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Encounter budget for a level 19 party

Every number on this page is arithmetic you can check: Torchline budgets 5,500 XP per character at level 19 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 dented9,07512,10015,12518,150
Standard — a real fight, rarely lethal16,50022,00027,50033,000
Hard — someone will probably go down26,40035,20044,00052,800
Brutal — a character can die here39,60052,80066,00079,200
These are effective-XP budgets: a group of monsters is multiplied up before it is compared against them, so a budget of 22,000 does not mean 22,000 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 12,100

A lone threat — about 12,100 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 4,033 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

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

A group of four — about 1,513 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 605 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
BasiliskMonstrosityMedium31252700
Bearded DevilFiendMedium31352700
Blue Dragon WyrmlingDragonMedium31752700
DoppelgangerMonstrosityMedium31452700
Giant ScorpionBeastLarge31552700
Build a skirmish encounter for a level 19 party

Standard — budget 22,000

A lone threat — about 22,000 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
BalorFiendHuge191926222,000
Ancient Brass DragonDragonGargantuan202029725,000
Ancient White DragonDragonGargantuan202033325,000
Pit FiendFiendLarge201930025,000
Adult Gold DragonDragonHuge171925618,000

A pair — about 7,333 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
BehirMonstrosityHuge11171687,200
Chain DevilFiendMedium1116857,200
DjinniElementalLarge11171617,200
EfreetiElementalLarge11172007,200
GynosphinxMonstrosityLarge11171367,200

A group of four — about 2,750 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 1,100 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Black PuddingOozeLarge47851,100
ChuulAberrationLarge416931,100
CouatlCelestialMedium419971,100
ElephantBeastHuge412761,100
EttinGiantLarge412851,100
Build a standard encounter for a level 19 party

Hard — budget 35,200

A lone threat — about 35,200 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Ancient Black DragonDragonGargantuan212236733,000
Ancient Copper DragonDragonGargantuan212135033,000
LichUndeadMedium211713533,000
SolarCelestialLarge212124333,000
Ancient Bronze DragonDragonGargantuan222244441,000

A pair — about 11,733 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

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

A group of four — about 4,400 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

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

A swarm of eight — about 1,760 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Air ElementalElementalLarge515901,800
Barbed DevilFiendMedium5151101,800
BuletteMonstrosityLarge517941,800
Earth ElementalElementalLarge5171261,800
Fire ElementalElementalLarge5131021,800
Build a hard encounter for a level 19 party

Brutal — budget 52,800

A lone threat — about 52,800 XP each (×1 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Ancient Blue DragonDragonGargantuan232248150,000
Ancient Silver DragonDragonGargantuan232248750,000
KrakenMonstrosityGargantuan231847250,000
Ancient Gold DragonDragonGargantuan242254662,000
Ancient Red DragonDragonGargantuan242254662,000

A pair — about 17,600 XP each (×1.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Adult Gold DragonDragonHuge171925618,000
Adult Red DragonDragonHuge171925618,000
AndrosphinxMonstrosityLarge171719918,000
Dragon TurtleDragonGargantuan172034118,000
Adult Blue DragonDragonHuge161922515,000

A group of four — about 6,600 XP each (×2 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
BehirMonstrosityHuge11171687,200
Chain DevilFiendMedium1116857,200
DjinniElementalLarge11171617,200
EfreetiElementalLarge11172007,200
GynosphinxMonstrosityLarge11171367,200

A swarm of eight — about 2,640 XP each (×2.5 crowd multiplier)

CreatureTypeSizeCRACHPXP
Giant ApeBeastHuge7121572,900
OniGiantLarge7161102,900
Shield GuardianConstructLarge7171422,900
Stone GiantGiantHuge7171262,900
Young Black DragonDragonLarge7181272,900
Build a brutal encounter for a level 19 party

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