Western orcs

Western orcs, also called green orcs because of their greenish skin tones, reside in the west and mostly control the "nation" of Rasgath. They were first united by their lust for revenge against the elves when the dark elves of Nárindo burned their ancient forests and drove them off into the mountains. Since that day, the orcs have hunted elves to gain retribution for their burnt kin. For every orc slain, two elves must be put to the ground. Even though the burning of their forests was technically an act of madness committed by the dark elven king Nárindo, the orcs do not care for what elf they slay. As long it has pointy ears and a pretty face, it is a bloody prize that must be claimed.

## Physical description

Western orcs are large individuals, with males reaching heights of over 2 meters and females usually being a little under that. The males are built tough and heavy, usually weighing way over 100 kilograms. The females are considerably lighter, with their weight almost always being under 80 kilograms. This creates problems for female orcs in orc society as a female must be exceptionally skilled and strong to be allowed within the ranks of warriors. Usually, they are confined to a life of nurturing and mating with the males. Some males also feel that female orcs have "gentle motherly instincts" which makes them emotianally weak and unreliable in war. Still, female orcs are known for the same kind of hatred towards the elves that drives the male orcs in battle and should a female orc rise as a capable fighter, they will surely garner much attention and respect.

Western orcs are distinguished from eastern orcs by their greenish skin and smaller fangs. They also like to wear small body parts of elves on them, with pointy ears and teeth being the most preferable pieces. The body parts of elves have value within their society and can be used as a currency. Western orcs have a high birthrate and they are short-lived for an intelligent race, reaching maturity at 15 years old and dying before the age of 70.

## Society

Until recently, the western orcs have been a scattered group of various tribes, with some living in forests and others in the dark caverns of mountains. The first real orc nation to have risen is said to be the nation of Rasgath. The western orcs are greatly connected by their hatred for elves and their pursuit for revenge has helped in combining their numbers. Isolated orc tribes do still exist but Rasgath possibly composes around 80 to 90% of the western orc population. The close relations of the western orcs and wildmen have also given rise to a new race, the half-orcs. Most of them are unwanted children in both communities, being too weak for the orcs and too brutish for the humans. Still, it is possible for western orcs to take in their half-blooded brethren if they can display great feats of strength. In the future, this acceptance may prove vital in protecting what is left of their race after the treachery of the dark elves.

## Rules

* **Ability Score Modifiers:** Western orcs are renowned for their physical fitness, but are also notorious for their savage nature. Western orcs gain +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence and -2 Charisma.
* **Size:** Medium
* **Type:** Humanoid, orc
* **Base speed:** 30 feet
* **Languages:** Western orcs begin play speaking Common and Orc. Orcs with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Sherdanian, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin and Undercommon.

* **Ferocity:** Western orcs possess the ferocity ability which allows them to remain conscious and continue fighting even if their hit point totals fall below 0. Western orcs are still staggered at 0 hit points or lower and lose 1 hit point each round as normal.
* **Survivalist:** Western orcs gain Survival as a class skill and gain a +1 racial bonus on melee weapon attack and damage rolls when at negative hit points.
* **Painkiller (Ex):** Once per day as an immediate action, western orcs can gain damage reduction /- equal to their character level against a single attack. This ability must be used before any damage is rolled.
* **Feral Orc:** Western orcs with a negative Intelligence modifier of -1 lose Common as a starting language and also lose Orc as a starting language if their Intelligence modifier is -2 or lower. Western orcs without a starting language can only communicate with grunts and gestures, can only choose Primitive Sign Language, Low Orc, or Low Common when they invest points in Linguistics and require two points in order to learn these languages. They then gain additional skill points equal to double the number of their negative Intelligence modifier and may place them in any Strength- or Dexterity-based skills, as well as Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perception or Survival.
* **Hatred:** Western orcs gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoids of the elf subtype.
* **Weapon Familiarity:** Western orcs are proficient with greataxes and falchions, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
* **Low-Light Vision:** Western orcs can see twice as far as normal humans in conditions of dim light.

* **Tribes:** Western orcs must choose the tribe that their character belongs to. However, some western orcs might belong to minor tribes not listed here; in those cases, consult your GM. This choice is mostly made for roleplaying reasons as people may view various tribes differently.

Choosing to be from the Beastrider Tribe adds a +2 racial bonus on Ride and Handle Animal checks.
Choosing to be from the Stonesplitter Tribe adds a +2 racial bonus on Climb and Intimidate checks.
Choosing to be from the Shaman Circle adds three 0-level Shaman spells of your choice that are each usable as a spell-like ability once per day. Western orcs with the shaman class instead gain an additional 0-level spell slot.
Choosing to be a free orc adds a +2 racial bonus on a skill of your choice.

### Alternate Racial Traits

Western orcs have access to all alternate racial traits normally available to orcs. Consult your GM before selecting any new options.

## Western orc Racial Feats

* **Elf Slayer**

*Your hatred of the elves has reached new heights and you are determined to hunt them down.*

**Prerequisites:** Western orc.

**Benefit:** You gain the ranger’s favored enemy class ability with a bonus of +2 against humanoids of the elf subtype. Once per day as an immediate action, you can choose to take 20 on any roll that involves an elf (for example, if an elf casts a spell on you or if you perform an attack roll against an elf).

This feat does not grant the favored enemy class feature for the purposes of prerequisites.

* **Improved Painkiller**

*You've learned to take some punishment and are to able shrug off a quite a bit of damage before going down.*

**Prerequisites:** Western orc, Con 17, Toughness, Endurance, Diehard, character level 7th.

**Benefit:** You gain one more daily use on your Painkiller ability. In addition, you now add your Constitution modifier on the damage reduction provided by it.