why ever take half orc paragon over barbarian?

[CyberThread]

I notice some builds that use half orc paragon to get rage, instead of barbarian, but what in the world does paragon offer that barbarian doesn't give in just a dip?

[Sir_Thaddeus]

Freedom of alignment, mostly. Barbarians have to be nonlawful, or they lose rage. Half-orc paragon allows lawful ragers, which could be useful in either optimization or roleplaying.

[Lateral]

It's nice for dipping in intimidate-focused builds, but that's about it.

[EvilJames]

Because I want to be a half-orc raging paladin of St Cuthbert.

[Yogibear41]

Paladin of Freedom-to-rage :smallsmile:

[Fouredged Sword]

Because you already took barbarian for whirling frenzy and want to stack on rage for better results from extra rage.

A nice mid op melee build lies through Whirlpounce barb 2 / Half Orc Paragon 3 / Orc Paragon 3 / Bear warrior 1 / war shaper 4 / bear warrior X

Rage into a warshaped bear then frenzy to get stacking +16 to strength

[Nightraiderx]

the half-orc racial substitution for paladin's smite evil is pretty awesome in combination with it paragon class.

[Amphetryon]

It's a very nice intro into OA's Singh Rager, without Alignment shenanigans.

[John Longarrow]

Because you can do Half-orc paragon, Orc paragon, then frenzied berserker without ever taking a level in a base class...:biggrin:

The only times I've seen it used is when you'd have an issue if you took Barbarian instead.

[Eric Scott]

I'd use half Orc paragon over barbarian if I wanted to make a Drunken Master/Frenzied Berserker...

[Fouredged Sword]

Now I want to play a half orc paragon 3 / orc paragon 3 / stoneblessed 3 / Goliath barbarian X

I don't think you can squeeze in dwarf paragon in place of goliath barb, due to multiple paragon problems.

[herrhauptmann]

I don't think you can squeeze in dwarf paragon in place of goliath barb, due to multiple paragon problems.
Why? Halforc can take 1 level in halforc para, then up to 3 levels in human or orc paragon. Once he takes stoneblessed, he'd be able to take other classes/prc's/feats as if where a member of that race.

halforc paragon 3 (with halfogre/minotaur template) / orc paragon 3 / stoneblessed 3 / Goliath barbarian Xdwarven paragon 3/ deepwarden2
Should be totally doable.

[Chronos]

You're still limited to only taking levels in one paragon class, though (half-orcs and half-elves get a specific exception that lets them take two).

[herrhauptmann]

You're still limited to only taking levels in one paragon class, though (half-orcs and half-elves get a specific exception that lets them take two).

But where does it say that you only get to take levels in one paragon class? All I see is:
" a character can only take levels in the racial paragon class associated with his race. A human cannot take levels in dwarf paragon—only dwarves are capable of reflecting the highest virtues of dwarfhood by gaining levels in the dwarf paragon class. (Half-elves and half-orcs are an exception; see the Half-Elf Paragon and Half-Orc Paragon sections below.) "

[Bogardan_Mage]

But where does it say that you only get to take levels in one paragon class? All I see is:
" a character can only take levels in the racial paragon class associated with his race. A human cannot take levels in dwarf paragon—only dwarves are capable of reflecting the highest virtues of dwarfhood by gaining levels in the dwarf paragon class. (Half-elves and half-orcs are an exception; see the Half-Elf Paragon and Half-Orc Paragon sections below.) "
Keep reading and you'll see:

It's possible for a powerful magic effect such as shapechange, reincarnate, or wish to change a character's race. If a character has already taken racial paragon levels in his original race, he can never become a paragon of another race. However, such shapechanging and form-altering magics also cause no loss of a paragon's class abilities—the class abilities gained from racial paragon levels are affected no more or less drastically than benefits gained from having levels in any other class.
Whether this counts or not is debatable, since Stoneblessed doesn't actually change your race, but I assume that's what Chronos is referring to.

[Grayson01]

So I can Read......

[dantiesilva]

I never got why people would take Orc Paragon over Human when playing a half orc.

Human nets you a free skill for all levels (Spot), A feat, And a +2 to any stat

Orc gets you +2 damage against elfs (when are you really going to be fighting an elf besides a drow in a good campaign?), Improved Darkvision, removes light sesnitivty (which if I am not mistaken you do not have, And a +2 to str. I much rather go human.

[Chronos]

If you're playing a melee type (which you probably are, if you're a half-orc), then that +2 to any stat would probably have gone into Strength anyway, and orc paragon has better BAB and hit die than human paragon.