Dungeons and Dragons

Are you making a character and don’t know what race to pick? There are a lot of options in the Player’s Handbook, but where do you start? Unless you’re trying to make the most optimal character, race and class combinations don’t matter. Pick something that you like the sound of or are interested in playing. It’s your character after all. If you’ve never played before, here’s a brief explanation of Half-Orc (without all the confusing numbers attached to it).

What can you expect from a Half-Orc?

Half-Orcs are the joining of Humans and Orcs when the wars stopped, and they began to form alliances. Some choose to stay with the Orcs, so that one day they can become chief, while others choose to venture the world and to prove their worth amongst the other races. Orcs regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty, while others mark them as former slaves or exile. Any Half-Orc that has lived with or near Orc tribes, would have scars, whether they are a sign of pride or humiliation, would be down to the tribe. In the same fashion, Half-Orcs that live amongst Humans, may show their scars with pride or hide them in shame.

The one-eyed God Gruumsh created Orcs, and even those who turn away from his worship can’t fully escape his influence. The same is true for Half-Orcs, although with their Human blood, it’s not as severe. Some still hear Gruumsh’s voice in their dreams, calling for them to unleash their rage, while others feel the exultation when they join in combat. Half-Orcs feel emotions powerfully, mean their rage doesn’t just quicken the blood, but feels like their bodies are burning; insults feel like acid, and sadness saps their strength. On the flip side of this, they laugh loudly and heartily, enjoying the simple things like drinking, eating, wrestling and wild dancing – enjoying activities that fill their hearts with joy. With them feeling their emotions so powerfully, some people see them as short tempered or even sullen, or preferring to take action instead of contemplating the situation, or take up arms instead of arguing.

How does this translate to your character sheet?

Half-Orcs have the benefit of two races, making them both stronger and hardier than other races. They mature faster than Humans, meaning they reach adulthood around the age of fourteen, but because the age faster, they rarely live longer than seven-five years old. Half-Orcs average around five to six feet tall, meaning they have the average walking speed (30ft). With the Orcish blood, you have the ability to see in the dark as though it were dim light. Unlike any of the other races, because of your Orcish heritage, you can take a blow that would knock any other unconscious and shake it off; in the same vain, you can strike harder than the other races when you exploit the weaknesses of enemies. Of course, you can also speak Common and Orc.

What class should I pick for a Half-Orc?

With their increased strength and fortitude, Half-Orcs fit perfectly in the fighting classes. Anything from Barbarian, Fighter, Cleric or even Paladins. This doesn’t mean that you can’t pick any other classes, in fact, trying other classes adds an interesting twist to the race. A Half-Orc Wizard that is both strong and hardly, as well as knowledgeable.

Does that mean there are more varieties of Half-Orcs?

There aren’t any other subraces of Half-Orcs (not including the Dragonmarked ones from Eberron). There are full blooded Orcs which aren’t featured as a playable race in the Player’s Handbook, but in a supplemental book. They have mostly the same features, with only a few minor changes.