Orcs, hmm...

[JChung2003]

Aren't greataxe-wielding orcs too tough for their low CR rating (1/2)?

It can do 4-15 damage to you with a regular hit or 12-45 with a critical hit. An orc can kill a level 1 caster with a single glancing blow and a level 1 melee type with just one solid hit. It can smack down a level 3 or 4 melee type with a really lucky critical hit.

Comparing other 1/2 CR monsters...

Aasimar - 1d8 (longsword)
Abyssal dire rat - 1d4 (bite)
Tiny animated object - 1d3-1 (slam)
Baboon - 1d6+3 (bite)
Badger - 1d2-1 (claw), 1d3-1 (bite)
Deep dwarf - 1d10 (dwarven waraxe); or 1d6 (shortbow)
Hill dwarf - 1d10 (dwarven waraxe); or 1d6 (shortbow)
Mountain dwarf - 1d10 (dwarven waraxe); or 1d6 (shortbow)
Eagle - 1d3 (claw), 1d4 (bite)
Elf - 1d8 (longsword)
Giant bee - 1d4 and poison (sting)
Gnome - 1d6-1 (short sword) or 1d8 (light crossbow)
Halfling - 1d8-1 (longsword) or 1d10 (heavy crossbow)
Hobgoblin - 1d8 (longsword)
Locathah - 1d8 (longspear)
Merfolk - 1d8 (trident) or 1d10 (heavy crossbow)
Medium-size monstrous centipede - 1d6-1 and poison (bite)
Small monstrous scorpion - 1d3-1 (claw), 1d3-1 and poison (sting)
Small monstrous spider - 1d4-2 and poison (bite)
Orc - 1d12+3 (greataxe)
Porpoise - 2d4 (butt)
Small viper snake - 1d2-2 and poison (bite)
Stirge - 1d3-4 and blood drain (touch)
Tiefling - 1d6 (rapier)
Worker formian - 1d4+1 (bite)
Medium-size zombie - 1d6+1 (slam)

Maybe orcs are disadvantaged in broad daylight, but at night with their 60' darkvision, they can be lethal.

It's the greataxes that they wield that bother me more than anything. 1d12+3 damage seems excessive for a CR 1/2 monster...

 

[Crothian]

They are a tough CR 1/2 creature. But it's really the weapon of choice that causes so much damage. I'm not sure if weapon choice is calclated into CRs unless the weapon is magical.

 

[Destil]

The're fairly mean with falchons, too, particuarlly in small groups. My players found that one out the hard way....

 

[Kaji]

I also remember being rather unpleasantly surprised at how tough orcs are when you hand thema greataxe. When we switched to #e, I was not quite payinf enough attention and threw what I thought was going to be an easy encounter at my party. Oops...Let's draw up new characters, shall we?

Of course, there's no reason you can say this tribe has sworn off the greataxe and has instead gone for short swords. Or raise the encounter level if you thinks it's too low. Or just hand out a few extra xp's to round the whole thing out (which is what I prefer. I like tough battles that have great rewards for the PC's/ It's more interesting for me)

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

It's the greataxes that they wield that bother me more than anything. 1d12+3 damage seems excessive for a CR 1/2 monster...

Well, considering that everyone in my roleplaying group is a munchkin (including me):

No, I do not think that 1d12+3 is excessive. Especially when basic orcs only have 4 hps, a crappy AC, crappy listen and spot checks, and a crappy movement.

At 2nd level, we had four players:

Elven Archer Cleric Rapid Shot Twink.
Elven Archer Fighter/Rogue Rapid Shot Twink.
24 AC Lizardman Twink. (me)
Human Bastard Sword TWF Twink.

Four orcs a challenge? Bah. The two archers would kill them before I could even draw my weapon.

 

[Darklone]

I agree that weapons and equipment are usually not considered when calculating CRs.

And ConcreteBuddha... If your group walks into an orc ambush (Spot DC25), those greataxes may easily hurt a lot. And your archers probably won't fire one shot at all. Just let the orcs be lucky on initiative plus surprise round and all except your lizard may be down.

 

[Thanee]

Big weapons just rule in low level D&D.

In higher level, the one-handed weapons slowly take over, since the base damage is decreasing in relative importance compared to the insane damage bonuses you can rack up. Other factors become more important (critical range, weapon size).

But in low level, it's all about the base damage!

The greatsword probably comes out on top there!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Death]

They can deliver really massive damage in one hit, but all depends on the situation. If two orcs charge on a L1 party from 30 ft, then this is usually massacre. We have had two party members killed in that kind of situation, but when you meet them on 200 ft, everything is different...
I can also argue about same thing about kobolds. Four kobolds (I think they are CR1/4) armed with light crossbows (1d8) have ambushed our L1 party on range 80 ft... They were a bit lucky and in surprise round two characters were down. The other two have tried to stabilize them. Next round another down...
Combat of L1 groups are really tricky. Ordinary character can become unconscious on one good hit, fighter types usually on two.

 

[Darklone]

Four kobolds (I think they are CR1/4) armed with light crossbows (1d8) have ambushed our L1 party on range 80 ft... They were a bit lucky and in surprise round two characters were down. The other two have tried to stabilize them. Next round another down...

CR 1/6.

Yeah, never underestimate kobolds!

Kobold tribes with a sorcerer chieftain and some lvl1 sorcerer apprentices with True Strike can really bug high level groups at long distance

 

[Storm Raven]

Aren't greataxe-wielding orcs too tough for their low CR rating (1/2)?

[snip]

Maybe orcs are disadvantaged in broad daylight, but at night with their 60' darkvision, they can be lethal.

It's the greataxes that they wield that bother me more than anything. 1d12+3 damage seems excessive for a CR 1/2 monster...

No. Orcs are very vulnerable to any Will save type magic (Sleep and Color Spray being common 1st level spells), they have a lower AC than, for example, the dwarves you compared them to, since the dwarves use shields, they have few hit points (a moderate hit from a longsword using human with no Strength bonus can kill them), they have no special abilities other than Darkvision, no immunities, no resistances, their ranged attack is lousy, and they have no special attacks.

A party of 1st level characters should be able to handle a pair of standard MM orcs with little problem.