Orc 5e: Stat Block, Aggressive Charges and Encounter Math

The orc is a CR 1/2 Medium Humanoid with AC 13, 15 hit points and a greataxe that hits at +5 for 9 slashing damage. Its one trait, Aggressive, lets it move up to its speed toward an enemy as a bonus action, so every orc on the map can cover 60 feet and still swing. That makes orcs the opposite of goblins: they don't hide, they close the distance before the wizard has a second turn. There is no orc monster in the 2024 rules (SRD 5.2.1); "Orc" there is a player species, so this page covers the 2014 stat block and how to run it at a 2024 table.

Table of Contents

• •Orc Stat Block (2014)
• •Orcs in the 2024 Rules
• •How Orcs Fight
• •How Many Orcs for Your Party?
• •How Players Beat Orcs
• •Orc Encounter Ideas
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Orc Stat Block (2014)

This is the monster orc from SRD 5.1, the same numbers as the orc in the 2014 Monster Manual. If you searched for the playable orc, skip to the FAQ.

Read it as a damage block on legs. Strength 16 and Constitution 16 give it 15 hit points (about twice a goblin's) and a greataxe that averages 9 damage, with a d12 that tops out at 15. A level 1 wizard with 6 to 8 hit points goes down to one hit. AC 13 is the weak spot: hide armor and Dexterity 12 mean even a cleric's +4 cantrip attack hits more often than not.

The other numbers that matter at the table:

• •Javelin, +5, 6 damage, range 30/120. Orcs carry a ranged option, so they can punish a party that tries to hold a choke point.
• •Darkvision 60 feet. Night raids and unlit ruins favor them.
• •Intelligence 7, passive Perception 10. Orcs are easy to sneak past and easy to trick. A rogue with Stealth +5 beats that passive Perception four times in five.
• •Intimidation +2. Not much, but it gives you a reason to run a shouted parley before blades come out.

Orcs in the 2024 Rules

SRD 5.2.1 has no orc stat block. It lists Orc only as a player species (Adrenaline Rush, Darkvision 120 feet, Relentless Endurance). Monster Manual variants like the orc war chief or orog were never in either SRD, so they aren't covered here.

You have three clean options at a 2024 table:

Our recommendation: keep the 2014 orc for the rank and file, because its damage-to-hit-point ratio is the whole point of an orc, and use a reskinned Berserker to lead them. The 2014 orc is a Humanoid, so it stays a valid target for Hold Person under either rule set.

How Orcs Fight

Orcs win by getting to the people who can't take a hit. Everything in the stat block points that way.

The 60-foot charge. On its turn an orc can use its bonus action for Aggressive (move up to 30 feet toward a hostile creature it can see), take its normal 30 feet of movement, and still attack. It doesn't need to Dash. A party that starts the fight 50 feet away with the wizard in the back row has one round to react before that wizard is in greataxe range. Aggressive only works toward a hostile creature the orc can see, so magical darkness and fog cut it off (darkvision handles ordinary darkness).

Run the charge at the soft targets. Move orcs around the fighter, not into the fighter. Walking out of the fighter's reach provokes an opportunity attack, but at 15 hit points one hit rarely kills an orc, and the orc gets to swing at someone with AC 12.

The math against two common targets:

Those averages use 9.5 per hit and include critical hits (a 20 adds another d12). Three orcs on the wizard average about 21 damage a round, enough to drop a level 1 or 2 caster from full.

Javelins first, axes second. If the party is across a river, behind a wall or on a ledge, orcs throw javelins (+5, 6 damage) until a path opens, then charge. Give each orc two or three javelins and let them use them.

Don't play them as cowards. Goblins scatter; orcs commit. They keep fighting at low hit points and focus whoever just hurt them. They are not stupid, though. With Intelligence 7 they understand ambush, flanking by numbers and "kill the one casting spells," but they won't spot a feint or a planted trap.

How Many Orcs for Your Party?

Use the 2024 budget (SRD 5.2.1: add up the creatures' XP, no multiplier). Each orc is worth 100 XP. For four characters:

The 2014 guidelines in the Dungeon Master's Guide (the math our encounter calculator uses) are stricter about groups. Three orcs are 300 XP, doubled to 600 for a group of three to six, which is already past Deadly (400) for four level 1 characters. Two orcs (200 XP × 1.5 = 300) sit exactly at Hard for that party.

