Encounter builder › Budget reference

Encounter budget for a level 15 party

Every number on this page is arithmetic you can check: Torchline budgets 2,900 XP per character at level 15 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

DifficultyParty of 3Party of 4Party of 5Party of 6
Skirmish — resources barely dented4,7856,3807,9759,570
Standard — a real fight, rarely lethal8,70011,60014,50017,400
Hard — someone will probably go down13,92018,56023,20027,840
Brutal — a character can die here20,88027,84034,80041,760
These are effective-XP budgets: a group of monsters is multiplied up before it is compared against them, so a budget of 11,600 does not mean 11,600 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 6,380

A lone threat — about 6,380 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
AbolethAberrationLarge10171355,900
DevaCelestialMedium10171365,900
Guardian NagaMonstrosityLarge10181275,900
Stone GolemConstructLarge10171785,900
Young Gold DragonDragonLarge10181785,900

A pair — about 2,127 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
ChimeraMonstrosityLarge6141142,300
DriderMonstrosityLarge6191232,300
Invisible StalkerElementalMedium6141042,300
MageHumanoidMedium612402,300
MammothBeastHuge6131262,300

A group of four — about 798 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
BasiliskMonstrosityMedium31252700
Bearded DevilFiendMedium31352700
Blue Dragon WyrmlingDragonMedium31752700
DoppelgangerMonstrosityMedium31452700
Giant ScorpionBeastLarge31552700

A swarm of eight — about 319 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Animated ArmorConstructMedium11833200
Brass Dragon WyrmlingDragonMedium11616200
Brown BearBeastLarge11134200
BugbearHumanoidMedium11627200
Copper Dragon WyrmlingDragonMedium11622200
Build a skirmish encounter for a level 15 party

Standard — budget 11,600

A lone threat — about 11,600 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Adult Black DragonDragonHuge141919511,500
Adult Copper DragonDragonHuge141818411,500
Ice DevilFiendLarge141818011,500
Adult Bronze DragonDragonHuge151921213,000
Adult Green DragonDragonHuge151920713,000

A pair — about 3,867 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
AssassinHumanoidMedium815783,900
CloakerAberrationLarge814783,900
Frost GiantGiantHuge8151383,900
HezrouFiendLarge8161363,900
HydraMonstrosityHuge8151723,900

A group of four — about 1,450 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Air ElementalElementalLarge515901,800
Barbed DevilFiendMedium5151101,800
Black PuddingOozeLarge47851,100
BuletteMonstrosityLarge517941,800
ChuulAberrationLarge416931,100

A swarm of eight — about 580 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
BasiliskMonstrosityMedium31252700
Bearded DevilFiendMedium31352700
Blue Dragon WyrmlingDragonMedium31752700
DoppelgangerMonstrosityMedium31452700
Giant ScorpionBeastLarge31552700
Build a standard encounter for a level 15 party

Hard — budget 18,560

A lone threat — about 18,560 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Adult Gold DragonDragonHuge171925618,000
Adult Red DragonDragonHuge171925618,000
AndrosphinxMonstrosityLarge171719918,000
Dragon TurtleDragonGargantuan172034118,000
BalorFiendHuge191926222,000

A pair — about 6,187 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
AbolethAberrationLarge10171355,900
DevaCelestialMedium10171365,900
Guardian NagaMonstrosityLarge10181275,900
Stone GolemConstructLarge10171785,900
Young Gold DragonDragonLarge10181785,900

A group of four — about 2,320 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
ChimeraMonstrosityLarge6141142,300
DriderMonstrosityLarge6191232,300
Invisible StalkerElementalMedium6141042,300
MageHumanoidMedium612402,300
MammothBeastHuge6131262,300

A swarm of eight — about 928 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Black PuddingOozeLarge47851,100
ChuulAberrationLarge416931,100
CouatlCelestialMedium419971,100
ElephantBeastHuge412761,100
EttinGiantLarge412851,100
Build a hard encounter for a level 15 party

Brutal — budget 27,840

A lone threat — about 27,840 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Ancient Brass DragonDragonGargantuan202029725,000
Ancient White DragonDragonGargantuan202033325,000
Pit FiendFiendLarge201930025,000
Ancient Black DragonDragonGargantuan212236733,000
Ancient Copper DragonDragonGargantuan212135033,000

A pair — about 9,280 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Adult Brass DragonDragonHuge131817210,000
Adult White DragonDragonHuge131820010,000
NalfeshneeFiendLarge131818410,000
RakshasaFiendMedium131611010,000
Storm GiantGiantHuge131623010,000

A group of four — about 3,480 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
AssassinHumanoidMedium815783,900
CloakerAberrationLarge814783,900
Frost GiantGiantHuge8151383,900
HezrouFiendLarge8161363,900
HydraMonstrosityHuge8151723,900

A swarm of eight — about 1,392 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Black PuddingOozeLarge47851,100
ChuulAberrationLarge416931,100
CouatlCelestialMedium419971,100
ElephantBeastHuge412761,100
EttinGiantLarge412851,100
Build a brutal encounter for a level 15 party

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