Suggestions for a half-orc wizard [Archive] - Wizards Community

Suggestions for a half-orc wizard [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Trydan
10-20-03, 04:11 AM http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/pc_portraits/tn_200102_274_10.jpg (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/pc_portraits/200102_274_10.jpg)

Inspired by the thread Sick of Stereotypes: The Half-orc (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98573), and in particular the above image (click on image to enlarge)... I've decided that I'd like to give a half-orc wizard a try. :)

The stats (with a 29-point-buy, allowing for half-orc race, and that he is middle-aged, and level 4) are:

Str=10, Dex=8, Con=14 (16 with toad familiar), Int=18 (due to +1 at level 4), Wis=10, Cha=7

The idea is that he will be slow, but tough, always immersed in his books, and always ready to get into a debate about stereotypes and racial predjudices.

Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask for a few suggestions:
What weapon would such a character use (great-axe is not an option)?
If he was a specialist mage, which school would he choose?
Winternova
10-20-03, 11:57 AM That's pretty slick, a half-orc wizard. I guess someone has to enchant all those dwarf-slayer swords. For a weapon, I immediately see a thick staff with some kind of ornamental head. I know it's a little stereotypical for a wizard to have a staff, but not all staves is staves. We say this one has a heavy metallic head of a bull, or some such, complete with free-floating nosering, and bands inscribed with some kind of orcish chant, or prayer. The opposite end will have a metal cap stylised like a hoof. As for magic, I dunno about you, but I see transmuter. I'd suggest Invocation, but that's a relatively violent school, and that would go with the 'violent orc' stereotype. If he was completely scholarly, I'd almost suggest Divination.
Kalanth
10-20-03, 12:30 PM Originally posted by Trydan
Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask for a few suggestions:
What weapon would such a character use (great-axe is not an option)?
If he was a specialist mage, which school would he choose?

Weapon? Well, a player in my campaign had an idea I really liked. He uses a Quarterstaff, and his spells are etched into the staff, in other words, he uses the staff as his spell book. It was an interesting idea, so I made sure he took the proper skills and feats when he qualified.

The school, well, that is more a personal feel. I say Transmutation or Divination, they both have more of the "study" feel to them.
Morka
10-20-03, 01:44 PM Winternova, I disagree with you. Orc tribes have many shamans who can enchant weapon. If there should be an arcane caster in an orc tribe, it should be a sorceror. I think barbaric orcs have little patience for a wizard who have to keep a library into his cavern!

No, an Half-Orc wizard should be raised by another race. Perhaps raised by gnomes and be an illusionnist. Or his human mother flee with him from some orc tribe or intolerant human city, and they find an old wizard tower in ruins (he could then be any school specialist).

Another think that could be good, the half-orc is raised in a slums (either one of his parents was half-orc, or his mother was rapted), and his familly is so poor the young half-orc is sold to a wandering wizard...

For the weapon, I would say quatterstaff... his dex is too poor to be specialist in a ranged or finesse weapon. Or he could use an hand-axe.
Trydan
10-20-03, 02:59 PM Wow... awesome ideas! :cool:

I like the etched-quarter-staff idea, but this half-orc will probably stick with books (just to really buck the stereotype!). Still, I think that a quarterstaff could be the way to go here. With poor DEX (he's a bit slow and clumsy), he'd not be good with a light or thrown weapon. Keeping it simple is a good idea. Thanks. :)

Incidentally, this half-orc was raised as the child of two half-orcs. Any mixed parentage would likely not provide a stable environment for study and, again to dispell the stereotype, I'd like this half-orc to grow up with a good education (well, as good as possible) and as a member of a loving family. ;)

Back to the topic, and the issue of specialist school; I'm still not sure. I'll stay open to further suggestions for the time being.:confused:
Yen-Lo-Wang
10-20-03, 07:18 PM Weapon? Well, a player in my campaign had an idea I really liked. He uses a Quarterstaff, and his spells are etched into the staff, in other words, he uses the staff as his spell book. It was an interesting idea, so I made sure he took the proper skills and feats when he qualified.

That's a great idea...kudos to your player for originality:D

Quarterstaff is the way to go if you have low DEX...

