Encounter Balancer
Rate a d20-system combat encounter with the 2014 fifth-edition encounter rules: adjusted monster XP, with the party-size multiplier shift, against your party’s easy, medium, hard and deadly thresholds. Calculates in your browser.
Difficulty
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Show the math
This uses the 2014 fifth-edition encounter-building rules (the DMG and the free Basic Rules). Total monster XP is multiplied by a factor based on how many monsters there are (more enemies act more often, so the encounter is harder), then compared to the party's XP thresholds.
adjusted XP = (Σ monster XP) × count multiplier
Count multipliers: 1 monster ×1, 2 ×1.5, 3–6 ×2, 7–10 ×2.5, 11–14 ×3, 15 or more ×4. The table assumes three to five characters: a party of one or two uses the next higher multiplier (up to ×5), and a party of six or more uses the next lower one (down to ×0.5 for a single monster).
The rating is the highest threshold the adjusted XP reaches; deadly is the top of the scale. The 2024 rules use a different Low/Moderate/High budget, so don't mix the two.
A planning aid, not a guarantee, terrain, tactics and party composition matter. All math runs locally in your browser.
What this does
An encounter balancer rates a d20-system combat encounter by comparing adjusted monster XP against your party’s easy, medium, hard, and deadly thresholds.
How to use it
- Enter party size and levels.
- Add the monsters and their XP.
- Read the adjusted XP.
- See the difficulty rating.
How it works
It follows the 2014 fifth-edition encounter-building rules. More monsters act more often, so total XP is scaled up before comparing to your budget: ×1 for one monster up to ×4 for fifteen or more. A party of one or two uses the next higher multiplier, and a party of six or more the next lower one. It is a planning aid, not a guarantee.
adjusted XP = total monster XP × count multiplier
Understanding your result
The adjusted XP scales total monster XP up by a multiplier for numbers, because more creatures act more often and concentrate damage, which is why a swarm of weak foes is deadlier than its raw XP suggests. Treat the easy-to-deadly rating as a planning aid, not a guarantee: terrain, party tactics, and luck swing real fights well beyond the budget.
Example
Four monsters multiply their combined XP by 2 before rating. Two level-5 characters facing one 1,100 XP monster use ×1.5 instead of ×1, so 1,650 adjusted XP rates as hard.
Last updated .
Frequently asked questions
Why is the XP adjusted upward?
More monsters act more often, so total monster XP is multiplied by a factor based on the number of enemies before comparing to your budget.
Which rules edition is this?
The 2014 fifth-edition rules (the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the free Basic Rules), including their party-size adjustment. Deadly is the top rating. The 2024 rules use a different Low, Moderate and High budget, so the numbers don’t carry over.
Is the rating a guarantee?
No, it is a planning aid. Terrain, tactics and party makeup can shift an encounter’s real difficulty.
Is my data kept?
No. Everything is computed locally in your browser.
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