Homebrew Elf-Orc ( Wood Elf Descent ) Species Details

The elf-orcs are a people that not only struggle with others, but also conflict with themselves. The whispers of the orc god Gruumsh do not directly reach their minds, kept at bay by their fey ancestry, yet his influence still burns in each and every elf-orc. It’s this influence with amplifies their already chaotic tendencies, a gift also of their elf blood, and sees them act on instinct—unpredictable but often reckless, with little regard for law and order. It drives them to violence, and only the fine control granted by their elven heritage allows them to—mostly—rein in these urges.

Likewise, their elf blood steers them toward doing good—a task made difficult by the fact that they are widely shunned, along with their vicious cravings and aloof nature. These often futile desires commonly lead to frustration, and see more elf-orcs maintain a neutral or evil alignment than any form of good.

Misunderstood by their parents and almost every other race, including other part-orc people, elf-orcs feel most at ease among tieflings who know what is to be scorned by the masses. The few elf-orcs in existence often find a home among the slums of human cities or wander the lands as lone drifters. Those with power who come to accept elf-orcs find them to be both capable and efficient, often employing them as personal bodyguards, lethal assassins, bounty hunters or shock troops.

PHYSIQUE

Strong, agile and utterly unpredictable, an elf-orc is formidable yet despised by both their parent races. Those born to elven mothers are sometimes raised in secret, or taken to human lands and raised there instead. Those born to orc mothers aren’t usually allowed to live. The loathing between these races cuts to the very core of their being, and the rare child sired between them is condemned to the life of an outcast.

Elf-orcs are blessed with the beauty of elves, marred only by jutting jaws, prominent teeth and a slight hunch to their build. Elf-orcs stand between 6 to 7 feet tall yet lack the broad, bulky bodies of their orc parent, instead having slim builds with their natural muscle wrapped tightly beneath the flesh. Their skin tones tend to reflect that of their elven parent tinged with a grayish, dulling hint.

There is an almost elegant quality to their purposeful movements, reminiscent of lion or tiger—powerful, yet precise and fluid. Elf-orcs are not as strong as full orcs, nor as agile as pure elves, they instead embody a near-perfect balance between might and speed. They are impulsive and erratic, making them all but impossible to anticipate in battle; a trait which earns the respect of some of their parent races, if not their acceptance.

Elf-orcs are taller than humans but just as slim, ranging from 6 to 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

SOCIETY

Some Elf Orcs can make a name for themselves as bodyguards and mercenaries in Elven society, however, they are relatively few and far between as they are mostly ostracized as abominations.

In Orc tribes the Elf Orcs are ironically better accepted than one might initially think. This is because in Orc tribes, the strong rule the weak, and the more intelligent Elf Orcs can use their cunning to make their way up to the rank of chieftain. This is more common in the Badlands where tribes of wild Elves and Orcs often commingle.

Some Elf Orcs are shunned from both societies, and instead turn to settlements of other races, such as humans and even, amusingly, Dwarves, who seem to be fairly accepting of the mixed breed that incorporates everything they respect in their two enemies with none of the pomp or savagery.

NAMING

Elf-orcs are given names fitting to where they were raised. Those raised by a reclusive elf will have an elven name, whilst one raised by an exiled orc will bear a more guttural sounding, orc name. Alternatively, like tieflings, some elf-orcs adopt a “virtue” name based on a word that they feel signifies their struggle to survive, or an important goal to them.

Look between elf names, orc names, and tiefling “virtue” names and choose one for your character.

Those given away to be raised by others, whether to guardians from another race, a monastery or faction order, or otherwise, could have any name relevant to those.

ALIGNMENT

Nearly all elf-orcs are wildly chaotic, inheriting traits of chaos from both sides of their parentage. Elf-Orcs can be of any alignment but they are almost always conflicted; their orc blood drives them towards violence and evil, whilst their elven heritage exerts a strong influence toward good.

Elf-Orc ( Wood Elf Descent ) Traits

The elf-orcs are a people that not only struggle with others, but also conflict with themselves.

Darkvision

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.