5e Half-Orc Replacement

[timekart]

So I don't know how everyone else feels and I'm not sure if this is a topic that has already been covered, but I was wondering if there were any good replacement races for Half-Orcs. I've never liked the idea that the generic low level enemy is also half a playable race. They're barbaric and in 3.5 have some of the worst mental modifiers, they don't really mix well with typical society.
I'm working on my own setting, and I plan on including every other race from Next (except Kender, I don't get how they REALLY differ from Halflings) for variety. I'm perfectly fine with the shunned from society thing Half-Orcs have going, and I plan on keeping the stats the same. Mostly, I just want to reskin them, I'm open to any suggestions that make sense.


Thanks.

[Airk]

Not sure what you're looking for here? A race with good physical stats and bad mental ones? (A 'mechanical replacement') A race that is barbaric and shunned? (A 'flavor replacement')

Something else?

[Figgin of Chaos]

In the campaign I'm playing, we use half-orc stats for both half-orcs and full-blooded orcs. Orcs are a proud warrior race rather than completely evil brutes.

[veti]

Congratulations! You have started to outgrow the system. The first step is to acknowledge and start talking about all those details, like half-orcs, that bother you.

The next stage is way easier: get rid of them. Seriously, just because it's in the books, doesn't mean you have to play it.

Conversely, just because something's not in the rules, doesn't mean you can't play it. You could introduce a new race that's functionally identical to half-orcs as written, but are short, squat and popularly believed (by other races) to be made of mud. Maybe they're part-earth-elemental or something. Whatever, it's your world - do what you like.

[InQbait]

May I suggest the Sarethoks?
They are a physically strong, but mentally slow, humanoid race.
Their appearance is feral and beast-like, but they are generally a peace-loving people.
Many centuries ago, when humans first came into the world, there was a huge war. Due to the humans' superior numbers and intelligence, most of the Sarethoks were wiped out. Now, the Sarethoks live in small villages, hiding out in the mountains. Some wish peaceful relations with the humans, some want bloody vengeance on the humans, while some simply want to mind their own business.

They're like my own version of orcs, except they look different and are not violent brutes

[Airk]

May I suggest the Sarethoks?
They are a physically strong, but mentally slow, humanoid race.
Their appearance is feral and beast-like, but they are generally a peace-loving people.
Many centuries ago, when humans first came into the world, there was a huge war. Due to the humans' superior numbers and intelligence, most of the Sarethoks were wiped out. Now, the Sarethoks live in small villages, hiding out in the mountains. Some wish peaceful relations with the humans, some want bloody vengeance on the humans, while some simply want to mind their own business.

They're like my own version of orcs, except they look different and are not violent brutes

Ah, so you've opted to replace the "unredeemable savage" race with the "native american archetype" race. ;)

There's nothing wrong with the noble savage archetype, but it's pretty much just the inversion of the 'generic savage' trope.

[The Oni]

You may just not even really want to replace them. If the players don't want it, why bother?

But, if you're looking for flavor differences - I have an Orc race that's *mostly* typical fantasy orky stuff, and there's also a fairly large contingent devoted to a well-meaning but unintentionally terrifying Lawful Good god from the Far Realms who are trying to shake off the reputation of their evil kin Drizzt style. Of course, in many ways that means beating the everloving crap out of their evil kin, but with discipline and tolerance rather than bloodthirst and cannibalism.

This means half-orcs are slightly less universally loathed than usual, but not all that much.

[Lord Raziere]

Yes I agree, half-orc needs to be replaced.

with pure-blooded orc. no sense in indulging such "half" nonsense, and then replace gnomes with goblins.

and no, I'm not just saying this because they want their rights to be PC's to. I'm saying this because humans, elves, dwarves and halflings want the right to be slaughtered in hordes to the PC's to. equal opportunity hordes of mooks y'see.

[Airk]

and no, I'm not just saying this because they want their rights to be PC's to. I'm saying this because humans, elves, dwarves and halflings want the right to be slaughtered in hordes to the PC's to. equal opportunity hordes of mooks y'see.

And just what makes you think they've been denied this opportunity previously? They don't call adventurers 'murder hobos' for no reason. Humans in particular are the original canon fodder.

[Sidmen]

Might I suggest the Hradani from Weber's War God series?

They're a large, mostly barbaric, species hated by most of the other races in the setting. They're basically just half-orcs with long pointy ears. Here is an image of them.

They're the big ones on the right and left.

[Airk]

Might I suggest the Hradani from Weber's War God series?

