Orcs (by DracoDruid)

Orc Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +2 Wisdom , –2 Intelligence : Orcs are strong in body and mind, but prefer action over thought.

Medium: Orcs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.

 Low-Light Vision : Orcs can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Ancient Enemy: Orcs receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against aberrations and a +2 racial bonus on all Knowledge skill checks regarding aberrations. The terrors of the Daelkyr invasion still linger in their veins and myths.

Fearless: Orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear and intimidation.

Ferocity: Orcs receive the ferocity special ability (see Bestiary p.300). This means, orcs do not fall unconscious when their hit point total is below 0, but are still considered staggered and dying.

Healthy: Orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison and diseases.

Honest to a Fault: Orcs suffer a –2 racial penalty on Bluff and Diplomacy skill checks.

Intimidating: Orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate skill checks.

Survivor: Orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Survival skill checks.

Weapon Familiarity: Orcs are proficient with battleaxes, greataxes, and falchions, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.

Starting Languages: Orcs begin play speaking Common and Orc.

Alternate Racial Traits
The following racial traits replace existing orc racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Savage: Some tribes have declined into savagery and lost their once noble heritage. Orcs with this racial trait receive: +4 Strength, +2 Constitution , –2 Intelligence , –2 Wisdom , –2 Charisma . Orcs from these tribes are usually evil and revere the Dragon Below. This racial trait replaces the standard ability adjustments and the Ancient Enemy racial trait.

Cave–dweller: Some tribes live in caverns deep under the mountains and rarely see the light. Orcs with this racial trait receive Darkvision (up to 60 feet) and Light Sensitivity (see PF Bestiary, page 301). This racial trait replaces Low-light vision.

Design Commentary
As with the goblinoids, the orcs of Eberron have a very different history than the standard D&D orcs. They are no brutal savages but proud and spiritual barbarians who lost their high culture in the war against the daelkyr.

Orcs received a big workover, but they definitely deserved it.

First thing changed were the one-sided ability adjustments. To quote Races of Eberron: "Wise and wild, the orcs stand out as a race always on the edge of savagery. With a proud history and a sacred duty, orcs are guardians of some of the world’s most ancient secrets." So +2 Wisdom seemed a must (a +4 change!). But I did not want to make them totally overpowered, so I reduced the Strength bonus to +2. As with the goblinoids, I dropped the Charisma penalty in favor of a social skill penalty to encourage bards and sorcerers. However, I kept the one-sided version as an alternative.

The original orc didn't have much more. Ferocity is nice, but Darkvision and Light Sensitivity didn't fit to the swamp dwelling orcs of Khorvaire.

Therefore, I changed DV and LS into Low-Light Vision (but kept them as an alternative again), and gave them several bonuses I thought appropriate.