dave2008
Legend
5e Monsters by Level (not CR)
I loved that 4e (and now PF2e) had monsters by level and not CR. It made things conceptually clear: 1 standard monster = 1 PC at the same level. I have often thought about doing something like this for 5e, so today is the day I give it a go!Project Goals
- Redefine monsters based on PC level, no more CR.
- Bring back monster breadth via 4e style monster roles: Solo, Elite, Standard, Grunt, Minion
- Make encounter building easier
Project Assumptions
- A monster of equal level to a PC is a challenge for that single PC. Roughly 1 Monster = 1 PC.
- A combat between a PC and Monster of the same level is a 50/50 chance of success/defeat.
EDIT: see spoiler below for original OP.
What is a Challenge
For this concept to work, I need an easy / simple definition of what constitutes a challenge. To me, a challenge is encounter where there is reasonable chance of failure. That is not the case in any of the levels of difficulty described in the DMG. Therefore, I am developing a new metric to use for this exercise.I have decided to base a monster's challenge on the Monster's XP verses a single PCs Adventuring Day XP (AD XP) in the DMG. My first thought was to base the monster's XP on the full AD XP. However, I don't trully want a challenge to be 50/50. It should be difficult, IMO, but generaly winnable. The DM can always have more or higher level monster's to make things tougher. So I have currently decided a monster of equal level to a PC has an XP value of 50% of the PC's AD XP.
| Level | Adjusted XP per Day per Character |
|---|---|
| 1st | 300 |
| 2nd | 600 |
| 3rd | 1,200 |
| 4th | 1,700 |
| 5th | 3,500 |
| 6th | 4,000 |
| 7th | 5,000 |
| 8th | 6,000 |
| 9th | 7,500 |
| 10th | 9,000 |
| 11th | 10,500 |
| 12th | 11,500 |
| 13th | 13,500 |
| 14th | 15,000 |
| 15th | 18,000 |
| 16th | 20,000 |
| 17th | 25,000 |
| 18th | 27,000 |
| 19th | 30,000 |
| 20th | 40,000 |
Based on this definition of a challenge, a monster should fall within the following exp values per level| PC Level | Standard Monster Expected XP |
|---|---|
| 1 | 150 |
| 2 | 300 |
| 3 | 600 |
| 4 | 850 |
| 5 | 1,750 |
| 6 | 2,000 |
| 7 | 2,500 |
| 8 | 3,000 |
| 9 | 3,750 |
| 10 | 4,500 |
| 11 | 5,250 |
| 12 | 5,750 |
| 13 | 6,750 |
| 14 | 7,500 |
| 15 | 9,000 |
| 16 | 10,000 |
| 17 | 12,500 |
| 18 | 13,500 |
| 19 | 15,000 |
| 20 | 20,000 |
What's this about Monster Roles?
More to come.Examples
Ok, let's look at a few examples using the table above. Remember this is a monster equivalent to 1 PC at the given level:| Level | Monster | Expected XP | Actual XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orc (CR 1) | 150 | 100 |
| 5 | Ettin (CR 4) | 1,750 | 1,100 |
| 10 | Frost Giant (CR 8) | 4,500 | 3,900 |
| 15 | Arcanaloth (CR 12) | 9,000 | 8,400 |
| 20 | Death Knight (CR 17) | 20,000 | 18,000 |
Issues
Immediately I am seeing some issues with my idea. Clearly the 5e design monster design was not intended for this type of balance. I am also seeing that monsters are very dangerous at lower level and less so at higher levels. I will have to think about this more, but it may not be possible to convert existing monsters. I may need to make them from scratch. Also, think the metrics of a "challenge" may need to be revised.Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts.
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