With an insatiable hunger for power and an unconventional alliance with an otherworldly patron, the Half-Orc Warlock treads a treacherous path between savage, brawn, and arcane brilliance.
Through this arcane communion, the Half-Orc Warlock harnesses eldritch energies to shape reality according to their whims.
They are a captivating blend of brutality and enchantment, a living testament to the seductive allure of power and the ever-present shadows that dwell within their heart.
Creating a Half-Orc Warlock
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.
| Skin | Grayish pigment |
| Hair (Including their Beard) | Orcs can grow the same hair (and color) as their human counterpart, which also affects their beards |
| Eyes | Ranging from dark gray to pale, almost white |
| Nose | Orcish or human-like noses, depending on what physical aspects define them |
| Mouth | Extended jaw showing prominent orcish teeth |
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.
Warlock Class Features
Hit Points
| Hit Dice | 1d8 per Warlock level |
| HP at level 1 | 8 + Constitution modifier |
| HP at Higher levels | 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Warlock level after level 1 |
Proficiencies
| Armor | Light armor |
| Weapons | Simple weapons |
| Tools | None |
| Saving Throws | Wisdom, Charisma |
| Skills | Choose two – Arcane, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion |
Warlock Otherworldly Bargain
As you start the game at level 1, you choose between 9 otherworldly beings to strike a deal with.
Archfey – Your patron is a lady or lord belonging to the fey, a mere legend who holds secrets that were forgotten at the birth of the mortal races.
This being is quite unpredictable, at times striving for greater magical power and at others trying to settle age-old grudges.
Celestial – Your patron is a very powerful being of the Upper Planes. You bound yourself to a ki-rin, solar, or empyrean residing in the planes of everlasting bliss, allowing you to experience a mere touch from their holy light.
Being connected to such a being is enough to change your beliefs and alter your behavior.
Fathomless – Your pact is with a being of the Elemental place of Water or some other otherworldly sea, allowing you to draw on its unending power.
The reason for their acceptance isn’t clearly understood, as these beings are very old and hold many reasons unfathomable by mere mortals.
Fiend – Your pact is with a fiend from the lower planes, whose aims are outwardly evil, desiring to corrupt and destroy all things, including you.
Genie – Your pact is with a noble genie who rules fiefs on the Elemental Planes and holds great influence over other genies. Their motivations are different, but many are arrogant and wield a power equal to that of lesser deities.
Great Old One – Your patron is an entity of complete mystery, foreign to all fabric of reality. Speculations are that it might’ve come from the Far Realm, a space lying beyond reality. Others even say it could be one of the elder gods who are only known in legends.
The motives of this creature are incomprehensible to mortals, and their knowledge is so immense that it would break the mind of those who obtained it. This entity is probably completely unaware of you, yet the small amount of power you draw from it allows you to cast your spells.
Hexblade – Your pact is with a mysterious entity residing in the Shadowfell, manifesting itself as sentient weapons forged with the shadows of its environment.
The sword Blackrazor is one of the most formidable of these weapons.
Undead – The pact you’ve formed is with an immortal being, defying the cycle of life and death to pursue its inscrutable ambitions.
Most of these beings were once mortal, knowing firsthand the ambitions of all mortals. They are eager to share knowledge and secrets if you work their will among mortals.
Undying – Your patron doesn’t fear death, possessing the secrets to everlasting life. They were once mortal, and they are eager to share their secrets of the ages if you do their bidding.
Combining Warlock With Half-Orc
Determining Your Warlock 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.
| Class | Role |
| The Archfey | Controller/Utility Caster |
| The Celestial | Blaster/Controller/Healer |
| The Fathomless | Blaster/Controller/Striker |
| The Fiend | Blaster/Controller/Support |
| The Genie | Blaster/Controller/Striker/Support |
| The Great Old One | Blaster/Controller/Striker/Support/Utility Caster |
| The Hexblade | Blaster/Striker/Support |
| The Undead | Controller/Support/Utility Caster |
| The Undying | Blaster/Controller/Support/Utility Caster |
Optimal Half-Orc Subrace
You’ll be choosing between the normal Half-Orc race and its Mark of Finding Variant when creating your Warlock, the best, in my opinion, being the normal Mark of Finding Half-Orc. This is because their stats align more with that of a Warlock than the normal Half-Orc’s stats.
The Mark of Finding Half-Orc has bonuses to its Wisdom (2) and Constitution (1) score, which doesn’t really benefit it as a Warlock, but the Wisdom is good for certain skills.
Half-Orcs aren’t the best race to pick for a traditional Warlock; however, if you’re focus is a mix between melee bruiser and spellcasting Warlock, then Half-Orcs are perfect.
Your Half-Orc Warlock Background
Your Half-Orc Warlock 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 Warlock 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 Warlocks sometimes lead or support giant armies of Orcs with their demonic powers, acting as powerful evokers or defensive abjurers.
Some Half-Orc Warlocks even leave their homes to assist other races or go into solitude to focus on becoming stronger.
Half-Orc Warlock Examples:
- When I’ve got my mind set on something, I follow through no matter what tries to get in my way.
- Thinking is for other people. I prefer action.
Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws
Ideal – Express one ideal that is a driving force in a Half-Orc Warlock’s life – their conviction, ethical principle, and moral standing (probably something about nature).
If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do.
Bonds – Think of a single bond that your Half-Orc Warlock 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.
A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I’ll have my revenge.
Flaws – Choose a single flaw for a Half-Orc Warlock – their unhealthy compulsion, greatest fear/weakness, or most vile vice.
I am inflexible in my thinking.
Inspiration
Inspiration can be used by the DM to reward you for playing according to your bond, personality traits, ideals, and flaw.
As a Half-Orc Warlock, I cannot resist learning more about the dark arts of magic, even if the others around me feel uncomfortable with it.
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 Warlocks
Warlocks 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) One light crossbow with 20 bolts or (b) Any simple weapon you choose
- (a) Component pouch or (b) An arcane focus
- Scholar’s pack or (b) Dungeoneer’s pack
- Leather armor, any simple weapons, and two daggers
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 Warlocks).
Final Thoughts
Half-Orc Warlocks are widely considered innately evil. However, some stray away from their primal lifestyle, making great spellcasters for adventuring groups.
Even though it’ll be scary to approach a Half-Orc Warlock, if you can recruit them, then you’ll gain an insanely powerful spellcaster as an ally.