TEXT: ©2016	Wizards	of	the	Coast	LLC	
  1	
  Unearthed	Arcana:	Encounter	Building	
  This	edition	of	Unearthed	Arcana	introduces	an	
  alternative	set	of	encounter-building	guidelines	for	
  D&D.	Though	this	approach	uses	the	same	basic	
  math	underlying	the	encounter	system	presented	
  in	the	Dungeon	Master’s	Guide,	it	makes	a	few	
  adjustments	to	how	it	presents	that	math	to	
  produce	a	more	flexible	system.	
  	 This	encounter-building	system	assumes	that,	as	
  a	Dungeon	Master,	you	want	to	have	a	clear	
  understanding	of	the	threat	posed	by	a	group	of	
  monsters.	It’ll	be	of	interest	to	any	DMs	who	want	
  to	emphasize	combat	in	their	games,	who	want	to	
  ensure	that	a	foe	isn’t	too	deadly	for	a	specific	
  group	of	characters,	and	who	want	to	understand	
  the	relationship	between	a	character’s	level	and	a	
  monster’s	challenge	rating.	
  	 Building	an	encounter	using	these	new	
  guidelines	breaks	down	into	a	series	of	simple	
  steps.	
  Step	1:	Assess	the	Characters	
  To	build	an	encounter	using	this	system,	first	take	
  stock	of	the	player	characters.	This	system	uses	
  the	characters’	levels	to	determine	the	number	and	
  challenge	rating	of	creatures	you	can	pit	them	
  against	without	making	a	fight	too	hard	or	too	easy.	
  But	though	character	level	is	important,	you	
  should	also	take	note	of	each	characters’	hit	point	
  maximum	and	saving	throw	modifiers,	as	well	as	
  how	much	damage	the	strongest	combatants	or	
  spellcasters	can	inflict	with	a	single	attack.	Even	
  though	character	level	and	challenge	rating	are	
  useful	tools	for	defining	the	difficulty	of	an	
  encounter,	they	don’t	tell	the	whole	story,	and	
  you’ll	make	use	of	these	additional	character	
  statistics	when	you	select	monsters	for	an	
  encounter	in	step	4.	
  Step	2:	Encounter	Size	
  Determine	if	you	want	to	create	a	battle	that	pits	
  one	legendary	creature	against	the	characters,	or	if	
  you	want	to	use	multiple	monsters.	If	you	want	to	
  use	a	single	monster,	you’re	typically	best	off	using	
  a	legendary	monster,	all	of	which	are	specifically	
  designed	to	make	life	interesting	for	a	group.	
  Step	3:	Determine	Numbers	
  and	Challenge	Ratings	
  The	process	for	building	fights	that	feature	only	a	
  single	legendary	monster	is	simple.	The	table	
  below	shows	you	which	challenge	rating	to	use	for	
  a	legendary	creature	fighting	a	party	of	four	to	six	
  characters,	creating	a	satisfying	but	difficult	battle.	
  For	example,	for	a	party	of	five	9th-level	
  characters,	a	CR	12	legendary	creature	makes	an	
  appropriate	encounter.	
  	 For	a	deadly	battle,	match	up	the	characters	with	
  a	legendary	creature	whose	challenge	rating	is	1	or	
  2	higher	than	optimal.	For	a	fairly	easy	fight,	use	a	
  legendary	creature	whose	challenge	rating	is	3	or	
  more	below	the	challenge	rating	for	an	optimal	
  encounter.	
  1st	to	20th	Level	(Solo	Monsters)	
  Character	
  6	
  5	
  4	
  Level	
  Characters	
  Characters	
  Characters	
  1st	
  2	
  2	
  1	
  2nd	
  4	
  3	
  2	
  3rd	
  5	
  4	
  3	
  4th	
  6	
  5	
  4	
  5th	
  9	
  8	
  7	
  6th	
  10	
  9	
  8	
  7th	
  11	
  10	
  9	
  8th	
  12	
  11	
  10	
  9th	
  13	
  12	
  11	
  10th	
  14	
  13	
  12	
  11th	
  15	
  14	
  13	
  12th	
  17	
  16	
  15	
  13th	
  18	
  17	
  16	
  14th	
  19	
  18	
  17	
  15th	
  20	
  19	
  18	
  16th	
  21	
  20	
  19	
  17th	
  22	
  21	
  20	
  18th	
  22	
  21	
  20	
  19th	
  23	
  22	
  21	
  20th	
  24	
  23	
  22	
  	
  	 If	your	encounter	features	multiple	creatures,	
  balancing	it	takes	a	little	more	work.	First,	you	
  
