Half-orc
Encyclopedia
The half-orc is a creature born to mixed orc
and human
parentage in the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
. The half-orc is a playable race for D&D player character
s. Half-orcs are typically born in wild frontiers where human and orc tribes come into contact. Half-orcs are between six and seven feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. Half-orcs have greenish skin, jutting jaws, prominent teeth and coarse body hair.
The half-orc appeared in The Lord of the Rings
by J. R. R. Tolkien
. In Tolkien's Middle-earth
, the half-orcs were the creation of the wizard Saruman
and bore several similarities to Sauron
's Uruk-hai
(greater Orcs) but appearing more man-like, with sallow skin and squinty eyes.
A number of half-orc varieties appeared in Dragon
#44 (December 1980), including the orc-bugbear
, the orc-gnoll
, the orc-goblin
, the orc-hobgoblin
, the orc-kobold
, and the orc-ogre
.
The mythology and attitudes of the half-orc are described in detail in Dragon
#62 (June 1982), in Roger E. Moore
's article, "The Half-Orc Point of View."
The half-orc is detailed as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids
(1993). The half-orc is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
(1995).
The half-orc appears as a player character race for the Greyhawk
campaign setting
in the Player's Guide to Greyhawk (1998).
The half-orc is presented as a player character race for the Forgotten Realms
setting in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
(2001), and also appears in Races of Faerûn (2003).
The gheden half-orc appears in Dragon #313 (November 2003).
The aquatic half-orc, the arctic half-orc, the desert half-orc, the jungle half-orc, the half-orc paragon, and the water half-orc were all introduced in Unearthed Arcana
(2004). The scabland half-orc was introduced in Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (2005). The half-orc infiltrator appears in the Monster Manual IV (2006). The frostblood half-orcs appear in Dragon Magic (2006).
Player's Guide.
Half-orcs are playable characters in the Players Handbook 2.
The half-orc appeared in the Monster Manual 2 (2009).
Half-orc characters receive a +2 modifier to strength and -2 modifiers to intelligence and charisma ability scores. Half-orcs have darkvision up to 60 feet. They have orc blood and are susceptible to special effects that affect orcs, such as the orc's light sensitivity. They can use orc-only items. All half-orcs speak common and orc; they may also speak Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Abyssal, and, in the rare cases of half-orcs with high intelligence, the languages of their allies or rivals. The orc language has no alphabet and uses Dwarven script. Orc writing is found most often in graffiti.
The half-orc's favored character class is the barbarian
. The half-orc personality tends to be short tempered, sullen, and prone to action rather than thought. Half-orcs prefer simple pleasures: feasting, singing, wrestling and wild dancing. They have no interest in refined pursuits such as high art and philosophy. Half-orcs tend towards chaotic alignment
s, but have no clear preference towards good or evil. Half-orcs raised and living among orcs are more likely to be evil.
and dwarves
, due to racial enmity between orcs and these races. It's not to say that it's impossible for a half-orc to find camaraderie with an elf or a dwarf, however; dwarves in particular are willing to befriend half-orcs who have proven themselves worthy of a dwarf's trust. Half-elves tend to be sympathetic toward half-orcs, knowing the hardships of being an outcast from both of their parent races. Halflings and gnomes are generally accepting of half-orcs and happily interact with them. Half-orcs adopt different attitudes to gain acceptance from those who are wary of their orcish heritage. Some are reserved, some demonstrate public virtue, while others force acceptance through physical intimidation. Half-orcs living among humans may choose human names in order to fit in, or orcish names to intimidate others.
Half-orcs have no native lands; they most often live among orcs. When not living among orc tribes, half-orcs almost always live in human lands, as humans are more accepting of half-orcs than other races.
Many half-orcs worship Gruumsh
, the chief orcish deity. Half-orc barbarians may worship Gruumsh as a war god even if they are not evil aligned. Half-orcs who identify with their human heritage follow human deities, and may engage in outspoken displays of piety to gain acceptance and solidify their bond to humans. In 4th edition, half-orcs may also choose to worship Kord, as they believe they may have been created by Kord, to be the "perfect" warrior race.
