"Alternate" half orc backstories.

Klaus · Jan 11, 2008

Slife said:
That implies that the higher the charisma, the more half-breeds, correct?

Explains all the half-dragons.

Don't hate the playa, hate the game!

cthulhu_duck · Jan 11, 2008

This is what I did with my homebrew campaign -

Orcbloods: As with tieflings, aasimar, elfbloods and other mixed blood races, orcbloods are those born to either human or orc parents, where their ancestry includes the other race.

E.g. Great, great, great, grandmother had a half orc child. Origins unknown. Every now and again, her mostly human descendants have a child where some of the Orc genetics rises to the surface, resulting in an orcblood child.

Olgar Shiverstone · Jan 11, 2008

haakon1 said:
One idea I've always had is about the "fantasy genetics" of humans, elves, and orcs.

Humans and elves can breed. Either they are the same species, or closely related within the same genus (like dogs/wolves/coyotes).

Humans and orcs can breed. Ditto.

Elves and orcs cannot interbreed. Same genus, but too far apart. Elves are foxes, orcs are wolves, and humans are dogs or coyotes that can breed with both.

And half-dragons?

Klaus · Jan 11, 2008

Olgar Shiverstone said:
And half-dragons?

As Freddie would say:

"It's a kind of magic!"

Also, the elves <-> humans <-> orcs relation was explored in the Magical Medieval Society World Building book.

haakon1 · Jan 11, 2008

Olgar Shiverstone said:
And half-dragons?

I don't have any half-dragons in my campaign for two reasons:
1) It makes no sense to me in my human-elf-orc genetics idea, which seems to be a bit like the guy with the orcblood/elfblood ideas.
2) It doesn't do anything for me mythologically or coolness-wise, and it doesn't fit my game. It seems "gamey" rather than a natural fit for my view of the D&D world, which is Greyhawk with a minor in Tolkien and a minor in my being a history/poli sci double major. Fantasy is cool, but it needs to be fantasy that works within its own logical constraints. Half-dragons are one step too far for me.

I also don't have half-ogres, though I'd use uruk-hai if I had good stats for them and story reason for them to be around. Orogs (half-ogre/half-orc) might fit for uruk-hai.

I also don't have saurians, or any other lizard-humanoid types except the traditional -- lizardmen, trogs, bullywugs, and maybe a few more I've forgotten.

I do, however, have and like mongrelmen. I don't have an explanation for them, but I suppose if someone researched it, I'd blame magic, which would make sense since the main place they occur in my campaign is in a Star Cairn, on a magic ley line in Greyhawk.

Aramax · Jan 12, 2008

Jonny Nexus said:
Can I cross-post the reply I made when this was discussed on CircvsMaximvs?

-----

But could you not imagine a human woman saying, "You know what? He's ugly, he smells, he's unreliable, he's got the interpersonal skills of a well-hefted housebrick, and he's inherently evil... but I really think I can change him!" ?

Finally,someone who understands women!Jonny is da man.

Slife · Jan 12, 2008

haakon1 said:
I don't have any half-dragons in my campaign for two reasons:
1) It makes no sense to me in my human-elf-orc genetics idea, which seems to be a bit like the guy with the orcblood/elfblood ideas.
2) It doesn't do anything for me mythologically or coolness-wise, and it doesn't fit my game. It seems "gamey" rather than a natural fit for my view of the D&D world, which is Greyhawk with a minor in Tolkien and a minor in my being a history/poli sci double major. Fantasy is cool, but it needs to be fantasy that works within its own logical constraints. Half-dragons are one step too far for me.

My take is that half dragons started off as powerful creatures given power in the service of their draconic masters (or through some other similar means). Drink the blood of a living dragon, gain some of its strength (special magical preparations needed, of course). Since dragons are reclusive most of the time, and very concerned with self-preservation, they first send their people to talk to the other dragon's people when disputes arise or when they want to make deals. One thing leads to another, next thing you know there's a whole subrace of half-dragons. Of course, bloodlines can be diluted (the power isn't fully inherited from generation to generation), and some of the decendents have almost no ties to their "half-dragon" ancestors except a higher-than-normal magical affinity.