Are you stuck on Lance’s first quest in Arc Raiders? The Doctor’s Orders mission might seem overwhelming at first, but I’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. This comprehensive guide will walk you through finding every required item, crafting alternatives, and pro strategies that most players miss.
Quick Overview:
| Item Required | Quantity | Best Locations | Can Be Crafted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antiseptic | 2 | Testing Annex, Hospital, Piazza Arbusto Pharmacy | Yes (Chemicals x10 + Great Mullein x2) |
| Syringe | 1 | Medical buildings, Rusted Medical Kits | No |
| Durable Cloth | 1 | Medical/Commercial buildings | Yes (Fabric x14) |
| Great Mullein | 1 | Testing Annex pool, Galleria planters | No |
Understanding the Doctor’s Orders Quest
The Doctor’s Orders quest is one of the first missions you’ll receive from Lance, Speranza’s medical trader. This quest serves as both an introduction to resource gathering and a test of your scavenging skills. Lance needs these specific medical supplies to help the injured Raiders in Speranza, and completing this quest unlocks his full trading services and future medical missions.
Quest Rewards: Upon completion, you’ll receive 3 Adrenaline Shots, 3 Sterilized Bandages, and 1 Surge Shield Recharger – essential items for surviving your early extraction runs.
Best Locations for Medical Supplies
Dam Battlegrounds – The Safest Option
The Dam Battlegrounds is my top recommendation for completing Doctor’s Orders, especially for solo players. This map offers the perfect balance of medical loot availability and enemy difficulty.
Key Locations:
- Testing Annex (Southeastern side): This building is your goldmine. The upper floors consistently spawn Antiseptics, Syringes, and Durable Cloths in medical containers, blue drawers, and laboratory equipment.
- Testing Annex Bottom Floor: Features a pool of water that almost always contains 3-4 Great Mullein plants. This is your most reliable Great Mullein source.
- Formical Outpost & Raider Outpost East: These occasionally contain medical loot if you need backup options.
Pro Tip: The Testing Annex is the only location where you can potentially complete the entire quest in one building. Make sure to thoroughly search every container and surface.
Buried City – High Risk, High Reward
If you’re feeling confident or playing with a squad, Buried City offers excellent loot density but comes with increased PvP risk and more enemies.
Prime Locations:
- Galleria (First & Second Floor): The absolute best Great Mullein farming spot in the game. Each planter contains 3 Great Mullein plants, and you can collect up to 15 per run if they haven’t been looted.
- Hospital: The only high-value Medical building in the game, offering the best chances for finding Antiseptics and Syringes.
- Piazza Arbusto Pharmacy: Consistent medical supply spawns with medium loot value.
- Piazza Rosa Pharmacy: Backup pharmacy location if the main one is picked clean.
Strategic Approach: Start at the Galleria for Great Mullein, then head to the Hospital for the remaining items. This route maximizes your efficiency.
Spaceport – Alternative Option
While not as optimal as the first two maps, Spaceport can work in a pinch:
Medical Areas:
- Arrival Building (Second Floor): Contains medical supplies in designated areas
- Departure Building (Second Floor): Similar medical setup to Arrival Building
Note: Spaceport has the lowest Great Mullein spawn rate, so I only recommend this map if you’re already familiar with its layout.
Detailed Item Acquisition Guide
Finding Antiseptics
Antiseptics are tagged as Medical items with rare rarity, making them somewhat challenging to find consistently.
Best Search Strategy:
- Focus on Medical POIs with medium to high loot value
- Search blue drawers on desks, lockers, and large white shelves with drawers
- Look near laboratory equipment as Antiseptics often spawn in these areas
- Check medical beds and small medical trays next to them
Crafting Alternative: If you’re struggling to find Antiseptics, you can craft them at your Refiner station (requires Level 2):
- Chemicals x10
- Great Mullein x2
Pro Tip: Save extra Antiseptics! You’ll need 5 total to upgrade your Medical Lab to Level III, and they’re used in crafting Sterilized Bandages, Vita Sprays, and Vita Shots.
Locating Syringes
Syringes are the trickiest item since they cannot be crafted and have rare rarity.
Optimal Search Pattern:
- Focus exclusively on Medical buildings with high loot value
- Recycle any Rusted Medical Kits you find – they often contain multiple Syringes
- Check medical beds and medical trays where Syringes are commonly placed
- The Hospital in Buried City offers the highest spawn rates
Important: Always place Syringes in your Safe Pocket when found, as they’re too valuable to risk losing on a failed extraction.
Gathering Durable Cloth
Durable Cloth has both Medical and Commercial tags, making it more versatile than other quest items.
Search Locations:
- Medical buildings (consistent spawns)
- Commercial buildings (occasional spawns)
- Medium loot value locations should suffice for finding this uncommon item
Crafting Recipe: If you have excess Fabric, you can craft Durable Cloth at the Refiner:
- Fabric x14
Strategy: Since Durable Cloth is the most common of the rare items, focus on finding the others first, then grab this last.
