"We are the fighting Uruk-hai!"

[LOTRfan]

Hello, so after a (disastrous, in my mind) attempt to recreate the Werewolves of Middle-Earth, I've decided to go back to making Orcs. Up next: The Uruk-hai.

(This post is reserved for Uruks of Mordor/Black Orcs)

[LOTRfan]

Uruk-hai, 3rd Level Warrior
Medium Humanoid (Orc)
Hit Die: 3d8+3 (15 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) (40 ft. when not in armor)
Armor Class: 16 (+5 breast plate, +1 light steel shield), touch 10, flat footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5
Attack: Longsword +5 melee (1d8+2 damage), or composite longbow +3 ranged (1d8 damage)
Full Attack: Longsword +5 melee (1d8+2 damage), or composite longbow +3 ranged (1d8 damage)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: ----
Special Qualities: Ferocity, Damage Reduction 1/--, Tireless, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 6
Skills: Craft (Siegecraft) +5, Intimidate +4, Spot +6, Listen +6, Survival +6
Feats: Endurance, Power Attack, Cleave
Environment: Rohan
Organization: Solitary, or battle-group (10-50 Uruks plus 1 5th level Uruk for every 10)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often Lawful Evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +2

Ferocity (Ex): An Uruk is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Tireless (Ex): Uruk-hai are bred to always be able to fight, no matter what the conditions. They do not need to make Con checks because of forced march, and do not suffer any of the effects of sleep deprivation. This grants Endurance as a bonus feat.

History
The Uruk-hai of Isengard are a new breed of Orc introduced a few years ago. Saruman bred them from the mixing of human and Orc blood, similar to the methods used by Sauron to create his race of Uruk-hai earlier in the Third Age. Uruk-hai, a name that literally translates to “Orc-folk” from Blackspeech, are most likely the toughest race of Orcs in existence.

Campaign Notes (War of the Ring)
Currently, there are over ten thousand Uruk-hai of Isengard in the world, but that number is increasing every day. They have recently been raiding the nearby country of Rohan. The King, Théoden, does nothing to stop their advance.

A group of Orcs step out into the clearing. They are very peculiar looking, for Orcs. They seem to have a uniformed appearance, each wearing the same type of armor with light metal shields. Painted of their equipment is the symbol of Isengard, the White-Hand. Unlike common Orcs, these creatures are nearly man-high and stand erect. They don’t wield the curved blades that is signature for most Orcs, instead using large, straight-edged ones.

[Machiavellian]

Maybe I'm looking at this through a jaded lense, but aren't Uruk-Hai little more than Half-Orcs who favor Orc heritage than Human?

[Zaydos]

Personally I'd not give Uruk-Hai racial hit dice. I'd give them some good stat modifiers, but also remember the uruk-hai were special for orcs in Tolkien because they were as strong and tough as the race of men, possibly slightly stronger. Their real power was numbers. They were superior to regular orcs because they were no longer as vulnerable to light (only mildly irritated by it) and were physically the equals of men instead of notably inferior. Their stamina alone was really noteworthy about them as they could do it without complaining, but that wasn't a complete lack of need to sleep (or fast healing). They needed sleep to rest and recover but could march for a long time and put off sleep deprivation (i.e. they still wouldn't regain hp/spells, etc without sleeping, but they'd have a massive bonus to Con checks to force march, run, and go without sleep). They very definitely didn't heal in the middle of combat which is what fast healing does.

I'd probably tone them down and give them class levels instead of racial hit dice. Make Tireless to where they do not need to make Con checks to force march and do not take damage from hustling for more than one hour in a day, and can ignore sleep deprivation (whatever it actually does in game to non-casters) and grant Endurance instead of the Run feat (as they weren't fast enough that Gimli couldn't keep up). I'd keep Ferocity it really fits them. Maybe even keep DR 1/-. If this is supposed to be in Middle Earth I'd lower their Strength to human standard or +2 and the same with Con. I'd give them really limited Darkvision and/or at least Low-Light Vision (I'm trying to remember if the goblins in the hobbit had torches or not outside of their grand hall). As for equipment, again this matters if you want to be like the books or not. In the books no one wore full-plate; the men of Gondor were most heavily armored with something more akin to half-plate or lighter. The uruk-hai were closer to breast plate and many were archers (longbow or composite longbow) or sword and shield, few had greatswords (which makes sense as they weren't particularly stronger than humans). Also maybe some ability that helps when you outnumber a foe only.

Note this is assuming you are going off the books (which due to your werewolves, drawn from the Silmarilion, comment I am making). If you're drawing from the movies this is a pretty good representation, but I'd still suggest the same change to Tireless and gear but other than that I'd just lower their CR they are definitely worse than ogres (CR 3) by a lot and rather close to bugbears (CR 2) in power.

