Half-Orc Wizard 5e D&D Guide

With a scholar’s thirst for knowledge and a Wizard’s flair for the mystical, Half-Orc Wizards stand as a mesmerizing fusion of brawn and brilliance.

They wield the forces of fire, ice, and lightning with deftness, proving that true might lies not just in muscles but in the boundless depths of intellect.

One moment, they might unleash a thunderous blast, hurling their foes into chaos. The next, they might weave an intricate web of illusions, luring enemies astray with misdirection.

In their journey, this Half-Orc Wizard defies preconceived notions and breaks the chains of stereotypes. They embrace their Orcish heritage not as a limitation but as a wellspring of untapped potential.

Creating a Half-Orc Wizard

Half-Orcs

Throughout the years, humans and orcs have made many alliances, often ending in interracial marriages, birthing Half-Orcs – inheriting the best of both worlds.

Half-Orcs tend to become mighty warriors, often becoming chiefs of Orc tribes due to their human blood’s intelligence advantage and orcish strength. 

Other Half-Orcs travel the world, living among humans and other civilized races to prove their worth. Many of these Half-Orcs end up as mighty adventurers, wealthy smiths, or unmatched imperial soldiers who climbed the ranks due to their barbaric fighting style.

Note: These features can be slightly changed or modified if some variations don’t fit your character.

Half-Orc Subraces

Half-Orcs don’t have subraces as they’re not as widespread as many other races. They don’t tend to band together as they see their mother races as their true families, finding comfort with them or abandoning their heritage and walking a new path.

However, there is a Variant Half-Orc bearing the Mark of Finding, a mark only given to Half-Orcs and humans.

Variant Half-Orc: Mark of Finding – Mark of Finding Half-Orcs are very wise, often living in the wilderness and knowing all of its secrets. 

Some also live deep underground, either becoming chiefs to a nest of goblins or destroying them to create their own home.

Wizard Class Features

Hit Points

Proficiencies

Wizard Arcane Traditions

Upon reaching level 2 as a Wizard, you can choose between 13 different Arcane Traditions you can adopt, each shaping your practice of magic through one of the schools.

Abjuration – Wizards who adopt the School of Abjuration will have their magic emphasize banishes, blocks, and protects. 

Detractors have controversial takes on this tradition, stating that it focuses on negative negation rather than positive assertion.

Most spellcasters understand this to be a lie, mere verbal debauchery to please the hearts of the lazy and undisciplined.

Bladesinging – Adopting the Bladesinging tradition incorporates a dance of swords into your wizardry and was originally created by Elves.

A bladesinger is taught to use elegant maneuvers to protect himself from attacks, allowing him to channel magic into cunning defense or devastating attacks. 

Those who have observed bladesingers at work recall the display as one of the most beautiful experiences in their life.

Chronurgy – Wizards who adopt Chronurgy magic focus on time manipulation, altering reality to their liking.

Chronurgy Wizards use increasing anticipatory dunamis energy to bend the flow of time, granting their allies an advantage in mere milliseconds.

Conjuration – Wizards following the School of Conjuration focus on spells that produce creatures, effects, and objects out of nowhere.

They can summon growing clouds of damaging fog or summon creatures from a different realm to assist their allies. Masters of Conjuration can even teleport themselves to other planes of existence instantaneously.

Divination – Wizards adopting the School of Divination strive to uncover the veils of consciousness, time, and space. These Wizards master spells that provide them with enlightenment, foresight, remote viewing, and supernatural knowledge.

Divination Wizards are often hired by commoners and even royals, as many people seek a clearer understanding of their past, present, and future.

Enchantment – Wizards belonging to the School of Enchantment aim to master magic that charms and entrances people and monsters.

These enchanters are contrasted with becoming peacemakers who beguile violent creatures to put down their arms or tyrants who bind the unwilling to serve them for eternity. Most enchanters will fall somewhere in between.

Evocation – Adopting the School of Evocation allows a Wizard to study magic that creates powerful elemental effects like burning acid, bitter cold, cracking lightning, rolling thunder, and searing flame.

Evokers can find employment in military forces where they serve as magical artillery to blast enemies from far away. Others use their evocations to protect the weakest of society, and some even become adventurers, tyrants, or bandits.

Graviturgy – Graviturgy Wizards aim to understand and learn spells that drive bodies of matter apart and draw them together, learning to manipulate and bend gravity’s violent energy to their benefit or the destruction of their enemies.

Illusion – Wizards belonging to the School of Illusion focus their studies on magic that confuses the mind, confuses the senses, and tricks even the most brilliant minds.

Their magic is subtle, but these keen illusions can make even the most absurd things seem real. 

There are even illusionists – like gnome wizards – who are clever tricksters and entertainers. Unfortunately, others misuse their power to become masters of deception. Frightening and fooling those who cannot see through their sham.

Necromancy – Necromancy Wizards explore the cosmic forces of death, life, and undeath, learning to manipulate the energies that animate all living things.

Those who progress in this tradition learn to sap the life force from creatures, destroying their bodies and using their life essence as magical power.

