Some lovin' for da half-orcs

[Li Shenron]

So I'm wondering what sort of half-orc varients people have created....

I haven't used this following variant yet, it's just a possible idea for the future. It is actually how the Orc will be, and there won't be any Half-Orcs really, but it could be a Half-Orc variant in someone else's game because it's really closed to standard HOs than Os.


ORCS / HALF-ORCS

+2 Strength, –2 Intelligence: orcs are physically strong but culturally primitive.
An 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, orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Orc base land speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision: Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and orcs can function just fine with no light at all.

+2 to Intimidate, Survival and Handle Animals: Orcs are naturally aggressive, and they are used to get along in the wilderness and rear animals.

+2 vs Fear spells and effects: Orcs are fierce and brave people (or imprudent and reckless, depending who you ask...).

Combat Instinct: An Orc suffers only half penalties from being nonproficient with a weapon (but not with armors or shields), because of a natural disposition towards battle.

Scent: As described in DMG and MM.

Automatic Languages, Favored Class, Weapon Familiarity: these I haven't specified because in the idea of the setting they were supposed to depend on region rather than race.

 

[Ryngard]

I am also in the middle of revamping certain races to fit my campaign setting. So far for Half-Orcs, I have added:

1) Bonus Feat: Power Attack
2) Monstrous Mein (+4 racial bonus on all Intimidate checks).

I am considering adding a bonus to Fear checks, or giving them Endurance as another bonus feat. Maybe +1 or +2 to a couple other skills (like survival or something). I'm still debating on adding more. I think of Half-Orcs as an evolutionary step above common Orcs (who aren't as smart but a bit stronger) so I don't mind them having more abilities than Orcs. I don't want them to overshadow Humans though... striving for balance here.

I look at the Dwarf, Gnome, and Halfling and think yeah they are balanced between each other. Then you add in the other races and they only get about half the abilities as the three "shorties" do and their abilities aren't as good. I mean you can argue it either way, but I just think the others have too little when compared to those three.

In my campaign I'm giving elves slightly improved vision (see Elf Sight in Dragonlance CS) and a bonus on a couple skills. I'm giving Half-Elves a couple more skill bonuses. I am giving Humans a permanent class skill (i.e. Adaptive Learning) and +2 to any one Ability score of choice. I'm going to really compare and consider the changes before i make them, but I think it'll make them a bit more balanced.

I want myself and my players to really have a tough time figuring out which race to play. I don't want any, "That race sucks, no way I'd consider playing it". If I leave them as is, I might as well just take them out of the choices of playable races.