Encounter builder › Budget reference

Encounter budget for a level 17 party

Every number on this page is arithmetic you can check: Torchline budgets 4,000 XP per character at level 17 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 dented6,6008,80011,00013,200
Standard — a real fight, rarely lethal12,00016,00020,00024,000
Hard — someone will probably go down19,20025,60032,00038,400
Brutal — a character can die here28,80038,40048,00057,600
These are effective-XP budgets: a group of monsters is multiplied up before it is compared against them, so a budget of 16,000 does not mean 16,000 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 8,800

A lone threat — about 8,800 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
ArchmageHumanoidMedium1212998,400
ErinyesFiendMedium12181538,400
Adult Brass DragonDragonHuge131817210,000
Adult White DragonDragonHuge131820010,000
NalfeshneeFiendLarge131818410,000

A pair — about 2,933 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Giant ApeBeastHuge7121572,900
OniGiantLarge7161102,900
Shield GuardianConstructLarge7171422,900
Stone GiantGiantHuge7171262,900
Young Black DragonDragonLarge7181272,900

A group of four — about 1,100 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Black PuddingOozeLarge47851,100
ChuulAberrationLarge416931,100
CouatlCelestialMedium419971,100
ElephantBeastHuge412761,100
EttinGiantLarge412851,100

A swarm of eight — about 440 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
AnkhegMonstrosityLarge21439450
Awakened TreePlantHuge21359450
AzerElementalMedium21739450
Bandit CaptainHumanoidMedium21565450
BerserkerHumanoidMedium21367450
Build a skirmish encounter for a level 17 party

Standard — budget 16,000

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

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Adult Blue DragonDragonHuge161922515,000
Adult Silver DragonDragonHuge161924315,000
Iron GolemConstructLarge162021015,000
MarilithFiendLarge161818915,000
PlanetarCelestialLarge161920015,000

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

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Bone DevilFiendLarge9191425,000
Clay GolemConstructLarge9141335,000
Cloud GiantGiantHuge9142005,000
Fire GiantGiantHuge9181625,000
GlabrezuFiendLarge9171575,000

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

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Air ElementalElementalLarge515901,800
Barbed DevilFiendMedium5151101,800
BuletteMonstrosityLarge517941,800
Earth ElementalElementalLarge5171261,800
Fire ElementalElementalLarge5131021,800

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

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
BasiliskMonstrosityMedium31252700
Bearded DevilFiendMedium31352700
Blue Dragon WyrmlingDragonMedium31752700
DoppelgangerMonstrosityMedium31452700
Giant ScorpionBeastLarge31552700
Build a standard encounter for a level 17 party

Hard — budget 25,600

A lone threat — about 25,600 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Ancient Brass DragonDragonGargantuan202029725,000
Ancient White DragonDragonGargantuan202033325,000
Pit FiendFiendLarge201930025,000
BalorFiendHuge191926222,000
Ancient Black DragonDragonGargantuan212236733,000

A pair — about 8,533 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
ArchmageHumanoidMedium1212998,400
ErinyesFiendMedium12181538,400
BehirMonstrosityHuge11171687,200
Chain DevilFiendMedium1116857,200
DjinniElementalLarge11171617,200

A group of four — about 3,200 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Giant ApeBeastHuge7121572,900
OniGiantLarge7161102,900
Shield GuardianConstructLarge7171422,900
Stone GiantGiantHuge7171262,900
Young Black DragonDragonLarge7181272,900

A swarm of eight — about 1,280 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 17 party

Brutal — budget 38,400

A lone threat — about 38,400 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Ancient Bronze DragonDragonGargantuan222244441,000
Ancient Green DragonDragonGargantuan222138541,000
Ancient Black DragonDragonGargantuan212236733,000
Ancient Copper DragonDragonGargantuan212135033,000
LichUndeadMedium211713533,000

A pair — about 12,800 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Adult Bronze DragonDragonHuge151921213,000
Adult Green DragonDragonHuge151920713,000
Mummy LordUndeadMedium15179713,000
Purple WormMonstrosityGargantuan151824713,000
Adult Black DragonDragonHuge141919511,500

A group of four — about 4,800 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Bone DevilFiendLarge9191425,000
Clay GolemConstructLarge9141335,000
Cloud GiantGiantHuge9142005,000
Fire GiantGiantHuge9181625,000
GlabrezuFiendLarge9171575,000

A swarm of eight — about 1,920 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Air ElementalElementalLarge515901,800
Barbed DevilFiendMedium5151101,800
BuletteMonstrosityLarge517941,800
Earth ElementalElementalLarge5171261,800
Fire ElementalElementalLarge5131021,800
Build a brutal encounter for a level 17 party

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