Encounter XP Budget Test Plan

The following is my standardized encounter building playtest gauntlet. The test consists of running 3 encounters at each difficulty level at the end of each tier and at 1st level. The party consists of a variant human fighter (champion) soldier, a lightfoot halfling rogue (thief) criminal, a hill dwarf cleric (life domain) acolyte, and a high elf wizard (evocation school) sage. The battles will take place in a 100ftx100ftx100ft stone room filled with bright magical light, with no exits, furniture, or distinguishing features. The standard party of 4. I will record how many rounds the battle took, how much damage the party absorbed, how many PCs dropped to 0 and who and when, and whether a PC died in a combat.

L = Level

EE = Easy Encounter
ME = Medium Encounter
HE = Hard Encounter
DE = Deadly Encounter

A = First encounter in difficulty
B = Second encounter in difficulty
C = Third encounter in difficulty

L1

EE

A:

Frog *1
Monodrone *1
Slaad Tadpole *1

B:

Cat *2
Lemure *1
Mule *1

C:

Crawling Claw *8

ME

A:

Kobold *1
Mastiff *2
Swarm of Bats *1

B:

Grimlock *1
Kobold *1
Noble *1

C:

Cultist *1
Tribal Warrior *1
Violet Fungus *1

HE

A:

Flying Sword *1
Pseudodragon *1
Skeleton *1

B:

Kenku *2
Mastiff *2

C:

Bandit *2
Rust Monster *1

DE

A:

Giant Bat *1
Rust Monster *1
Twig Blight *2

B:

Sea Hag *1

C:

Ochre Jelly *1

L4

EE

A:

Boar *2
Dust Mephit *1
Lizardfolk *1

B:

Goblin *4
Wolf *2

C:

Monodrone *8

ME

A:

Dryad *2
Hobgoblin *2

B:

Cockatrice *2
Thre-Kreen *2

C:

Giant Eagle *1
Hippogriff *1
Swarm of Quippers *1

HE

A:

Ghoul *2
Griffon *1

B:

Xorn *1

C:

Animated Armor *2
Quadrone *1
Warhorse Skeleton *3

DE

A:

Faerie Dragon (Blue) *1
Giant Toad *1
Orog *1

B:

Mammoth *1

C:

Green Dragon Wyrmling *1
Magmin *3
Swarm of Quippers *2

L10

EE

A:

Giant Hyena *2
Specter *1

B:

Dire Wolf *3
Poltergeist *1
Thri-Kreen *2

C:

Giant Wasp *4
Polar Bear *2

ME

A:

Killer Whale *2
Wight *2

B:

Gray Slaad *1

C:

Elephant *1
Giant Scorpion *2

HE

A:

Gnoll Fang oif Yeenoghu *1
Hill Giant *1
Lamia *1

B:

Archmage *1

C:

Rhinoceros *8

DE

A:

Adult Bronze Dragon

B:

Vampire Warrior

C:

Winter Wolf *8

L16

EE

A:

Githzerai Monk *5
Mezzoloth *1

B:

Blue Dragon Wyrmling
Ogre *4

C:

Bone Naga *1
Ettin *1
Succubus/Incubus *1

ME

A:

Earth Elemental *2
Hill Giant *2

B:

Knight *4
Otyugh *2

C:

Githyanki Warrior *8

HE

A:

Sea Hag (Coven) *8

B:

Cloud Giant *1
Mind Flayer *2

C:

Githzerai Zerth *2
Yuan-Ti Abomination *2

DE

A:

Chain Devil *2
Erinyes *1

B:

Triceratops *8

C:

Archmage *1
Cambion *5

L20

EE

A:

Air Elemental *2
Giant Ape *1

B:

Beholder Zombie *1
Cyclops *1
Shadow Demon *2

C:

Mammoth *1
Otyugh *1
Wyvern *1

ME

A:

Drow Priestess of Lolth *1
Mammoth *2
Succubus/Incubus *3

B:

Blue Slaad *2
Young Copper Dragon *2

C:

Giant Ape *2
Young Red Dragon *1

HE

A:

Medusa *3
Stone Golem *1
Young Copper Dragon *2

B:

Rakshasa *1
Wraith *5

C:

Lich (In Lair) *1

DE

A:

Young Black Dragon *8

B:

Death Tyrant (In Lair) *1
Stone Giant *5

C:

Arcanaloth *1
Vampire *2