Homebrew Aotran Half-Orc Species Details

Half-orcs exist in the borderlands of identity. Some, raised among a tightly-knit family of full-blooded orcs, see themselves as more orc than not; others, more removed from their orcish heritage, see themselves as fundamentally human, just different. Still others can allow their dual ancestries to coexist, seeing themselves as a product of both, with none more important than the other.

Because of orc culture's strong emphasis on community and family, most half-orcs end up living with their orc side of the family. When enmeshed in orcish society, half-orcs tend to share many of the same practices, traditions, and skills that orcs possess, though half-orcs are usually inferior to full-blooded orcs when it comes to physical might. Ultimately, half-orcs often find that they stand out less in orc communities than they do in human communities, as if to both societies, the orcish side of a half-orc is more significant than the human side. Different half-orcs face this perception in different ways. To some, the features of their orcish heritage—gray-toned skin, brawny builds, powerful jaws with noticeable tusks—are a source of pride because those features are ones they share with the people around them, but for others, those features only serve to mark them as inhuman.

Aotran Half-Orc Traits

Your half-orc character has certain traits deriving from your orc ancestry.

Ability Score Increase

One ability score of your choice increases by 2, and a different ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age

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

Size

Half-orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your 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.