D&D (2024) The Half Orc. Are they still needed?

[delericho]

For my part, it's more "can they be moral?" Note that that does not mean "can they be good," because good is only one subset of moral behavior.

Yep, I quite like that. Or, perhaps better, "can they choose?"

 

[Mind of tempest]

honestly, I hate the half-something races only because it makes it all about your parents and not about who the character honestly is, it is even a stereotype for half-elves.

the real question is if we move the full orc in and moved the half out would people really care as a lot just want a big bruiser guy, there will be controversy but I doubt it would matter all that much or we could see them become a sidebar opening pages up for something new.

 

[Minigiant]

I see Orc evolving to a natural Brute race. Powerful build, Adrenaline Rush, and Relentless Endurance gives of the Unstoppable Rusher idea. Orcs are tenacious and tough.

I see the Half Orc as the channeling that inner power into one point. The Half Orc channel the Orcs power into one spot instead of the whole point. You aren't just bigger, faster, and stronger.

Personally I love the Duality of Human + Something Else in the Half Orc and Half Elf. The idea of being the bridge beteen 2 worlds while not being fully accepted by either.

Plus a Half Orc gets to take both Human and Orc feats and use both Humans and Orc only items.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think orc should be an option, and even though I was a very big fan of Half Elves in ADnD I think it probably is time to mak a generic half x/ half y template.
Probably:
Chose

• you get one (or two) skill profciciencies if either parent race has one, or one (or two) of your choice.
• you get darkvision 30ft if either parent race has it or 60ft if both have it.
• if either of your parents has a heritage, you inherit it.
• you can chose any one other trait from your parent races that is not darkvision or giving a free proficiency.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The influence of the MMO "World of Warcraft" is too strong to be ignored, althought always the archetype of barbarian orc may be too typecasted. Why not an orc shaman?

And half-orc is easier to explain the reason because a orcblood is in a group with no-orcs.

I am awaiting half-ogres as one of the new PC races.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Preface: The larger issue of "race" in DnD and how it is changing and will be presented differently in 5+ed is it's own topic. The issue of "mixed race" and how it is presented, such as the half-elf, half-orc, and those of more extended lineage, such as Aasimar and Tieflings is it's own topic. That said, I fully expect this to eventually devolve into just arguments about those issues along a long enough timeline.

Premise: Given the "softening" of Orcs in the mainline documents and likely continued efforts to remove the idea that any given race of playable peoples in DnD are inherently evil, does it make sense to have Half Orcs as a playable option in the next iteration of the PHB? Should instead players just get rules for playing Orcs outright in the PHB?

Thoughts?

I don’t think half-orcs are needed as the ‘‘‘player character version of the wild enemy brutes’’’ anymore, we’ve progressed past that and playing an orc as a player race is totally something that should now be possible as a standard core race, but I don’t think that half-orcs need disappear, they IMO should become a subrace option of either orcs or humans (and whatever you choose if you’re doing it with half-orcs do it with half-elves too)

I think it would be good if humans just had a ‘half-X’ subrace template where it provides rules for making a half-race build with any race (I forget if it’s specifically DnD lore or from something else that humans are cross fertile with most other races)

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I am awaiting half-ogres as one of the new PC races.

It wouldn't be a new thing. I played a half-ogre in the 1980s, from a magazine, I can't remember which.

 

[delericho]

It wouldn't be a new thing. I played a half-ogre in the 1980s, from a magazine, I can't remember which.

"Complete Book of Humanoids" (2nd Ed) had half-ogres.

Hmm. Maybe the game should drop orcs entirely (too much baggage), and have Goliaths as the big bruiser?

 

[DND_Reborn]

If half-orcs and half-elves are gone in the future, so should aasimars, tieflings, and probably others: just bring in playable celestials and fiends.

That being said, if future editions don't include them, I'll either add them back in (like everything else) or just not play it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

"Complete Book of Humanoids" (2nd Ed) had half-ogres.

This was earlier.

Hmm. Maybe the game should drop orcs entirely (too much baggage), and have Goliaths as the big bruiser?

Already a popular alternative amongst Critical Role fans. Fir Bolg are on the up too. Particularly amongst "gentle giant" fans.

Orcs seem to attract the "angry guy" trope rather than "big guy" trope.