Orc Rogue Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start with a Rapier and Studded Leather. Your optimal starting stats put you at DEX 15 and CON 13, leaving you slightly behind the curve. At level 1, your Sneak Attack is a modest 1d6, but your Darkvision allows you to scout ahead of the party without a torch. At level 2, you get Cunning Action. Do not use Adrenaline Rush for basic movement. Save your Orc dashes strictly for when you are taking fire and need the temporary hit points. At level 3, select the Phantom archetype to leverage your 14 INT for extra skills via Whispers of the Dead. At level 4, take the Piercer feat to bump your DEX to 16, allowing you to reroll low damage dice on your rapier strikes.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 is a massive power spike. Your Sneak Attack hits 3d6, pushing your expected melee DPR to 20.4, and you unlock Uncanny Dodge. Combining Uncanny Dodge (halving damage) with the temporary HP from Adrenaline Rush makes you deceptively hard to kill. At level 7, Evasion comes online. If a fireball drops you to 0 despite Evasion, Relentless Endurance kicks in, leaving you at 1 HP. At level 8, take the ASI for +2 DEX, bringing your primary attacking stat to 18. At level 9, Phantom's Tokens of the Departed gives you advantage on death saving throws, which pairs beautifully with Relentless Endurance.

Levels 11-16

At level 11, Reliable Talent ensures your 14 INT Investigation checks never roll below a 10, making you a premier trap-finder. Your Sneak Attack reaches 6d6, elevating your melee DPR to 30.25. At level 12, max out your Dexterity to 20 with your final primary ASI. Level 13 brings Ghost Walk, granting a spectral form that completely changes your infiltration game. At level 15, Slippery Mind gives you proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, patching up your vulnerable 10 WIS score just in time for tier-3 save-or-suck effects. Take the Tough feat at level 16 to bolster your d8 hit die.

Levels 17-20

In the final tier, your Sneak Attack scales to 10d6, pushing your melee DPR to 41.8. Level 17 gives you Death's Friend, adding another 1d6 necrotic damage to your primary target. Level 18 grants Elusive, preventing enemies from gaining advantage on you—ensuring you rarely suffer critical hits. Cap off your progression at level 20 with Stroke of Luck; if you somehow miss a vital Sneak Attack, you can simply choose to hit, ending the campaign as an unstoppable, relentless striker.

Piercer

Take this at level 4. Your starting DEX is 15, so taking Piercer rounds it out to a 16 while directly buffing your rapier and shortbow attacks. Rerolling a 1 on your weapon's damage die isn't game-breaking, but the extra critical hit damage die adds up significantly over a campaign, especially when you are attacking with advantage from stealth.

Tough

Grab Tough at level 16 or earlier if you find yourself dropping too often. As an Orc Rogue, you want to be in the fray. Adding 2 HP per level offsets the Rogue's d8 hit die, effectively giving you the health pool of a Fighter. This synergizes perfectly with your Uncanny Dodge, as halving damage is much more effective when you have a massive HP pool to back it up.

Mobile

Consider Mobile at level 10 (Rogue bonus feat). With a base speed of 30 feet, adding 10 feet of movement allows you to close gaps faster. More importantly, attacking an enemy prevents them from taking opportunity attacks against you. This frees up your bonus action: instead of using Cunning Action to Disengage, you can use Adrenaline Rush to Dash away while simultaneously gaining temporary HP.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Your early game relies on standard issue gear. Prioritize acquiring Studded Leather Armor to maximize your 15 DEX AC. Stick to a standard Rapier for 1d8 piercing damage to enable Sneak Attack, and carry a Shortbow for when closing to melee is suicidal.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Seek out a +1 Rapier and a Cloak of Elvenkind. The cloak imposes disadvantage on creatures trying to spot you, covering for the fact that you don't have natural stealth bonuses beyond your proficiency. This guarantees you get the drop on enemies to trigger Sneak Attack early in the fight.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

Upgrade to Glamoured Studded Leather and acquire a Cape of the Mountebank. The Cape provides a clutch Dimension Door, allowing you to teleport out of horrible situations when Relentless Endurance has already been popped and your Adrenaline Rush temp HP is chewed through.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

Aim for a Blood Fury Tattoo and a +3 Rapier. The Blood Fury Tattoo is a legendary item that lets you deal an extra 4d6 necrotic damage and heal for that amount on a hit. Combined with your 10d6 Sneak Attack and Orcish durability, you become a self-sustaining nightmare in melee.

To maximize the Orc Rogue's 4/10 synergy, you need party members who can reliably grant you advantage or off-turn attacks. A Wolf Totem Barbarian is your best friend. Because you want to be in melee to utilize your Adrenaline Rush temporary HP, standing next to a Wolf Totem Barbarian grants you permanent advantage on melee attack rolls, ensuring your Sneak Attack lands every single turn without needing to hide.

You also desperately want an Order Domain Cleric in your party. Their Voice of Authority feature allows you to make a reaction attack when they target you with a spell. Because Sneak Attack is limited to once per turn, not once per round, you can apply your full Sneak Attack dice on the Cleric's turn, effectively doubling your DPR output for the round.

Fighter 2 Dip

Taking two levels of Fighter grants you the Dueling fighting style (+2 damage to your rapier) and Action Surge. Because Sneak Attack is once per turn, you can use your Action to Attack, then Action Surge to Ready an Action to attack on the next creature's turn. This guarantees two Sneak Attacks in a single round, melting bosses instantly.

Ranger 3 Dip (Gloom Stalker)

A three-level dip into Gloom Stalker Ranger makes you invisible to creatures relying on Darkvision in darkness. This pairs flawlessly with your Orc Darkvision. You also get an extra attack and 1d8 damage on the first turn of combat, plus a boost to your Initiative based on your WIS (though with a 10 WIS, the initiative boost is negligible; you take this solely for Umbral Sight).

• Spamming Adrenaline Rush blindly: Using your Orcish bonus action dash when you don't need the temporary HP wastes a limited resource. Use your Rogue Cunning Action for normal mobility.
• Forgetting Relentless Endurance timing: Relentless Endurance triggers when you drop to 0 HP, not when you take death saves. Don't forget to declare it immediately to stay at 1 HP.
• Playing as a primary tank: Just because you have Relentless Endurance and Uncanny Dodge doesn't make you a Paladin. You still have a d8 hit die and an average AC. You are a striker, not a meat shield.
• Ignoring your 14 INT score: With 14 Intelligence, you should be taking proficiency (and Expertise) in Investigation. Don't play a dumb brute; you are the party's primary trap-finder and puzzle-solver.