Orc Blood and Double Axe

[Taliesin]

Under Half-Orc in the players handbook (3.5) it states that orc blood allows Half-Orcs to use race-specific items automatically. Does this extend to Exotic Weapon Proficiency for the Orc Double-Axe? I would think so, but it's not explicitly stated anywhere that I can see, and I could make the argument for it either way...

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I don't think it does.

Instead, I believe it means that if you ever find a magic item that says, for instance, "This spear is normally +1. In the hands of an orc, however, it becomes a +2 Elfbane spear," the half-orc gets the +2 Elfbane part.

 

[Bladesong]

If I am not mistaken, an exotic weapon becomes a martial weapon for the race in question. If I am mistaken, it is a good idea anyway.

 

[Knight Otu]

The orc blood ability only means that they are considered to be orcs for special effects and magic items that care about race (it is actually nothing more than a fancy way to say that half-orcs have the orc subtype). Orcish double axes in no way care about the race of their wielder, so orc blood is meaningless in that regard.

Neither orcs nor half-orcs have Weapon Familiarity, which is what lets a character use an exotic weapon as a martial one. Why orcs (at least) did not get Weapon Familiarity, we will propably never find out.

 

[Jdvn1]

Yeah, if they doesn't say 'Weapon Familiarity' and specify 'Orc Double Axe' then you don't get it. That's why Dwarves aren't familiary with any of the other exotic dwarf weapons in other books. And Gnomes with theirs. And Elves with theirs.

 

[Staffan]

Going just by the stuff that's in the core rules, the Orc Blood ability basically has three game effects.
1: Dwarves get +1 to hit you.
2: Rangers with Favored Enemy: Humanoid (orc) get a damage bonus against you.
3: You should stay away from foes wielding Orcbane weapons.

I can't think of a single occurence in the core rules where Orc Blood is actually an advantage.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Going just by the stuff that's in the core rules, the Orc Blood ability basically has three game effects.
1: Dwarves get +1 to hit you.
2: Rangers with Favored Enemy: Humanoid (orc) get a damage bonus against you.
3: You should stay away from foes wielding Orcbane weapons.

I can't think of a single occurence in the core rules where Orc Blood is actually an advantage.

A fairly common one is that Rangers with favoured enemy (human) don't get bonuses against you, such as 90% of bad guy rangers.

Geoff.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

What the others said.

Orc blood means that you can use magit items that can only be wielded by orcs, that you can be hit by anti-orc stuff, and often that you qualify for orc-only PrC's.

Weapon familiarity isn't really a matter of blood, but of upbringing. Only orcs have that orc-upbringing. Half-orcs aren't necessarily raised by orcs (and maybe, even if they are, they don't get to play with the real orcs' toys. The half-orc isn't really too well done. If you want to see a rather well done half-breed, look at shose from midnight).

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Staffan: That's only because you haven't bought The Complete Orc yet.

 

[Feldspar]

Under Half-Orc in the players handbook (3.5) it states that orc blood allows Half-Orcs to use race-specific items automatically. Does this extend to Exotic Weapon Proficiency for the Orc Double-Axe? I would think so, but it's not explicitly stated anywhere that I can see, and I could make the argument for it either way...

I agree with the others that in terms of the rules as written Half-Orcs wouldn't get Weapon Familiarity. A shame really, because Half-orcs were the worst race in 3.0 and didn't get improved in any way in 3.5 which means they fell even further behind some classes. I've yet to play in a party that had one. Just compare what they get compared to what a Dwarf gets. We added the following as house rules:

• Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs may treat orc double axes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
• Weapon Proficiency: Half-orcs receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the greataxe, falchion and javelin as bonus feats. Half-orcs have a natural affinity for the favored weapons of their orcish ancestors.
• +2 racial bonus on Intimidate and Sense Motive checks: Half-orcs are not readily accepted or trusted amongst either parental race; Half-orcs must quickly learn how to identify allies and discourage challengers in order to survive.

I'll admit that getting weapon proficiencies like this should come from being raised in a specific culture, but ... half-orcs blow and this was an easy way to bring them more in line with the other races.