Encounter budget for a level 1 party

Every number on this page is arithmetic you can check: Torchline budgets 60 XP per character at level 1 for a standard fight, scales it by party size, then by the difficulty band. Below each table are the SRD 5.1 creatures that actually land in that budget.

Budgets by party size and difficulty

Difficulty	Party of 3	Party of 4	Party of 5	Party of 6
Skirmish — resources barely dented	99	132	165	198
Standard — a real fight, rarely lethal	180	240	300	360
Hard — someone will probably go down	288	384	480	576
Brutal — a character can die here	432	576	720	864

These are effective-XP budgets: a group of monsters is multiplied up before it is compared against them, so a budget of 240 does not mean 240 XP of monsters.

What actually fits, for a party of four

The crowd multiplier is the part that catches people out. Two creatures count for 1.5× their XP, three to six count double, seven to ten count 2.5×, eleven or more count triple. So the XP you can spend per creature falls fast as the group grows.

Skirmish — budget 132

A lone threat — about 132 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Ape	Beast	Medium	1/2	12	19	100
Black Bear	Beast	Medium	1/2	11	19	100
Cockatrice	Monstrosity	Small	1/2	11	27	100
Crocodile	Beast	Large	1/2	12	19	100
Darkmantle	Monstrosity	Small	1/2	11	22	100

A pair — about 44 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Acolyte	Humanoid	Medium	1/4	10	9	50
Axe Beak	Beast	Large	1/4	11	19	50
Blink Dog	Fey	Medium	1/4	13	22	50
Boar	Beast	Medium	1/4	11	11	50
Constrictor Snake	Beast	Large	1/4	12	13	50

A group of four — about 17 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	AC	HP	XP
Awakened Shrub	Plant	Small	9	10	10
Baboon	Beast	Small	12	3	10
Badger	Beast	Tiny	10	3	10
Bat	Beast	Tiny	12	1	10
Cat	Beast	Tiny	12	2	10

A swarm of eight — about 7 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	AC	HP	XP
Awakened Shrub	Plant	Small	9	10	10
Baboon	Beast	Small	12	3	10
Badger	Beast	Tiny	10	3	10
Bat	Beast	Tiny	12	1	10
Cat	Beast	Tiny	12	2	10

Build a skirmish encounter for a level 1 party

Standard — budget 240

A lone threat — about 240 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Animated Armor	Construct	Medium	1	18	33	200
Brass Dragon Wyrmling	Dragon	Medium	1	16	16	200
Brown Bear	Beast	Large	1	11	34	200
Bugbear	Humanoid	Medium	1	16	27	200
Copper Dragon Wyrmling	Dragon	Medium	1	16	22	200

A pair — about 80 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Ape	Beast	Medium	1/2	12	19	100
Black Bear	Beast	Medium	1/2	11	19	100
Cockatrice	Monstrosity	Small	1/2	11	27	100
Crocodile	Beast	Large	1/2	12	19	100
Darkmantle	Monstrosity	Small	1/2	11	22	100

A group of four — about 30 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Bandit	Humanoid	Medium	1/8	12	11	25
Blood Hawk	Beast	Small	1/8	12	7	25
Camel	Beast	Large	1/8	9	15	25
Cultist	Humanoid	Medium	1/8	12	9	25
Flying Snake	Beast	Tiny	1/8	14	5	25

A swarm of eight — about 12 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	AC	HP	XP
Awakened Shrub	Plant	Small	9	10	10
Baboon	Beast	Small	12	3	10
Badger	Beast	Tiny	10	3	10
Bat	Beast	Tiny	12	1	10
Cat	Beast	Tiny	12	2	10

Build a standard encounter for a level 1 party

Hard — budget 384

A lone threat — about 384 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Ankheg	Monstrosity	Large	2	14	39	450
Awakened Tree	Plant	Huge	2	13	59	450
Azer	Elemental	Medium	2	17	39	450
Bandit Captain	Humanoid	Medium	2	15	65	450
Berserker	Humanoid	Medium	2	13	67	450

A pair — about 128 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Ape	Beast	Medium	1/2	12	19	100
Black Bear	Beast	Medium	1/2	11	19	100
Cockatrice	Monstrosity	Small	1/2	11	27	100
Crocodile	Beast	Large	1/2	12	19	100
Darkmantle	Monstrosity	Small	1/2	11	22	100

A group of four — about 48 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Acolyte	Humanoid	Medium	1/4	10	9	50
Axe Beak	Beast	Large	1/4	11	19	50
Blink Dog	Fey	Medium	1/4	13	22	50
Boar	Beast	Medium	1/4	11	11	50
Constrictor Snake	Beast	Large	1/4	12	13	50

A swarm of eight — about 19 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Bandit	Humanoid	Medium	1/8	12	11	25
Blood Hawk	Beast	Small	1/8	12	7	25
Camel	Beast	Large	1/8	9	15	25
Cultist	Humanoid	Medium	1/8	12	9	25
Flying Snake	Beast	Tiny	1/8	14	5	25

Build a hard encounter for a level 1 party

Brutal — budget 576

A lone threat — about 576 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Basilisk	Monstrosity	Medium	3	12	52	700
Bearded Devil	Fiend	Medium	3	13	52	700
Blue Dragon Wyrmling	Dragon	Medium	3	17	52	700
Doppelganger	Monstrosity	Medium	3	14	52	700
Giant Scorpion	Beast	Large	3	15	52	700

A pair — about 192 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Animated Armor	Construct	Medium	1	18	33	200
Brass Dragon Wyrmling	Dragon	Medium	1	16	16	200
Brown Bear	Beast	Large	1	11	34	200
Bugbear	Humanoid	Medium	1	16	27	200
Copper Dragon Wyrmling	Dragon	Medium	1	16	22	200

A group of four — about 72 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Acolyte	Humanoid	Medium	1/4	10	9	50
Axe Beak	Beast	Large	1/4	11	19	50
Blink Dog	Fey	Medium	1/4	13	22	50
Boar	Beast	Medium	1/4	11	11	50
Constrictor Snake	Beast	Large	1/4	12	13	50

A swarm of eight — about 29 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Bandit	Humanoid	Medium	1/8	12	11	25
Blood Hawk	Beast	Small	1/8	12	7	25
Camel	Beast	Large	1/8	9	15	25
Cultist	Humanoid	Medium	1/8	12	9	25
Flying Snake	Beast	Tiny	1/8	14	5	25

Build a brutal encounter for a level 1 party

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All levels 1–20 · Every SRD 5.1 monster by challenge rating