Half-orc alternatives

[true_shinken]

OK, in my games I got the half-elves a new racial ability - they choose one skill and they get it as a class skill for all classes forever plus they get a +2 on skill checks tied to that skill's ability score.

I want to give half-orcs a power-up as well, but I don't know what to do. Thoughts?

[dextercorvia]

Do you want it to relate to their human or orcish heritage?

[DrWeird]

Give them the same thing - only consider limiting the ability score bonus to one of the parent's racial modifiers; a half orc getting to pick either strength or con, or a half elf getting to pick int or dex.

[true_shinken]

Do you want it to relate to their human or orcish heritage?
Both, actually.
Some kind of 'combat versatility' sounds good enough.

[mootoall]

Get rid of one of the mental stat penalties (I say Cha) and give them a racial rage that stacks with uses/day of Barbarian rage?

[Dusk Eclipse]

Bonus feat related to combat?

a rage-like ability?

1 martial weapon proficiency?

those are the first things that spring to mind

[true_shinken]

Give them the same thing - only consider limiting the ability score bonus to one of the parent's racial modifiers; a half orc getting to pick either strength or con, or a half elf getting to pick int or dex.

Nah, I want it to feel unique.


Get rid of one of the mental stat penalties (I say Cha) and give them a racial rage that stacks with uses/day of Barbarian rage?
I like the idea about getting rid of the Cha penalty. But racial rage I dislike, specially since orcs don't get it. I want them to be on the border between feral and not, and rage seems too much feral for this.

[dextercorvia]

Here are some options.

Ferocious Negotiator: Half-Orcs may base the Intimidate skill off Strength instead of Charisma.

Monstrous Flurry: Half-Orcs receive the Pounce ability when fighting exclusively with Orcish weapons or unarmed strikes.

Wanderwise: Because of their travels and experience, Half-Orcs may base Knowledge skills off Wisdom instead of Intelligence.

[Kuulvheysoon]

I figure that since they're both half-human, half-elves and half-orcs also get to split the human benefits - I give half-orcs a bonus feat at first level (but they keep the -2 overall modifier), and half-elves get the skillz.

It doesn't actually increase the number of either significantly, but it leads to a half orc or two actually being PLAYED, especially in melee builds.

[Telonius]

Racial bonus to bluff checks. Half-orcs are used to being the first suspect whenever anything goes wrong. As such, they've developed a finely tuned sense of appearing innocuous (at least as innocuous as a six-foot-tall greenish monster can be).

[averagejoe]

I used to give half elves the +1 skillpoint per level that humans got, and gave horcs skill focus as a free bonus feat, my rationale, such as it were, being that the orcish nature was too feral to really allow for a varied skillset, but orcish ferocity combined with human ingenuity could give them much more focus when it came to a single task. Of course, helves got the better deal there, so I'd give the horcs something else on top of this. Along the same lines, I'd give them (a homebrewed version of) weapon focus as well.

[Greenish]

One could just remove half-orc's mental penalties altogether. +2 Str and Darkvision is decent enough, and gets the whole "weaker but brighter than a full orc, not as good a learner as a human". Not very unique though.

[Taelas]

I figure that since they're both half-human, half-elves and half-orcs also get to split the human benefits - I give half-orcs a bonus feat at first level (but they keep the -2 overall modifier), and half-elves get the skillz.

It doesn't actually increase the number of either significantly, but it leads to a half orc or two actually being PLAYED, especially in melee builds.

For flavor, perhaps make the bonus feat a fighter bonus feat.

If I were doing this, I might also remove the Int penalty.

[subject42]

I want them to be on the border between feral and not, and rage seems too much feral for this.

Give a slam attack and a racial bonus on survival checks equal to their hit die, maybe?

[true_shinken]

Give a slam attack and a racial bonus on survival checks equal to their hit die, maybe?
This sounds like a bit too much.

[Kuulvheysoon]

For flavor, perhaps make the bonus feat a fighter bonus feat.

If I were doing this, I might also remove the Int penalty.

That's... actually a really good idea. Consider it stolen.

[Thurbane]

IMHO, the Neanderthal from Frostburn is much closer mechanically to what Half-Orcs should have been.

[subject42]

This sounds like a bit too much.

Is it any worse than a warforged, with a list of immnunities that's half a page long, or a raptoran?


Failing that, take a look at the pathfinder half-orc on the SRD. There are a bunch of "Orc Feats" that you could let the player pick as a racial bonus feat.