Half-orc

Spurned by both sides of their heritage, half-orcs are rebels who don’t fit into society—and often don’t want to fit into society. Their central psychological trait, developed as a defense mechanism, is a stubborn independent streak that keeps everyone and everything at a safe distance. At their best, half-orcs are independent and cautious, always alert for danger from every quarter. At their worst, they’re rage-fueled time bombs, lashing out at anything that gets too close—whether it’s an ally or an enemy.

Quick to Judge, Quick to Anger

Half-orcs spend their lives looking over their shoulders, waiting for the next blow to fall. By the time they reach adulthood, most have been tricked and betrayed so many times that they don’t easily trust anyone else. The typical half-orc is abandoned at birth, bullied throughout childhood, and cast out into the wilderness as an adolescent. As a result, most of the half-orcs who reach adulthood are cunning and wary to the point of being paranoid.

 Half-orcs have been in danger their whole lives, so they have learned to make split-second assessments of a situation and react accordingly. And their stubborn, independent streak means that they’ll stick with that first assessment even if they later suspect it was the wrong call. Many a half-orc has attacked a bystander, only to learn after the fact that his “foe” meant him no harm. Half-orcs realize, however, that taking time for reasoned contemplation of a threat is a luxury not usually available to them. Just as half-orcs are quick to make judgments, so too are they quick to change moods.

 Like Orcs, they tend to be sullen and short-tempered, snarling or lashing out at anything that displeases them. They prefer action to thought and would rather settle a dispute with fighting than with words. Half-orcs wear their emotions on their sleeves, becoming wildly exuberant when they are happy and deeply brooding when they are displeased. Perhaps because of this straightforwardness in the display of their emotions, half-orcs despise trickery and lies and usually respond to such insults with overwhelming violence.

 A half-orc raised among Humans has to learn to keep his most violent outbursts under control. Exceptions may exist if the Humans of a community are particularly barbaric themselves, but few settlements will tolerate anyone who attacks with little or no provocation. Most half-Orcs learn to channel their anger into focused rages (some of them becoming the quintessential barbarian), while still striving to attain the elusive goal of a contemplative state of mind. 

Because half-orcs are creatures of quick judgment, they have a hard time dealing with tasks that require sustained, nuanced reasoning. Most philosophical discussions not only go over the heads of most half-orcs, but bore them no end. While most half-orcs are considerably smarter than their Orc parents, they all retain (to varying degrees) a rather brutish intellect that tends to categorize people, items, and concepts in black-and-white terms. To a half-orc, a creature, idea, or thing is either good, bad, or unworthy of his further attention.

Most half-orcs grow up hiding from full-blooded Human children, weary of the bombardment of taunts and insults they find themselves subjected to. Full-blooded Human adults can be just as cruel, so a half-orc often finds refuge only within his immediate family—assuming he was not abandoned as a baby (which is the fate of many half-orcs soon after they come into the world).

Once a half-orc in a Human community reaches puberty, life changes for him, but it doesn’t get any easier. Still visibly different in appearance from other children, now he is also noticeably larger and stronger, better able to defend himself against bullies. Since half-orcs mature slightly more rapidly than Humans, an adolescent half-orc may be almost at his full adult height and weight, which makes him more than a match for the Human children around him.

Many half-orcs grow up to become bullies themselves, intent on paying back the other children for years of humiliation. After a half-orc is tormented throughout his early childhood, it understandably feels good to now be bigger and stronger than most Human children, perhaps even formidable enough to make adult Humans back away. 

Other people’s underlying attitudes toward the race, however, don’t change just because a half-orc puts on a few extra pounds of muscle. If anything, the physical difference between half-orcs and Humans reinforces the stereotype. Humans assume that half-orcs are brutish bullies, and young half-orcs unwittingly exacerbate that fear. By the time a half-orc matures enough to learn how to behave “properly” in Human society, the damage is often done. As a result, many half-orcs leave home shortly before or soon after reaching adulthood. They escape to find someplace where people do not know them, in the hopes of starting over

Roleplaying Application: The key to knowing or understanding any half-orc lies in the character’s parentage. If your character is a half-orc, think about who his parents were, and how they met. Was your character’s conception and birth the result of love, an arranged marriage, or an abduction? Consider also your childhood: you could have been kept by your parents, given up for adoption, or left for dead. 

