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Lets say that humans retain the stat bonuses they have. In the descriptions some humans already have a tinge of other races in them already including a bit of orc. So a guy who puts his +2 into strength can reasonably say I'm part orc and I don' t think too many people will complain which leaves the question what to do about the half-orc in dnd next. I'm just having a hard time thinking of a way to make the half orc feel diffrent then a really strong human who may have some orc in him anyway. They get the rage mechanic that orcs get in the playtest but that doesn't seem too flavorful. I think they have done a decent job making the races feel diffrent so far but I think a half orc might be too constrained to being either the angry outsider or the muscley angry outsider. So why not go full orc instead of making half-orcs the result of two cultures they can focus on making orcs a bit more defined. Orcs in the fluff are destructive barbarians that maybe true for most orcs but adventuring orcs who are welling to work with other standard races are probaly not your standard orc anyway. But then again full orcs might still be too WOW.


Justification for orcs in the civilized world.

1. Obould Many-Arrows- He was a bit more foward thinking and managed to build a kingdom and make peace with other nations.


2. Orcs would make great pioneers in the rugged frontiers. Say your Empire and you just conquered some land. Turns out the land is tough and it's a pretty tough to sell your citizens that this very dangerous land is worth living in. Now you can go the australian and send your convicts out there or send in your orcs. Have them swear loyalty to you and give them the support they need tools, supplies and have these tougher then normal pioneers turn that land into something useful to you. Now you have 2 other benifits. First you have orcs who are not trying to stea or wreak your territory and second you hopefully treated them nicely enough for a whole new generation of orcs to have a sense of patriotism and willingness to bring harm to your enemies. Or after they gain enough in numbers they can just say screw you and claim independence and wage a bloody guerrilla. Just because they can farm doesn't make them less orcky.


   
     

I am reminded of the movie Tropic Thunder...Everyone knows you don't go full orc...

But why not?

I don't have a problem with full orcs being character races.  Has it been done before by WoW?  Sure, and they did it pretty well.  However, just because the "Simpsons did it" (for those who don't get the South Park reference, it just refers to something that's already been done before) doesn't mean it's no longer viable.  Afterall, we're talking about a game that was entirely built on the tradition of "Tolkien did it."

Of course, making full orcs a PC race doesn't have to provoke changes in all the settings.  DMs can feel free to fit them in, or disallow them, as they wish.

Is a trox a troll cross bred with an ox or am I totally off on that one? But I do think a lot of people are ready for full orc players. But I wonder if they do become playable and probaly less randomly evil would they lose there charm.  Uruk hai are intimidating but Shrek less so.