Publication:Unearthed Arcana/Aquatic Orcs

Aquatic Orcs
Aquatic orcs survive on the slopes of cliff sides or undersea drops, far from the warmth of volcanic vents and the nurturing light of the sun. As such, they control access to the secrets of the deep ocean trenches&mdash;but are menaced by fell creatures that rise up out of the trenches in search of fresh prey.

Aquatic 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 seek strategies other than brute force. Such iconoclasts often leave their tribes&mdash;at least temporarily&mdash;to become adventurers.

Racial Traits: Aquatic orcs have the following racial traits.


 * +4 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma. An aquatic 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 (Aquatic, Orc): An aquatic orc has the aquatic subtype. An aquatic orc can breathe underwater. It cannot also breathe air unless it also has the amphibious special quality. An aquatic orc can hold its breath outside the water for 2 rounds per point of Constitution. After that, it begins to suffocate.
 * Medium: As Medium creatures, aquatic orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
 * An aquatic orc’s base land speed is 30 feet.
 * An aquatic orc has a swim speed of 30 feet. It can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
 * Darkvision: Aquatic orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and aquatic orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
 * Light Sensitivity: Aquatic orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
 * Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon.
 * Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass aquatic orc’s barbarian class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
 * Level Adjustment: +0*.