They're a large, mostly barbaric, species hated by most of the other races in the setting. They're basically just half-orcs with long pointy ears. Here is an image of them.

They're the big ones on the right and left.

Why, exactly, would you bother substituting "Half orcs with pointy ears" for "half orcs"?

[timekart]

Wow, thanks for all the help guys.

Sarethoks are a pretty great fit, pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

And Airk, I pretty much wanted to reskin Half-Orcs so that they weren't related to Orcs anymore. The Hrandani were what I was asking for.

If it wasn't exactly clear, I just wanted to keep everything about Half-Orcs and just remove their Orc heritage essentially. I think I'm going to go with Sarethok though. Not only is the flavor great, the whole beastial look fits with the stats and feel Half-Orc have.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

In my setting I just said "orcs as stated are the original stepped tribes on THIS continent, halforcs as statted are their enslaved descendants on this other continent". Partially so I could have my mongol orcs face my Chinese Elves.

[Slipperychicken]

Why, exactly, would you bother substituting "Half orcs with pointy ears" for "half orcs"?

So we can channel our intense, universal hatred for elves to create the ultimate antagonist?

[Jacob.Tyr]

Yes I agree, half-orc needs to be replaced.

with pure-blooded orc. no sense in indulging such "half" nonsense, and then replace gnomes with goblins.

and no, I'm not just saying this because they want their rights to be PC's to. I'm saying this because humans, elves, dwarves and halflings want the right to be slaughtered in hordes to the PC's to. equal opportunity hordes of mooks y'see.

+1 to having Orcs and Goblins as player races. I hate the half nonsense with a burning passion. Does the biological species concept mean NOTHING?! (Hyperbolic outrage present in the previous sentence. Even in the world of systematics the biological species concept seems to mean nearly nothing anyway)

I like gnomes, though. Don't ask me why, I've never played one nor do I ever play casters. It might be that I always just imagine them as garden gnomes, down to being actually incapable of moving any of their limbs yet somehow still functioning as normal. This always makes me hold in a laugh that no one else will ever understand...

[Slipperychicken]

+1 to having Orcs and Goblins as player races. I hate the half nonsense with a burning passion. Does the biological species concept mean NOTHING?! (Hyperbolic outrage present in the previous sentence. Even in the world of systematics the biological species concept seems to mean nearly nothing anyway)

Are the demihuman races actually categorized as separate species? The term "race" implies that some degree of interbreeding is possible, and the half-races confirm it.

[InQbait]

Half-Orcs I agree are a ridiculous race that just shouldn't be there.
I've had some fun playing them from time to time, but it was never as satisfying as playing a human or other race.
The whole "half-race" idea is not that bad. It's kind of an interesting heritage idea that can make your character feel special. But Half-Orc doesn't really make much sense to me.
Half-Elves, and Half-Demons, are a must for any of my kitchen sink medieval fantasy RPGs when I just want to throw something together.

[Felhammer]

Player characters are special snowflakes, so it has never bothered me that Half-Orcs are a playable race.

If you were to get rid of them, why not just file off the name and call them Lizardfolk? They can be just as brutish and off putting as Half-Orcs but I've always felt that Lizardfolk have a sense of community and are not just your average evil rage murdering bandit people.

[InQbait]

Yes, but lizardfolk have a weird body structure. They're humanoids, but not in the normal sense of the word. Yes, they think differently than orcs, but thinking about how to equip them with armor is just ehhh

[TheThan]

Yes, but lizardfolk have a weird body structure. They're humanoids, but not in the normal sense of the word. Yes, they think differently than orcs, but thinking about how to equip them with armor is just ehhh

in 3.5 lizardfolk have a +5 natural armor bonus, the hold breath ability and a swim skill bonus. that suggests a semi-aquatic species that doesn't have the need for heavy armor. Light armor they can swim in and their natural armor bonus should be enough to make a lizardfolk pretty durable. With just studded leather armor they're at AC 18, not counting their dexterity bonus, that's not too shabby.

[Felhammer]

Yes, but lizardfolk have a weird body structure. They're humanoids, but not in the normal sense of the word. Yes, they think differently than orcs, but thinking about how to equip them with armor is just ehhh

Its no more strange than a Halfling or a Dwarf adventurers. They may be humanoid but they have very different body proportions compared to a human.

Plus, it depends on how the Lizardfolk looks. Sure they can be hulking, hunched behemoths but, let's be fair here, so can Orcs. If an Orc from WoW wandered into a human town he would not be able to buy armor off the rack (as it were). He would need custom armor.