  ©2016	Wizards	of	the	Coast	LLC	
  2	
  need	to	determine	how	many	creatures	the	party	
  will	face,	along	with	the	challenge	rating	for	each	
  creature.	The	following	tables	are	broken	up	by	
  level	ranges,	providing	information	for	how	to	
  balance	encounters	for	characters	of	1st	to	5th	
  level,	6th	to	10th	level,	11th	to	15th	level,	and	16th	
  to	20th	level.	
  	 To	create	your	encounter,	find	the	level	of	each	
  character	on	the	appropriate	table.	Each	table	
  shows	you	what	a	single	character	of	a	given	level	
  is	equal	to	in	terms	of	challenge	rating—a	value	
  represented	by	a	proportion	that	compares	
  numbers	of	characters	to	a	single	monster	ranked	
  by	challenge	rating.		
  	 The	first	number	is	the	number	of	characters	of	
  that	given	level.	The	second	number	indicates	how	
  many	monsters	of	the	listed	challenge	rating	those	
  characters	are	worth.	
  	 Reading	the	row	for	1st-level	characters	from	
  the	1st	to	5th	Level	table,	we	see	that	one	1st-level	
  character	is	the	equivalent	of	two	CR	1/8	monsters	
  or	one	CR	1/4	monster.	The	proportion	reverses	
  for	higher	challenge	ratings,	with	creatures	at	CR	
  1/2	and	higher	becoming	more	powerful	than	one	
  1st-level	character.	Three	1st-level	characters	are	
  equivalent	to	one	CR	1/2	creature,	while	five	are	
  equivalent	to	a	CR	1	opponent.	
  	
  1st	to	5th	Level	(Multiple	Monsters)	
  Character	
  —	Challenge	Rating	—	
  Level	
  1/8	
  1/4	
  1/2	
  1	
  2	
  3	
  4	
  5	
  6	
  1st	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  3:1	
  5:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  2nd	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  3:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  3rd	
  1:5	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  4:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  4th	
  1:8	
  1:4	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  4:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  5th	
  1:12	
  1:8	
  1:4	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  	
  6th	to	10th	Level	(Multiple	Monsters)	
  Character	
  —	Challenge	Rating	—	
  Level	
  1/8	
  1/4	
  1/2	
  1	
  2	
  3	
  4	
  5	
  6	
  7	
  8	
  9	
  10	
  6th	
  1:12	
  1:9	
  1:5	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  7th	
  1:12	
  1:12	
  1:6	
  1:3	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  8th	
  1:12	
  1:12	
  1:7	
  1:4	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  9th	
  1:12	
  1:12	
  1:8	
  1:4	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  10th	
  1:12	
  1:12	
  1:10	
  1:5	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  	
  11th	to	15th	Level	(Multiple	Monsters)	
  Character	
  —	Challenge	Rating	—	
  Level	
  1	
  2	
  3	
  4	
  5	
  6	
  7	
  8	
  9	
  10	
  11	
  12	
  13	
  14	
  15	
  11th	
  1:6	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  12th	
  1:8	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  13th	
  1:9	
  1:4	
  1:2	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  14th	
  1:10	
  1:4	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  15th	
  1:12	
  1:5	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  	
  16th	to	20th	Level	(Multiple	Monsters)	
  Character	
  —	Challenge	Rating	—	
  Level	
  2	
  3	
  4	
  5	
  6	
  7	
  8	
  9	
  10	
  11	
  12	
  13	
  14	
  15	
  16	
  17	
  18	
  19	
  20	
  16th	
  1:5	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  17th	
  1:7	
  1:4	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  –	
  18th	
  1:7	
  1:5	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  –	
  19th	
  1:8	
  1:5	
  1:3	
  1:2	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  6:1	
  –	
  20th	
  1:9	
  1:6	
  1:4	
  1:2	
  1:2	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  1:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  2:1	
  3:1	
  3:1	
  4:1	
  4:1	
  5:1	
  5:1	
  6:1	
  
