Races of Faerûn Preview: Gray Orcs, +2 Wisdom ! / +Arms & Equip. Guide Sneak Peek

[Aloïsius]

Races of Faerûn Preview: Gray Orcs, +2 Wisdom ! / +Arms & Equip. Guide Sneak Peek

Hey, look at that, it's nice.

+2 Str -2 Int +2 Wis -2 Cha: They look like a neanderthal race we made for a prehistoric one-shot adventures setting. Except they have darkvision and orc blood also.

 

[Technik4]

ECL +1

They are ECL +1.
Stats: +2 Str, -2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Favored class: Cleric.
Speed is 40
Auto-proficient with Great Axe and Longbow.
Light Sensitive and start with Scent.
Orc-Blood.
Illiterate unless level in other than barbarian (isnt this true of all races? So are orc commoners literate?)
*Darkvision 60 ft.

*- not explicity named in the description, but Im pretty sure they get it.

Personally not sure if that justifies a level +1, but I really like some orc-only feats that let half-orcs, orcs, and now gray orcs have some fun. Now they just need an orc-only prestige class thats as good as Arcane Archer or Devoted Defender. Most orc prestige classes seem to be 5 levels (Orc Scout (Silver Marches), and Orc Warlord (Races of Faerun). I dont even know if there are any others...

They do have a nice first level in barb though, 50 movement speed at level 2! Also seems like they would make good monks though of course it would be a strange scenario.

Technik

 

[Aloïsius]

40 ft speed and scent, + great axe and longbow proficiency are enough to justify the +1 ECL, I think. A grey orc war priest is really dangerous, as is a monk (+2 wis, +2 Str), a barb (50 ft, +2 Str) or a ranger(scent...)

 

[Aloïsius]

Arms & Equipment Guide Sneak Peek also ! Vehicle Augmentations.

Edit: Link fixed

 

[JPL]

I am all over this book. Looks like my ideal ratio of crunch to fluff.

And really wise orcs. Fascinating.

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah, this book looks more interesting than I initially thought. And stuff like this I could easily swipe for a homebrew as well, which makes it even more interesting than I thought...

 

[mmu1]

Anyone take a look at those new feat examples? Headlong Charge is sick.

It functions exactly like a charge, except that a)Everyone whose threatened area you pass through or into gets an AAO on you, including your target, and b)If you hit, you do double damage.

As long as you're smart about who you charge, this feat does wonders... Also works pretty well for attacking enemies with reach, where you'll take an AAO anyway.

 

[drnuncheon]

Anyone take a look at those new feat examples? Headlong Charge is sick.

It functions exactly like a charge, except that a)Everyone whose threatened area you pass through or into gets an AAO on you, including your target, and b)If you hit, you do double damage.

So, essentially, your target gets an AoO on you, because the other people would have gotten one anyway. Sounds a bit too good, yeah.

OK, I guess if your target had people standing next to him they'd get AoOs too. Not the sort of feat you'd want to use when charging a shield wall or a pike formation, that's for sure. I still think its too good - suffering possible AoOs for what amounts to a confirmed critical.

I'm also skeptical of the 'Orc' requirement. What is it about orcs (and half-orcs) that makes them able to perform this kind of maneuver when other people can't?

J

 

[The Halfling]

Hmmmmmmm....

Arms & Equipment Guide Sneak Peek also ! Vehicle Augmentations.

I was looking at the preview, and it seems almost identical to the items from the vehicle rules in Dragon (#289?)

 

[mmu1]

OK, I guess if your target had people standing next to him they'd get AoOs too. Not the sort of feat you'd want to use when charging a shield wall or a pike formation, that's for sure. I still think its too good - suffering possible AoOs for what amounts to a confirmed critical.

You'd definitely need to be careful... But it would work great against arcane spellcasters, and well against rogues. It'd also be a very nasty feat for, say, a Barbarian with decent Dex and Improved Initative, for charging in the first round of combat. Or a combat-oriented rogue, charging in for a sneak attack and double damage with his greataxe on the surprise round.