Pre-built encounters and encounter design for D&D 5th Edition.
An encounter is any situation where the party faces challenges - typically combat, but also puzzles, social interactions, or exploration challenges.
Easy - Unlikely to deplete resources; no real threat of death
Medium - Consumes some resources; one or two characters might get low on HP
Hard - Dangerous; weaker characters might go down
Deadly - High risk of character death
Use these XP values when building encounters:
| CR | XP | CR | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10 | 11 | 7,200 |
| 1/8 | 25 | 12 | 8,400 |
| 1/4 | 50 | 13 | 10,000 |
| 1/2 | 100 | 14 | 11,500 |
| 1 | 200 | 15 | 13,000 |
| 2 | 450 | 16 | 15,000 |
| 3 | 700 | 17 | 18,000 |
| 4 | 1,100 | 18 | 20,000 |
| 5 | 1,800 | 19 | 22,000 |
| 6 | 2,300 | 20 | 25,000 |
| 7 | 2,900 | 21 | 33,000 |
| 8 | 3,900 | 22 | 41,000 |
| 9 | 5,000 | 23 | 50,000 |
| 10 | 5,900 | 24 | 62,000 |
When using multiple monsters, multiply total XP by:
Vary your encounters:
Balance difficulty:
Make it interesting:
For detailed encounter building rules, see the Dungeon Master's Guide Chapter 3.