D&D 5E Racial Variant For Half-Orc Shamans/Druids

I'd make a variant for a half-orc more in touch with their orcish side, inspired by the orc entry in Volo's guide. I'd make them give up Savage Attack and Relentless Endurance.

While all half-orcs still feel the the burning rage of their parent, Fury-born half-orcs are constantly reminded of the mark of Grummsh on them throught mystical powers granted by their orcish blood.
Gain +2 Constitution, +1 Wisdom.
- Stormborn: Gain Lightning resistance.
- Brother of Beasts: You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with any oxen beast, bats and cave bear. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.
-Menacing as per the PHB.
- Heir of Affliction: Can cast Detect Poison and Disease once per short rest.

doctorbadwolf said:

If it were about mechanical optimization, I'd say so. I've no problem doing things for those reasons.

It's about flavor. If you don't see the need for half-orcs that are naturally inclined toward shamanism/druidry rather than physical combat, that's fine. This thread just isn't for you.

wdit: that comes across a bit more harsh than intended. I simply mean that this isn't a thread about optimization or filling a mechanical capability niche. It's about mechanically representing that thematically half orcs can be naturally inclined toward shamanism or druidry.

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I didn't mean to imply that you were a dirty, dirty powergamer. (Or that there is anything inherently wrong with that.) While I share Keith Baker's opinions on subraces and racial optimisation, doesn't mean that everyone does, or that its more valid than theirs.

I just have an 'engineer' approach to some problems: First, make sure that there is actually an problem. Next, make sure that you know what the problem is, so you can design a solution that will actually solve the problem. etc.

It just didn't strike me that it was something that a Jhorgun'taal for example wouldn't have. They seem inclined to be mediators and leaders in the Shadow Marches, mixing the wildness and emotion of the orcs with the community-inclined nature of their human side. Some of them probably are trained by Gatekeepers and other orcs though.

If we're talking about Savage Attacker, how about something simple, such as "Spirits or creatures you have summoned or bonded with share your Savage Attacker ability".
So the Orcish Ranger's companion, or the Gatekeeper's summoned beasts (or even the Warlock's chain pact familiar) get a slight combat boost representing the Orc's primal nature mixing with the human's cooperative urge.

It really does boil down to why you think that the current race can't represent a half-orc that is naturally (as opposed to mechanically) inclined to druidism. Once the reason is nailed down, hopefully that might suggest a solution.

Dualazi said:

The first two seem fine to me, provided the animal can only relay information it itself knows (lay of the land, people passing by etc.). That said, you might have to adjust the agricultural traits of the orcish people; it seems like their hunter-gatherer stereotype would be inhibited by that ability. Even if it doesn't stem from a moralistic standpoint, it doesn't make much sense to eat your informants, or encourage them to be wary of you.

Another suggestion might be something along the lines of invoking the spirits when healing, to give a buff to HD expenditure, possibly for the group. This also pairs nicely with the tales of orc hardiness, and is useful regardless of class/archetype.

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The third one seems out of line?

TO me, it seems similar to the first one in power. Perhaps instead of being especially hard to find while camped, the party could roll twice and take the better of any HD spent for healing? Maybe something involving exhaustion? My group hasn't really messed with exhaustion much yet, because we don't really like it, so I don't really know what would work there.
[MENTION=6871653]vincegetorix[/MENTION] I like those variant options. They don't do the thing I'm looking for right now, but I definitely want Half-Orcs to have more options in general, like Half-elves and Tieflings. (Also, Dragonborn have the same need, IMO. GIve me some Draconian variants, at least!)
[MENTION=6802951]Cap'n Kobold[/MENTION] Fair enough, I guess I just have a hard time looking at the half-orc and not seeing an obvious, glaring, problem, so I'm surprised by someone not thinking there even is one.

The option you suggest could work, but it does feel like a pure addition, rather than a variant, and a variant is more in line with how 5e deals with this sort of thing, outside of subrace.

Here is the problem I see, since I didn't do a sufficient job describing it in the OP.

For one thing, I personally think that every race should have a choice of secondary stat increase, even if they don't have a subrace. That part is partly "optimization" based (not really, but I don't feel like describing the distinction between optimization and mechanics focused design), and partly thematic in nature.

Then there are the features. Relentless Endurance is fine. It feels like a purely physical, biological, feature. I'm 100% all for every single Orc and Half-Orc having this feature.

On the other hand, Savage Attacks feels very much like a cultural feature. It fits the FR/generic DnD orc, but less so the Eberron Orc, or a "WoW" esque honorable tribesman orc. At least, it doesn't fit for ALL such orcs to have it.

