Half-Orc
Half-Orc Upbringing
A Half-Orc raised in a community of Humans will have Human Upbringing traits, while a Half-Orc raised in a community of Orcs will have the Orc Upbringing traits described below. A Half-Orc raised in a mixed community may have a mixture of Upbringing traits at the discretion of the DM.
- Devastating Criticals – When an Orc scores a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, they can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
- Orcish Armor Training – Orcs have Proficiency with Light Armor and Shields.
Regardless of where they were raised, a Half-Orc can speak, read, and write Common, plus a bonus languages, often Orcish. A Half-Orc raised among Orcs can speak Common, Orcish, and a bonus language, often Goblin, and may or may not be able to read and write any of their known languages. Orcish is a harsh, guttural language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dethek script.
Half-Orcish Names
Half-Orcs usually have names appropriate to the heritage in which they were raised. A Half-Orc who wants to fit in among Humans might trade an Orc name for a Human name, while some Half-Orcs with Human names decide to adopt a guttural Orc name because they think it makes them more intimidating.
Male Orc Names: Dench, Feng, Gell, Henk, Holg, Imsh, Keth, Krusk, Mhurren, Ront, Shump, Thokk
Female Orc Names: Baggi, Emen, Engong, Kansif, Myev, Neega, Ovak, Ownka, Shautha, Sutha, Vola, Volen, Yevelda
Clan Names: Bonebreaker, Long Tusk, Many Arrows, Red Eye, Sharp Axe, Treesmasher
The term “Half-Orc” refers to an individual with one parent who is Human and the other Orc, or two Half-Orc parents, or often only one parent who is Half-Orc. Due to the prominence of Orc features, someone who is only one-quarter Human or less with the larger portion being Orc is seen as a full Orc, while someone who is only one-quarter Orc may be perceived as being Half-Orc.
Half-Orcs exhibit a blend of Orcish and Human characteristics, and their appearance varies widely. Grayish or greenish skin tones and prominent canine teeth are the most common shared elements among these folk. Half-Orcs stand between 5½ and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 300 pounds.
Orcs regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Other scars mark an Orc or Half-Orc as a former prisoner or a disgraced exile. Any Half-Orc who has lived among or near Orcs has scars, whether they are marks of humiliation or of honor, recounting their past exploits and injuries.
Half-Orcs of the Sword Coast
Most Half-Orcs who are raised in Orc communities rarely leave them, as they are generally accepted among their shorter-lived kin and often make excellent advisors and tacticians to powerful chiefs and warlords; some even fight their way into leadership roles themselves. They are relatively uncommon in Human areas, with most of their number living in large cities where they stand out far less than they do in smaller villages.
Half-Orc communities do exist: Palischuk in distant Vaasa is a thriving city in a harsh land whose population is primarily composed of Half-Orcs and Half-Orc communities were once relatively common in the Silver Marches before the War of the Silver Marches shattered the tenuous peace between the cities of Luruar and the Kingdom of Many-Arrows. There are also relatively large populations of Half-Orcs in Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep.
Half-Orc Traits
A Half-Orc has certain traits deriving from their Orcish ancestry.
Age
Half-Orcs mature a little faster than Humans, reaching adulthood around age 16. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.
Size
Half-Orcs are often bulkier than Humans, ranging from 5½ to 7 feet tall. Their size is Medium.
Speed
A Half-Orc’s base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
A Half-Orc has Darkvision to 60 feet.
Mixed Heritage
A Half-Orc has a mix of traits from their Human and Orcish ancestry, but never fully as much as one or the other. They inherit Skillful or Versatile from their Human heritage and Adrenaline Rush or Menacing from their Orcish Heritage.
Relentless Endurance
When a Half-Orc is reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, they can drop to 1 Hit Point instead. A Half-Orc can’t use this feature again until after finishing a Long Rest.