Orcs of the Realms

Orc

Orcs are a race of savage humanoids that have been a pest to the civilized cultures of Toril, particularly Faerun for as long as any can remember. Orcs vary in appearance, based on region and subrace, but all share certain physical qualities. Orcs of all kinds usually have grayish skin, coarse hair, stooped postures, low foreheads, and porcine faces that feature lower canines that resemble boar tusks. Many also have wolf-like ears that are pointed on the ends, similar to elves. Orcs are roughly the same size as humans. Orcs breed fast and live short lives compared with most other races.

There are 4 subraces of orcs in Faerun: the ever-raiding mountain orcs; the spiritual gray orcs; the militaristic deep orcs (also known as orogs); and the ondonti fey orcs

Mountain Orc

The orcs of the North and the Spine of the World comprise the oldest and most numerous of the various orc subraces active on Faerun. In fact, many people assume that all orcs are like the savage warmongers found in these regions, and do not indentify gray orcs or even half-orcs as seperate races.

A mountain orc is quite obviously a monstrous creature to most of the civilized folk of Faerun. Mountain orcs look vaguely like primitive humans but are a fair bit taller at seven or more feet in height; a rare few exceed eight feet in height. They have stocky, powerful necks, and their bestial heads seem to directly on their massive shoulders. Their eyes are always a deep shade of red, and their faces are dominated by porcinesnouts and large tusks. Mountain orcs often weave braids and tiny bones into their thick matted hair, which is usually black.

They believe that survival depends on conquering as much territory as possible, which makes relations with other creatures very difficult. Mountain Orcs often make their home in caves but are capable of building organized cities below ground. They wear their battle scars proudly as signs of achievement.

No one knows from where mountain orcs originally came, though they appear to be non-native to either Abeir or Toril. The first legends of mountain orcs tell of the wars between their primary god Gruumsh and Corellon Larethian, the creator of the elves and eladrin. The latter two races tell of how Corellon defeated Gruumsh and took his eye, though many orcs deny this charge, though they acknowledge Gruumsh as the one-eyed god. However, in spite of this early conflict, orcs did not appear en masse until long after this. During the Days of Thunder when Abeir-Toril was yet united the first orcs were brought over to the twin worlds by the creator races, who built a portal in the Spine of the World mountain range that opened up to the home plane of the orcs. Through this portal the ancestors of the mountain orcs poured through and gradually migrated southwards.

Later, the Imaskari repeated the mistake of the creator races, opening up another portal through which the gray orcs, a variant subrace, appeared. This led to the Orcgate Wars during which Gruumsh and his allies slew most of the Untheric pantheon. Eventually the portal was closed, though the new breed of orcs remained behind.



Racial Traits:

- Ability Adjustments: +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma

- Light Sensitivity: Mountain orcs suffer a -1 penalty on attack rolls in sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

- Darkvision: Mountain Orcs have Darkvision up to 60 feet, but only in white and black.

- Orc Weapon Proficiency: Orcs train from a very young age in the use of the greataxe and longbow.

- Favored Class: Barbarian. Mountain orcs are most comfortable with the savage life of the barbarian.

- Level Adjustment +0: Mountain OrcMountain Orcsmountain orcmountain orcs

Orog

Orogs are descended from the Skullbiter Tribe of Mountain orcs who lived in the Spine of the World mountain range millenia ago. When they, along with other Mountain orcs, invaded Netheril in -3605 DR, they were cut off from their retreat route and cornered between the elven and Netherese armies. They sought refuge in a narrow cave at the end of a valley which, unbeknownst to them, led to the Underdark. They became lost but felt safe in the knowledge that they would not be followed by their enemies, delving further underground whenever they could.

Eventually they came across a veritable jungle of luminous fungi and decided to settle there. They bred in great numbers and expanded into many surrounding caverns like a virulent plague. They subjugated the creatures already living there and eventually split into a dozen different tribes, discovering rich veins of metal and ore. The collapse of the elven empires led to the orogs venturing back to the surface in large numbers, bullying their Mountain orc cousins into subservience and arming them for war with weapons made from Underdark metals.

Orogs looks similar to a large mountain orc, except that the ears are slightly larger and their eyes are huge and pale.


Racial Traits:

- Ability Adjustments: +6 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma

- Light Blindness: Orogs suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, saves, and checks in bright sunlight.

- Darkvision: Orogs have Darkvision up to 120 feet.

- Orc Weapon Proficiency: Orcs train from a very young age in the use of the greataxe and longbow.

- Natural Armor +2: The tough hide of orogs give them a natural armor +2.

- Skilled Blacksmith: +3 racial skill bonus on crafting (armor) and crafting (weapon).

- Resistances: Orogs have a cold and fire resistance of 5.

- Favored Class: Fighter. Orogs are no savages like their lesser cousines. To survive the Underdark, they adaptet a more military lifestyle and thus are born fighters.

- Level Adjustment +2: Orogs are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than other races. It will take more experience for a orog to reach level
2 than it would for normal races, for example.

Ogrillon

Ogrillons are the fierce offspring of ogres and orcs. They generally display the brutish tendencies of their larger sires, but are more cunning, violent, and prone to mutation. Ogrillons are almost obsessed in their single-minded drive for combat. An ogrillon out of combat is restless and troubled, but is often seen chuckling wickedly to itself during particularly brutal fights. Ogrillons often serve their orc kin as valued mercenaries, as often for the love of combat and destruction, as for the Blue.

Library-bound sages once speculated that ogrillons and orogs were both the result of mixed ogre-orc parentage, believing ogrillons were the issue of female orcs and male ogres, while orogs were the issue of male orcs and female ogres. This absurd notion has since been dispelled by more adventurous loremasters. Nevertheless, ogrillons are still sometimes known as orogs or as half-ogres (which while accurate is usually reserved for the unfortunate pairing of a human and ogre). Also contrary to speculation, these half-breeds are fully capable of siring offspring just as half-orcs may.

Ogrillons usually favor the coloration of their orc sires with light red eyes, grayish skin, and black hair, though a small percentage have one or more characteristics of ogres, whether purple eyes with white pupils, black teeth, yellowed skin, and/or dull, dark green hair. Most ogrillons sport at least a few visible bony protrusions or spurs on their bodies, usually around their joints including their shoulders, elbows, knuckles, hips, knees, and toes.


Racial Traits:

- Ability Adjustments: +8 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma.

- Darkvision: Ogrillons can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

- Armor, Shield & Weapon Affinity: Ogrillons are natural proficient with all simple weapons, light armors, medium armors, as well as shields, excpect tower shields.

- Monkey Grip: Due to their powerful build, ogrillons can use two-handed melee weapons one-handed.

- Natural Armor: The tough hide of ogrillons gives them a natural armor bonus of +3.

- Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass ogrillon's barbarian class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty. Ogrillons are pure adrenalin junkies and even outmatch mountain orcs in their rage.

- Level Adjustment +1: Ogrillons are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerun.