Orc & Drow mating (Let's work together and solve this puzzle!)
Icecreamtub
Member Posts: 547
in Off-Topic
Hey everyone, ya sweet spice Cinnamon is here for another round of brain stimulating questions!
So, without further ado, let's get into, shall we?
Now, I am aware of the surroundings behind Drow and Orcs, the real question is: In a Baldur's Gate, Sword of Coast/Dragonsiege/Amn/Throne of Bhaal setting, are these two races allowed to produce off-spring?
I know it's a fantasy setting and I am free to make whatever I feel like making, but I'm very adhesive to the rules and setting, if such a combination is not possible in this setting then I shan't force it.
I ask purely because I am designing a new character (Sssh, can't let anything slip more than that!), so I'd like to know if these two races can produce a legitimate off-spring in these games. If they cant, then it's a Drow all the way, although that saddens me a fair amount!
What are your thoughts? Please, let me know~
I'd really like this thread to stay on track, please do not derail and please refrain from any aggressive arguing.
Debates are fine, and you are more than welcome to object to anything posted here; Just remember the rules and keep it friendly, thank you!
Get your dice rolling and get your brain juices following everyone, let's get brain storming!
~Cinnamon
So, without further ado, let's get into, shall we?
Now, I am aware of the surroundings behind Drow and Orcs, the real question is: In a Baldur's Gate, Sword of Coast/Dragonsiege/Amn/Throne of Bhaal setting, are these two races allowed to produce off-spring?
I know it's a fantasy setting and I am free to make whatever I feel like making, but I'm very adhesive to the rules and setting, if such a combination is not possible in this setting then I shan't force it.
I ask purely because I am designing a new character (Sssh, can't let anything slip more than that!), so I'd like to know if these two races can produce a legitimate off-spring in these games. If they cant, then it's a Drow all the way, although that saddens me a fair amount!
What are your thoughts? Please, let me know~
I'd really like this thread to stay on track, please do not derail and please refrain from any aggressive arguing.
Debates are fine, and you are more than welcome to object to anything posted here; Just remember the rules and keep it friendly, thank you!
Get your dice rolling and get your brain juices following everyone, let's get brain storming!
~Cinnamon
0
Comments
If you had hoped for a natural born hybrid between drow and orcs on the other hand, then the answer would be no. Not even half-drow and half-orcs would be able to mix bloodlines. We have the stubborness of Corellon Larethian and Gruumsh to thank for that. And lazy Lolth apparently thought it was too bothersome to fix the issue at hand.
Ah well, the character is already ridiculously filled with creativity, I guess being a half-orc, half-drow would've been far too much anyway.
But if you want to add some Underdark flair to it, you could give your half-orc black skin and white hair. Not sure how lore-accurate that is, though.
Taken from here.
I guess half-orc can't be blinded by sunlight that much.
Would this produce the same outcome, or would this produce a Drow with very minor Orc features? (Like hair and ears)
Aesthetic wise, I only really wanted to make a Drow with mixed Orc blood because 1. ORCS!!! 2. The hair and ears in BG are just to die for, seriously.
In one view, both Drow and Orcs have such enmity towards each other that the mating would probably be rare in the extreme. And since both races have no problems "Sacrificing" such a halfbreed, It is highly unlikely that such a union would survive long in the real world as they would be anathema to both societies. Such an abomination would be even more of an outcast than a half human, and by orders of magnitude so much so that both races would be HIGHLY motivated to end it's existence.
Another way to look at it is as follows. Orcs are very short lived race. Elves (and Drow by extension) are extremely long lived races. It may very well be that the relative gestation periods of these two completely different physiognomies simply would not allow such a fetus to survive to term biologically. Since humans are somewhere in the middle, they "Just about" make it work either direction but only Just and not without a much greater risk.
Of course, that raises the question of if a Half Orc and a Half Drow could mate? Who knows, but then I think that any offspring would be either one or the other, or so muddled as to be indistinguishable from human (the third piece and the most dominant as it represents half of both the mother and the father) as to just not be racially distinguishable.
