Questions tagged [cr-calculation]
For questions that deal with the calculation of a Challenge Rating, a method of evaluating the combat-difficulty of monsters and encounters in D&D and derived systems. Such questions should ideally demonstrate that the querent has first tried official methods of calculating CR and describe what problems they encountered in doing so.
136 questions
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Is there a better CR equivalent?
I’ve been asking questions on this site about monster creation/alteration, and people have been telling me that the Pathfinder/3.5e CR system is broken. So I’ve been wondering, is there a better ...
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I adjusted the 5e Ghost. Am I calculating its CR correctly?
I'm making a modified version of the Ghost for 5e. I used the DMG guidelines on pages 274 onward.
When I went to calculate its defensive CR, I was astounded at how high it was. Am I making a mistake ...
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What would the CR of a player character be?
I wanted to play as a fairy, and thought that a good way to introduce my character to the party would be with a scroll that casts conjure fey without the cast time or duration, but the spell brings CR ...
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How does the poisoned condition affect the challenge rating?
I am planning an encounter against different Ogres (Half-Ogre, Ogre, Ogre Battering Ram...). During the fight, the Ogres are drunk and suffer the poisoned condition (disadvantage on attack rolls and ...
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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.
...
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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 ...
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What makes calculating an NPC's challenge rating difficult? [duplicate]
I've read multiple posts on this site about determining an NPC's challenge rating, most of which mention the difficulty in doing so. I had considered a few things. First, non-combat abilities don't ...
user80014
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Converting Oonga from "Isle of the Ape" to 5e
My party of five level 15 PCs is adventuring in my homebrewed conversion of the 1e module Isle of the Ape. I would like the Boss Monster, Oonga, to be a Deadly encounter for the party, so I am aiming ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Why is an archmage only CR12?
The monster's manual archmage is overpowered, but has a CR12!?
It is a monster with Time Stop from 9th circle, mind blank and teleport.
If you put him with some other melee monsters (meat for the ...
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Are NPC Spellcasters with access to Mage Armor generally assumed to have precast it for an encounter in CR calculations?
In about a week I will be throwing a homebrewed CR4 illusionist NPC with an AC of 12 and 15 with Mage Armor at my party. (Essentially a slightly buffed version of the Illusionist on page 214 of Volo's ...
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Is there a CR balancing system for PCs to be used as bosses against a party? [closed]
I want to make a PC and stick to the build but don't know what level would be appropriate.
The party are 5 players in level 3 (CR of almost 4 in the CR system).
As a level 15 PC will be way too much, ...
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Does reducing the Purple Worm's HP to 184 really reduce its challenge rating to 13?
On page 113 of Princes of the Apocalypse, the text reads in part:
As the tremor ends, a young purple worm with 184 hit points (challenge rating 13) burrows [...]
No other changes to the Purple Worm'...
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How can I make a CR 1/2 Imp?
I am new to playing 5e, and my DM is also new to DMing 5e (although they have extensive prior experience as a 3.5e DM). We are interested in using the Sidekick rules presented in Tasha's Cauldron of ...
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Checking CR calculation for homebrew larger version of Giant Ape
I am considering allowing a larger version of a Giant Ape, in which some of the stats have been embiggened to achieve the low end of CR8.
I would appreciate a confirmation that I am calculating this ...
- 66.4k
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What challenge rating ('CR') is a Medusa given the textbook NPC-Diviner-Wizard casting ability?
I wanted to give a recurring villain / anti-hero medusa some (15th level) wizard abilities, a.k.a. the N.P.C. Diviner as featured in Vole's or Xanathar's or Tasha's or somewhere. She can use this NPC ...
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What are the rules around challenge ratings for magic users and spell?
I know that different types of creature have their own challenge ratings, and that different versions of the same creature also have them. But what are the rules around determining NPC enemy magic ...
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How to interpret "round up or down" in monster CR calculation
In the "Creating Quick Monster Stats" section of the DMG (p.274) we are given the procedure for determining the CR of a new DM-designed monster. Step 4 of that procedure (pp.274-275) tells ...
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What is the AC equivalent of mirror image?
It is suggested (by the DMG) to account for defensive options by assuming increased AC, e.g. +2 AC for magic resistance.
I would like to give some of my monsters the spell mirror image as part of a ...
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How dangerous is exhaustion?
I'm interested in adding exhaustion effects to monsters. I might homebrew changes to the exhaustion mechanic, but for now, I'm interested in assessing how dangerous it is if monsters can cause RAW ...
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What is the impact of banishment on CR?
Disclaimer: I know that monster balance is never exact and I don't expect it to be, I'm looking for rough guidelines like they are given in the DMG for many traits.
I like to flavor up my monsters ...
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Why do red dragons and gold dragons have the same CR?
There are 4 variants of each type of dragon, each corresponding to a specific age. At each age, the red and gold dragons each have the same CR (4, 10, 17, and 24). The dragons are superficially ...
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How do the damage rules from blogofholding's "5e monster manual on a business card" work?
http://blogofholding.com/?p=7338
Damage: This is the damage budget for all the monster’s attacks. Limited-use (daily, recharge, or situational) attacks do 4x the damage budgeted. Multi-target ...
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Do non-player monsters add up to CR difficulty and if so how?
I am GM and my group's party is 3 level 4's. They went to a black market and bought two CR 2 creatures. I forget how much they paid but they spent roughly 50 gold. One is a Orc and the other is a ...
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