Edit: Yes and no. In the movies they are referenced as that by Sarumon and MERP books referenced Sarumon's orcs (which were not uruk-hai except in the movies) as half-orcs made by breeding experiments, which made me especially alert to it when reading the books myself. The closest I saw was that they were called that once for they were orcs with half the traits of humans. But I could be mistaken I read the books when Fellowship of the Ring came out as a movie so it's been a while.

[Iferus]

balance them against the Goliath. Take that LA+1 race and switch in some abilities that make the Uruk-Hai better at enduring. Give them a bonus to Con(main bonus), Str and Wis(They definitely have strength of will and good perception). Give them Endurance and a bonus on all saves versus fatigue.

Ferocity is very similar to Diehard, and to show that the Uruk is seriously injured, you might want to tone it down to be exactly that feat.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Well Uruk-hai are supposed to be a hybrid of the basic orcs and goblins of Tolken right? I'd basically take a Hobgoblin give them a speed of 40ft and a +4 Strength.

[super dark33]

a full attack is only with all the attacks possiable (fighting classes can have 2 attacks only in level 5) it is impossible to do a full attack with a heavy crossbow and gratsword!
ranged weapons are unable to do a full attack anyway!

[Spiryt]

Damage with swords seem to be wrong, strength alone gives them + 3.

Also, in such case, making them Race would certainly be simpler, so one just make specific NPC out of them.

[LOTRfan]

Maybe I'm looking at this through a jaded lense, but aren't Uruk-Hai little more than Half-Orcs who favor Orc heritage than Human?

Aragorn states that the army of Isengard in The Two Towers is composed of uruk-hai, Dunlendings, and Half-Orcs, which seems to suggest they are different.


Personally I'd not give Uruk-Hai racial hit dice. I'd give them some good stat modifiers, but also remember the uruk-hai were special for orcs in Tolkien because they were as strong and tough as the race of men, possibly slightly stronger. Their real power was numbers. They were superior to regular orcs because they were no longer as vulnerable to light (only mildly irritated by it) and were physically the equals of men instead of notably inferior. Their stamina alone was really noteworthy about them as they could do it without complaining, but that wasn't a complete lack of need to sleep (or fast healing). They needed sleep to rest and recover but could march for a long time and put off sleep deprivation (i.e. they still wouldn't regain hp/spells, etc without sleeping, but they'd have a massive bonus to Con checks to force march, run, and go without sleep). They very definitely didn't heal in the middle of combat which is what fast healing does.

Alright, Fast Healing is out, and I'll change Tireless accordingly.


I'd probably tone them down and give them class levels instead of racial hit dice. Make Tireless to where they do not need to make Con checks to force march and do not take damage from hustling for more than one hour in a day, and can ignore sleep deprivation (whatever it actually does in game to non-casters) and grant Endurance instead of the Run feat (as they weren't fast enough that Gimli couldn't keep up). I'd keep Ferocity it really fits them. Maybe even keep DR 1/-. If this is supposed to be in Middle Earth I'd lower their Strength to human standard or +2 and the same with Con.

Sure, I'll change the HD back to the Warrior class. As mentioned above, Tireless will be changed. I'll change Run to Endurance, but I feel I must mention the fact that the Uruk-hai had to be slow enough for the smaller Orcs of Moria to catch up.


I'd give them really limited Darkvision and/or at least Low-Light Vision (I'm trying to remember if the goblins in the hobbit had torches or not outside of their grand hall).

No, they didn't have outside their grand hall (much to the Dwarves' disdain). Anyway, if I remember correctly, Uruk-hai (while better at withstanding sunlight) are worse at seeing in the dark. Low-light vision sounds good.


As for equipment, again this matters if you want to be like the books or not. In the books no one wore full-plate; the men of Gondor were most heavily armored with something more akin to half-plate or lighter. The uruk-hai were closer to breast plate and many were archers (longbow or composite longbow) or sword and shield, few had greatswords (which makes sense as they weren't particularly stronger than humans).

No, I was attempting to to do the book version (somewhere it mentions they wield larger, straighter swords when compared to the other Orcs, and that they wear the finest armor Aragorn ever saw an Orc wear), but yeah, I overdid that a little. I'll change statistics in a little bit. And thanks for all the feedback.


Give them a bonus to Con(main bonus), Str and Wis(They definitely have strength of will and good perception).

Alright, I'll add a Wisdom bonus (but I will be adjusting Str/Con a little).


a full attack is only with all the attacks possiable (fighting classes can have 2 attacks only in level 5) it is impossible to do a full attack with a heavy crossbow and gratsword!
ranged weapons are unable to do a full attack anyway!

Yeah, that was stupid of me to make that editing error.... :smalleek:


Damage with swords seem to be wrong, strength alone gives them + 3.

Also, in such case, making them Race would certainly be simpler, so one just make specific NPC out of them.

That'll be fixed as soon as possible.