You know, in D&D, I always wondered what the differences are supposed to be between an Orc & a Half-Orc - and yes, I am getting off of my high horse and just using 'Orc', lol. Hell, I remember asking if I could just play a Half-Orc as an Orc and always got a 'sure, whatever' cause it almost never mattered.

Any time I ask, I usually just get 'Orcs are bigger'. You know, as if Orcs are a sub-species of Human and not a completely different species all together.

Sometimes, I get something like 'Orcs are bigger AND stupider, while Half-Orcs are smarter'. Somewhat better, but tying intelligence to a species sounds stupid - on the same level to me as saying a black cat is smarter than a white cat. So, I drew this for my personal use, but also a personal guide for how it works.

On the right is the standard Orc Chief. They have deeper shades of green for skin and typically have black pupils with yellow eyes. Their hair is usually black naturally, but Orcs practice the use of hair dye as a representation of their tribe. They grow tusks from their jaw, a byproduct of their evolution, being closely related to boars - in the same way humans are closely related to apes. They are large, but they also require a lot more food and water. Due to how much they go through water due to a naturally higher body temperature, Orcs tend to be in a constant state of dehydration. Sunken cheeks and exposed abs are typical for an Orc that's constantly active and fighting. Orcs don't really have spouses like humans do; they mate, but they are pretty open in their relationships. It's pretty rare for an Orc of either gender to be tied to one man or woman. In fact, a male that has had many partners and a woman who has had many children are highly regarded in Orc society - it implies that they're fertile, bonus points if their children live to become adults.

On the left is the standard Half-Orc adventurer. Their skin tends to be lighter shades of green and their ears don't sloop the way their full-blooded counterparts do. Half-Orcs tend to have more human features; for instance, their noses aren't as wide or as flat. Their eyes and hair can have variants, but usually just shades of brown naturally on top of black. They have noticeable fangs, but most Half-Orcs cannot grow tusks - and those who can sometimes choose to sheer and remove them, but they'd never be as prominent as a full Orc's. It's often believed that Half-Orcs are smarter than Orcs due to their human influence, but that's incorrect. It's more that Human society has a greater emphasis on education where as Orcs care more for martial prowess and survival skills. The Orc knows how to build a bow, Humans know how to build a crossbow. Half-Orcs, regardless of which side of their culture they're more influenced by, will take on a hyphenated name that is their human name-orc name and whichever family name they were raised by, if not just making a new name altogether if any. So a Half-Orc might be named Rose-Verzuk Brightblade and go by "Rose" or "Verzuk" depending on whether or not they're speaking with humans, orcs, or something else.