Half-orcs are frequently rejected by civilized society. They are drawn to violent careers suitable to their temperament and physical strength. They often find companionship among adventurers, many of whom are fellow wanderers and outsiders.
Half-orc characters often have characteristics of an anti-hero
.
Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
and human
Human (Dungeons & Dragons)
Humans are a race available for player characters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Although short-lived by comparison, humans are the most populous of all Dungeons & Dragons races. They are renowned for their diversity and ambition, and although they lack specializations like...
parentage in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. The half-orc is a playable race for D&D player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s. Half-orcs are typically born in wild frontiers where human and orc tribes come into contact. Half-orcs are between six and seven feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. Half-orcs have greenish skin, jutting jaws, prominent teeth and coarse body hair.
The half-orc appeared in The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
by J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
. In Tolkien's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, the half-orcs were the creation of the wizard Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
and bore several similarities to Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
's Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai
The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
(greater Orcs) but appearing more man-like, with sallow skin and squinty eyes.
Publication history
Half-orcs have been a part of Dungeons & Dragons since the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. However, in second edition the half-orc was no longer a standard player character race, and half-orcs were largely removed from the basic rules, as part of a wide attempt by TSR to remove controversial topics from D&D (as part of the same move, demons and devils were renamed tanar'ri and baatezu, respectively, among other changes). With Wizards of the Coast's takeover of D&D and the release of 3rd Edition, half-orcs were reintroduced into the series. Although they did not appear in the first core rulebooks for the 4th edition of the game, they were introduced in the Players Handbook 2 released on March 17, 2009.Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The half-orc was introduced in the first edition Player's Handbook (1978) as a player character race.A number of half-orc varieties appeared in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#44 (December 1980), including the orc-bugbear
Bugbear (Dungeons & Dragons)
The bugbear is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.A bugbear is depicted as a massive humanoid distantly related to goblins and hobgoblins...
, the orc-gnoll
Gnoll
A gnoll or gnole is a fictional humanoid creature - a cross between a gnome and a troll. They first appeared in Lord Dunsany's story in The Book of Wonder: How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art upon the Gnoles and subsequently reappeared in Margaret St. Clair's, The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles...
, the orc-goblin
Goblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a very common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins and Kobolds are commonly non-human monsters that low-level player characters will face in combat. In D&D, goblins aren't smaller cousins of orcs, but are a part of...
, the orc-hobgoblin
Hobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, hobgoblins are a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing form of goblins. They are smaller and weaker than bugbears, but better organized. Hobgoblins are humanoids that stand nearly 6'6" tall on average, a little taller than orcs...
, the orc-kobold
Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
, and the orc-ogre
Ogre (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities...
.
The mythology and attitudes of the half-orc are described in detail in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#62 (June 1982), in Roger E. Moore
Roger E. Moore
Roger E. Moore is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of Dragon magazine, and was the founding editor of Dungeon magazine.-Early life:...
's article, "The Half-Orc Point of View."
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The half-orc appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).The half-orc is detailed as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids
Complete Book of Humanoids
The Complete Book of Humanoids is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was written by Bill Slavicsek for TSR, in 1993....
(1993). The half-orc is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers is a supplemental sourcebook to the core rules of the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. This 192-page book was published by TSR, Inc. in 1995. The book was designed by Douglas Niles and Dale Donovan...
(1995).
The half-orc appears as a player character race for the Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
in the Player's Guide to Greyhawk (1998).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The half-orc appears in the Player's Handbook for this edition as a player character race (2000). The half-orc also appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).The half-orc is presented as a player character race for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
setting in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting is a role-playing game sourcebook first published in 1987, detailing the Forgotten Realms setting, containing information on characters, locations, and history as well as setting-specific rules for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
(2001), and also appears in Races of Faerûn (2003).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The half-orc appears in the revised Player's Handbook as a player character race (2003). The half-orc appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).The gheden half-orc appears in Dragon #313 (November 2003).
