What Is Doctor’s Orders in ARC Raiders?

Doctor’s Orders is a loot-and-extract medical supply quest in ARC Raiders, given by the NPC Lance.

Unlike combat or kill-based missions, this quest is designed to test whether you understand how collection quests actually work in ARC Raiders. Progress only counts when required items are successfully extracted, not when they are merely looted.

Most players fail this quest not because it is difficult, but because the rules are poorly explained in-game and easy to misinterpret.

Players commonly get stuck because:

• item requirements are not clearly explained
• some items rely on RNG spawns
• crafting rules are easy to misuse
• dying or consuming items silently resets progress

Once the mechanics are understood, Doctor’s Orders becomes predictable, efficient, and far less frustrating.

Unlock Requirements & Quest Chain Context

Doctor’s Orders is not a standalone quest.

• Previous quest: Greasing Her Palms
• Next quest: Medical Merchandise

This placement matters. Doctor’s Orders teaches extraction logic that later medical and support quests rely on, making it a key checkpoint in your overall quest progression.

If you do not fully understand how extraction-based objectives work here, the same mistakes will repeat in later quests.

Doctor’s Orders Requirements (Exact Checklist)

You must deliver all of the following items.
Items can be collected across multiple raids, but each item must be extracted at least once.

Item	Quantity	Craftable	Must Be Extracted
Antiseptic	2	Yes	Yes
Syringe	1	No	Yes
Durable Cloth	1	Yes	Yes
Great Mullein	1	No	Yes

Rewards (Confirmed 2026)

• 3× Adrenaline Shot
• 3× Sterilized Bandage
• 1× Surge Shield Recharger

As of February 2026, requirements and rewards are unchanged.

How Quest Progress Actually Works (Critical Rules)

Looting vs Extracting

Quest progress only updates after returning to the hub.

Even if you extract successfully, progress may not appear until you:

• fully exit the raid
• load back into the social space
• interact with Lance again if prompted

This delay is the main reason players think the quest “didn’t count.”

Important rules:

• dropping an item on the ground breaks its quest association
• transferring items between players does not protect progress unless the carrier extracts

Multi-Raid Completion

Progress is item-based, not run-based.

This means:

• extracting 1 Antiseptic twice across two raids works
• extracting 2 Antiseptic in one raid also works
• extracting an item, then dying later does not remove completed progress

Think of each extracted item as a permanent checkmark.

Safe Pocket Priority

Safe pocketing matters most during PvP pressure, not just for rarity.

Use these rules:

• hear sustained gunfire near medical POIs → safe-pocket immediately
• overweight after looting → safe-pocket before moving

This prevents “death by greed,” the most common cause of failed runs.

Where Items Spawn (Loot-Category Logic)

Medical items do not spawn randomly.
They spawn primarily in medical containers, not just medical buildings.

High-Yield Containers

Prioritize:

• wall-mounted cabinets
• rolling medical carts
• lockers near beds or operating tables
• drawers next to sinks

Low-Yield Containers

Avoid relying on:

• generic crates
• floor boxes
• outdoor loot piles

This container bias explains why players clear entire hospitals and still find nothing.

Environmental Spawn Signals (Great Mullein)

For Great Mullein, look for:

• visible water pooling
• mossy or green-tinted terrain
• broken concrete with vegetation
• planter boxes with soil (not decorative stone)

Clean, sterile-looking areas almost never spawn mullein.

Item-by-Item Breakdown & Optimizations

Antiseptic

Common mistake: crafting too early.

If you still need Great Mullein, crafting Antiseptic can soft-lock progress and force extra raids.

Best practice:

• loot first
• craft only after at least one Great Mullein is safely extracted

Syringe

Syringes have lower spawn density than Antiseptic, even in medical POIs.

Clearing 1–2 rooms and leaving is often better than full-clearing buildings, especially under PvP pressure.

Syringes reward hit-and-run looting, not full exploration.

Durable Cloth

Durable Cloth has the highest replacement value.

If a run goes bad:

• losing Durable Cloth is acceptable
• losing Syringe or Great Mullein is not

Treat cloth as background progress.

Great Mullein

Great Mullein has secondary crafting uses, which is why players accidentally consume it.

For Doctor’s Orders:

• treat it as quest-only currency
• never craft with it until turned in

If unsure whether you already submitted one, check Lance before crafting.

Best Run Plans (Risk-Controlled)

Two-Raid Guaranteed Plan

This is the safest and fastest method.

Rules:

• extract immediately after securing any rare item
• ignore remaining POIs, even if nearby
• never add “just one more room”

This approach reduces completion from 5–6 raids to 2–3.

It is especially important on maps with forced rotations and limited exits, such as Dam Battlegrounds, where lingering near medical POIs almost always attracts PvP.

Single-Map Attempt (High Risk)

Only attempt this if:

• lobby population feels low
• no gunfire near medical POIs
• stamina and inventory are light

If any condition fails, abort early.
This method punishes hesitation.

Solo vs Squad Strategies

Solo Players

Avoid:

• interior stairwells
• dead-end hospital wings
• elevators with single exits

These locations trap solos during extraction.

Squad Players

Efficient squads assign:

• 1 looter (medical containers)
• 1 overwatch
• 1 runner (extraction scout)

This reduces wipe risk without slowing progress.

Crafting vs Looting (Important Clarification)

Crafting is a fail-safe, not a primary strategy.

If you are crafting most items, it usually means:

• staying too long in unsafe POIs
• ignoring extraction timing

Looting + early extraction is always faster long-term.

Why Doctor’s Orders “Doesn’t Count”

In over 90% of cases, Doctor’s Orders fails due to player action, not a quest bug.

Once extraction rules are understood, the quest becomes deterministic instead of RNG-heavy.

Final Advice

Doctor’s Orders teaches one core lesson:
progress comes from surviving with intent, not looting everything.

Players who extract early, protect rare items, and abandon bad runs:

• finish this quest quickly
• perform better in all future extraction-based objectives

This quest is not about luck.

It is about discipline.