Half-Orc

THE WARCHIEF MHURREN ROUSED HIMSELF FROM HIS sleeping-furs and his women and pulled a short hauberk of heavy steel rings over his thick, well-muscled torso. He usually rose before most of his warriors, since he had a strong streak of human blood in him, and he found the daylight less bothersome than most of his tribe did. Among the Bloody Skulls, a warrior was judged by his strength, his fierceness, and his wits. Human ancestry was no blemish against a warrior-provided he was every bit as strong, enduring, and bloodthirsty as his full-blooded kin. Ha/fores who were weaker than their ore comrades didn't last long among the Bloody Skulls or any other ore tribe for that matter. But it was often true that a bit of human blood gave a warrior just the right m ix of cunning, ambition, and self-discipline to go far indeed, as Mhurren had. He was master of a tribe that could muster two thousand spears, and the strongest chief in Thar.

Whether united under the leadership o f a mighty warlock or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, ore and human tribes sometimes form alliances, joining forces into a larger horde to the terror of civilized lands nearby. When these alliances are sealed by marriages, half-ores are born. Some half-ores rise to become proud chiefs of ore tribes, their human blood giving them an edge over their full-blooded ore rivals. Some venture into the world to prove their worth among humans and other more civilized races. Many of these become adventurers, achieving greatness for their mighty deeds and notoriety for their barbaric customs and savage fury.

Scarred and Strong

Half-Orcs' grayish pigmentation, sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see. Half-ores stand between 5 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds.

Orcs regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Other scars, though, mark an ore or half-ore as a former slave or a disgraced exile. Any half-ore who has lived among or near ores has scars, whether they are marks of humiliation or of pride, recounting their past exploits and injuries. Such a half-ore living among humans might display these scars proudly or hide them in shame.

The Mark of Gruumsh

The one-eyed god Gruumsh created the ores, and even those ores who turn away from his worship can't fully escape his influence. The same is true of half-ores, though their human blood moderates the impact of their orcish heritage. Some half-ores hear the whispers of Gruumsh in their dreams, calling them to unleash the rage that simmers within them. Others feel Gruumsh's exultation when they join in melee combat-and either exult along with him or shiver with fear and loathing. Half-ores are not evil by nature, but evil does lurk within them, whether they embrace it or rebel against it. Beyond the rage of Gruumsh, half-ores feel emotion powerfully. Rage doesn't just quicken their pulse, it makes their bodies burn. An insult stings like acid, and sadness saps their strength. But they laugh loudly and heartily, and simple bodily pleasures-feasting, drinking, wrestling, drumming, and wild dancing-fill their hearts with joy. They tend to be short-tempered and sometimes sullen, more inclined to action than contemplation and to fighting than arguing. The most accomplished half-ores are those with enough selfcontrol to get by in a civilized land.

Tribes and Slums

Half-ores most often live among ores. Of the other races, humans are most likely to accept half-ores, and halforcs almost always live in human lands when not living among ore tribes. Whether proving themselves among rough barbarian tribes or scrabbling to survive in the slums of larger cities, half-ores get by on their physical might, their endurance, and the sheer determination they inherit from their human ancestry.

Half-Orc Names

Half-ores usually have names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. A half-ore who wants to fit in among humans might trade an ore name for a human name. Some half-ores with human names decide to adopt a guttural ore name because they think it makes them more intimidating.
Male Ore Names: Dench, Feng, Gell, Henk, Holg, Imsh, Keth, Krusk, Mhurren, Ront, Shump, Thokk
Female Ore Names: Baggi, Emen, Engong, Kansif, Myev, Neega, Ovak, Ownka, Shautha, Sutha, Vola, Volen, Yevelda

HALF- 0RC TRAITS

Your half-ore character has certain traits deriving from your ore ancestry.

Each half-ore finds a way to gain acceptance from those who hate ores. Some are reserved, trying not to d raw attention to themselves. A few demonstrate piety and good-heartedness as publicly as they can (whether or not such demonstrations are genuine) . And some simply try to be so tough that others just avoid them.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1 .

Age. Half-ores mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.

Alignment. Half-ores inherit a tendency toward chaos from their ore parents and are not strongly inclined toward good. Half-ores raised among ores and willing to live out their lives among them are usually evil.

Size. Half-ores are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your ore blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Ore. Ore is a harsh, grating language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script.