clearstream
(He, Him)
My next campaign will be homebrew set in an alternate-Faerun. In 1589, the City State of Waterdeep intensifies colonisation of a peaceful archipelago. The islands are populated by three strands of orcs, living peacefully together. When they create their characters, players choose Sea Orc, Wood Orc, or Orc Traveller. (These aren't quite final, and I'd welcome feedback!)
Sea Orcs
Most sea orcs live in widely dispersed settlements along the Archipelago coastline: it is not unusual to find a hospitable orc homestead clinging to a tiny islet jutting from the water. Some spend their whole lives afloat on the inner sea. They are as a rule a hearty people, willing to take risks and join in play in equal measure. Among them number bold explorers, with a reputation for being quick to put themselves in the way of danger for the sake of others. Wise sea orc wizards appear in stories of the islands, and strong-willed sorcerers who are the daughters of dragons. Your character shares some traits with other sea orcs—- Age: Sea orcs reach adulthood in their late teens and live to be a century or more old. Most regard it as an honour to be called without great delay to other planes, and they do not sorrow over death any more than they would for a family member or friend departing on a long voyage.
- Languages: You can speak, read, and write Pelagic and Orcish. Orcish is strong and expressive, with evocative intonations and flexible grammar. Orcish narratives are rich and varied, and their epics and poems the warmest and most stirring. Bards learn their language so that they can deliver revered Orcish classics.
- Orcish Resilience: When you make a saving throw against poison you can add your proficiency bonus - meaning your proficiency bonus might be doubled for that saving throw - and you have resistance to poison damage.
- Size: Sea orcs are very often a lanky 6 to 7 feet tall, weighing between 180 and 280 pounds. Your size is Medium.
- Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Tenacity: Choose one ability. You have advantage on saving throws using the chosen ability.
- Toughness: At 1st-level, your hit point maximum increases by 1. When you gain a level, add 1 to each hit die you roll to determine your hit point maximum.
Wood Orcs
Named not only for their preference to live inland, but also their extensive use of wood as a building material, wood orcs are by tradition more contemplative than their kin. While they share an abiding interest in the world around them, sea orcs are at times mystified by lengthy wood orc studies on topics of oblique application, and wood orcs in turn may be surprised by sea orc impatience. Wood orcs linger on the prime material plane somewhat longer than others, which can lead them to feeling concerned about events that trouble other folk less deeply. Many are studious, spending decades chasing down obscure facts or mulling matters of significance beyond and much greater than the affairs of the islands. Most are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. Your character shares some traits with other wood orcs—- Age: Wood orc understanding of adulthood encompasses a span of reflecting upon the outer world and developing internally. Their children might claim an adult name after two or three decades, and they may linger on the material plane for up to three centuries.
- Trance: You count 4 hours of trancing as equivalent to 8 hours sleeping, and subject yourself to the stunned condition instead of unconsciousness. (This connects with the stricter, longer duration rest rules that I use.)
- Languages: You can speak, read, and write Pelagic and Orcish. The Pelagic language is widely preferred for technical treatises and catalogues of knowledge about the natural world.
- Size: Wood orcs range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have relatively slender builds. Your size is Medium.
- Skill Versatility: You gain two skill, weapon, or tool proficiencies of your choice.
- Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Spell Versatility: You learn one cantrip and one 1st-level spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. You can cast the 1st-level spell without expending a spell slot. After doing so, you can't cast it with this trait again until you finish a long rest. If you have spell slots, you may cast it using them. Choose Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. Whichever you choose becomes your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Orc Travellers
When orcish travelling families returned to the islands after centuries wandering the Feywild, sea and wood orcs welcomed them. Whatever they were looking for they had found, or perhaps it had become unsafe there? Those orcs with living memory of the Feywild were reluctant to pass down the history of their journeys but hinted of crossings into the Shadowfell. Travelling folk continue to roam ancient circuits by dusk and dawn, following signs concealed in their traditional poems. Influenced by fey magic, they have become a quick, lucky people: favoured by powers of earth and surrounding sea. Despite their pleasure in wandering, traveling families are warm with their kin, and mixed families and long stopovers are common. Most travellers are frank with their feelings: laughing heartily—wild, or fine performances filling them with joy—but others are equally pensive, with quiet habits. Beyond individual differences, travellers share an openness to the world around them; sometimes accompanied by an inability to ignore what they see. Your character shares some traits with other travellers—- Age: Travelling orcs reach adulthood in their late teens and their lives span close to two centuries. They enjoy their time on the Prime Material plane but follow their sea orc kin in not grieving overmuch for those who travel safely onwards.
- Quick: When you make a melee attack against a creature, you don’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether you hit or not.
- Languages: You can speak, read, and write Pelagic, and Orcish or Sylvan. Sylvan is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Fey songs and poems—though often not recognised as such—are rich and varied, and famous among other races. Many bards learn the language so they can add Sylvan ballads to their repertoires.
- Lucky: When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
- Knack: Choose one skill or tool in which you have proficiency. You gain expertise with that skill or tool, which means that your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it.
- Size: Travelling orcs have diverse builds, from 5 to more than 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
- Speed: Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Waterdhavians (Colonists, non-playable)
Most colonists are human. Humans gain the “Schooled” and “Shrewd” racial traits, which read as follows—- Schooled: You gain one feat. The feat can be actor, athlete, gunner, linguist, prodigy, tavern brawler or weapon master.
- Shrewd: You have advantage on any Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Persuasion) check you make related to social interactions among humanoids.
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