Human societies usually relegate half-orcs to the fringes, where they eke out a meager subsistence-level existence through begging, menial labor, or selling their formidable fighting skills. Because of this treatment, many half-orcs become bitter and resentful toward Humans, harboring deep grudges that last a lifetime. A few lucky half-orcs grow up in more enlightened societies that don’t make value judgments about racial identity—but even those individuals come face to face with pervasive prejudice as soon as they visit the wider world. 

Half-orcs who are raised by orcs commonly become almost indistinguishable on the surface from their more brutish kin. They must be tough and merciless to survive, although their higher wisdom enables them to be much more cunning in their attempts to survive. Half-orcs raised in an Orc tribe or community learn to respect strength above any other quality and have difficulty understanding the nuances of subtlety, tact, and diplomacy.

Roleplaying Application: Give some thought to how your character responds to the glares, rudeness, and outright unfairness of discrimination. You might try to conceal what you are, or you might revel in your racial identity because of the intimidation factor it offers. You might hope that friends and neighbors will forget or overlook your heritage, or you might display your half-orc nature proudly, daring anyone to stare or sneer at you. 

Heritage of Shame

No matter where they were raised, all half-orcs share a sense of shame. Deep down, every half-orc feels that he embarrasses both of his parent races, and that people treat him as a monster because he is one. This sense of shame persists even when the half-orc in question is a paragon of virtue and the shame is undeserved. A half-orcs’s low self-worth is a wound that won’t heal, though its pain can be deadened from time to time.

This attitude lies at the heart of the half-orc mind-set. Both his human family and his orc family treat a half-orc like a poor relation and sneer at his shortcomings. Orcs laugh at half-orcs because of their relative frailty and their less imposing size. Humans mock them for their coarse hair, their gray or green or otherworldly skin, and their intellectual and social clumsiness. 

Living in the Now

Half-orcs have the shortest life span of any of the common races. Even if they survive their various adventures, few half-orcs live past the age of 70 or 75, and 60 is considered an advanced age. 

As a consequence of this situation, half-orcs take their lives either very seriously or not seriously at all. Some individuals cherish every moment, seeking to wring as much satisfaction as they can out of life before it ends. Others feel that, since their lives are so brutish and short, nothing truly matters, and they do whatever comes to mind with no thought for the consequences.

For example, few half-orcs save money; they prefer to spend whatever they have right away, while they can. At the same time, half-orcs rarely bother with luxury items. They may indulge in good food, good drink, and good weapons and armor, but fine furniture, rich clothing, and luxurious homes seem foolish purchases to someone who may not live long enough to fully enjoy them.

The "Stupid" Stereotype

Everyone assumes that half-orcs are strong but stupid, and so they are taught as children to rely on their physical prowess rather than their intellect. Many half-orcs believe that strength is their only asset, so they fall into the role of “big and stupid” because they resign themselves to it and society expects it. 

 Half-orcs can be quick and stealthy, but most blunder about instead because they do not consider themselves agile or quiet and so have never honed certain skills. Half-orc rogues are rare but surprisingly effective, in part because no one expects a half-orc to be able to hide and sneak successfully.

Half-orcs make their own way in the world and, in so doing, essentially invent their own lifestyle. Most half-orcs seldom encounter other half-orcs, so the only guide they have for how to live a half-orc lifestyle is the often cruel stereotype maintained by Humans or Orcs. Whether a half-orc lives among Humans, among Orcs, or alone, certain innate likes and dislikes arise within the individual. A half-orc’s harsh upbringing encourages and feeds these instinctive attitudes.

Many half-orcs have a lifestyle dominated by the desires to survive and to stay free of entanglements with the societies that spurned them. They grow up defending themselves from bullies and graduate to becoming bullies themselves. This sort of life leaves little time for introspection or relaxation. Half-orcs are creatures of action, partially because everyone expects this trait of them. They are considered too stupid to think things through, too dumb to plan, and as a result most half-orcs into this belief, charging into situations rather than considering their actions before carrying them out. Half-orcs are raised believing that their size and strength (relative to Humans) are their greatest assets, and so they seek out activities that focus on these features. When they are not out adventuring, most half-orcs hunt, engage in physical training, or practice with weapons.