The aquatic half-orc, the arctic half-orc, the desert half-orc, the jungle half-orc, the half-orc paragon, and the water half-orc were all introduced in Unearthed Arcana
Unearthed Arcana
Unearthed Arcana is the title shared by two hardback books published for different editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(2004). The scabland half-orc was introduced in Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (2005). The half-orc infiltrator appears in the Monster Manual IV (2006). The frostblood half-orcs appear in Dragon Magic (2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
Half-orcs make their first appearance in the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
Player's Guide.
Half-orcs are playable characters in the Players Handbook 2.
The half-orc appeared in the Monster Manual 2 (2009).
Traits
In 3rd Edition and 3.5e Half-orcs have the following traits.Half-orc characters receive a +2 modifier to strength and -2 modifiers to intelligence and charisma ability scores. Half-orcs have darkvision up to 60 feet. They have orc blood and are susceptible to special effects that affect orcs, such as the orc's light sensitivity. They can use orc-only items. All half-orcs speak common and orc; they may also speak Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Abyssal, and, in the rare cases of half-orcs with high intelligence, the languages of their allies or rivals. The orc language has no alphabet and uses Dwarven script. Orc writing is found most often in graffiti.
The half-orc's favored character class is the barbarian
Barbarian (Dungeons & Dragons)
The barbarian is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Creative origins:The barbarian is based on Robert E...
. The half-orc personality tends to be short tempered, sullen, and prone to action rather than thought. Half-orcs prefer simple pleasures: feasting, singing, wrestling and wild dancing. They have no interest in refined pursuits such as high art and philosophy. Half-orcs tend towards chaotic alignment
Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of people, creatures and societies....
s, but have no clear preference towards good or evil. Half-orcs raised and living among orcs are more likely to be evil.
Culture
Due to their orcish blood, half-orcs are on poor terms with some of the other races. Relations are particularly troubled with elvesElf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
and dwarves
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
, due to racial enmity between orcs and these races. It's not to say that it's impossible for a half-orc to find camaraderie with an elf or a dwarf, however; dwarves in particular are willing to befriend half-orcs who have proven themselves worthy of a dwarf's trust. Half-elves tend to be sympathetic toward half-orcs, knowing the hardships of being an outcast from both of their parent races. Halflings and gnomes are generally accepting of half-orcs and happily interact with them. Half-orcs adopt different attitudes to gain acceptance from those who are wary of their orcish heritage. Some are reserved, some demonstrate public virtue, while others force acceptance through physical intimidation. Half-orcs living among humans may choose human names in order to fit in, or orcish names to intimidate others.
Half-orcs have no native lands; they most often live among orcs. When not living among orc tribes, half-orcs almost always live in human lands, as humans are more accepting of half-orcs than other races.
Many half-orcs worship Gruumsh
Gruumsh
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Gruumsh, also known as Gruumsh One-Eye, is the patron deity of orcs, who regard him as the god of Conquest, Survival, Strength, and Territory. He is also considered a member of the default D&D pantheon of deities...
, the chief orcish deity. Half-orc barbarians may worship Gruumsh as a war god even if they are not evil aligned. Half-orcs who identify with their human heritage follow human deities, and may engage in outspoken displays of piety to gain acceptance and solidify their bond to humans. In 4th edition, half-orcs may also choose to worship Kord, as they believe they may have been created by Kord, to be the "perfect" warrior race.
Half-orcs are frequently rejected by civilized society. They are drawn to violent careers suitable to their temperament and physical strength. They often find companionship among adventurers, many of whom are fellow wanderers and outsiders.
Roleplaying
Half-orcs are usually portrayed as indefinite outsiders, being too contemplative and thoughtful to exist well in orcish society but far too wild and short-tempered to live amongst humans, forcing them into adventuring.Half-orc characters often have characteristics of an anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
.