Help getting a Half-Orc into the Hammerfall Setting

[Thatwackyned]

Hello and Thank you for your help. I ment Hammerfell

I want to play a Half-Orc in a campaign that is already running. The party is in the Dwarven main chapel room dedicated to Moradin AND Torog.

The Dwarves wouldn't hire a Half-Orc at all. There was a Orc Band that crashed the citadel that the party is chasing down.

This is what the DM said:

1) These orcs are not a known quantity that has conducted raids across the land. I know i told you of Loudwater, but the Captain and Mayor of Loudwater would have no interest or knowledge of these Orcs, thus a contract with them would be a non sequiter.

2) The dwarves who own the citadel are basically the red headed step children of a moderately influential clan. They would certainly not be hiring anyone for any tasks, due to dwarven stubborness and pride, nor would they be willing to reveal themselves to outsiders. The PCs are there in extremis and due to good RP/diplomacy inquiry.

3) It is possible that you came with the invaders, with other missions in mind. I would recommend looking at the Hammerfell supplement if you could get your hands on it e-copy. There are some interesting ideas in there as to what an orc is doing with the dwarves. Also, OOC (as the party failed the check), the fact that the main chapel room is dedicated to Moradin AND Torog may give you an idea...

4) Its the connect to why you are here in this particular place that needs to be worked on. And the reason why the remaining dwarves won't demand your capture and death for invading this citadel.

Can anyone help me with a good reason a Half-Orc would be in the citadel and not killed on sight upon exit, would be great.

Thanks again.

 

[xXElaDriNDrizZztXx]

This is 4E. Just make a diplomacy check and if you win the roll off over half you win by majority.

Also, since when are Orc's innately evil? Aren't the Dwarfs in fact, evil and racist for wanting to kill you on site?

Food for thought.

Or you could just be a "Dwarven slave" since that seems like it'd be somehow appropriate.

 

[Thatwackyned]

This is in the background. We don't roll play our way out, we role play. I'm usually good at great backgrounds, but when you limit me like this, I'm stumpted.

 

[Brys]

Stop saying you're half-orc and recognize that you're half-whatever-else. Orc is not the same as half-orc just like druegar is not the same as dwarf. In my opinion, this is the mindset that is limiting you. It would be like hating Tiger Woods because you disagree with China's monetary policy.

Maybe the dwarves are being racist and figured that since you are half-orc (even though you may have never met an orc in your life), you could be brought in as a consultant. They don't want your help, they just want to pick your brain to find out how the enemy thinks.
Maybe you were chasing the same orc band and followed it to the citadel as well.
Maybe you were hired by the PCs as a scout.
Does it have to be in the citadel? Maybe you met up with the PCs prior or after to going into the citadel.

 

[fba827]

I don't know much about the Hammerfall setting that you mentioned -- but how are half-orcs defined in that setting? For instance, are they really cross-breeds of orc and human? Are they some other race that simply is called half-orc due to vague similairities in thuggish appearance even though no actual orcish relation? etc

Having said that, could one of the trusted NPCs of the church vouch for you (works best if you are some sort of religious type character) and have been studying at that church for a while, just staying indoors and not going out much due to your heritage.

Or maybe you were with the orcs and they discarded you and therefore you have insider knowledge about their activities that the party could find useful? (though this takes some DM input as to what this insider knowledge really is -- it should be something useful and accurate in order to prove your worth/value/trustworthiness).

 

[jbear]

Perhaps your face was severly disfigured in some past event. You wear a mask given to you be those you helped during that heroic yet ill fated mission. Perhaps the mark of someone influential in Hammerfall was placed on the mask, validating your claims that you do not have to remove the mask and that you are a welcome citizen. Even when you are forced to remove the mask you are so badly disfigured that your half breed origins are indistinguishable.

 

[the Jester]

You'd have to okay this with your dm, but- perhaps you're a half-dwarf whose 'other half' was orcish- the product of rape (alas), but raised as a dwarf by the clan. Perhaps you even introduce yourself simply as a dwarf, have a dwarven name, etc! You could be very sensitive about the subject until you warm up to someone and it could offer hilarious roleplaying opportunities, especially if both you and your dm consistently describe your character as a half-orc, but he insists on calling himself a dwarf.