PDA

View Full Version : 1/2 Dwarf & 1/2 Orc



geek_2049
2005-08-10, 05:09 AM
I am trying to get my DM to let me play the offspring of a Dwarf and an Orc. I will call it a Dork.

Backstory: Drunken barndance of 3648 OLG, some Orcs crashed the party. Between a dare, a bet, and too much booze, soon to be daddy dwarf and mommy Orc, well one thing led to another and...
Since it was more of a passion thing the Dork's parents did not stay together, but rather had split custody. Every Orcish raid the Dork's mother would pick her/him up, then the next raid she would drop her/him off with the father. The Dork would would be alienated from both Orcs and Dwarfs, since they stereotypically hate each other and with a -4 Cha he/she could not convince his/her own reflection to like him/her. Eventually because of the Dork the two tribes could stop warring and become more tolerant of each other after a genocidal custody battle.

What does anyone think? What would be the specifics?

Umael
2005-08-10, 09:39 AM
What does anyone think? What would be the specifics?

I think I need to wash my eyes now with bleach, and maybe call the nice men in the clean white coats for your sake.

I think I will address one specific... Dork?

Unless the "race" is meant for humor, then, of course, I would understand...

TSGames
2005-08-10, 09:49 AM
Umael, lighten up. I do beelieve that the whole thing is meant to be humorous. It is very funny, extremely unrealistic, but still very funny. I have only one question although:What is the Dork's total ability modifiers?

Dalcassius
2005-08-10, 09:54 AM
Shot in the dark (go dark vision!) +2 str, +2 con, -2 int, -4 cha. All in all, I call it balanced. If for humour I think this is great.

prufock
2005-08-10, 12:48 PM
Shot in the dark (go dark vision!) +2 str, +2 con, -2 int, -4 cha. All in all, I call it balanced. If for humour I think this is great.

Orc Blood and Dwarf Blood.
Favoured Class: Barbarian
Auto languages: Dwarf and Orc (no common! hahaha!)
Base speed 20 ft, can move this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armour or carrying medium or light load.
+1 to notice unusual stonework, but no Auto check in 10 ft.
Pick one of Urgrosh or Dwarven Waraxe as a martial weapon.
Stability +2
+1 vs poison
+1 vs spells
+1 appraise stone or metal
+1 craft stone or metal
Basically, half of everything from each race (I didn't include the bonus vs Orcs or Giants).

Frojoe21
2005-08-10, 01:02 PM
(I didn't include the bonus vs Orcs or Giants).

Yeah, he would have a +2 on beating himself up.

SabreGuy
2005-08-10, 01:07 PM
HA! I love it. I am going to have to incorporate a Dork in to my campaign. I think I'll make him... mentally challenged.

I think your DM should let you bring one in, as long as you can provide ballanced stats.

stainboy
2005-08-10, 04:52 PM
That +2 on beating himself up needs to stay. If there's any creature that could justify that kind of self-hatred, it's this miscreant.

Premier
2005-08-10, 05:51 PM
The lack of Common as a starting language makes absolutely no sense. Since this character would be an outcast from both orc and dwarven society, he would need to make a living in the big wide world and pick up Common SOONER than any pure orc or dwarf, if anything.

Leperflesh
2005-08-10, 07:39 PM
I love it. Each parent, in an effort to indoctrinate their child against the hated other parent and try to make them only feel at home among "their" people, insisted upon only interacting using their racial language. (Custody battles can be really, really ugly.) The PC can of course spend skill points to pick up Common quite easily, assuming he or she gets any.

I prefer the name 'Orf' to 'Dork', just because this poor schlub doesn't strike me as being particularly dorky.

Here's some added detail:
-the bonus for fighting orcs and giants should be changed to fighting orcs and dwarves. The child has grown up getting into scraps with siblings and peers in both communities, so he's learned all the good dwarven and orcish physical vulnerabilities.
-I don't like Barbarian as favored class... it makes sense for orcish-side, but not dwarf-side. I think the fellow's favored class should be either Ranger or Rogue. Ranger because he'd be a loner, most comfortable away from any other people, and accustomed to travel. Rogue becuase he'd be accustomed to trying to avoid attention, sneaking around in the shadows so nobody will start throwing rocks at him. Maybe say he gets both Barbarian and one other class as favored class?

As a DM, if a player asked to play this build in my campaign, I'd agree with it, provided the player took his roleplay opportunities seriously (e.g., didn't just use it as an excuse to destroy the party or annoy everyone).

-Lep

Leperflesh
2005-08-10, 07:44 PM
Oh yeah, and that -4 CHA could be a problem. Normally, all PCs have a minimum CHA of 3, except half-orcs and ( I guess in 3.5?) dwarves, who could get down to 1 with the -2 adjustment. If a player rolled a 3 or 4 for CHA, they could wind up with a CHA of 0 or -1. How would you handle that??
-Lep

Caelestion
2005-08-10, 08:03 PM
Simple - by requiring a minimum stat of 10 in their Charisma, ensuring a minimum Cha of 6.

Cael.

Umael
2005-08-10, 08:57 PM
Actually, you can solve the lower CHA issue by Table 2-5: Monster PCs' Ability Scores in the DMG 3.0 (pg 23). I do not know if there is an equavelent in DMG 3.5, what Table it would be, or the page number.

That table lists how creatures with an average ability score less than 10 would have their ability scores converted based on the "die roll."

Alebeard_Thunderax
2005-08-13, 10:30 PM
I love the idea, I have even tinkered with the idea of Dwelves myself.

As far as stats I would tone the modifiers a bit as they don't really have the characteristics of either race i.e. no +2s or -2s
str +1
con +1
int -1

The charisma is a bit more complicated than simply adding the modifiers though. The dwarven charisma drop comes from their sullen disposition rather than any particularly unpleasant features. Only the Orc blood lowers charisma due to ugliness. So I give the Dork cha -2 or -3 at a stretch for balance issues.

As far as the dwarven racial skills, I think those are mostly learned skills not inherent abilities, so unless the Dork was raised by willing dwarven parents they should be absent.

To replace these skills I think it should be based on character background (if you're already going to the trouble of making a race why not make it needlessly complicated). There would be three possible scenarios.
1. For those raised by Dwarves they should retain the Dwarven skills. It is concievable that the dwarven parent would take them in for honors sake, and in doing so expose them to the dwarven knowlege. Language Dwarven
2.For those raised by Orcs the harrasment they would recieve would give them combat bonuses agains orcs. Perhaps they would also have some hide type bonuses to avoid persecution by other orcs. Language Orc
3.Outcasts would have intense hatred of both dwarves and orcs. Combat bonuses against both due to this rage. They would also have to be very versatile to survive. This would grant them a small skill point bonus, not as much as humans perhaps +2 a level. Language Common

Also perhaps the name Dwork would be more appropriate.