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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next B-E-T-A's PC Orc Race [Needs Balancing Methinks]



B-E-T-A
2015-11-17, 02:54 PM
Hi there. So recently me and my friends picked up D&D Next and decided to run a campaign in that. Unfortunately we hit a bit of a snag as one of my players wanted to play an Orc, but there were no Orc PC stats. So for the moment we ruled that he could just use an half-orc and then we fluff it as a pure-blooded orc, but that left a sour aftertaste in my mouth for some reason. SO, I decided to try my hand at some Homebrewing, and came up with my very own orc PC race, using Dwarves and Elves for comparison. And while I at first was very, very happy with the result, a second look at it made me realize that it needed some, refining. Well, they say that you are your worst critic, so I decided to bring my creation over here to the giant and let you fine ladies and gentlemen have a look at it and rip it to shreds give me constructive criticism.
that's okay, right?

Anyway, so here they are, my orc PC. Without the fluffy bits(though I am working on those as well).

Orcs (Hurray, ORCS!)
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength Score increases by 2
Age: Orcs generally mature faster than regular humans, coming of age at the mere age of 14. Few orcs actually live to die of natural causes, but if they do, they seldom live to see their 60th winter.
Alignment: Orcs are bent more towards Chaos than Law, and are often found to be more selfish and evil than good. That is not to say that good orcs do not exist though, nor that orcs do not know proper honour.
Size: Orcs are more wide and bulky than humans, but are roughly the same size as humans. Your size is medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision: Nocturnal creatures by nature, orcs have adapted to hunt and raid in the dark of night. 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.
Aggressive: As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward a hostile creature that you can see. This movement can provoke opportunity attacks. You can't use Aggressive again until you have completed a short or long rest.
Languages: You can speak, read and write Common and Orcish.
Subraces: Three main subraces of orcs populate the worlds of D&D: the tribal and barbaric Mountain Orcs, the pious and Nomadic Gray Orcs and the savage Orogs. There is also a lesser known subrace known as Black Orcs, who are slaves bred specifically to make stealthy scouts and assassins. Choose one of these subraces.
So this main part of the race I feel very confident inn, and I feel it is a fine starting point for the orcs. It is the subraces I feel might have made a bit too strong.

Now, before anyone asks, I'll have to say that my approach to making the orcs into a PC race was:
1) Look at the DMG guide for making races.
2) Look what half-orcs, Elves and Dwarves had.
3) Look in the MM what orc mobs had(Aggressive and Gruumsh's Fury)
4) Do a bit of google to see what others have given them.

Mountain Orc (This is sort of the "regular orc" I guess, the barbaric tribal ones.)
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 1.
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.
Savage Attacks: When you score a critical hit with a melee 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.
Wild Rage: When you gets hit by an attack, you’ll deal 1 additional damage for the next minute or until the combat ends. This ability stacks a number of times up to your constitution modifier.
Now here is where the alarm bells begun ringing in my head when I looked at my race a second time. In essence the Mountain Orc is just a better version of the Half-Orc.


Gray Orc
Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Keen Smell: You have advantage on all Wisdom (Survival) and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Fleet of Foot: Your base movement speed increases to 35ft.
Savage Toughness: Your hit point maximum increases by 1 at first level. It increases by an extra 1 for every level thereafter.
Favored by the Nishrek: Gray Orcs, unlike their cousins, worships all six of the Gods equally. However it is common for individual Gray Orc to lean more towards the worship of one of the gods above the others. Choose your patron deity and reap the following reward:
Gruumsh One-Eye: You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made towards other Orcs and Half-Orcs.
Bahgtru, the Leg Breaker: You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to shove another creature of your size or smaller.
Ilneval the Horde Leader: You have advantage on all Constitution checks relating to forced marching, going without food and water, and going without sleep.
Luthic the Cave Mother: You have advantage on all Intelligence (History) and Intelligence (Religion) checks made concerning orc culture & history.
Shargaas the Night Lord: Your darkvision increases by an additional 10ft.
Yutrus White Hands: You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks made towards other Orcs and Half-Orcs.
A lot of abilities, I know. But my friend and our former DM helped me out on this one, and he thought this looked fine when compared to the OTHER orc subraces, but that made me realize that the Orcs in general might have been a tad too strong.

Orog
Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Superior Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 120 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.
Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight whenever you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Gruumsh’s Fury: The first time you hit an enemy in combat, you can choose to deal an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon’s damage type to the creature. The damage increases to 2d8 at 6th level, 3d8 at 11th level, and 4d8 at 16th level. After using this ability you must make a short or long rest before using this ability again.
Menacing: You have proficiency with the Intimidation skill.
Powerful Build: You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Black Orcs (These are the Thayan orcs from Greyhawk, or at least my attempt to make Thayan Orcs from Greyhawk.)
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Superior Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 120 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.
Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight whenever you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Darker than black: You have proficiency with the Stealth skill.
Dirty Tactics: You have weapon proficiency with longbows and shortbows and you have tool proficiency with Poisoner’s Kit.
From the Shadows we strike: When you attack an enemy that is surprised or is unaware of your presence, you can choose add an extra 1d6 of damage of the same type as the attack’s damage. The damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 16th level. After using this ability you must make a short or long rest before using this ability again.

So there you have it, my first attempt to making a homebrewed PC race. And the more I look at it, the more i realize that it is too strong. But I don't know what I should remove and what I should keep, which is why I turn to you for help.
Please don't kill me.

Ninja_Prawn
2015-11-17, 03:04 PM
My initial reaction is that I agree with your assessment. This race is slightly too strong. I would suggest cutting features from the subraces; they all have too much going on. Which ones you cut is up to you, I suppose.

As a radical suggestion, maybe cut the +1 to X ability from the subraces? That changes the feel of the race overall, and makes it clear that you're 'sacrificing' something to be an orc (and therefore getting a wider range of 'monstrous' traits to play with). Just a thought.

M Placeholder
2015-11-17, 03:18 PM
I would also do an Orog from the Birthright (http://www.birthright.net/forums/showwiki.php?title=Orog_Cerilian) setting and change the name of the special feature to Torazans Fury.

Also, make sure its balanced on the Musicus Scale. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ViqLSEN67mmd2Lo_OJ-H5YX0fccsfI97kFaqx7V1Dmw/pub)

B-E-T-A
2015-11-20, 11:29 AM
@Ninja_Pawn; That's an interesting suggestion, and one I quite like too. Yeah, I can see the race dropping the extra ability score improvement.

@Dark Sun Gnome; O_o, that was an interesting read of a google doc. That's going to help a lot! Thanks!