Encounter budget for a level 16 party

Every number on this page is arithmetic you can check: Torchline budgets 3,300 XP per character at level 16 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	5,445	7,260	9,075	10,890
Standard — a real fight, rarely lethal	9,900	13,200	16,500	19,800
Hard — someone will probably go down	15,840	21,120	26,400	31,680
Brutal — a character can die here	23,760	31,680	39,600	47,520

These are effective-XP budgets: a group of monsters is multiplied up before it is compared against them, so a budget of 13,200 does not mean 13,200 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 7,260

A lone threat — about 7,260 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
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
Efreeti	Elemental	Large	11	17	200	7,200
Gynosphinx	Monstrosity	Large	11	17	136	7,200

A pair — about 2,420 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Chimera	Monstrosity	Large	6	14	114	2,300
Drider	Monstrosity	Large	6	19	123	2,300
Invisible Stalker	Elemental	Medium	6	14	104	2,300
Mage	Humanoid	Medium	6	12	40	2,300
Mammoth	Beast	Huge	6	13	126	2,300

A group of four — about 908 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 363 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 skirmish encounter for a level 16 party

Standard — budget 13,200

A lone threat — about 13,200 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Adult Bronze Dragon	Dragon	Huge	15	19	212	13,000
Adult Green Dragon	Dragon	Huge	15	19	207	13,000
Mummy Lord	Undead	Medium	15	17	97	13,000
Purple Worm	Monstrosity	Gargantuan	15	18	247	13,000
Adult Black Dragon	Dragon	Huge	14	19	195	11,500

A pair — about 4,400 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Assassin	Humanoid	Medium	8	15	78	3,900
Cloaker	Aberration	Large	8	14	78	3,900
Frost Giant	Giant	Huge	8	15	138	3,900
Hezrou	Fiend	Large	8	16	136	3,900
Hydra	Monstrosity	Huge	8	15	172	3,900

A group of four — about 1,650 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 660 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 standard encounter for a level 16 party

Hard — budget 21,120

A lone threat — about 21,120 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Balor	Fiend	Huge	19	19	262	22,000
Adult Gold Dragon	Dragon	Huge	17	19	256	18,000
Adult Red Dragon	Dragon	Huge	17	19	256	18,000
Androsphinx	Monstrosity	Large	17	17	199	18,000
Dragon Turtle	Dragon	Gargantuan	17	20	341	18,000

A pair — about 7,040 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
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
Efreeti	Elemental	Large	11	17	200	7,200
Gynosphinx	Monstrosity	Large	11	17	136	7,200

A group of four — about 2,640 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 1,056 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 hard encounter for a level 16 party

Brutal — budget 31,680

A lone threat — about 31,680 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Ancient Black Dragon	Dragon	Gargantuan	21	22	367	33,000
Ancient Copper Dragon	Dragon	Gargantuan	21	21	350	33,000
Lich	Undead	Medium	21	17	135	33,000
Solar	Celestial	Large	21	21	243	33,000
Ancient Brass Dragon	Dragon	Gargantuan	20	20	297	25,000

A pair — about 10,560 XP each (×1.5 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 group of four — about 3,960 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

Creature	Type	Size	CR	AC	HP	XP
Assassin	Humanoid	Medium	8	15	78	3,900
Cloaker	Aberration	Large	8	14	78	3,900
Frost Giant	Giant	Huge	8	15	138	3,900
Hezrou	Fiend	Large	8	16	136	3,900
Hydra	Monstrosity	Huge	8	15	172	3,900

A swarm of eight — about 1,584 XP each (×2.5 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

Build a brutal encounter for a level 16 party

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