  ©2016	Wizards	of	the	Coast	LLC	
  3	
  	 Let’s	say	you	have	a	party	of	four	3rd-level	
  characters.	Using	the	table,	you	can	see	that	one	CR	
  2	foe	is	a	good	match	for	the	entire	party,	but	that	
  the	characters	will	likely	have	a	hard	time	
  handling	a	CR	3	creature.		
  	 Using	the	same	guidelines,	you	can	mix	and	
  match	challenge	ratings	to	put	together	a	group	of	
  creatures	worth	four	3rd-level	characters.	For	
  example,	you	could	select	one	CR	1	creature.	That’s	
  worth	two	3rd-level	characters,	leaving	you	with	
  two	characters’	worth	of	monsters	to	allocate.	You	
  could	then	add	two	CR	1/4	monsters	to	account	
  for	one	other	character,	and	one	CR	1/2	monster	
  to	account	for	the	final	character.	In	total,	your	
  encounter	has	one	CR	1,	one	CR	1/2,	and	two	CR	
  1/4	creatures.	
  	 For	groups	with	a	variety	of	levels,	you	have	two	
  options.	You	can	group	all	characters	of	the	same	
  level	together,	match	them	with	monsters,	and	
  then	combine	all	the	creatures	into	one	encounter.	
  Alternatively,	you	can	determine	the	group’s	
  average	level	and	treat	each	character	as	being	
  that	level.	
  	 The	above	guidelines	are	designed	to	create	a	
  fight	that	will	challenge	a	party,	but	which	is	still	
  winnable.	If	you	want	to	create	an	encounter	that	
  will	challenge	characters	with	little	threat	of	defeat,	
  you	can	treat	the	party	as	if	it	had	roughly	two-
  thirds	of	its	members.	For	example,	a	party	of	five	
  characters	would	have	an	easy	time	of	an	
  encounter	designed	for	three	characters.	Likewise,	
  you	can	treat	the	party	as	up	to	fifty	percent	larger	
  to	build	battles	that	are	potentially	deadly,	though	
  still	not	likely	to	yield	an	automatic	defeat.	A	party	
  of	four	characters	facing	an	encounter	designed	for	
  six	characters	would	fall	into	this	category.	
  	 Weak	Monsters	and	High-Level	Characters.	To	
  save	space	on	the	tables	and	keep	them	simple,	
  some	of	the	lower	challenge	ratings	are	missing	
  from	the	higher-level	tables.	For	low	challenge	
  ratings	not	appearing	on	the	table,	assume	a	1:12	
  ratio,	indicating	that	twelve	creatures	of	those	
  challenge	ratings	are	worth	one	character	of	a	
  specific	level.	
  Step	4:	Select	Monsters	
  Having	used	the	tables	above	to	determine	the	
  challenge	ratings	of	the	monsters	in	your	
  encounter,	you’re	ready	to	pick	individual	
  monsters.	However,	this	process	is	more	of	an	art	
  than	a	science.		
  	 In	addition	to	assessing	monsters	by	challenge	
  rating,	it’s	important	to	look	at	how	specific	
  monsters	might	stack	up	against	your	group.	Hit	
  points,	attacks,	and	saving	throws	are	all	useful	
  indicators.	Compare	the	damage	a	monster	can	
  deal	to	the	hit	point	maximum	of	each	character.	
  Be	wary	of	any	monster	capable	of	dropping	a	
  character	with	a	single	attack,	unless	you	intend	
  the	fight	to	be	deadly.		
  	 In	the	same	way,	consider	the	monsters’	hit	
  points	as	compared	to	the	damage	output	of	the	
  party’s	strongest	combatants	and	spellcasters.	
  Having	a	significant	number	of	foes	drop	in	the	
  first	rounds	of	combat	can	make	an	encounter	too	
  easy.	Likewise,	look	at	whether	a	monster’s	best	
  attacks	are	made	against	saving	throws	that	most	
  of	the	party	members	are	weak	with,	and	compare	
  the	characters’	attacks	to	the	monsters’	saving	
  throws	in	the	same	way.		
  	 If	the	only	creatures	you	can	choose	from	at	the	
  desired	challenge	rating	aren’t	a	good	match	for	
  the	characters’	statistics,	don’t	be	afraid	to	go	back	
  to	step	3.	By	altering	your	challenge	rating	targets	
  and	adjusting	the	number	of	creatures	in	the	
  encounter,	you	can	come	up	with	different	options	
  for	building	the	encounter.	
  Step	5:	Add	Complications	
  While	many	D&D	groups	are	content	to	look	at	
  encounters	simply	in	terms	of	combat,	the	reality	
  is	that	any	situation	offers	the	potential	for	
  problem	solving	and	roleplaying.	The	fun	of	D&D	is	
  that	you	never	know	what	the	players	might	try	
  next.	If	you	account	for	the	chance	that	the	
  characters	might	try	to	talk	to	the	monsters,	you’re	
  setting	yourself	up	for	a	more	interesting	game.	
  Monster	Personality	
  If	you	have	the	time,	create	names	and	
  personalities	for	a	few	of	the	monsters	involved	in	
  the	encounter.	You	can	use	the	tables	from	chapter	
  4,	“Creating	Nonplayer	Characters,”	of	the	Dungeon	
  Master’s	Guide,	use	the	quick	table	below,	or	
  simply	jot	down	a	few	points	of	your	own	based	on	
  a	creature’s	Monster	Manual	write-up.	During	the	
  battle,	you	can	use	these	ideas	to	inform	how	you	
  portray	individual	monsters	and	their	actions.	To	
  
