Encounter budget for a level 14 party

Every number on this page is arithmetic you can check: Torchline budgets 2,500 XP per character at level 14 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	4,125	5,500	6,875	8,250
Standard — a real fight, rarely lethal	7,500	10,000	12,500	15,000
Hard — someone will probably go down	12,000	16,000	20,000	24,000
Brutal — a character can die here	18,000	24,000	30,000	36,000

These are effective-XP budgets: a group of monsters is multiplied up before it is compared against them, so a budget of 10,000 does not mean 10,000 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 5,500

A lone threat — about 5,500 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Aboleth	Aberration	Large	10	17	135	5,900
Deva	Celestial	Medium	10	17	136	5,900
Guardian Naga	Monstrosity	Large	10	18	127	5,900
Stone Golem	Construct	Large	10	17	178	5,900
Young Gold Dragon	Dragon	Large	10	18	178	5,900

A pair — about 1,833 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Air Elemental	Elemental	Large	5	15	90	1,800
Barbed Devil	Fiend	Medium	5	15	110	1,800
Bulette	Monstrosity	Large	5	17	94	1,800
Earth Elemental	Elemental	Large	5	17	126	1,800
Fire Elemental	Elemental	Large	5	13	102	1,800

A group of four — about 688 XP each (×2 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 swarm of eight — about 275 XP each (×2.5 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

Build a skirmish encounter for a level 14 party

Standard — budget 10,000

A lone threat — about 10,000 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Adult Brass Dragon	Dragon	Huge	13	18	172	10,000
Adult White Dragon	Dragon	Huge	13	18	200	10,000
Nalfeshnee	Fiend	Large	13	18	184	10,000
Rakshasa	Fiend	Medium	13	16	110	10,000
Storm Giant	Giant	Huge	13	16	230	10,000

A pair — about 3,333 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Giant Ape	Beast	Huge	7	12	157	2,900
Oni	Giant	Large	7	16	110	2,900
Shield Guardian	Construct	Large	7	17	142	2,900
Stone Giant	Giant	Huge	7	17	126	2,900
Young Black Dragon	Dragon	Large	7	18	127	2,900

A group of four — about 1,250 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Black Pudding	Ooze	Large	4	7	85	1,100
Chuul	Aberration	Large	4	16	93	1,100
Couatl	Celestial	Medium	4	19	97	1,100
Elephant	Beast	Huge	4	12	76	1,100
Ettin	Giant	Large	4	12	85	1,100

A swarm of eight — about 500 XP each (×2.5 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

Build a standard encounter for a level 14 party

Hard — budget 16,000

A lone threat — about 16,000 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Adult Blue Dragon	Dragon	Huge	16	19	225	15,000
Adult Silver Dragon	Dragon	Huge	16	19	243	15,000
Iron Golem	Construct	Large	16	20	210	15,000
Marilith	Fiend	Large	16	18	189	15,000
Planetar	Celestial	Large	16	19	200	15,000

A pair — about 5,333 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Bone Devil	Fiend	Large	9	19	142	5,000
Clay Golem	Construct	Large	9	14	133	5,000
Cloud Giant	Giant	Huge	9	14	200	5,000
Fire Giant	Giant	Huge	9	18	162	5,000
Glabrezu	Fiend	Large	9	17	157	5,000

A group of four — about 2,000 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Air Elemental	Elemental	Large	5	15	90	1,800
Barbed Devil	Fiend	Medium	5	15	110	1,800
Bulette	Monstrosity	Large	5	17	94	1,800
Earth Elemental	Elemental	Large	5	17	126	1,800
Fire Elemental	Elemental	Large	5	13	102	1,800

A swarm of eight — about 800 XP each (×2.5 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

Build a hard encounter for a level 14 party

Brutal — budget 24,000

A lone threat — about 24,000 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Ancient Brass Dragon	Dragon	Gargantuan	20	20	297	25,000
Ancient White Dragon	Dragon	Gargantuan	20	20	333	25,000
Pit Fiend	Fiend	Large	20	19	300	25,000
Balor	Fiend	Huge	19	19	262	22,000
Adult Gold Dragon	Dragon	Huge	17	19	256	18,000

A pair — about 8,000 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Archmage	Humanoid	Medium	12	12	99	8,400
Erinyes	Fiend	Medium	12	18	153	8,400
Behir	Monstrosity	Huge	11	17	168	7,200
Chain Devil	Fiend	Medium	11	16	85	7,200
Djinni	Elemental	Large	11	17	161	7,200

A group of four — about 3,000 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Giant Ape	Beast	Huge	7	12	157	2,900
Oni	Giant	Large	7	16	110	2,900
Shield Guardian	Construct	Large	7	17	142	2,900
Stone Giant	Giant	Huge	7	17	126	2,900
Young Black Dragon	Dragon	Large	7	18	127	2,900

A swarm of eight — about 1,200 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Black Pudding	Ooze	Large	4	7	85	1,100
Chuul	Aberration	Large	4	16	93	1,100
Couatl	Celestial	Medium	4	19	97	1,100
Elephant	Beast	Huge	4	12	76	1,100
Ettin	Giant	Large	4	12	85	1,100

Build a brutal encounter for a level 14 party

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