Further, I like the idea of some orcs being born with a natural proclivity toward shamanism (for me, I'd use either a custom "Primal Spirits" patron warlock or a custom "circle" druid for a shaman. Shaman Druid would use Wild Shape to summon a Spirit Companion, instead of changing shape) or druidry. and that proclivity being represented by a racial trait. I also like the idea of whole tribes/culture of Orc that focuses on such things, and even their warriors have a bit of shaman in them.

I'd love for it to be an ability that isn't about doing more damage, if it ends up being a combat ability. I'd also love for it to be an exploration pillar ability, instead of a combat one.

I'd also love to see a trait that feels more appropriate for city Half-Orcs, while I'm wish-listing.

For a more animist spirit-folk, do you think you could switch the usual ''brutish'' features of the half-orc for the features of the firbolg? Its even written in the book that they are ''natural druids'!

For me, too much change means you're no longer facing the fun/challenge of playing a halforc. Firbolgs and woodelves make great druids; we know that. for me, part of the fun is accepting the unusual combination of race/class.

Kobold Stew said:

For me, too much change means you're no longer facing the fun/challenge of playing a halforc. Firbolgs and woodelves make great druids; we know that. for me, part of the fun is accepting the unusual combination of race/class.

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I get that. For me, having optional variants that play differently doesn't interfere with that, though.

vincegetorix said:

For a more animist spirit-folk, do you think you could switch the usual ''brutish'' features of the half-orc for the features of the firbolg? Its even written in the book that they are ''natural druids'!

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That is one way to go.
I thought about giving hrm druidcraft, since it's a pretty small mechanical benefit, along with some spirit related spell at lvl 3, but I didn't find one I liked. Maybe Augury, but I'm not excited about it.

doctorbadwolf said:

On the other hand, Savage Attacks feels very much like a cultural feature. It fits the FR/generic DnD orc, but less so the Eberron Orc, or a "WoW" esque honorable tribesman orc. At least, it doesn't fit for ALL such orcs to have it.

Further, I like the idea of some orcs being born with a natural proclivity toward shamanism (for me, I'd use either a custom "Primal Spirits" patron warlock or a custom "circle" druid for a shaman. Shaman Druid would use Wild Shape to summon a Spirit Companion, instead of changing shape) or druidry. and that proclivity being represented by a racial trait. I also like the idea of whole tribes/culture of Orc that focuses on such things, and even their warriors have a bit of shaman in them.

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Just for clarity: you're after half-orc variant, not orc variant?

I'd love for it to be an ability that isn't about doing more damage, if it ends up being a combat ability. I'd also love for it to be an exploration pillar ability, instead of a combat one.

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OK. Would something along the lines of having advantage on charisma checks when interacting with spirits, beasts, orcs and other primal beings (like perhaps some fey) fit?
If you wanted to optimise further, you could even allow the half-orc to use Wisdom rather than Charisma on checks interacting with such creatures, although I personally don't like that.

Or play up the human side: the half-orcs in Eberron for example are the 'children of two rivers'. Allow them to swap out Savage Attacker with an extra ability point and proficiency in a skill. This would fit the 'city' variant as well.

I'd also love to see a trait that feels more appropriate for city Half-Orcs, while I'm wish-listing.

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Cap'n Kobold said:

Just for clarity: you're after half-orc variant, not orc variant?

OK. Would something along the lines of having advantage on charisma checks when interacting with spirits, beasts, orcs and other primal beings (like perhaps some fey) fit?
If you wanted to optimise further, you could even allow the half-orc to use Wisdom rather than Charisma on checks interacting with such creatures, although I personally don't like that.

Or play up the human side: the half-orcs in Eberron for example are the 'children of two rivers'. Allow them to swap out Savage Attacker with an extra ability point and proficiency in a skill. This would fit the 'city' variant as well.

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I'm looking at half-orc right now.

Advantage on social checks with Spirits, animals, etc is definitely on target.

I like the idea of playing up the human side as another option.

So, I've decided to use all of 'em.

Not really, but I'll have three variant options that replace Savage Attacker, and Half-orcs and orcs will gain the choice to swap Wisdom instead of their normal secondary stat.

1. The Shaman ritual, more or less as I wrote it upthread. You spend some time, commune with the spirits, and they either send you a critter to talk to, give you guidance on some skill checks, or help you find safe shelter in the wilderness.

2. Advantage on checks to interact with Spirits, sentient plants, and animals.

3. 1 Skill Proficiency.