Half Orcs. How common ? How effective ? Orcish Shotput ?

[Rashak Mani]

I know the new 3.5 Darkvision will make Dwarves and Half Orcs more attractive. Still overall half orcs have been pretty rare in most of our campaigns.... well barbarians as well matter of fact too. Having made a halforcish character recently I certainly felt that a human character would be way more versatile due to skills, stats and 1 extra feat advantage.

How common are half orcs in your campaigns ? Are they effective or do the -2 Cha and -2 Int penalites take too much ? It seems your sacrificing stats for Darkvision... but unless the whole group has darkvision that is a modest advantage.

A 3.5 question. Is a Orcish Shotput a racial weapon and consequently a martial weapon for orcs according to the new rules ?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Funny, I've actually had half-orcs played more frequently than gnomes, dwarves, or halflings in my own campaigns.

Granted, I haven't seen that to be the case elsewhere, but I don't think they're nearly as unpopular as many people think. And I've never known anyone to feel they were truly disadvantaged. Yes, they have a cumulative -2, but so long as you work that into your character concept, it doesn't seem to bother a lot of folks. And they certainly make very good combat monsters, though they're certainly not limited to such. (One of the characters I've wanted to play for a while not, but haven't been able to, is Ent, the half-orc druid...)

 

[Sanackranib]

there have been more half orcs played in the 3.0+ games that IO have been involved in excet for humans and perhaps tieflings. oddly enough . . . no one has used the shot put

 

[Sejs]

Well.. you know how they said they were going to give Half Orcs weapon familiarity with the orc double axe and they kinda seem to have forgotten to?

Yeah.

So no, not officially - but imo (and imc), both the orcish double axe and the orcish shotput are martial weapons for orcs and half orcs, rather than the normal exotic.

As for the weapon itself - Distance, Returning, Flaming Orcish Shotputs are not only cool lookin, but damn fun. Hands down the Orcish Shotput is the best candidate for the Returning enchantment that I've ever seen.

^_^

 

[reapersaurus]

And I've never known anyone to feel they were truly disadvantaged.

Now you have. (virtually, at least)
you must live a sheltered life, if you haven't met any - I personally don't know anyone that thinks they have an advantage.

Most people agree, when the classes are compared, that the half-orc does seem underpowered.
Using the 3.5 dwarf as an example just makes it blatantly obvious.

I'm glad that most people I've talked to are sensible, and allow for house rules with orcs - the first would be weapon familiarity.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Actually as far as returning weapons go... we had someone overhere suggest getting a double axe and enchant one side with throwing and the other with returning.

My dream is using the Throw Anything Feat and start hurling Great Axes with returning ability...