Rethinking Fantasy Races - Slaughtering Your Sacred Minotaurs
Orcs are another race that has generally changed a lot with each iteration. Their origin, as much of D&D, lies with Tolkien. They were, as far as I've read, a unique creation on Tolkien's part, but he also pretty much used orc and goblin interchangeably. Blizzard's orcs are basically green fantasy Klingons; noble warrior/primal shaman types. Then we've got the pigman orcs that somehow exist, probably as a result of other orcs' tusks and the fact that orc rhymes with pork.
Step 1: Concept
I feel like going with the popular Blizzard model is the best choice here. Powerful, combative, tribal...that all sounds good to me.
Step 2: Racial Qualities
TYPE - Humanoid (orc)
SIZE - Medium. They're buff, but they aren't 8+ feet tall.
SPEED - Normal.
ABILITIES - Okay, core orcs get +4 Strength and -2 to all mental stats. Rubbish, I say. I'm cool with dropping the +4 Strength to +2.
A penalty to all racial stats is just insulting. Just because orcs live in a tribal society doesn't mean that they aren't as mentally capable as a human. I mean, humans also live in tribal societies.
No, we're going to make the penalty just -2 Charisma. Orcs aren't exactly known for their social skills.
That leaves us with a mental bonus to hand out, and I think Wisdom is the right choice here. Orcs are hunters and survivalists.
So, +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
LANGUAGES - Standard. They'll start with Common and Orc.
Allies? Probably goblinoids, ogres, and trolls. That gives us Goblin and Giant.
Enemies? Traditionally humans, elves and dwarves. Elven and Dwarven get added.
Weird stuff? I think orcs work really well as elementalists. Maybe I'm pulling too much from Warcraft here, but having strong reverence for the elements feels good to me. We'll add Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran. That puts us over seven bonus languages, but fuck it.
That gives us Common and Orc as starting languages with Aquan, Auran, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Ignan, and Terran as bonus languages.
Step 3: Racial Traits
Alright, core orcs get the following:
Ferocity (4 RP) - This is a great ability, but it's a slightly worse form of Diehard, which we can pick up for half the RP cost. Also, I consolidated Endurance and Diehard into a single feet way back when I tinkered with mechanics.
Weapon Familiarity (2 RP) - This version of weapon familarity is actually lacking a weapon for its point cost. We'll give them something cool.
Darkvision (2 RP) - Yup.
Light Sensitivity (-1 RP) - I've honestly never understood why orcs have light sensitivity. It may just have been my gaming groups over the years, but orcs were a lot more likely to be living in swamps and deserts than in caves. /shrug
Man, orcs get shafted. Let's look at alternates.
Feral (2 RP?) - This ability starts out cool with Survival as a constant class skill and a bonus to melee attack and damage rolls at negative hit points. Then, for some reason, it takes away your automatic languages. -_- Maybe we'll keep the first half.
Smeller (6 RP!) - So, giving up 6 RP worth of traits for a half strength trait that would normally cost 4 RP? Why do they hate orcs so much? We'll just make this full Scent. It's better and cheaper.
Squalid (4 RP) - This is actually a really cool ability except it's way overcosted. I mean, Dual-Minded is 1 RP for a flat +2 to Will saves. Maybe I'll just give them a bonus to Fort saves? We'll see. Oh look, the half-orc version of this is identical, but it replaces a 2 RP ability.
Not enough abilities. Let's pull from Half-Orc.
Intimidating (2 RP) - Cool beans.
Gatecrasher (2 RP) - Way cool.
Pain Tolerance (4 RP) - DR that only works against nonlethal damage is an awesome concept. Too bad this ability is as overcosted as it is. Maybe I'll bump the nonlethal DR up to 5. Because nonlethal damage rarely happens anyway.
Scavenger (2 RP) - Nice.
Shaman's Apprentice (2 RP) - See Ferocity.
Okay, let's put this together and see what we have.
ORC
Type - Humanoid (orc) 0 RP
Size - Medium 0 RP
Base Speed - Normal 0 RP
Ability Score Modifiers - Standard (+2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma) 0 RP
Languages - Standard 0 RP
Racial Traits
Defense Racial TraitsSqualid 2 RP
Pain Tolerance 4 RP
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Intimidating 2 RP
Scavenger 2 RP
Static Bonus Feat (Endurance) 2 RP
Offense Racial Traits
Feral 2 RP
Gatecrasher 2 RP
Weapon Familiarity 2 RP
Senses Racial Traits
Darkvision 2 RP
Scent 4 RP
Weakness Racial Traits
Light Sensitivity -1 RP
That brings us to 23 RP. Let's see what we can chop down. Let's make Scavenger and Squalid alternate traits, and cut Pain Tolerance (as much as I like it) which should bring us down to 15.
That brings us to...
Orc Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Orcs are powerful hunters, but they have difficulty making a good impression. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, and -2 Charisma.
Type: Orcs are humanoids with the orc subtype
Base Speed: Orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Orcs begin play speaking Common and Orc. Orcs with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Auran, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Ignan, and Terran. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Ferocity: Orcs gain Endurance as a bonus feat.
Intimidating: Orcs gain a +2 racial bonus to Intimidate skill checks.
Offense Racial Traits
Feral: Orcs gain Survival as a class skill and gain a +1 racial bonus on melee weapon attack and damage rolls when at negative hit points.
Gatecrasher: Orcs gain a +2 racial bonus on Strength checks to break objects and on sunder combat maneuver checks.
Weapon Familiarity: Orcs are always proficient with greataxes, falchions, and scorpion whips, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
Senses Racial Traits
Darkvision: Orcs can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
Scent: Orcs gain the scent ability.
Weakness Racial Traits
Light Sensitivity: Orcs are dazzled as long as they remain in an area of bright light.
Alternate Racial Traits
Scavenger: Some orcs eke out a leaving picking over the garbage heaps of society, and must learn to separate rare finds from the inevitable dross. Orcs with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks and on Perception checks to find hidden objects (including traps and secret doors), determine whether food is spoiled, or identify a potion by taste. This racial trait replaces gatecrasher.
Squalid: Some orcs exist in surroundings so filthy and pestilent that even other orcs would have difficulty living in them. Orcs with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made to resist nausea, the sickened condition, and disease. This racial trait replaces gatecrasher.
There. Much better than core. Let me know what you think.
Until next time.
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