Leisure

Half-orcs enjoy the simple pleasures of life. They like drinking, eating, carousing, singing boisterous songs, and getting into an occasional scrap that allows them to test their mettle.

  Loud music, dangerous brawls, and copious quantities of alcohol have the same effect on a half-orc: They enable him to momentarily lose himself in sensation and forget the pain and cruelty of his existence. When a half-orc is beating a drum with all his might or smashing a skeleton to bits, he isn’t thinking about his heritage or his place in society. He is entirely caught up in the moment and oblivious to everything else because it’s irrelevant.

 Because physical acts provide such visceral sensations, half-orcs fi nd great joy in running, wrestling, and tests of strength, especially when competing against others. Even half-orcs who have controlled their violent behavior still show signs of aggression and are at least moderately competitive. When they get caught up in the moment during some form of intense physical activity, many half-orcs lack the common sense to know when enough is enough. They either push themselves to such an extent that they get sick or injured, or they injure someone else.

Arts and Crafts

Half-orcs have little understanding of creative endeavors and cannot comprehend what others see in paintings, sculptures, and certain forms of music. Still, half-orcs do revel in the beat of primitive music and the display of crude imagery—the savageness of such “art forms” appeals to their Orc blood.

 When half-orcs enjoy art, it’s almost always as a recipient and not as a creator. In their formative years, half-orcs are more often handed swords instead of paint brushes and shields instead of woodcarving tools. Nevertheless, some half-orcs do pick up a brush or a trowel or a chisel and teach themselves to create works of beauty. Most members of the race are content to admire such works, and occasionally to buy them with the money they earn from selling their fighting talents. Half-orcs are particularly fond of art that illustrates idyllic landscapes, because these works provide a window into a world they could never enter otherwise.

Technology & Magic

Half-orcs are rarely taught to read and write, and even fewer learn advanced subjects. As a result, many technical trades are beyond them, and few would believe that a half-orc could be an inventor or an engineer. Half-orcs are relatively cunning, however, and can often see the practical elements in a new device—or the flaws that only someone closely connected to the real world would notice.

 Half-orcs have no problems using devices, and most are willing to try new types of equipment. Their own lives have shown them that appearance is not always a key indicator of quality, and they keep an open mind about new ideas and new tools. But they are users, not creators, of these ideas and tools.

 This “user, not creator” tendency extends to magic as well. Few half-orcs study magic, in part because most spellcasters and many churches refuse to consider them for admission as students. Nevertheless, half-orcs have no innate objection to magic; most are willing to work with spellcasters, fight for them, and use the magic items they create. Half-orc spellcasters are few and far between, but those few are highly respected, for they bring a determination and a resilience to the use of magic that few others can match. Other wizards automatically take a half-Orc spellcaster seriously—if she’s capable enough to overcome the inherent disadvantages of her race, she’s capable enough to worry about.

 Strangers often assume that the relative stupidity of half-orcs causes them to reject technology and magic. This assumption is unfair and untrue. Halforcs are not bright compared to their human kin, but they can think circles around their orc relatives. A few rare half-orcs prove to be quite intelligent and even studious, if given a chance to show what they can do. 

Half-orcs are expected to excel at combat, and many do. Their size and strength give them an inherent advantage over a large number of foes, and many learn to channel their childhood rage into a battlefield frenzy, becoming deadly opponents. Of course, no one expects them to care about strategy, and as a result most half-orcs serve merely as foot soldiers and shock troops, to be sent here and there across the battlefield as the situation warrants.

 Half-orcs are more cunning than many people realize, and their experience with pain and hardship provides them with insight into the ways of armies and soldiers. Half-orcs make excellent scouts, because they can cover distances with good speed and can dispatch any enemy soldiers they encounter along the way. Because half-orcs have darkvision, they are particularly good at nighttime scouting and reconnoitering.

Discussing half-orc society is difficult, because few such societies exist. Half-orcs rarely encounter one another, and they almost never gather in numbers greater than what a single mobile encampment can accommodate. Particularly at a young age, some halforcs assume that they are the only creatures of their kind, and they consider themselves "a c c i d e n t s" of breeding rather than members of a distinct race. Most halforcs grow up either in a Human community or in an Orc tribe. They adopt the attitudes and interests of that culture, even though they’re often ostracized by that culture at the same time. Therein lies part of the reason why half-orcs do not form their own communities. They are taught from birth that they do not belong anywhere or with anyone, and that they can never fit in. Thus, they assume that they have no real place in the world, and that no one else could possibly want to live near them.