Harvesting Great Mullein
Great Mullein is the only Nature-category item in the quest, found as a plant rather than in containers.
Guaranteed Locations:
- Testing Annex Pool (Dam Battlegrounds): 3-4 plants in the water-filled room on the first floor
- Galleria Planters (Buried City): 3 plants per planter, multiple planters available
Additional Spots:
- Swamp Region (Dam Battlegrounds): Near Old Battleground and Hydroponic Dome Complex
- Forest Areas (The Blue Gate): Around Ruined Homestead, Checkpoint, Highway Collapse, Forest Airshaft, and Trapper’s Glade
Alternative: Purchase from trader Celeste for 5 Assorted Seeds each. She always has 10 in stock.
Advanced Strategies & Pro Tips
Single-Run Completion Strategy
For the most efficient completion, follow this route in Buried City:
- Start at Galleria – Collect all Great Mullein from planters (up to 15 plants)
- Move to Hospital – Search thoroughly for Antiseptics, Syringes, and Durable Cloth
- Check Piazza Arbusto Pharmacy – Backup location if Hospital doesn’t yield everything
This route can potentially complete the entire quest in one extraction if you’re lucky with spawns.
Safe Pocket Management
Since you’re carrying valuable quest items, proper Safe Pocket usage is crucial:
- Always place Syringes in Safe Pocket immediately (rarest item)
- Add Antiseptics to Safe Pocket when found (needed for future upgrades)
- Keep Durable Cloth and Great Mullein in regular inventory (more common)
Container Prioritization
Focus your search efforts on these container types for maximum efficiency:
- Blue drawers on desks (high medical item rate)
- Large white shelves with drawers (consistent medical supplies)
- Lockers (often contain Syringes and Antiseptics)
- Medical beds and trays (frequently hold Syringes and Durable Cloth)
- Laboratory equipment areas (Antiseptic hotspots)
Map-Specific Considerations
Dam Battlegrounds:
- Safest option for solo players
- Fewer dangerous ARC enemies (mainly Rocketeers)
- Plenty of cover and escape routes
- Testing Annex offers one-stop shopping
Buried City:
- Highest loot density but increased PvP risk
- More enemies and less open space
- Galleria provides guaranteed Great Mullein
- Hospital offers best medical item rates
The Blue Gate:
- Avoid for this quest – medical loot spawns are inconsistent
- Great Mullein available but only in 1-2 plant groups
- Better saved for other resource runs
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Can’t Find Syringes
If you’re struggling with Syringes specifically:
- Focus exclusively on the Hospital in Buried City
- Recycle every Rusted Medical Kit you encounter
- Check medical beds and trays thoroughly
- Consider multiple runs to the same location
- Join a squad to cover more ground efficiently
Great Mullein Depleted
If your usual spots are picked clean:
- Visit trader Celeste – buy 5 Assorted Seeds for each Great Mullein
- Try different server instances – respawns vary by instance
- Check The Blue Gate forest areas as backup locations
- Time your runs for off-peak hours when fewer players are farming
Consistently Failing Extractions
If you’re losing quest items to failed extractions:
- Use Safe Pocket strategically for rare items
- Practice extraction routes before carrying valuable items
- Play during off-peak hours for less PvP pressure
- Consider bringing a squad for protection
- Master the map layout for quick escape routes
Preparing for Future Quests
Completing Doctor’s Orders unlocks Lance’s next quest: Medical Merchandise. This follow-up mission requires visiting three different medical locations across multiple maps, so the knowledge you gain from Doctor’s Orders will be invaluable.
Recommended Preparation:
- Upgrade your Medical Lab when possible (needs Cracked Bioscanners and 5 Antiseptics)
- Save extra medical supplies for future crafting
- Learn all medical POI locations across all maps
- Build relationships with other traders for additional resource options
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I complete Doctor’s Orders on any map?
A: Yes, but I strongly recommend Dam Battlegrounds or Buried City for the best results. The Blue Gate has inconsistent medical loot spawns and should be avoided for this specific quest.
Q: What happens if I die with quest items?
A: Items in your Safe Pocket are protected, but anything in your regular inventory will be lost. Always place Syringes and extra Antiseptics in your Safe Pocket immediately.
Q: How often do quest items respawn?
A: Item respawns are tied to server instances and player activity. If a location is picked clean, try switching to a different instance or waiting for server resets.
Q: Should I craft or find the items?
A: I recommend finding items first to save resources, but crafting is a viable backup option if you’re struggling with specific spawns, especially for Antiseptics and Durable Cloth.
Q: Is this quest worth doing solo?
A: Absolutely! Dam Battlegrounds is perfectly manageable solo and offers everything you need. The quest is designed to be accessible for solo players.
Q: What’s the fastest way to complete this quest?
A: The Buried City Galleria → Hospital route can potentially complete everything in one run, but Dam Battlegrounds Testing Annex offers the most reliable solo experience.
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