Where:Vallaki with several cases confirmed; have yet to test other Barovian towns.
When:Having an OCR of low-moderate level while being on a Half-Orc subrace character. Occurs only with specific NPCs, which are listed below with attached images as proof. At time of writing the character in question has an innate OCR of 12, down to 10 with items. Tested with both items on and off.
What:Causes odd reactions in certain NPCs; in shop merchants you are unable to access their inventory, in random peasants they may flee. In the specific case of the Bounty NPC, Serghei Grasu, he comes hostile to you.
Recreate:Play any Half-Orc subrace character and lower your OCR significantly to at least 12, if not more.
Ideas:I am working off the assumption that it is in fact the Half-Orc subrace causing this reaction; I have no other characters of this subrace with a sufficiently low OCR to confirm it isn't just a one-off issue on this character.
After testing at the behest of DM Deceit I've collated a list of some NPCs within Vallaki that react unreasonably to my character's OCR rating;
For reference; the local regular Garda NPCs and every single other NPC I've interacted with did not react in this manner; I am capable of storing gold within the banks, using the warehouses to store items or take on deliveries and shop at every other merchant NPC I could find. Being Winter however I was unable to check the Ferrymaster which is also a notable NPC that could have this inconsistency issue. Presumably at some point in the past certain NPCs were set to exclusively react in this way when interacted with by certain subraces, instead of using the OCR system as the basis for this.
At some point in the past this may have been working as intended but being that the age of Half-Orc Phenotypes automatically meaning Caliban status to the Barovian people is at an end due to the implementation of the height system, in addition to certain player characters accruing sufficient renown to set aside any presumptions of being exceptionally freakish compared to other characters, means that these specific NPCs should probably be brought in line to work with the OCR system as all other examples do.
Bonus Round: