Description
Orcs are aggressive, callous, and domineering. Bullies by nature, they respect strength and power as the highest virtues. On an almost instinctive level, orcs believe they are entitled to anything they want unless someone stronger can stop them from seizing it. They rarely exert themselves off the battlefield except when forced to do so; this attitude stems not just from laziness but also from an ingrained belief that work should trickle down through the pecking order until it falls upon the shoulders of the weak. They take slaves from other races, orc men brutalize orc women, and both abuse children and elders, on the grounds that anyone too feeble to fight back deserves little more than a life of suffering. Surrounded at all times by bitter enemies, orcs cultivate an attitude of indifference to pain, vicious tempers, and a fierce willingness to commit unspeakable acts of vengeance against anyone who dares to defy them.
Standard Racial Traits
Orc
Orcs are humanoids with the orc subtype.
Darkvision
Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Light Sensitivity
Orcs are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Ferocity
Orcs can remain conscious and continue fighting even if their hit point totals fall below 0. Orcs are still staggered at 0 hit points or lower and lose 1 hit point each round as normal.
Weapon Familiarity
Orcs are always proficient with greataxes and falchions, and treat any weapon with the word "orc" in its name as a martial weapon.
Alternate Racial Traits
Dayrunner
Orcs refuse to yield to any foe, including the sun. Some spend hour upon hour glaring at the sun until their ruined eyes acclimatize to bright light. Orcs with this racial trait take a –2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls. This racial trait replaces light sensitivity.
Feral
Orcs have the ability to fend for themselves long before they master the rudiments of their language and culture. Having needed to hunt bugs and tiny animals for food to survive while still infants, feral orcs fight all the harder to survive when at the brink of death. Orcs with this racial trait gain Survival as a class skill and gain a +1 racial bonus on melee weapon attack and damage rolls when at negative hit points. This racial trait replaces the orc's weapon familiarity and automatic languages. Feral orcs without additional languages due to high Intelligence scores or ranks in Linguistics can only communicate with grunts and gestures.
Smeller
Orcs with this racial trait gain a limited scent ability with half the normal range. This racial trait replaces ferocity and weapon familiarity.
Squalid
Some orcs exist in surroundings so filthy and pestilent that even other orcs would have difficulty living in them. Orcs with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made to resist nausea, the sickened condition, and disease. This racial trait replaces ferocity.