Introduction:
Totally Skippable if you Just Want Gameable Content
In my home campaign I am aiming for a human centric world
where demi-humans are rare and strange and humans are common and strange.
However, I have a new player that wants to be a half-orc. He is, unlike most of
my players, someone with prior roleplaying experience. He loves 4th edition so
he is already making a number of concessions to play in a Holmes Basic game.
So, while a normally might just say no, I felt inclined to say yes.
Currently,
there are no orcs in my game (I don’t need a bunch of types of humanoids in my
world because of where goblins come from). So, I have a clean slate to work
with and I didn’t have any real ideas. So I asked the internet.
The
two responses that were most compatible with my world were:
Hoping to breed the aggression
out of orcs, a wizard used his craft to crossbreed orcs with humans. His hope
was that he could then release these intellectually superior, and less violent,
orcs into orc populations, where they would begin taking over as the dominant
strain. Nobody ever said it was a good idea.
I like to think of half
orcs as being a slur used by humans to put down another species. in fact the
half orcs are neanderthals, struggling to survive in a world where humans have
mostly replaced them.
Here
are my half-orc race/classes based on the discussion:
Option
1 Weird Failed Crossbreeding Experiment:
A powerful wizard, hoping to harness and control the
powers latent in goblins. He began studying a large goblin he called Orc. He
eventually dissected and implanted parts of Orc into human embryos. He wanted
to produce a sane version of a goblin that could organize and control other
goblins. Through breeding he hoped to produce a more stable goblin.
Because most goblins appear to be male, female
half-orcs far outnumber males. They reproduce though a bizarre ritual involving
hunting down goblins and well, you know. Because of this other demi-humans find
them repellent.
Half-orcs specialize in the use of nets, mancatchers
and other weapons used for restraining, like bolos. They are plus one to hit
with these weapons. Half=orcs have thieves abilities with the exception of
backstab. In lieu of the backstab ability they have a special capture ability.
If they can sneak up on an enemy from behind they are +4 to hit with a
restraining weapon and a hit completely immobilizes any man-sized opponent. At
level 4 they are able to subdue giant humanoids, but with only a normal chance
to hit.
Additionally they have a brawling ability. They do
1d6 dmg without a weapon against mansized or smaller creatures. Infravision
30’ (this is modified from the orcish background on zenopus archives).
Hd 1d6+1 per level. Can advance to level 6. Use
fighter xp table.
Option
2 Misunderstood Neanderthals:
“Half-orc” is an epithet based on a vicious
misconception that Half-orcs are the product of a weird magical experiment. Half-orcs
are humans mostly. They are dirty ugly primitive humans, short with high
voices. They are devoted to pathetic mud gods, the only ones who will hear
their prayers. Because they are looked down upon they have developed the
ability to sneak around unnoticed.
They can also produce potions. They cannot turn
undead.
Half-orcs advance as clerics and thieves
simultaneously, splitting their xp between both classes. They role for
additional hit points every time they advance in a class getting 1d6 per cleric
level and 1d4 per thief level.
They can never build a stronghold or attract
followers regardless of level.
They can create potions starting at Cleric level 1.
The next when Thief level hits 3 and so on.
Level 1(cleric): Potion of animal friendship. +2 on
all reaction rolls with animals/creatures with animal intelligence levels.
100gp to make and 1 week.
Level 3(thief): Potion of stealth + 20% to hide in
shadows and move silently for 1d6 turns. 150 gp to make and 1 week.
Level 6 (cleric) Potion of Cure Disease. Cures
disease as spell. 250gp to make and 1 week.
Level 8(thief) Potion of fixed Notion. Given to
someone and then a command can be given to the drinker. The command then
functions a suggestion spell that is permanent. The potion tastes like wine. 2000gp
to make and 3 months.
Level 10 (cleric) Potion of animal bonding. When the
half-orc shares this potion is an animal That animal will become the loyal
follower of the half-orc. This potion can be used once for every follower that
the half-orc would have attracted had he/she been a human cleric. This will work
on any willing animal. The potion costs 4000gp and takes 3 months to prepare.
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