  ©2016	Wizards	of	the	Coast	LLC	
  4	
  keep	things	simple,	you	can	also	assign	traits	to	a	
  group	of	monsters	to	capture	how	the	mob	as	a	
  whole	acts.	For	example,	one	bandit	gang	might	be	
  an	unruly	mob	of	braggarts,	while	another	is	
  always	on	edge	and	ready	to	break	at	the	first	sign	
  of	danger.		
  Monster	Personality	
  d8	
  Trait	
  1	
  Cowardly;	looking	to	surrender	
  2	
  Greedy;	wants	treasure	
  3	
  Braggart;	makes	a	show	of	bravery	but	runs	if	in	
  danger	
  4	
  Fanatic;	ready	to	die	fighting	
  5	
  Rabble;	poorly	trained	and	easily	rattled	
  6	
  Brave;	stands	its	ground	
  7	
  Joker;	taunts	enemies	
  8	
  Bully;	refuses	to	think	it	can	lose	
  	
  Monster	Relationships	
  Are	there	rivalries,	hatreds,	or	friendships	among	
  the	monsters	in	an	encounter?	Even	if	the	
  characters	don’t	try	to	talk	to	their	foes,	you	can	
  use	such	relationships	to	inform	the	monsters’	
  actions	and	reactions	during	combat.	The	death	of	
  a	much-revered	leader	might	throw	its	followers	
  into	a	frenzy.	A	bitter	rival	could	slink	away	as	
  soon	as	its	enemy	falls,	or	a	mistreated	toady	
  might	be	eager	to	surrender	and	betray	its	master.	
  Monster	Relationship	
  d6	
  Trait	
  1	
  Rival;	wants	one	random	ally	to	suffer	
  2	
  Abused;	hangs	back,	betrays	at	first	chance	
  3	
  Worshipped;	others	will	die	for	it	
  4	
  Outcast;	others	ignore	it	
  5	
  Mercenary;	cares	only	for	self	
  6	
  Bully;	allies	want	to	see	it	defeated	
  	
  Terrain	and	Traps	
  A	few	elements	that	make	the	battlefield	
  interesting	can	go	a	long	way	toward	making	an	
  encounter	more	memorable.	As	a	good	rule	of	
  thumb,	try	to	set	up	the	area	of	the	battle	so	that	it	
  would	be	challenging	even	without	a	fight	taking	
  place	there.	What	things	might	draw	the	
  characters’	attention?	Why	are	monsters	lurking	
  here?	Interesting	area	features	can	help	prompt	
  improvisation	and	keep	things	fresh.	
  	 To	add	details	to	an	encounter	area	at	random,	
  look	to	the	tables	in	appendix	A,	“Random	
  Dungeons,”	of	the	Dungeon	Master’s	Guide	to	
  determine	room	and	area	features,	potential	
  hazards,	obstacles,	traps,	and	more.	
  Random	Events	
  Consider	what	might	happen	in	an	encounter	area	
  if	the	characters	were	to	never	enter	it.	Do	the	
  guards	rotate	in	shifts?	What	other	characters	or	
  monsters	might	visit?	Do	creatures	gather	there	to	
  eat	or	gossip?	Are	there	any	natural	phenomena	
  such	as	strong	winds,	earth	tremors,	or	rain	
  squalls	that	sometimes	take	place	in	the	area?	
  Random	events	are	fun	because	they	add	an	
  element	of	the	unexpected	to	an	encounter.	Just	
  when	you	think	a	fight’s	outcome	is	clear,	an	
  unexpected	event	can	make	things	more	
  interesting.	
  	 A	number	of	the	tables	in	the	Dungeon	Master’s	
  Guide	can	suggest	random	events	to	be	added	to	a	
  location,	depending	on	the	nature	of	the	encounter	
  setup.	The	tables	used	for	encounter	location,	
  weird	locales,	and	wilderness	weather	in	chapter	5,	
  “Adventure	Environments,”	of	the	Dungeon	
  Master’s	Guide	are	a	good	starting	point	for	
  outdoor	encounters.	The	tables	in	appendix	A,	
  “Random	Dungeons,”	can	be	useful	for	indoor	and	
  outdoor	encounters—especially	the	tables	for	
  obstacles,	traps,	and	tricks.	
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Unearthed Arcana/UA19 - Encounter Building.pdf