Homebrew Crimson Orc Species Details

Crimson Lineage

Crimson orcs are a subtype of orc which first emerged during their invasion of human territory. They are a rare type of orc which are said to have originated from Murach'ght, he was a particularly ferocious warrior who took great pride in battle, after a fight, he would often be seen coating himself in the blood of his enemies and he would eat the wounded survivors of the battles alive. rumours of this great red orc spread across the land and struck fear into the humans across the forgotten realms. Gruumsh found Murach'ght to be his favourite warrior, no other orc fought with his amount of ferocity or bravery even in situations where death was almost certain. Over time Murach'ght became so confident he would be seen doffing his armour in battle to reveal his blood-covered body before entering a state of rage. One fight was particularly brutal and Murach'ght was able to fight in such a primal and brutal way he was barely even in control of his own body, his consciousness was lifted above the battlefield and it was filled with the praise of Gruumsh as they both watched him tear through hordes of enemies. After this fight he felt truly at one with his god, his skin retained the crimson pigment of his own blood and the blood of his enemies. This was the blessing of Gruumsh. His red skin was passed down through generations of crimson orc and each of his bloodline become fearless warriors who crave a warriors death and epic bloodshed.

Crimson orcs are considered vicious killers even amongst other breeds of orcs. Distrusted in times of peace, their savage warriors are sought out in times of war for their brutality and ferocity. Crimson orc bands decorate their standards and shields with the scalps and severed heads of opponents and are known to drink flagons of putrid blood before entering battle. Crimson orcs always fight to the death, take few prisoners, and offer no quarter to their foes. Blood orcs have a special hatred for black orcs whom they see as traitors to the orcish god.

Scarred and Strong

Crimson orcs’ red pigmentation, sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see. Crimson orcs stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and usually weigh between 300 and 400 pounds.

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

The Mark of Gruumsh

The one-eyed god Gruumsh created the orcs, and even those orcs who turn away from his worship can’t fully escape his influence. Crimson orcs 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. Crimson orcs are not evil by nature, but evil does lurk within them, whether they embrace it or rebel against it.

Beyond the rage of Gruumsh, Crimson orcs 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 Crimson orcs are those with enough self-control to get by in a civilized land.

Tribes and Slums

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

Crimson Orc Names

Crimson-orcs usually have names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. A Crimson-orc who wants to fit in among humans might trade an orc name for a human name. Some Crimson-orcs with human names decide to adopt a guttural orc name because they think it makes them more intimidating.

Male Orc Names: Dench, Feng, Gell, Henk, Holg, Imsh, Keth, Krusk, Mhurren, Ront, Shump, Thokk

Female Orc Names: Baggi, Emen, Engong, Kansif, Myev, Neega, Ovak, Ownka, Shautha, Sutha, Vola, Volen, Yevelda

GRUDGING ACCEPTANCE

Each Crimson-orc finds a way to gain acceptance from those who hate orcs. Some are reserved, trying not to draw 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.

Crimson Orc Traits

Traits deriving from your orc ancestry.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2,  your Constitution score increases by 2, and your intelligence decreases by 2

Primal Hunger

Your need for bloodshed awakens a primal hunger within you, after combat when you cut down your foes you can spend the next minute eating a humanoid corpse to gain 1d8 health.

Age

Crimson Orcs mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.

Alignment

Crimson orcs inherit a tendency toward chaos from their orc parents and are not strongly inclined toward good. Crimson orcs raised amongst other orcs and willing to live out their lives among them are usually evil.

Size

Crimson orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 7 to well over 8 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your Crimson orc 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 Orc. Orc is a harsh, grating language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script.