Finally, the genetics might merely be different enough that no such conception could happen.
However, and this is the great thing about this game, if you want to make such a creature in your game? You can.
The problem arises is that, with all the work going into it, I'd like it to be available for everyone who wants a Male Drow that isn't your typical Drow, nor typical character in any fashion at all, really. And also of a certain... Background. *winks*
And as mentioned, I like to be legitimate about my content of origins when it comes to character backstory, so it needs to be legitimate as well.
In my own personal game, I will tweak the finished product to my own design - As would anyone else, and thusly would make it a Orc+Drow hybrid character.
Not to mention "left-half-orc-male-right-half-drow-female" would be unpractical, run in circles due to it's shorter legs on the right side and there would be probably a lot of R-rated ...ehm...self...discovery?
In my personal and subjective view, I don't see a "Need" for such a character in my own game. I find the whole idea much more cliche than even the standard tropes of characters like Dorn or some wayward Drow with a heart of gold. Not that I think diversity isn't necessary, merely that the more absurd the stretch to make a combination "Merely to make it" the less I am interested. But I am sure there will be loads of others that will like the idea.
TL;DR - I don't want to create an asinine character and I'd rather it was legitimate by a standard D&D setting, even if it is all fantasy and make believe - There's only so much make believe one can get away with.
Whilst you *can* do whatever you like, there are rulings one must follow otherwise it is considered an "illegal" creation. Otherwise, we'd have fire breathing Dragon kin with +5 Cromfyr swords as arms and hands, with 250% immunity to magic (this infers a 150% healing from magic, or something.) and the ability to create and destroy worlds at the click of a... Hilt?
I just want to design a character that does make legitimate sense and isn't completely absurd. I'm not the type to make a 36th Succubus, 10th Wood Elf, 5th Human, 7th Nymph, 2th Dragon, 40th Orc and 10th Godlike with sausage-shooting eye beams twice a day and hair made out of magic missiles. As fun and creative as that sounds, that is absolutely asinine and has no place in any legitimate ruled D&D setting.
Unfortunately, because I don't want to give away any meaty information, I can/could only previously/futuristically say certain things that most likely will give people the impression I am forcing a certain style merely for the sake of it being edge-lord-tastic.
I can, however, say that it's not the case... Thee unfortunate part about that is, until the character is finished and published, you'll just have to believe and take my word for it.
I'm not enforcing some random race mixture for the sake of being cool and different. Whilst Drow are a peculiar race, most likely adapted to seemingly fit some kind of racial profiling of society, and Orcs are quite well known to be my favourite race, there is a very specific reason I want to combine the two into one.
Perhaps maybe only seemingly to me, everything behind this character makes sense. Honestly, the only thing about this character that is really nonsensical, in terms of how (which is explained how, it still is the most nonsense thing to the character. In fact, it probably makes me sound like a fan of a certain character in the game, which I honestly wouldn't deny if it was every questioned, but I dont personally feel as if it had any real influence.), is the deity it does worship.
This is about as much as I can give away without putting it in a blunt and obvious statement. I've probably given away to much-as-is, but I wanted to set the record straight and clear up any misconceptions I may have accidentally given out.
Apologies if I sound disgruntled/upset/annoyed or any ill feelings, just pointing out a couple of things. I honestly mean no harm by anything I've written, please don't take it as such & thank you for reading it, if you did read all of it.
How was it conceived from a biological standpoint? What were the parents backgrounds and how did they meet? How much were they part of this child's life?
If you can answer these questions, and make it believable, then it won't be asinine.
When a Mummy Drow and a Daddy Orc love each very much...
Indeed. As far as I'm aware, there are certain restrictions on Orcs because of their initial debut. Since they are a short lived race and Elves are not, this causes complications, supposedly.
With all my research, knowledge and people lending me a hand in this discussion, it's pretty much all on the Orc side of things.
It's just... A weird fantasy setting, that's all. No use arguing against the facts, the D&D setting is designed to make sense and none the next. All I want to figure out is whether it is biologically legitimate.
