Orca (Killer Whale) — Marine Hunter and RPG Statistics
Orca — Family Hunter of the Open Sea
An Orca Pod at Sea
A black dorsal fin passes the fishing boat; another surfaces beyond it. Orcas are the largest dolphins, with the black-and-white markings and pale eye patches that make them unmistakable. They are marine mammals: they breathe air through a blowhole and must return to the surface, even when pursuing prey deep underwater.
An orca’s most important company is its pod. Relatives travel together, communicate by calls and clicks, and learn feeding tactics from one another. Some populations hunt mainly fish; others specialise in seals and other marine mammals. A pod’s behaviour is therefore a better clue to the danger than its size alone.
In play, let a crew notice the fish suddenly scattering, a series of blows beyond the gunwale, or a whale pacing the vessel’s wake. A hunting pod might ignore the characters entirely. If prey gathers around the boat, the encounter becomes a problem of keeping clear of powerful animals in rough water, not a monster that attacks strangers on sight.
If violence starts: An orca uses speed, a crushing bite and the water’s depth. On dry land it cannot pursue its quarry; in deep water the orca chooses whether to press the attack or withdraw. A wounded orca may turn away; a pod protecting young or working prey can make a small boat dangerous without any creature being malicious.
Related creatures and sources: Animal Bestiary. Natural history: NOAA Fisheries — killer whale behaviour and ecology. The D&D rule references appear within the fifth-edition statistics; Pathfinder rules remain a separate edition.
D&D 5.5e (2024)
D&D 5e (2014)
Pathfinder 1e
D&D 3.5e
Orca
An orca breathes air, hunts beneath the waves and returns to the surface among its pod. Its strength lies as much in learned teamwork as in its powerful jaws.
D&D 5.5e (2024) — Killer Whale
Huge Beast, Unaligned
AC 12; Initiative +2 (12); HP 90 (12d12 + 12); Speed 5 ft., Swim 60 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) | 3 (−4) | 12 (+1) | 7 (−2) |
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4; Senses Blindsight 120 ft.; Passive Perception 13; Languages None; CR 3 (XP 700; PB +2).
Trait — Hold Breath. The whale can hold its breath for 30 minutes.
Action — Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 21 (5d6 + 4) Piercing damage.
Rules references: 2014 Killer Whale and 2024 Killer Whale. D&D SRD 5.1 and SRD 5.2.1, Wizards of the Coast, CC BY 4.0. Edition differences are preserved.
D&D 5e (2014) — Killer Whale
Huge beast, unaligned
Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d12 + 12)
Speed 0 ft., swim 60 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 3 (−4) | 12 (+1) | 7 (−2) |
Skills Perception +3
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP; PB +2)
Traits
Echolocation. The whale can’t use its blindsight while deafened.
Hold Breath. The whale can hold its breath for 30 minutes.
Keen Hearing. The whale has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (5d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Source: Wizards of the Coast 2014 Killer Whale; D&D SRD 5.1, CC BY 4.0.
![By Robert Pittman - NOAA (https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/amj2005/divrptsNMML3.htm]), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1433661, Killer Whale, Cetacean, Orca](https://spiralworlds.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1024px-Killerwhales_jumping.jpg)
This sleek black whale has a distinctive white patch near each eye and a mouth filled with sharp teeth.
The orca, or “killer whale,” is actually the largest species of dolphin. Adult orcas are typically 15–25 feet long and weigh 8,000–12,000 pounds
Orca CR 5
XP 1,600
N Huge animal
Init +6; Senses blindsight 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +19
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +6 natural, –2 size)
hp 67 (9d8+27)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5
OFFENSE
Speed swim 80 ft.
Melee bite +13 (2d6+12)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 27, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 6
Base Atk +6; CMB +16; CMD 28
Feats Endurance, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception, Swim), Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Perception +19, Swim +28; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SQ hold breath
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Hold Breath (Ex)
An orca can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 6 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
ECOLOGY
Environment cold oceans
Organization solitary, pair, or pod (3–20)
Treasure none
Orca — D&D 3.5e
Size/Type Huge Animal; Hit Dice 9d8+48 (88 hp); Initiative +2; Speed swim 50 ft. (10 squares).
Armor Class 16 (−2 size, +2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 14.
Base Attack/Grapple +6/+22; Attack bite +12 melee (2d6+12); Full Attack bite +12 melee (2d6+12); Space/Reach 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks —; Special Qualities blindsight 120 ft., hold breath, low-light vision.
Saves Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +5; Abilities Str 27, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6.
Skills Listen +14*, Spot +14*, Swim +16; Feats Alertness, Endurance, Run, Toughness.
Environment cold aquatic; Organization solitary or pod (6–11); Challenge Rating 5; Treasure none; Advancement 10–13 HD (Huge), 14–27 HD (Gargantuan); Level Adjustment —.
Combat
The orca uses its single powerful bite underwater. Its natural blindsight extends 120 ft. but is negated by magical silence; it then relies on ordinary vision. Holding its breath allows 8 × Constitution score rounds before the risk of drowning (168 rounds at Constitution 21).
An orca has a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks, can take 10 on Swim checks under stress and can run when swimming straight. Its +4 racial bonuses on Listen and Spot depend on blindsight. The Toughness feat is already included in the printed hit points.
Source: D&D 3.5 System Reference Document — Whale (Orca), Open Game License v1.0a. These rules differ from the Pathfinder 1e orca.
Sources & Rules Licensing
The fifth-edition statistics above come from the 2014 rules and SRD 5.1 and the 2024 rules and SRD 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC. The applicable SRD material is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The two editions are deliberately kept separate.
The Pathfinder 1e Orca is from Paizo's Bestiary; the D&D 3.5e Orca is from the revised D&D SRD. Different Challenge Ratings are normal across editions and should not be substituted for one another.
Open Game Content designation: Mechanical rules derived from the Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e SRDs are Open Game Content under the Open Game License v1.0a to the extent that those source rules were released as OGC. Original creature encounter prose, existing artwork, layout and site setting material are excluded from that designation. The full OGL and applicable Section 15 notices follow, collapsed for reading convenience.
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