This Half-Orc Barbarian build uses the legacy 2014 fifth-edition rules. The Half-Orc’s fixed ability increases, Savage Attacks, and Relentless Endurance pair naturally with the 2014 Barbarian, but this is not a guide to the revised 2024 Half-Orc or Barbarian. Use one rules version consistently and check that your DM allows the older options.
Rules edition: Legacy 2014 D&D 5e. Species and core class rules use the 2014 Player’s Handbook / Basic Rules; subclass options cite the 2014 Player’s Handbook and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Do not combine these choices with revised 2024 species or class features.
Why choose the 2014 Half-Orc?
Under the 2014 rules, Half-Orcs increase Strength by 2 and Constitution by 1. That supports a Barbarian’s Strength-based attacks and durability without needing to rearrange the species’ ability increases. Half-Orc features also help the character survive a dangerous fight and reward a melee critical hit. These fixed increases belong to this legacy species entry; they are not added on top of a revised background’s ability increases.
Ability scores and starting equipment
Put Strength first, Constitution second, and Dexterity next. With the 2014 standard array, a practical starting assignment is Strength 15, Constitution 14, Dexterity 13, Wisdom 12, Charisma 10, and Intelligence 8; apply the Half-Orc increases to reach Strength 17 and Constitution 15. With point buy, a common alternative is Strength 15, Constitution 15, Dexterity 14 before species increases, resulting in Strength 17, Constitution 16, and Dexterity 14. These are examples, not required arrays—adjust for your campaign and the rest of the party.
For a Strength-focused Barbarian, a greataxe makes Savage Attacks more valuable when a melee critical hit occurs because its weapon damage die is a d12. A greatsword or maul deals 2d6 on a normal hit and is a solid alternative if you prefer its average damage or damage type. Choose the weapon you enjoy using; no weapon is required by the Half-Orc features.
How the Half-Orc features work
Savage Attacks
When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, Savage Attacks lets you roll one of that weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the critical hit’s extra damage. It works on a qualifying melee weapon attack—not every attack made while raging, and not a spell attack. Reckless Attack can give you advantage on Strength-based melee weapon attack rolls, which may make critical hits more likely, but it also gives attack rolls against you advantage until your next turn.
Relentless Endurance
Once per Long Rest, when damage would reduce you to 0 Hit Points but does not kill you outright, Relentless Endurance lets you drop to 1 Hit Point instead. It is a useful emergency safeguard, not a second Wind feature and not damage resistance. Rage separately grants resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while it lasts, subject to the 2014 Barbarian rules.
Menacing and Darkvision
The 2014 Half-Orc gains proficiency in Intimidation through Menacing and has 60-foot Darkvision. If another source would also give you Intimidation proficiency, use the 2014 character-creation rule for duplicate proficiencies and choose an allowed alternative rather than counting the same proficiency twice.
Choose a 2014 Primal Path
Your subclass defines more of the build than your species does. These paths come from different 2014 books, so confirm access at your table.
- Berserker (2014 Basic Rules / Player’s Handbook): Frenzy can grant a melee weapon attack as a Bonus Action on later turns while you maintain the Frenzy. When the Rage ends, you suffer one level of Exhaustion. That cost is real; the path is not a free damage increase, and no general “Tasha’s exhaustion mitigation” removes it.
- Totem Warrior (2014 Player’s Handbook): The Bear option at 3rd level grants resistance to all damage except psychic while you’re raging. It replaces, rather than stacks with, Rage’s narrower damage-resistance list for those damage types. This is a defensive option, not immunity.
- Ancestral Guardian (2017 Xanathar’s Guide to Everything): Its features can hinder a creature you hit and help protect allies, making it a strong party-defense choice.
- Storm Herald (2017 Xanathar’s Guide to Everything): Choose a storm environment and use its aura features to shape your tactical role. Read the chosen aura carefully; it does not make every attack or effect deal elemental damage.
- Zealot (2017 Xanathar’s Guide to Everything): Divine Fury adds damage once on each of your turns when you hit with a weapon attack while raging. Warrior of the Gods can remove the material-component cost when a spell or magical effect returns you to life; it does not make you immune to death or automatically revive you.
Feats and tactics
If your table uses the 2014 feat rules, Great Weapon Master’s optional attack penalty can trade accuracy for extra damage. Reckless Attack may help offset that penalty, but opponents also gain advantage against you, so use it when the expected payoff is worth the added risk. Polearm Master can add a Bonus Action attack with a qualifying weapon, but it competes with other Bonus Action uses—including starting Rage on the first turn. Sentinel can help you control movement near allies; coordinate with the party instead of assuming a feat combination will stop every enemy.
In combat, decide when to spend your limited Rages and use Reckless Attack based on the danger you face. Keep your weapon available, position to protect allies when your path supports it, and remember that Relentless Endurance triggers only after you would reach 0 Hit Points. Out of combat, Athletics supports physical challenges, while Menacing already supplies Intimidation; choose background skills to round out what the party lacks.
Background and character concept
Outlander, Soldier, Folk Hero, or Mercenary Veteran can all explain a Half-Orc Barbarian, but their features are not interchangeable. Use the background’s listed proficiencies and feature, and check for duplicates with your class and species options. The character’s history need not be defined by anger: a disciplined guard, protective guide, or village champion can use the same rules as a reckless challenger.
A greataxe’s damage dice and the Barbarian’s hit-point total give you plenty to track at the table. A Bulk 10d10 Assorted Ceramic Dice Set is an optional fit for players who prefer rolling physical dice.
