Orc

An orc is smelt before he is seen, and by then it is late to run. He is broad and heavy, with small eyes under a ridge of bone, a snout, and fangs that do not meet; and whatever else is said of him, nobody has said that he was made for peace.

The orcs came into the world as an army, with a great mage's will upon them, and when that will was taken off they went on as they had begun. They raid. They lie in wait. They keep no rule of war, and laugh at those who do. An orc chief rules by fear until a stronger kills him. And an orc that is nearly dead is the worst orc to stand before, for then a rage comes on him, and he forgets that he is dying.

Details

• +3 strength, -3 charisma. -1 to all magical complexities.
• Takes no extra damage for fighting in an aggressive or berserk style.
• Erupts in a feral rage when close to death.
• Damage reduction: +4 per level below epic, then +1 every 10 epic levels up to e1000.
• As all orckin: speaks common and orcish.