Something funny...someone asked me in another thread if my definition of roleplaying was choosing an obviously weak class/race combo like a half orc wizard to justify the fact that I don't min/max. I said no, but maybe seeing your example would show them that you don't need uber stats and ridiculos class/race combos to be successful:D
Trydan
10-21-03, 05:43 AM Something funny...someone asked me in another thread if my definition of roleplaying was choosing an obviously weak class/race combo like a half orc wizard to justify the fact that I don't min/max. I said no, but maybe seeing your example would show them that you don't need uber stats and ridiculos class/race combos to be successful

I had posted to the Character Optimisation (http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=339) board about this topic (see the post: Challenge: the half-orc wizard (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=113374).

One of the comments that came out of that discussion was that by saying that half-orcs make hopeless wizards, is like saying that any wizard with less than INT=18 is unplayable. That is clearly not the case. With a point-buy system, any class/race combination is possible, and even with a dice-rolling scheme, you'd have to be reasonably unlucky to see it become impractical.

Yes, by taking a penalty in a primary stat (in this case INT), you are at a disadvantage. But it is only a disadvantage of -1 in the modifier. Maybe you'll lose a single bonus spell? Maybe the DC of your spells is one lower. Still, it is most certainly still playable, and the fun of roleplaying something unusual more than compensates for the slight performance decrease.

(You can probably tell, that I am relishing this challenge...)
Morka
10-21-03, 10:03 AM Originally posted by Trydan

Incidentally, this half-orc was raised as the child of two half-orcs. Any mixed parentage would likely not provide a stable environment for study and, again to dispell the stereotype, I'd like this half-orc to grow up with a good education (well, as good as possible) and as a member of a loving family. ;)

His parents could be mid-class to lower class citizens, members of the city guard, like many other half-orcs. (Or perhaps some NPC class, they are fisher, hunter, go figure). This poor half-orc was injured to a leg while still young. Too poor to bring him to a temple, the parents healed him at their best. But the young stay clumsy. He can't run and play with other childrens, but he can learn something else. He become friend to an old mage, living in the slums and selling potion at a ridiculous price to the poors. While helping him, he develops some talents in the arcane.

