-
Orcs are fecund and create
many cross-breeds, most of the offspring of
such being typically orcish.
However,
some one-tenth of orc-human
mongrels
are sufficiently non-orcish to pass for human.
Complete details
of orcs and crossbreeds will
be found under the heading Orc in
AD&D,
MM.
As it
is assumed that player characters which are of half-orc race are
within
the superior 10%, they have certain advantages.
Class Options: A half-orc
character can become a cleric (maximum of 4th
level), a fighter
(max. of 10th level), a
thief
(maximum of 8th level), or an assassin.
| Ability
Score |
Cleric | Fighter | Thief | Assassin |
| 14 | 4 | 10 | 8 | U |
| 15 | 5 | 10 | 9 | U |
| 16 | 6 | 10 | 10 | U |
| 17 | 7 | 10 | 11 | U |
| 18 | 7 | 10 | 11 | U |
| 18/99 | - | 10 | - | - |
| 18/00 | - | 11 | - | - |
| 19 | 7 | 12 | 11 | U |
| 20 | 7 | 14 | 11 | U |
| 21 | 7 | 17 | 11 | U |
<revise>
ADQ: If a half-orc with a DEX of
12-14
is limited to 8th-level as a thief, why
can that same character advance up to
15th-level in the Assassin class and
thereby gain the same abilities as a 15th-level
thief? It seems that no evil half-orc
should bother being a thief, since he can
get more complete thief training as an
Assassin, plus the Assassin abilities as
well.
ADA: That assessment is correct;
a smart
evil half-orc will nearly always choose
the
Assassin path over straight thievery. The
orcish race is vicious by nature, and that
tendency is reflected in the career paths
available to half-orcs.
But life's a lot tougher
for an Assassin
than for a thief. The latter class is respected
and tolerated (or even encouraged) by
adventurers, and possibly even rulers;
the
former, however, is usually despised by
all.
(Polyhedron #31)
-
Multi-class Restrictions:
It is also possible for a half-orc character to operate in two classes
at the
same time: cleric/fighter,
cleric/thief,
cleric/assassin,
fighter/thief,
or
fighter/assassin.
When playing a multi-classed character, the half-orc
must abide by the restrictions
of the least favorable class with regard only
to armor. All earned experience
is always divided equally between the
player's two classes, even
though the character might no longer be able to
progress upwards in level
in one of the two classes. (See CHARACTER
CLASSES
for more information regarding this subject.) <>
Languages: Half-orc
characters are able to speak the "common tongue" of humanity,
their alignment language,
and orcish as well. These characters are able to
learn a max. of two additional
languages.
Half-orcs have infravision,
so that they can detect varying degrees of heat
radiation up to 60' distant
in the dark.
As has been shown before,
half-orc characters have bonuses of + 1 to both
their STR
&& CON scores initially rolled,
but they must subtract
a charisma penalty of -2.
Note that this penalty is in regard to those nonplayer
character henchmen who are
not themselves of half-orc race, so
the initial, unaltered, charisma
ability score should be recorded (cf. Dwarves).
Question: Why can’t half-orcs be raised, especially if they are 90% human as the PH says?
Answer: The PH
does not say that half-orcs are 90% human.
It says that 10% of them
(from which player characters are drawn) resemble humans enough to pass
for one under most circumstances.
Genetically, a true half-orc
is always 50% human.
Half-orcs cannot be raised
simply because they do not have souls.
I went right to the top for
the answer to this one, and according to Gary Gygax himself, “Half-orcs
cannot be raised--period.”
DMG:
Half-Orcs are
boors.
They are rude, crude,
crass, and generally obnoxious.
Because most are cowardly
they tend to be bullies and cruel to the weak,
but they
will quickly knuckle under to the stronger.
This does not mean that all
half-orcs are horrid,
only most
of them.
It neither means that they
are necessarily stupid nor incapable.
They will always seek to
gain the upper hand
and dominate
those around them so as to be able to exercise their natural tendencies;
half-orcs
are greedy too.
They can, of course, favor
their human parent more than their orcish one.
<
TRAIT \ GENERAL TENDENCIES:
cruel
TRAIT \ PERSONALITY: rude
TRAIT \ BRAVERY: cowardly
TRAIT \ MATERIALISM: greedy
>
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS:
RACIAL LIMITATIONS:
STRENGTH:
INTELLIGENCE:
WISDOM:
DEXTERITY:
CONSTITUTION:
CHARISMA:
RACISM:
STARTING AGE:
AGE CATEGORIES:
RACIAL TENDENCIES:
HEIGHT, M: 36. 01-10 (-d3), 11-90 (d100,
01-30 = -d3(/2), 31-70 = 0, 71-00 = +d3(/2)), 91-00 (+d6).
HEIGHT, F: 33. 01-10 (-d3), 11-90 (d100,
01-30 = -d3(/2), 31-70 = 0, 71-00 = +d3(/2)), 91-00 (+d3).
