Help me build the Half-orc

[Mokona]

As a Dungeon Master, the standard half-orc race just leaves me flat. +2 strength, darkvision, and orc blood just don't cut it.

I'm looking for ideas to build the half-orc racial traits for my game. As a baseline I'm looking towards the dwarf and elf races as the baseline of balance for +0 ECL characters. The adventuring party is a warforged, a half-orc, and a changeling.

Here is the relevant setting information. The half-orc city state is essentially Sparta (see Ancient Greece) which is at war with the human city state (see Athens). Half-orcs fight in disciplined and orderly regiments during their continuous battles against the humans. These half-orc units succeed through instant obedience to orders, exact performance of tactical plans, and personal strength from strenuous training exercises.

Please help me with ideas and votes on what works, what's too powerful, and how you see it impact the flavor of the race.

My initial ideas include the following:

* Fast Movement: akin to Barbarian class feature but perhaps only +5 feet to their speed
* Weapon Proficiency: a few free martial weapon proficiency feats (I'm considering throwing axe, handaxe, and battleaxe)
* Low-Light Vision: orcs in my game don't live underneath the mountains (I assume orcs have darkvision as some reference to The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien) and I want my players to carry lanterns
* +? racial bonus on something (save versus fear? a couple skills?)

In contrast the Elf racial traits are sleep immunity, +2 vs enchantments, low-light vision, weapon proficiency, +2 listen/spot/search, and auto-search. Dwarf racial traits include a penalty (-10 feet to speed) plus darkvision, stonecunning, weapon familiarity, stability, +2 vs poison, +2 vs spells, +1 attack orcs/goblins, +4 AC vs giants, +2 appraise, and +2 craft.

Thanks for your ideas and help.

 

[FireLance]

This thread probably belongs in House Rules.

Some quick ideas:

1. Endurance* or Iron Will as a bonus feat.
2. +2 racial bonus to Intimidate

Proficiency with racially-appropriate martial weapons, or Weapon Familiarity to treat an exotic weapon as a martial weapon is good as well.

* Half-orc rangers gain Diehard at 3rd level instead.

 

[FalcWP]

I like giving them a bonus on Intimidate checks, for starters. I don't see Strength as being worth two penalties, so I tend to drop the Charisma penalty. You might be better off dropping the Intelligence penalty, however, especially if you're replacing Darkvision with Low-Light vision; an intelligence penalty would make for a fairly stupid army. Throw in weapon proficiencies, and you're looking at:

+2 Strength, -2 Charisma
Low-Light Vision
+2 bonus on Intimidate Checks
Martial Weapon Proficiency: Handaxe, Throwing Axe, Battleaxe (and I'd give them one more, maybe Shortbow, to stay even with Elves)
Favored Class: Fighter (Doesn't sound like Barbarian would fit what you have there)

This might still be a bit light, so a +2 bonus on saves vs. fear could be added. However, it really depends on if Charisma is going to be useful in your game or not. If it isn't, then the above is probably fine - +2 Strength and Low-Light vision is nice for a warrior. If it is important, then it needs one, maybe two more small boosts (increased speed, bonus vs. fear, a couple more skill boosts, etc.)

 

[Winding Road]

First off, I'd drop the Int penalty. Your half-orcs sound fairly intelligent, or at least no stupider then any other race. +2 Str and -2 Cha is balanced compared to the dwarves' +2 Con and -2 Cha.

For weapons, I'd give them weapon familiarity with the orc double-axe (are there any full orcs in your setting, or are half-orcs a distinct race?) Since most of them are warrior-types anyway, it's a little more sensible them giving them martial proficiencies they'd already get from class levels.

I agree with everyone who said +2 to Intimidate, as it just makes sense. Maybe +2 to Jump or Climb as well, due to their physical training?

For saves, I'd suggest +2 against charm or compulsion effects. If they're so obedient and disciplines, that might give them an edge against resisting an enemy's commands. +2 against fear would make sense as well; either option is sensible.

The favored class should definitely change. These guys sound lawful, so barbarian is out. Either give them Favored Class: Any, like humans and half-elves, or go with a lawful type of warrior, like monk or the PHB2 knight.

Sketch of the modified half-orc:
- +2 Str, -2 Cha
- Medium size
- Base land speed 30 ft.
- Darkvision 60 ft.
- Orc Blood
- Weapon Familiarity with orc double-axe
- +2 to Intimidate and Climb checks
- +2 on saves against charm or compulsion effects
- Favored class: Any

 

[Fishbone]

Try this out...
Instead of a bonus to Strength give them a bonus to Constitution. Give them a penalty to Wisdom instead of the penalty to strength(A warrior culture would value mental strength more than inner strength)
You also said they're very hardy, so give them Run, Endurance, and Diehard.
It seems like a lot, but aside from Diehard they're not really strong from a mechanical standpoint when it comes to fighting.
Instead of the bonus to Intimidate I'd give them a bonus to Survival and allow them to use their Intelligence modifier instead of their Wisdom modifier.
Low-light vision and an extra 5 feet of movement, favored class Fighter.
If you compare it to the Dwarf it isn't too mechanically strong.

 

[Bad Paper]

One of the problems is that you are comparing the half-orc (underpowered) with the dwarf (overpowered).