The best school for this one should be transmutation or abjuration, every worker need some buffing.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Trydan 10-20-03, 04:11 AM	http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/pc_portraits/tn_200102_274_10.jpg (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/pc_portraits/200102_274_10.jpg) Inspired by the thread Sick of Stereotypes: The Half-orc (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98573), and in particular the above image (click on image to enlarge)... I've decided that I'd like to give a half-orc wizard a try. :) The stats (with a 29-point-buy, allowing for half-orc race, and that he is middle-aged, and level 4) are: Str=10, Dex=8, Con=14 (16 with toad familiar), Int=18 (due to +1 at level 4), Wis=10, Cha=7 The idea is that he will be slow, but tough, always immersed in his books, and always ready to get into a debate about stereotypes and racial predjudices. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask for a few suggestions: What weapon would such a character use (great-axe is not an option)? If he was a specialist mage, which school would he choose?
Winternova 10-20-03, 11:57 AM	That's pretty slick, a half-orc wizard. I guess someone has to enchant all those dwarf-slayer swords. For a weapon, I immediately see a thick staff with some kind of ornamental head. I know it's a little stereotypical for a wizard to have a staff, but not all staves is staves. We say this one has a heavy metallic head of a bull, or some such, complete with free-floating nosering, and bands inscribed with some kind of orcish chant, or prayer. The opposite end will have a metal cap stylised like a hoof. As for magic, I dunno about you, but I see transmuter. I'd suggest Invocation, but that's a relatively violent school, and that would go with the 'violent orc' stereotype. If he was completely scholarly, I'd almost suggest Divination.
Kalanth 10-20-03, 12:30 PM	Originally posted by Trydan Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask for a few suggestions: What weapon would such a character use (great-axe is not an option)? If he was a specialist mage, which school would he choose? Weapon? Well, a player in my campaign had an idea I really liked. He uses a Quarterstaff, and his spells are etched into the staff, in other words, he uses the staff as his spell book. It was an interesting idea, so I made sure he took the proper skills and feats when he qualified. The school, well, that is more a personal feel. I say Transmutation or Divination, they both have more of the "study" feel to them.
Morka 10-20-03, 01:44 PM	Winternova, I disagree with you. Orc tribes have many shamans who can enchant weapon. If there should be an arcane caster in an orc tribe, it should be a sorceror. I think barbaric orcs have little patience for a wizard who have to keep a library into his cavern! No, an Half-Orc wizard should be raised by another race. Perhaps raised by gnomes and be an illusionnist. Or his human mother flee with him from some orc tribe or intolerant human city, and they find an old wizard tower in ruins (he could then be any school specialist). Another think that could be good, the half-orc is raised in a slums (either one of his parents was half-orc, or his mother was rapted), and his familly is so poor the young half-orc is sold to a wandering wizard... For the weapon, I would say quatterstaff... his dex is too poor to be specialist in a ranged or finesse weapon. Or he could use an hand-axe.
Trydan 10-20-03, 02:59 PM	Wow... awesome ideas! :cool: I like the etched-quarter-staff idea, but this half-orc will probably stick with books (just to really buck the stereotype!). Still, I think that a quarterstaff could be the way to go here. With poor DEX (he's a bit slow and clumsy), he'd not be good with a light or thrown weapon. Keeping it simple is a good idea. Thanks. :) Incidentally, this half-orc was raised as the child of two half-orcs. Any mixed parentage would likely not provide a stable environment for study and, again to dispell the stereotype, I'd like this half-orc to grow up with a good education (well, as good as possible) and as a member of a loving family. ;) Back to the topic, and the issue of specialist school; I'm still not sure. I'll stay open to further suggestions for the time being.:confused:
Yen-Lo-Wang 10-20-03, 07:18 PM	Weapon? Well, a player in my campaign had an idea I really liked. He uses a Quarterstaff, and his spells are etched into the staff, in other words, he uses the staff as his spell book. It was an interesting idea, so I made sure he took the proper skills and feats when he qualified. That's a great idea...kudos to your player for originality:D Quarterstaff is the way to go if you have low DEX... Something funny...someone asked me in another thread if my definition of roleplaying was choosing an obviously weak class/race combo like a half orc wizard to justify the fact that I don't min/max. I said no, but maybe seeing your example would show them that you don't need uber stats and ridiculos class/race combos to be successful:D
Trydan 10-21-03, 05:43 AM	Something funny...someone asked me in another thread if my definition of roleplaying was choosing an obviously weak class/race combo like a half orc wizard to justify the fact that I don't min/max. I said no, but maybe seeing your example would show them that you don't need uber stats and ridiculos class/race combos to be successful I had posted to the Character Optimisation (http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=339) board about this topic (see the post: Challenge: the half-orc wizard (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=113374). One of the comments that came out of that discussion was that by saying that half-orcs make hopeless wizards, is like saying that any wizard with less than INT=18 is unplayable. That is clearly not the case. With a point-buy system, any class/race combination is possible, and even with a dice-rolling scheme, you'd have to be reasonably unlucky to see it become impractical. Yes, by taking a penalty in a primary stat (in this case INT), you are at a disadvantage. But it is only a disadvantage of -1 in the modifier. Maybe you'll lose a single bonus spell? Maybe the DC of your spells is one lower. Still, it is most certainly still playable, and the fun of roleplaying something unusual more than compensates for the slight performance decrease. (You can probably tell, that I am relishing this challenge...)
Morka 10-21-03, 10:03 AM	Originally posted by Trydan Incidentally, this half-orc was raised as the child of two half-orcs. Any mixed parentage would likely not provide a stable environment for study and, again to dispell the stereotype, I'd like this half-orc to grow up with a good education (well, as good as possible) and as a member of a loving family. ;) His parents could be mid-class to lower class citizens, members of the city guard, like many other half-orcs. (Or perhaps some NPC class, they are fisher, hunter, go figure). This poor half-orc was injured to a leg while still young. Too poor to bring him to a temple, the parents healed him at their best. But the young stay clumsy. He can't run and play with other childrens, but he can learn something else. He become friend to an old mage, living in the slums and selling potion at a ridiculous price to the poors. While helping him, he develops some talents in the arcane. The best school for this one should be transmutation or abjuration, every worker need some buffing.