WEIGHT, M: 60. 01-10 (-2d4), 11-50 (d100,
01-30 = -d4, 31-70 = 0, 71-00 = +d4), 51-00 (+2d6).
WEIGHT, F: 50. 01-10 (-2d4), 11-50 (d100,
01-30 = -d4, 31-70 = 0, 71-00 = +d4), 51-00 (+2d4).
<rework those numbers>
NPC ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS:
Reduce - Reuse - Recycle
fiscused wrote:
Hi Gary! I'm always interested
in the history of D&D and other games, and this is a queation I've
always wondered about:
When you wrote the AD&D
rules, had anyone played a Gnome in your games yet?
Or a Half-Orc?
Thanks for so many hours and hours of enjoyment over the years!
Indeed, as I was drafting
the PHB, one of the group had a gnome PC.
As for half-orcs, yes to
that too, including my own half-orc cleric assassin.
The other half-orc PCs in
out party let him bite the bullet, though, because he was too likely to
become dominant.
Cheers,
Gary
Elfdart wrote:
I have a question about half-orcs:
In the description given in the PHB, it states that half-orc PCs are assumed to be from the 10% of such hybrids that can pass for humans. I always took this to mean that they looked human. However, in most (A)D&D artwork they are depicted as looking partially, if not entirely orcish (which I should think would ruin any attempt to pass for human). I understand that NPC half-orcs would look orcish, but how obvious is the orc strain supposed to be in half-orc PCs?
It is likely that a goodly
umber of the less attractive members of the human race resemble orcs in
some aspects.
however, I can not speak
for the illustrators that take liberties with what is set forth in the
game's text 
In short I don't agree with most of the depictions of half-orcs.
Cheers,
Gary
ska wrote:
Elfdart--that has always
bothered me also! As it is likely those that do not pass for human are
simply executed by the usual PC races.
While I quite concur with
Elfdat's position, one might make the case for less offensive orcs in one's
campaign world, more tolerant humans,
and so half-orcs of somewhat
brutal appearance being accepted.
As depicted and treated in
the D&D game, though, that is not likely...
Cheers,
Gary
Combat_Kyle wrote:
I must agree with you gents
on the depiction of half-orcs in most fanatsy artwork. THis picture is
really good though:
http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/n/m/nmros/half_orc.gif.html
Agreed...
Except parhaps for the jutting fangs.
That is close to the description
I have for orcs, greater and lesser included, in the Lejendary Adventure
game.
The illustration might be
of a half-oaf half-orc therein 
Cheers,
Gary
Elfdart,
In essence I concur with your handling the matter of half-orcs...and possibly applying it to half-elves as well;)
A likely template for general social reaction to such individuals can be found in the social history of the USA around 1850. A good deal of prejudicial and ethnocentric behavior there.
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vyvyan
Basterd
Hi Gary,
I'm sure you've answered this before and I have my own take on the subject, but a recent post on another forum prompted me to get your take.
Why were half-orcs included as a "core" race in 1E AD&D? Are their origins meant to be grounded in rape? If so, was this incidence common enough to warrant a complete race (with population data IIRC in the GH material)? Or was there another origin that the 1E PHB didn't go into?
Thanks!
Heh...
Who needs a rational for a
race in a fantasy game? Half-elves, half-orcs, what's the difference? Both
add choices to the game, and that is why they were included 
Cheerio,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vyvyan
Basterd
Fair enough, some people
need to rationalize and other like myself get sucked into debating them. 
I can think of many reasons why half-orcs would exist beyond the simplistic scenario presented on the aforementioned thread. Some people just get stuck with one view and try to limit choice instead of trying to make it fit. I see monks removed from many games because the "flavor" the DM has stuck in his head doesn't fit "his" campaign world.
I agree with you that greater
choice is a good thing.
Yup!
Half-orcs might well be the
result of wedlock between a strange or desperate human
and an orc.
There is no single answer
to any such question.
A DM not allowing monks
in their campaign world is fine, but it shows a narrow perspective.
Why not an enclave of immigrants
of Oriental sort producing a few such individuals?
Or even why not wandering
monks from far off.
Of course either approach
will require some considerable adjustment in regards gaing levels after
8th, but that's an easy quest to set up.
Cheers,
Gary
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS: +1 STR and CON,
-2 CHA
RACIAL LIMITATIONS:
STRENGTH: 6/18
INTELLIGENCE: 3/17
WISDOM: 3/14
DEXTERITY: 3/17
CONSTITUTION: 13/19
CHARISMA: 3/12
RACIAL PREFERENCES:
STARTING AGE: Cleric (20+1d4), Fighter
(13+1d4), Thief (20+2d4)
AGE CATEGORIES:
RACIAL TENDENCIES:
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
NPC ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS:
.jpg)
