Assumptions about orcs

Everyone's orcs are different. As a storytelling device, orcs have been twisted and molded to fit a story's needs. Nevertheless we have to start somewhere. This guide assumes the following:

• Orcs are a distinct "species" or "race" in a biological sense, such that a population of orcs will produce children that are recognizably orcs.
• Orcs can be interfertile with other similar "species" or "race" in your world, yielding children who are a mixture of orcish and other ancestries.
• Orcs are physically more resilient than a typical humanoid of their size. Whether this is from a faster rate of healing or tougher physiology is up to you.
• Orcs have a range of skin colors, the way human beings do. This can include greens, grays, and other hues not found among human beings.

Other than these differences, orcs have the same continuum of physical, mental, emotional, artistic, spiritual, and other capacities as anyone else.