The way I fix it is:
Dwarves get exactly what the PH says they get, plus clumsy and insular. That is, they get a -2 to Dexterity and a +2 on all Charisma-based skill checks against other dwarves.

Half-orcs change from -2 on Int and Cha to -1 on Int, Wis, and Cha.

 

[Darklone]

Search for one of the halforc threads last months, frankDM had a long list of flavor feats for the halforc that I liked a lot!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think a +2 bonus to Strength is worth a penalty to 2 ability scores, but I tend to think that the penalty to Intelligence is to harsh. It makes it to compelling to just play just Half Orc Barbarians and Fighters, because, frankly, they don't really need skill points to be effective. Unfortunately, it still makes them boring, and it makes playing against the half-orc grunt stereotype to hard.

Alternative Stats:
+2 Strength, -2 Wis, -2 Cha.
+2 racial bonus to Intimidate (and Survival, if you want to retain the Barbarian archetype)
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear effects and checks against intimidation.
Low-Light vision
Favored Class: Fighter (or Rogue?)
Racial Weapon Familiarity: Half-Orcs treat the Orc Double Axe and the Orc War Scimitar* (*Use the rules for Bastard Swords, but damage is 1d8 and critical 18-20 x2) as martial weapons. Or use any other exotic weapon that you think are preferred in their culture. As an alternative, you could give the some kind of weapon familiarity with some martial weapons that they treat as simple (or Rogue/Wizard?) weapons instead. (Battleaxe, Great Axe, Hand Axe, Throwing Axe).

A penalty to wisdom is a noticeable penalty to even the simplest grunt, and fits the archetype of your description better than a penalty to intelligence. (You need to be smart to organize a well-trained fighting force, but it isn't really wise just to focus on war. )
The bonus against diseases is just for flavour, but it benefits all classes. The bonus against fear compensates the penalty to wisdom in many cases and enforces the idea of Half-Orcs as powerful warriors - they don't run away from their fights. (They just execute tactical retreats. )

A Half-Orc with this modifiers would still make a good Barbarian, Fighter, Rogue, Wizard and to some extent even Ranger (if you're willing to ignore the ranger spells and want to play a melee focused two-weapon combat style Ranger). Clerics and Druids become less desirable then with the standard Half-Orc, and Sorcerer and Paladin are unlikely as ever.
In all cases, the Half-Orc has more skill point to use to flesh out the character.

 

[Mighty Halfling]

Ahh. Another opportunity to show off one of my favorite house rules!

First off, I stick with everything in the Player's Handbook:

+2 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma. A half-orc’s starting Intelligence score is always at least 3. If this adjustment would lower the character’s score to 1 or 2, his score is nevertheless 3.
Medium: As Medium creatures, half-orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Speed: Half-orc base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Half-orcs (and orcs) can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
Orc Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-orc is considered an orc.
Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Abyssal.
Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass half-orc’s barbarian class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.

Then they can add these two things ...
Iron Stomach: Half-orcs can eat any plant or organic matter to avoid starvation, including rotten meat, spoiled milk, boiled leather, leaves, saplings and even dung. This material must be broken down into small enough portions to fit in their mouth and down their throat. Typically, they can make a Survival check (DC 5 plus environmental modifiers) and they find enough material to sustain them for a day. Additionally, they are immune to all food-borne diseases and infections, but not poisons applied to their food.

Selective Bonus: Because half-orcs are a varied race with a diverse heritage, at 1st level a half-orc selects one of the following traits.
** Intimidator. Intimidate becomes a class skill and it is thereafter based on Strength, rather than Charisma.
** Free Feat - Alertness. Like their orcish parent, this is now a bonus feat.
** Free Feat - one Exotic Weapon Proficiency. Orcs love strange and bizarre weapons, and often train with them from an early age.
** Disease resistant. The unique resistance a half-orc develops because of his dual parentage provides him with amazing immunities. A disease-resistant half-orc earns a +4 resistance to any disease, even magical ones.
** Extended Darkvision. Some orcs who live underground have especially acute darkvision. As such, some half-orcs have a 90-foot range on their darkvision.

Makes them kind of the "ultimate mongrel," you know?

Wanna see more of my rules? Visit the blog in my sig!

 

[Ion]

Just cause I haven't seen it posted: Sean K Reynold's Take on the Half Orc

Half-Orc
Unlike the other races with racial weapons, half-orcs don't get Weapon Familiarity with the orc double axe (nor do actual orcs). I guess you can explain it away as orcs still being somewhat primitive and not inclined to practice with such a weird weapon (and it's certainly weirder and harder to use than the comparable racial double weapons). Mechanically it wouldn't hurt if they got Weapon Familiarity, though, especially considering the race's other mechanical hindrances.

The -2 penalty to Int and Charisma is still really strong. It means that you're going to see very few PC or NPC orc arcane spellcasters, and severely penalizes those kinds of characters once they get to higher levels (they have to work hard to make sure their ability scores outpace their gaining of higher-level spell slots or they're not able to fully utilize their class potential). This penalty also sorta contradicts the definition of Charisma in Chapter 1, which says, "This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting." Orcs and half-orcs may be "dull and crude," but they can have big egos just like any other race (and their leaders tend to have very high opinions of themselves, and keep rivals out of power through intimidation and force of will). House rule: Half-orcs do not have a Charisma penalty. Half-orcs get a -1 penalty to Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Handle Animal checks.