, they always dismount before engaging in battle, allowing the chariots to pull back and wait for the orcs to give them the command to pick them up again. Usually, the red hand orcs are never deployed on the front line when the elven army goes to war, instead they are kept in the rear as a reserve. The elves prefer to let the slave regiments soak up the initial losses, as the red hand orcs are too valuable to use as mere cannon fodder. With the great mobility provided by the chariots, the red hand orcs are able to quickly be deployed to any regiment that is having difficulties. While the elven armies only field a very few red hand orcs on the battlefield, their mobility combined with their fighting proves have proven to be a very potent military tool. The standard size of a red hand orc unit is twelve men (opposed to the standard regiment size in the elven army being 320 men).
Opposed to common orcs, the red hand orcs deploy a smaller number of tactics on the battlefield. They still use a mix of melee and throwing weapons as the common orcs, with the khopesh sword being their primary melee weapon. The three throwing axes that red hand orcs usually wield are used to wear down an enemy unit before the orcs change in. Unlike common orcs, who have a problem when facing highly organized units of heavy infantry, the red hand orcs have proven to be very potent against these types of units, being able to deploy far more pressure to a small part of a formation than common orcs.
When red hand orcs are found apart from the elven army, they still organize themselves in a similar structure, forming units of either twelve or four members. When fighting alone, the red hand orcs typically use their great size to drive a wedge in enemy formations to reach softer targets stationed in the rear. A typical maneuver employed by a twelve-man unit is to have eight orcs form a wedge that drives through the enemy line. As soon as an opening is created, four orcs will turn to the left and four orcs will turn to the right to create an opening through which the four orcs held in reserve will move. The four orcs will either move to engage archers or spellcasters in the rear, or they will outflank the enemy front line unit and engage it from the rear. When facing numerically superior foes, red hand orcs prefer to use the terrain to their advantage as much as possible. They will either make a defensive formation on top of a hill, forcing their enemy to move up the hill to engage them, or they will find a natural bottleneck in which to fight. Unlike most units, red hand orcs have nothing against being heavily bombarded by enemy archers, due to their ability to absorb enemy fire by using their special solid stance. This makes them exceptionally competent at fighting from a very defensive position, as opposed to most melee units which are incapable of sustaining constant bombardment.
Red Hand Orcs as characters
* +12 Strength, +8 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
* Large size. –1 penalty to Armor Class, –1 penalty on attack rolls, –4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.
* Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
* Red Hand Orc land base speed is 40 ft.
* Arrogant: The red hand orc has been bred and raised as a superior creature. Red hand orcs feel superior over all creatures except elves and other red hand orcs, making them rather arrogant when dealing with others. Red hand orcs suffer a -4 penalty to all Diplomacy checks made to influence creatures other than elves or red hand orcs.
* Bonus feat: Red hand orcs gain the Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush and Toughness feats for free.
* Darkvision: Red hand orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
* Fast recovery: Red hand orcs are able to recover very quickly from wounds, gaining Fast Healing 2.
* Heavy Body: Since red hand orcs have denser bones and muscles, they are hard to physically move, granting them a +2 bonus when performing or defending against Bull Rush, Grapple and Overrun attempts. Red hand orcs, due to their heavy body, suffer a -5 penalty to all Climb and Swim checks.
* High Metabolism: Red hand orcs, with their large bodies and redundant design, require twice as much food and water as a normal humanoid of the same size.
* Last Stand: Red hand orcs are not easy to subdue, they will only become disabled if brought to -5 Hit Points or less. An orc still dies when brought to -10 Hit Points.
* Special Maneuvers: Red hand orcs have access to a small number of special combat actions listed below as a benefit from their unique training.
* Stalwart Combatant: Being tough and virtually immune pain, red hand orcs suffer only half subdual damage.
* Tough Body: Due to their innate tenacity and the redundancy in their design, orcs are less vulnerable to critical hits. The critical hit range of any opponent attacking an red hand orc is reduced by one point.
* +4 morale bonus on saving throws against magic fear. Red hand orcs, being incapable of feeling strong pain, are not prone to being intimidated or scared by anything.
* Racial Hit Dice: A red hand orc begins with four levels of humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +4, Ref +1, and Will +1.
* Racial Skills: A red hand orc’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 7 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Listen, and Spot.
* Racial Feats: A red hand orc’s humanoid levels give it two feats.
* Natural Armor +6
* Automatic languages: Common and Orc. Bonus languages: Any
* Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass red hand orc’s fighter class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
* Level Adjustment +3
Special Maneuvers
The following maneuvers can only be performed by red hand orcs.
