UA:Arctic Orcs

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Arctic Orcs

Arctic orcs are primitive herders, eking out a living on the slopes of volcanic mountains and building their crude huts near hot springs or steam vents. They herd woolly cattle, caribou, and elk. As a result, they control large sources of meat, water, and heat—all things coveted by others living in or traveling through the arctic. What they don't have, they take by force.

Arctic orcs stand ever vigilant against attackers and thieves—when they're not making preemptive strikes against those foolish enough to settle near their territory.

Occasionally, an individual orc questions the need for constant battle, or seeks strategies other than brute force. Such iconoclasts often leave their tribes—at least temporarily—to become adventurers.

Racial Traits: Arctic orcs have the following racial traits.

• +4 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma. An arctic orc’s starting Intelligence score is always at least 3. If this adjustment would lower the character’s score to 1 or 2, his score is nevertheless 3.
• Humanoid (Orc).
• Medium: As Medium creatures, arctic orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• An arctic orc’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: An arctic orc can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Cold Endurance: Arctic orcs have a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of cold weather or exposure.
• +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks: Arctic orcs are herders, and they rely on their skills with animals to keep their tribes fed.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass arctic orc’s barbarian class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
• Level Adjustment: +0.

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