Scro

The scro are a muscular goblinoid race; they resemble orcs, but are larger, stronger, and more intelligent. They average 6' in height, with long, sharp teeth filed to a point and inscribed with various to-temic symbols and inset with tiny gems. Their skins vary in color from jet black to burnt orange, with various shades of grey, tan, and green in between. Their eyes have a phosphorescent glow which can be seen in dim light.

The scro are a military-minded people, as much so as the giff. Their entire lives are oriented around the military hierarchy, with larger and more powerful scro at the highest levels. However, where the giff serve their military hierarchy to pursue glory and fame, the scro seek mayhem, destruction, and the devastation of their enemies.

Scro society is codified in a rigid set of laws and customs laid down by the founder of scro society: Dukgash, the first Almighty Leader. The spartan life-style that this code permits is oriented toward improving the mind and body so that victory can be achieved.

Scro spelljamming vessels are invariably warships. Their shipboard weapons are oriented for quickly grappling with enemy ships so that hand-to-hand combat can begin. While the scro are excellent strategists, and they do use ranged weapons such as bombards and ballistae, their preference for close combat often leads them to make costly heavy assaults rather than sniping attacks.

Currently, scro are rare among the Known Spheres. Their homeworld is not known, and contact with them has been sporadic, but usually violent. The scro led the other humanoids in the recent Second Cinhuman War, and their goal seems to be nothing short of destroying all elves and conquering the Known Spheres, restricting all nonscro (including other humanoids) to the planets.

Scro may be clerics (maximum 5th level), fighters (maximum 15th level), mages (maximum 5th level), or thieves (maximum 12th level). Scro war-priests are always multi-classed cleric/wizards. Scro clerics receive spells from the spheres of All, Charm, Combat, Elemental, Guardian, Healing, Protection, and Summoning.

The scro speak a twisted, ancient version of orc-ish. Many also know elvish; this is because their codes urge them to learn the tongue of their ancient enemy, so they can tell the elves who is destroying them when the time comes. They can speak common, but it is not generally taught on the scro home-world. (Player character scro should always speak common, however.) In addition, they may speak other languages at the DM's discretion. The number of languages they speak is governed by their Intelligence (see Table 4 in the Player's Handbook) or by the number of proficiency slots devoted to languages (if the optional proficiency system is used).

Scro, like their orcish forbearers, have infravision, and can see up to 60' in darkness. They are less bothered by daylight than ores, however, and suffer no penalty from it.

Scro are generally fully armed and armored, and can use any weapon humans can. They generally wear studded leather armor but will also wear heavier armors, particularly chain mail and splint mail. They prefer slashing and hacking weapons; wealthy scro use starwheels and other firearms.

In addition to the usual weapons, a scro can bite with its powerful jaws for 1-3 points of damage. Scro consider it to be especially glorious to kill an enemy with their teeth, and will often finish off wounded foes with a savage bite. Scro receive a +1 on Strength due to their strong muscles and enforced discipline.