How that plays in practice:

• •Level 1: two orcs are a real fight; three can kill someone. Start the orcs 60+ feet away so the party gets one round of ranged attacks.
• •Level 2 to 4: the sweet spot. Big orc packs test whether the front line can actually protect the back line.
• •Level 5+: a single Fireball (8d6, average 28) kills any orc that fails the save. Half damage averages 14, one short of an orc's 15 hit points, so only about 4 in 10 orcs that succeed go down. Orcs at this level work as a horde backing something bigger, like an ogre or a pack of worgs.

How Players Beat Orcs

Orcs have no resistances, immunities or special senses beyond darkvision. What works:

• •Control the approach. Aggressive needs a visible hostile target. Magical darkness, fog, a closed door or a corner breaks the charge. Difficult terrain halves the distance. Caltrops, a narrow bridge or a shield wall in a corridor turns the 60-foot charge into a queue.
• •Area spells need two passes. At 15 hit points, a failed save against Thunderwave (2d8, average 9) or Burning Hands (3d6, average 10.5) leaves most orcs standing. Pair the area spell with a follow-up, or save it for when the orcs are already bloodied.
• •Target Intelligence and Wisdom. Orcs have Wisdom 11 (+0) and Intelligence 7 (−2). Against a DC 13 spell, Hold Person lands 60% of the time, and a paralyzed orc next to the fighter takes automatic critical hits from melee attacks within 5 feet. Command ("Flee" or "Grovel") works too, since orcs understand Common.
• •Hit them while they come in. A Readied attack or a reach weapon punishes a charge. So does simply standing in front of the wizard.
• •Talk. Intimidation +2 and Intelligence 7 mean orcs respond to strength and greed more than clever words. A show of force, a big bribe or a captured chieftain can end a fight the party is losing.

Orc Encounter Ideas

The ford at dusk. Five orcs wait in the reeds on the far bank of a waist-deep ford. They throw javelins while the party is in the water (treat the current as difficult terrain, so the party crosses at half speed), then use Aggressive to hit whoever reaches the bank first. Their darkvision gives them the edge once the sun sets, so the clock matters.

The hired axes. A frontier town has hired four orc mercenaries to guard its granary from bandits. The orcs are doing the job, but they have started charging the townsfolk "protection." The mayor wants them gone without a fight he can't pay for. The orcs want the money they were promised. The party can fight, mediate, or find out who really stole the mayor's payroll.

The last stand. A Berserker orc chieftain and three orcs hold a collapsed watchtower against something worse (a troll, or an owlbear at lower levels) when the party arrives. Help them and they owe a blood debt; leave them and the party faces the winner. Recording the session with Loreify makes it easy to remember which orc swore what oath when they turn up again six sessions later (see how session notes work).

For names when the party asks the chieftain who he is, try the orc name generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

What CR is an orc in 5e?

The orc is CR 1/2 and worth 100 XP. It has AC 13, 15 hit points and a greataxe attack at +5 that deals 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage.

Is there an orc stat block in the 2024 rules?

No. SRD 5.2.1 only includes Orc as a player species. To run orc enemies with 2024 rules, use the 2014 orc as written or reskin a 2024 stat block such as the Tough (CR 1/2) or Berserker (CR 2).

What does the orc's Aggressive trait do?

As a bonus action, the orc can move up to its speed (30 feet) toward a hostile creature it can see. Combined with its normal move, it can cover 60 feet and still attack in the same turn.

Is this the playable orc?

No, this is the monster stat block. The 2024 player species has Darkvision out to 120 feet, Adrenaline Rush (Dash as a bonus action and gain temporary hit points equal to your Proficiency Bonus) and Relentless Endurance (drop to 1 hit point instead of 0 once per Long Rest).

How many orcs should I use against a level 1 party?

Two orcs for four level 1 characters is a solid fight. Under the 2024 budget, two orcs are Low difficulty and four are High. Under the 2014 group multiplier, three orcs already exceed the Deadly threshold.

What's the difference between an orc and a hobgoblin?

An orc (CR 1/2) is a reckless brute: low AC, a 1d12 greataxe and a free charge. A hobgoblin (also CR 1/2) is a disciplined soldier with AC 18, 11 hit points and Martial Advantage, which adds 2d6 damage when an ally is next to its target. Orcs rush the back line; hobgoblins hold formation.

Stat blocks: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Tactics, encounter math and ideas are Loreify's own.