Necromancers aren’t necessarily evil. However, many of their practices are considered taboo by certain societies.

Order of Scribes – Wizards belonging to the Order of Scribes are the very essence of Wizardry, primarily focused on recording magical discoveries for all Wizards to use and even magically altering their book and turning it into a trusted companion.

The Order of Scribes is described as the most literary tradition, even among Wizards who are known for studying magic intensively and never stopping, even after becoming masters. Most Wizards don’t even travel without having their books or scrolls handy.

Transmutation – Transmutation Wizards use spells that modify matter and energy, delighting in being an agent of change. Their spells allow them to alter both mental qualities and physical forms.

Transmuters are sometimes prankers or tinkerers who turn people into toads or transform copper into silver, while others take studying very seriously, wanting the power to create and destroy worlds.

War Magic – Wizards who embrace War Magic use the principles of abjuration and evocation, which teaches them how to empower their spells and bolster their defense.

Those who follow this tradition are called War Mages, and they use their magic to deal devastating blows and block any counterattacks with their increased defenses.

War Mages usually work with Evokers and Abjurers, often being teased by Evokers because of their split attention.

Combining Wizard With Half-Orc

Determining Your Wizard Subclass

Choosing your ideal subclass is subjective, but if your objective is optimization, try understanding what your character wants to do and what stats fit best with their subclass.

Optimal Half-Orc Subrace

Half-Orcs only have one variant subrace, which makes it more difficult to optimize if it doesn’t have the adequate ability scores that your class needs.

Your best choice when becoming a Wizard would be to choose the Mark of Finding Half-Orc Variant, as it comes with a Wisdom (2) and Constitution (1) bonus.

Unfortunately, Wizards use their Intelligence score as their spellcasting modifier, but the Wisdom bonus will help their Wisdom saves even more, and the Constitution will make them a bit tankier.

Note: They also have a separate spell list that unlocks as they level up.

Your Background

Your Half-Orc Wizard needs a unique background that will affect its choices, as well as the way it sees the world and what it wants to achieve.

Start by asking yourself some basic questions: Where were they born, and where did they come from? Do they have any goals, bonds, or ideals, and what are their flaws? Where do they belong in social circles and society as a whole? What inspires them?

Place of Birth

Think of the environment a Half-Orc Wizard grew up in and how it affected them physically and emotionally and eventually shaped their view of the world.

Try to make their place of birth and upbringing correspond with their personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws – this will truly bring their character alive.

Note: The birthplaces of races are usually mentioned in the Player’s Handbook or some of its expansion books.

Characteristics and Personality Traits

Half-Orc Wizards have been exposed by both the Human and Orc worlds, choosing to study magic and either assist the followers of chaos or fight for the Humans as well as other related races.

Some even break free from the order, seeking their own path to strength and stopping for nothing until they obtain it.

Half-Orc Wizard Examples:

• I’ll settle for nothing less than perfection.

• I judge people based solely on their actions, not their words.

Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws

Ideal – Express one ideal that is a driving force in a Half-Orc Wizard’s life – their conviction, ethical principle, and moral standing (probably something about nature).

I’m determined to make something of myself.

Bonds – Think of a single bond that your Half-Orc Wizard has to an event, person, or place. Bonds will tie them to their background and can inspire bravery or stimulate memories driving them against their ideals.

Someone I loved dearly died because of a stupid mistake I made. That will never happen again.

Flaws – Choose a single flaw for a Half-Orc Wizard – their unhealthy compulsion, greatest fear/weakness, or most vile vice.

I keep my secrets hidden and won’t reveal them to anyone.

Inspiration

Inspiration is used by the DM to reward you for playing according to your bond, personality traits, ideals, and flaw.

There are times when I become overwhelmed by magical power, leading me to become weak and miss a turn.

Note: If you’re struggling to create your background or just don’t want to think, the Player’s Handbook has well-thought-through backgrounds that you can use for your character or use as a mold.

Supplies and Gear For Half-Orc Wizards

Wizards start with the following equipment, together with the equipment from their background. Choosing equipment based on your situation and your character’s proficiencies is the easiest way to go about things.

• (a) Quarterstaff or (b) Dagger
• (a) Component pouch or (b) Arcane focus
• (a) Scholar’s pack or (b) Explorer’s pack
• Spellbook

You can decide how your character came about these goods – whether they stole, inherited, or purchased them some time back – adding to your character’s background.

Note: By using your starting wealth, you can buy your own equipment (4d4 x 10 GP for Wizards).

Final Thoughts

Not many Half-Orcs become Wizards, but because of their Human heritage, I believe their lust for knowledge draws some Half-Orcs to the teachings of Wizards.

If your party needs a powerful spellcaster, who has endless knowledge, try to find a Half-Orc Wizard at all costs!

You might also be interested in the following:

• Half-Orc Barbarian
• Half-Orc Cleric
• Half-Orc Druid
• Half-Orc Paladin
• Half-Orc Ranger
• Half-Orc Rogue
• Half-Orc Warlock