 In Human communities, halforcs are treated as the ugly children, the bastards, and the idiots. They receive abuse every day; they are tolerated only for their parents’ sake, and, when they get older, because of their strength. Every day a half-orc among humans hears about how Orcs are filthy creatures—considered as nothing more than animals that walk upright—and is told that he should try to conceal that portion of his heritage. 

 Orcs raise half-orc children to believe that humanity is weak and decadent, and that a half-orc must be strong to overcome these vulnerabilities in himself. Half-orcs in an Orc tribe get insulted and abused just as severely as those in a Human community, but the Orcs justify this treatment as a way to make half-orcs stronger and tougher. Orc tribes discourages half-orcs from engaging in original thought, urging them to lose themselves in the tribal mentality. If this indoctrination is successful, a young half-orc regards himself as a true orc trapped in a half-orc body.

Half-orcs say they aren’t looking for a home or for friends. Only when one befriends others and grows fond of a place—usually against the half-orc’s better judgment—does he realize what a treasure friendship is. Even then, a halforc is loath to admit such feelings and reluctant to let his guard down.

  Adventurers are a half-orc’s most likely candidates for companionship. Many who follow the path of the adventurer have seen things far stranger and uglier than a half-orc, who to them is merely a person who happens to be larger and coarser than the average human. Many half-orcs stick with an adventuring lifestyle despite the dangers—not to win fame and fortune (though that is also a goal), but because adventurers treat them as equals and speak to them without fear.

 Older half-orcs often settle in trading towns and other places where adventurers gather. Many become bouncers for taverns, a job for which their size and strength is useful. Some retired half-orc adventurers establish inns and watering holes of their own, using their fearsome appearance and adventuring reputation to attract business from residents and travelers alike.

 Half-orcs value friendship and respect more than members of any other race, because they experience both so rarely. A typical half-orc will do anything for his friends, and will help them without question. But gaining a half-orc’s trust is difficult, even for his friends—years of enduring insults have taught half-orcs to be cautious toward other folk and to expect harsh words instead of kind ones.

 Nor do half-orcs fawn over people to win respect. They know from experience that such methods foster only false, transitory approval at best. Instead, most half-orcs act naturally, warn annoying people away, and wait to see whether anyone can accept them as they are.

Half-orcs live their lives surrounded by members of other races. They rarely see other half-orcs, but they usually live among Humans, Orcs, some rarer instances with a certain Halfling town, and often interact with Dwarfs, Elves, Halflings, and Gnomes.

 In their own hostile way, half-orcs raised by Humans are often more tolerant toward other races than anyone else in the community—tolerant in the sense that they’re just as rude to Elves and Dwarves as they are to Humans. Such individuals also have firsthand experience in being hated for being different, so they are less likely to scorn other outcasts.

 Half-orcs raised by Orcs are the opposite. They learn to hate anyone who is not an Orc, and to despise Dwarves and Elves in particular. The sections that follow deal primarily with half-orcs who were raised among Humans.

Dwarfs: Half-orcs think that Dwarves would be funny if they weren’t so dangerous. These short, stout creatures are so serious, so judgmental, and so task-oriented, yet they can drink for days and sit up singing songs for nights on end. Half-orcs respect Dwarves for their strength, and admire their skill with both weapons and stone, but they think Dwarves should learn to relax a little. Still, Dwarves make good companions, because they always keep their word and they’re good in a fight. These two elements sometimes unite Dwarves and half-orcs, and members of the two races can be surprisingly staunch companions.

Elves: Every half-orc knows that the elves look down upon him, and every half-orc offers seething resentment in return for the Elves’ contempt.

Gnomes: Gnomes and half-orcs have little in common. One race is small, quick, and clever; the other is large, strong, and not interested in devices or magic. But both races don’t appreciate Humans, Elves, and Dwarves who dismiss them as unimportant, so there’s at least a little common ground.