As to what happens when a half-orc mates with a drow, I think at that point you're looking at 3e's Mongrel race: a creature with such mixed heritage that it's no longer clear what its ancestry truly is.
That is, assuming that you're looking for a mechanics-based explanation for what happens. In terms of biology or genetics, I think your idea of a drow with orcish features (or an orc with drow features) is pretty much spot on. I would probably rule on the side of "orc traits are dominant" for the most part, but until Ed Greenwood gives us the real answer on that, I'd say it's up to you how you want it to work.
I found a thread from the Candlekeep forum. Apparently there are Half-Orcs-Half-Elves/Drow.
And as a poster says, in 3E Races of Faerun, p.67 there is this entry:
"Half-orcs are invariably the product of a human and an orc, but stories are told of half-orcs carrying the blood of dwarves, goblins, hobgoblins, and even halflings, gnomes, and elves."
Gameplay-wise, they would have the Half-Orc stats. One explanation for that is because the Orc bloodline is more dominant.
Roleplaying-wise, the Half-Orc could have black skin, red eyes and white hair and pointier ears but would otherwise be like the other Half-Orcs.
TL;DR: Yes, 3E suggests that it's possible, otherwise they wouldn't mention it at all.
Did they love your character back?
How did the parents meet?
Unique characters needs to extend its back ground past its birth for it to make sense.
If there can be half-dragons, a half elf - half orc is conceivable (pun intended, please dont ban me). But only if you can explain the parents past.
It was meant as a joke. You asked how the parents would conceive the child, so I seized the opportunity.
If you want to ask me in PMs about any peculiar ideas I might have, I might be more inclined to answer in a serious manner; I keep saying I would like to minimise any serious background leaks. It could ruin the entire character if I spoil even the smallest detail outside of racial mixture.
@Dee
Thanks for all the information Dee, it's been a quite the great help. It's good to see I wasn't wrong in my theories if the mixture was viable. Thanks for taking the time to help confirm it!
I honestly also have to ask, so beg my pudding, though what has intrigued you into paying attention to this post? Just seems a little... Unusual, to my eyes, haha.
Oh yeah... I put quite the title, I didn't even notice that! I wrote the initial post half-asleep, to be honest. Working on a character can be... Draining. ~_~
Perhaps raised to not be Evil by Gorion.
Or, traditional Lolthite or Bhaal Drow Priestesses aligned themselves temporarily with Orcs to crush surface Elves.
Perhaps the priestess leading the assault felt some attraction to the power and might, as well as "alpha-male" qualities of the Orc chief/priest/warlord/whatever and made a Half-Orc/Half-Drow child, since most Drow males are second-class citizens and are demanded to follow the females' orders.
The child might have survived because that Drow priestess of Lolth/Bhaal was captured when she was pregnant and interrogated by humans/elves after they were defeated.
These could be the Good and Evil origin stories of a Half-Orc/Half-Drow.
The details can be fleshed out as needed.
One of those is something I was intentionally trying to avoid being part of the background. As accurate and typical of Drow nature that it is, and Orcs being as they are, I'm definitely going to avoid any mention of that.
It was definitely a thing in the movies, but no. In the books Orcs could breed just like any other race. Gandalf actually makes comments to that effect during the council with Elrond.
TBH, I don't honestly see why it can't happen (despite my previous posts). I just think that it would be rare enough that there really wouldn't be a need for a whole rule set surrounding it.
sure under unalterered circumstances a drow and orc might not be able to concieve but maybe one of the gods was like "Aww that's a cute couple, i'll magic a baby in there" or "Muhahaha let's make something really f'ed up with this."
or maybe the couple realized the broblem and got a mage or alchemist or druid or whatever to make em a super conception potion or something.
or maybe a drow magus with a german accent was like "Zis might be a good experiment to make a new breed of ubersoldaten" the drow certainly got no restriction on experiments, heck they have a huge tradition of drow demon half breeds.
and i bet there are a ton more solutions one can think up for the poblem. that's the beauty of D&D.
Edit: As I posted, I figured out what the problem was. Gandalf talked about GOBLINS multiplying in the mountains.