Orc

Note

In order to make the existing 5e ancestries balanced with the ones presented in these rules, we’ve made adjustments to the existing 5e ancestries. You can play with the original ancestries as originally presented, but if you want to utilize the Major/Minor Feature system, we’ve redesigned them here.

These ancestries replace the official 5e races. Some have been rolled up into larger categories, like the reptilian category capturing kobolds, lizardfolk, and snakefolk.

We are presenting orc as a standard ancestry option. To play a half-orc, choose one major and minor feature from the orc ancestry, and another major and minor feature from a different ancestry.

Orc Traits

• Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 and +1 bonus to two different ability scores of your choice, or +1 to three different ones.
• Age. Orcs reach adulthood at the same rate as humans, and have the same life expectancy.
• Size. Orcs are generally taller and heavier than humans. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc.

Major Features

Choose two of the following major features. You can exchange one major feature for two additional minor features.

• Commanding Order. As a bonus action, you can instruct one creature of your choice within 60 feet to make a melee attack. They can use their reaction to make a melee attack against a target they can see within reach. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Furious Assault. When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell, you can cause the attack or spell to deal extra damage equal to your level to the creature. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• Momentum. As a bonus action, you can Dash toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this movement closer to the target than where you started.
• Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Minor Features

Choose two of the following minor features, or four if you only chose one major feature.

• Combat Training. You have proficiency with two weapons of your choice.
• Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Deadly Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
• Fluent. You can speak, read, and write two additional languages of your choice.
• Intimidating Presence. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
• Religious Traditions. You have proficiency in the Religion skill.
• Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
• Trained Tools. You have proficiency in two tools of your choice.