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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rogueattorney" data-source="post: 5914046" data-attributes="member: 17551">The half-orc pc in 1e was very different from the half-orc of subsequent editions and quite distinct from the full-blooded orc as presented in 1e, and I think it was a far more interesting character than the half-orc of subsequent editions.  In 1e, Orcs were beast-men who'd mate with about anything except maybe demi-humans.  90% of the offspring (regardless of the race of the non-orc parent) would be an orc for all practical purposes.  In the case of humans, 10% of the offspring would be exceptional and produce the half-orc pc race.  These characters were virtually indistinguishable from ugly humans.  If we were to put things into Tolkien terms, they were far more like the swarthy hoodlums of Bree than the Urak-Hai (which, in 1e, were probably best represented by hob-goblins).  Prior to Unearthed Arcana coming out, half-orcs' STR and CON bonus and wide range of multi-class options made them one of the more attractive non-human races.  Unearthed Arcana pretty much let the elf kick all the other demi-humans in the junk and take their stuff, but that's a discussion for another day.</blockquote>