 Halflings: Of all the common races, Halflings have the least in common with half-orcs. To a half-orc, a Halfling is essentially a Human but on a smaller scale—possessing the intelligence and quick-witted cruelty of Humans, but not the Humans’ size and strength. Halflings see half-orcs as the embodiment of everything big and brutish about Humans. The two races do not get along, and half-orcs and Humans spend as little time together as possible.

Goliath:  Most half-orcs have never met a goliath and do not know this reclusive race exists. Those who do travel into the mountains, however, often come to respect these “stony” creatures. In turn, Goliaths who meet half-orcs are surprised to find that the half-orcs show more respect toward nature than some other races and live more closely tied to the earth and to their instincts. Half-orc barbarians who live near a tribe of Goliath barbarians are often welcome guests who visit, hunt, and trade regularly with the tribe.

Half-Elf: Half-orcs envy Half-Elves, sometimes to the point of hatred. They see Half-Elves as people who should be their compatriots, being half-Human as they are—but their other half is Elf, lending them grace and beauty while halforcs suffer from social ineptness. Half-Elves are usually accepted by members of both of their parent races, while half-orcs have to struggle to be accepted by even one of theirs. Most Half-Elves dislike half-orcs, or at least feel uncomfortable around them, perhaps because seeing them reminds Half-Elves how easy their own lives have been, and how much they have taken for granted.

Humans: As a general rule, half-orcs grow up among Humans and spend most of their time with them. Even so, most Humans see half-orcs as representatives of something incomplete or corrupted, and thus they never get past that broad assumption to an appreciation of the individual. As a consequence, half-orcs are wary around Humans—they know from long experience how nasty these people can be

Keep in mind that the above sections only describe half-orcs who were raised by humans. A typical half-orc raised by orcs would hate elves and Dwarves, distrust Humans, and consider Gnomes and halflings obnoxious creatures good only for sport, torture, and food.

Half-Orc History & Folklore

Half-orcs think they alone suffer their sad fate, and few realize they have kindred in type if not in actual blood. Thus, half-orcs have no organized history and no folklore, because the race is not cohesive as other races are. Half-orcs simply don’t have the town squares, wandering minstrels, and smoky campfires required to sustain an oral tradition. A half-orc typically considers himself either Human or Orc in heritage, and takes his history and folklore from that parent race.

Half-Orc Language

Half-orcs have no language of their own. Instead, each learns the language of his home community—Common in a Human settlement or Orc in an Orc tribe. Most Orc encampments speak some Common as well, in order to trade with others and to eavesdrop on them, so half-orcs who live with Orcs often speak both tongues. Because of their lower tusks, however, half-orcs speak Common with difficulty, slurring words together. To compensate, many choose to speak slowly when talking in Common, but this only reinforces the stereotype that half-orcs are slow and stupid.

 Few half-orcs learn to read and write. Orcs have little use for literacy, and humans see no point in trying to teach half-orc children a capability they will probably never need and might be too dumb to learn.

 Half-orcs who travel the world are often astounded to discover that most languages have written forms. Some eagerly study writing after they have seen it used, becoming proficient enough to read signs, maps, and menus and to write their own name and simple statements. Some half-Orcs also learn other languages, astounding Humans with their proficiency in Glav, Dwarvish, Giantish, and Ghukliak. Few half-orcs master Unknown, because that language is too musical for their harsh voices—and because half-orcs have little to say to Elves anyway.

Half-Orc Settlements

Half-orcs, when they do settle down, usually find themselves either in human towns or in Orc villages. Most other races do not accept their presence. Even if a half-orc gains acceptance from a Halfling or an Elf or a Dwarf, the friend’s family and neighbors often will not share this feeling. Many half-orcs avoid the problem altogether by making their homes in forests or on mountaintops, well away from other folk. They hunt, fish, and farm for their food, trekking into the nearest village infrequently for supplies and news.

 Half-orcs often account for a small percentage of the population in a large Human city. Humans are the only major race, aside from Orcs, that accepts half-orcs at all, and residents of large cities are more tolerant of different attitudes and appearances than those who live in small towns. In a city, a half-orc can lose himself in the crowd, and he may not even be the largest, strongest, and most brutish person around. Cities also provide excellent employment opportunities, and half-orcs in urban environments have little trouble finding jobs as bodyguards, bouncers, laborers, or mercenaries.