Expert Bull Rush
Prerequisites: Must be wielding a weapon
The red hand orcs are trained to be effective at breaking up enemy formations, which is why they have adopted a special combat technique used when performing a Bull Rush. A red hand orc who performs a successful Bull Rush against an opponent may make a free attack against that opponent with a -5 penalty to the attack roll immediately after the Bull Rush attempt has been resolved.
Reactive Bull Rush
Prerequisites: None
A part of the red hand orc's training in bull rush techniques allows them to perform a bull rush instead of a regular attack when an attack of opportunity presents itself. Only one reactive bull rush can be performed each round, even if the red hand orc has additional attacks of opportunity, and the red hand orc can not push an opponent further than 5 ft. with a reactive bull rush. A reactive bull rush does not provide the red hand orc with a free attack from the expert bull rush maneuver. Any opponent who is attempting to move through an area threatened by the red hand orc who is successfully bull rushed through the use of the reactive bull rush maneuver will be unable to move again after the bull rush attempt has been resolved, even if the opponent intended to move further. Reactive bull rush is usually used by red hand orcs to stop opponents from moving past them or to disrupt enemy spellcasters.
Solid stance
Prerequisites: Must be wearing red hand armor and using a shield
The red hand orc takes a defensive stance, raising his shield and bracing himself for enemy attacks. Being in solid stance is considered a full round action during which the red hand orc can take no other actions besides making his 5 ft. step. Entering solid stance can only be done during the red hand orc's turn. While in solid stance, all damage taken by the red hand orc is reduced by an amount equal to his Constitution Modifier and his Strength Modifier is doubled for the purpose of defending against Bull Rush, Grapple or Overrun attempts. The damage reduction from Solid Stance stacks with the damage reduction granted from wearing red hand armor.
Red Hand Armor
Cost: 25.000 gp
Armor Bonus: +10
Maximum Dex Bonus: +2
Armor Check Penalty: -6
Arcane Spell Failure Chance: 40%
Weight: 175 lb.
The red hand armor doesn't reduce the movement speed of its wearer like most heavy armors do. The armor, in addition to the armor bonus it grants, also grants its wearer DR -/3. The armor is permanently attached to the red hand orc for whom it was crafted. The armor is never crafted for any other race besides red hand orcs.
Khopesh
Cost: 650 gp
Dmg (L): 2d6
Critical: 19-20/x2
Range Increment: -
Weight: 15 lb.
Type: Slashing
The khopesh sword is a sword crafted by elven craftsmen solely for the red hand orcs. These large weapons have an unique sickle-sword shape. The lower part of the blade is dull, with the crescent shaped head being the only sharpened part. The weapon is used more like an axe than a sword. The peculiar shape of the weapon allows for some special combat maneuvers not possible with other weapons. All khopesh swords are considered to be of Masterwork quality.
You can use this weapon to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the khopesh to avoid being tripped.
Racial Feats
Armor Expertise
You are more mobile while wearing heavy armor.
Prerequisites: Must be a red hand orc wearing red hand armor, base attack bonus +5
Benefit: The Maximum Dex Bonus of your armor is increased by one point.
Armored Resilience
You are able to use your armor instead of your mobility to resist some magic spells and effects.
Prerequisites: Must be a red hand orc wearing red hand armor, armor expertise, base attack bonus +10
Benefit: You may choose to add your armor bonus to your Reflex Saving Throws instead of your Dexterity modifier.
Khopesh Focus
You are able to use your khopesh sword to pull out enemies from a formation.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus (Khopesh), Base Attack +8
Benefit: When you perform a bull rush against an opponent while armed with a khopesh, you may choose to move the enemy towards you instead of away from you by grabbing him with the crescent-shaped part of the blade.
Khopesh Grand-Mastery
You are able to able to quickly attack foes being tripped in your vicinity.
Prerequisites: Khopesh Mastery, Base Attack +15
Benefit: Whenever an opponent is being tripped within the area you threaten with your khopesh, you may make an immediate attack of opportunity against that opponent.
Khopesh Mastery
You are better at performing the maneuvers granted by the Khopesh Focus and Khopesh Specialization feats.
Prerequisites: Khopesh Specialization, Base Attack +12
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to any Bull Rush or Trip attempts made while wielding a khopesh.
Khopesh Specialization
You are able to trip opponents when your are using the Khopesh Focus feat.
Prerequisites: Khopesh Focus, Base Attack +10
Benefit: When you perform a successful bull rush attempt against an opponent using the Khopesh Focus feat, you may make a free trip attempt against that opponent.
Orc Toughness
You are able to sustain grievous wounds and still recuperate quickly due to your orcish blood.
Prerequisites: Must be orc or red hand orc.
Benefit: You gain +5 Hit Points and your Fast Healing increases by one point.
