Orc

Orcs are forged in the fires of violence and conflict, often from the moment they are born. As they live lives that are frequently cut brutally short, orcs revel in testing their strength against worthy foes, often by challenging a higher-ranking member of their community for dominance. Orcs often struggle to gain acceptance among other communities, who frequently see them as brutes. Those who earn the loyalty of an orc friend, however, soon learn that an orc’s fidelity and honesty are unparalleled. Orc culture teaches that they are shaped by the challenges they survive, and the most worthy survive the most hardships. Orcs who attain both a long life and great triumphs command immense respect.

If you want a character who is hardy, fearsome, and excels at feats of physical prowess, you should play an orc.

You might…

Eagerly meet any chance to prove your strength in a physical contest.
View dying in glorious combat as preferable to a mundane death from old age or illness.

Others probably…

See you as violent or lacking in discipline.
Admire your forthrightness and blunt honesty.

Physical Description

Orcs are tall and powerfully built, with long arms and stocky legs. Many orcs top 7 feet in height, though they tend to adopt broad, almost bow-legged stances and slouch forward at the shoulders. Orcs have rough skin, thick bones, and rock-hard muscles, making them suited to war and other physically demanding tasks. Orc skin color is typically some shade of green, though some orcs have other skin colors that reflect adaptations to their environments.

Orcs consider powerful builds, heavily scarred skin, large tusks, and tattoos attractive, regardless of gender. Orcs reach physical adulthood around the age of 17, with many orcs living to be up to 60 years old.

Society

Most orc communities—known as holds—define themselves through two things: pain and glory. Each earns respect in near equal measure, so long as the pain is borne with stoicism. An orc with many scars who walks uncomplaining with a broken leg draws as much admiration as one who wins a great victory on the battlefield. Additionally, power defines the dynamics among families and holds. Weaker orcs work at the behest of the strong, with power constantly shifting between orcs that prove their might. Orcs tend to share in familial duties, raising children as a community and sharing responsibilities among the entire hold.

Sample Names: Arkus, Durra, Grask, Grillgiss, Krugga, Mahja, Murdut, Ollak, Onyat, Thurk, Uirch, Unach

Beliefs

A common orc saying is “you are the scars that shape you.” Violent, chaotic lives in violent, chaotic lands mean that most orcs tend to expect and accept violence. Lamashtu, and Rovagug are commonly worshiped among more war-minded orc communities, while less violent holds worship gods like Sarenrae, whose tenets of fire, redemption, and glory all hold some appeal to orc sensibilities.

While there are orc deities, their worship is surprisingly uncommon among orcs. Orcs believe that if a creature has a face and a name, it can be killed, and so their own deities are often targets, rather than objects of reverence. Some orc holds teach that the greatest members of the hold can earn a chance to challenge the orc deities for a place amid the pantheon.

Popular Edicts become even stronger, share knowledge you won through pain, destroy the undead

Popular Anathema accept defeat without proof of strength, reshape or reanimate a creature into something lesser

Hit Points

Size

Medium

Speed

25 feet

Attribute Boosts

Two free attribute boosts

Languages

Common
Orcish
Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from Goblin, Jotun, Petran, Sakvroth, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

Traits

Orc
Humanoid

Darkvision

You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.

Orc Heritages

Orcs have a long history on the surface of the world, and a far longer history underground. Their hardy physiques and demanding lifestyles have led to various adaptations. Choose one of the following orc heritages at 1st level.

Orc Ancestry Feats

At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level). As an orc, you can select from among the following ancestry feats.

Orc