Ebony Orc

Description

A powerfully-built, hulking humanoid with oily, dark-green flesh and a primitive, ugly face, this creature looks like a savage human. It has a crouching posture, glaring orange eyes, stunted nose, and a fang-lined mouth with two prominent lower tusks. The body is almost completely devoid of hair.

This is bigger and more threatening breed of orc. The flesh of the ebony orc is a dark olive hue that is almost black. They are almost completely hairless and their flesh gleams from a natural oil secreted from pores in their skin. The eyes of an ebony orc are yellow or orange in hue.

The origins of this race are a mystery. Some believe they are a crossbreed of a subterranean race with common orcs. Others think they are a creation of the patron deity of the orcs.

Most orcs treat the battle-hardened ebony orcs with reverence, and they are commonly employed as elite shock troops or mercenary guardians of tribal chieftains. They receive the best equipment and are more diligent than ordinary orcs at keeping their weapons clean and sharp.

Combat

Ebony orcs prefer a straight fight instead attacking from concealment or an ambush, and they employ disciplined tactics to overcome their foes.

Battle Roar (Ex): Ebony orcs possess a powerful, intimidating roar that they use in battle to shake the morale of their foes. Whenever an ebony orc roars while performing a charge, on a successful Intimidate check the foe is shaken for a full round.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Ebony orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Ebony Orc Traits (Ex): Ebony orcs possess the following racial traits.

• +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
• Medium size.
• An ebony orc's base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Racial Hit Dice: An ebony orc begins with two levels of humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +0, and Will +0.
• Racial Skills: An ebony orc's humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, and Spot. Ebony orcs have a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks.
• +4 racial bonus to Will saves against fear spells and effects.
• +1 racial bonus to Fort saves against poison.
• Special Attacks (see above): Battle roar.
• Special Qualities (see above): Light sensitivity.
• Favored Class: Barbarian.
• Level adjustment: +1.

Also in this section of the source

Pigmy Orc

Author: Robert J. Hall.

This squat, lean creature resembles a stunted, ferocious human. It has a coarse, pale blue hide with no body hair, and it is covered in clusters of warty nodules. The gnarly face possesses hog-like features, with a tusk protruding from the forehead.

These creatures are the diminutive offspring of orcs that have been cursed by their gods. They are similar in form to a orcish runt, but have an ivory horn in the center of their scalp. Their scaly, wart-covered flesh is a pale blue hue, with no body hair and an unpleasant fish-oil odor. They are fierce and unyielding in nature but none too intelligent.

Combat

Pigmy orcs normally wield crude wood or stone weapons, such as clubs, staffs, slings, or knives. Their leaders will sometimes have acquired slightly better weapons and even wear some armor. While small in stature, they have an unusual healing quality that makes them tough, scrappy fighters.

Group Healing (Su): A pigmy orc has a number of group healing points equal to its Fortitude modifier. It shares these in a pool with any other pigmy orcs inside a 100-ft. radius. As long as any points remain available within this radius, a pigmy orc has the fast healing special quality.

Damage is healed at the rate of 2 points per round, drawing from the group healing pool of nearby pigmy orcs. The points are drawn first from the pigmy orcs that have the largest number of group healing points remaining.

Once its pool is exhausted, a pigmy orc will no longer receive fast healing. Each pigmy orc recovers its group healing points at the rate of 1 point per day.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Pigmy orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

Pigmy Orc Society

At best these dull-witted beings have only a simple culture and dwell in the most primitive conditions. They are capable of building crude structures, scavenging for food, and making primitive garb. But they have no written language and they can only communicate through gestures and a series of odd grunts.

Most orcs despise this stunted race and will torment them for simple pleasure. As a result the pigmy orcs have been driven to the most undesirable territories in the underground realms, dwelling in cramped, dank caves and narrow tunnels.

Few races find the company of pigmy orcs desirable, and they are normally only seen in the company of other humanoids after they have been enslaved. Pigmy orcs have developed a fierce rivalry with kobolds and the two will often attack each other on sight.

The small ivory horns of the pigmy orcs have a certain medicinal value that is known to some sages and herbalists. Each horn is worth 5 gp if a buyer can be located.

Pigmy Orcs as Characters

Pigmy orc leaders tend to be warriors or barbarians. There are no pigmy orc clerics, and most pigmy orc spell-casters are adepts. Pigmy orcs favor spells that deceive or cripple.

Pigmy Orc Traits (Ex): Pigmy orcs possess the following racial traits.

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
• A pigmy orc's base land speed is 20 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds.
• Special Qualities (see above): Group healing, light sensitivity.
• Automatic Languages: None. Bonus Languages: Common, Kobold, Orc, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Barbarian.