All Questions
Tagged with cr-calculation encounter-design
18
questions
7
votes
1
answer
908
views
How should I adjust CR if the monsters I introduce are fighting each other?
I'm planning a long one-shot, the setting of which is a large island with half of it sectioned off in an area where massive wild beasts roam and battle each other, through which the party must trek.
...
- 9,700
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
At what level for a 4/5-player party would a CR 2-3 monster be considered a "miniboss"?
I'm working on a dungeon and I want to have a solo encounter with a single basilisk in the hallway. It isn't the last monster in the dungeon; that I'm going with a surprise, however it shouldn't be a ...
- 181
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How would resistance to non magical weapons change a creature's challenge rating?
Suppose we took a normal monster - say, perhaps, a lion (CR 1) - and gave it resistance to non-magical slashing, piercing, and blunt damage. How much would this affect the threat to a party?
I'm ...
- 1,730
18
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How can I avoid accidentally deadly encounters from monsters that are more deadly than their challenge rating suggests?
Monster Deadliness: In the DMG (p.82) there is guidance about the calculating encounter deadliness. This is entirely based on the XP of the monsters encountered, and each challenge rating (CR) has a ...
- 129k
5
votes
2
answers
6k
views
What CR would this level 5 wizard "mini-boss" be?
I'm about to start the first session of a big campaign tomorrow night. I have three experienced players and one newbie and I've got a big opener planned. The way things will most likely go in the ...
- 141
12
votes
8
answers
8k
views
Is this homebrew CR 12 monster too difficult an encounter for two level 4 characters?
I'm about to lead a raid into an orc camp for a party of two characters. Both are level 4, one is a bard and the other is a barbarian/warlock multiclass.
I found a CR12 homebrew monster, the Orc ...
- 153
3
votes
2
answers
633
views
How do I compute an encounter level of monsters with vastly different CR?
In D&D 3.5, how do you add creatures with different CR which are more than 2 CR apart?
The table in the DMG 3.5, p. 49, describes how to calculate the encounter level of a mixed pair creatures ...
- 33
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Can you just subtract the challenge rating of friendly NPCs?
The party have bitten off more than they can chew and the DM wants to help them out to avoid a likely TPK by adding a friendly NPC to an encounter. Can they get a good sense of how difficult the ...
- 173
4
votes
1
answer
180
views
How do you calculate CR for running battles?
I am creating an encounter for a game I am DMing and am wondering how you calculate CR for a running battle. What I mean by this is that characters will be fleeing through a zombie infested town, with ...
- 1,564
6
votes
1
answer
180
views
How would strategic but non-damaging actions affect monster CR?
I'm in the middle of designing a dungeon with heavy fire and ice elemental themes influencing a lot of undead enemies. I'm relying on CR a lot to rough out encounters, as I don't have a super great ...
- 2,164
1
vote
1
answer
257
views
Monster CR adjustment based on item outside its treasure allotment
I know that monsters often have treasure, and that if a monster has say a +1 magic longsword as part of the hoard described in the treasure entry he will likely use it, and this is figured (somewhat) ...
- 5,663
0
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What is the CR of a monster with class levels?
I can't find very clear rules about how adding class levels affects monster CR in the books, or maybe i just didn't understood clearly. I aim to make more memorable intelligent creatures like dragons ...
- 601
-4
votes
2
answers
6k
views
What is the CR of this custom Drow Elite Assassin?
What would be the challenge rating for this custom NPC enemy? It's definitely more than 8 but I don't know what. In essence, it's a Drow Elite Warrior combined with an Assassin:
Drow Elite Assassin
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18
votes
4
answers
4k
views
How does the summoning ability affect the encounter difficulty?
The Drow Mage (CR 7) has the Action Summon Demon (1/day), which allows him to summon a shadow demon (CR 4). Is the shadow demon already included in the CR of the Drow Mage, or do I have to count the ...
- 293
23
votes
6
answers
43k
views
Do 5th-edition D&D PCs consistently outmatch level-appropriate encounters?
I have a group of PCs that started at level 1. The group varies in size between 6-8 PCs and they have a good spread of classes (healer, tanks, damage dealers, 2 arcane casters).
They are level 5 ...
- 1,048