Skip to content
Kordu Tools

Encounter Calculator

Build and balance D&D 5e encounters instantly. Set your party size and level, add monsters by CR, and see real-time difficulty ratings with adjusted XP using official DMG encounter multipliers.

Difficultytrivial
EasyMedHardDeadly
Raw XP
0
Adjusted XP
0
XP per Player
0
Monsters
0
Easy1,000
Medium2,000
Hard3,000
Deadly4,400

How to use

  1. 1

    Set your party size and level

    Enter the number of players (1–10) and their level (1–20). Use same-level mode for a uniform party or toggle individual levels if players are at different tiers.

  2. 2

    Add monsters to the encounter

    Select a challenge rating from CR 0 to CR 30 and set the quantity, then click Add Monster. Repeat for each different creature type in the encounter.

  3. 3

    Read the difficulty rating

    The results panel instantly shows the encounter's total XP, adjusted XP after the monster-count multiplier, and a color-coded difficulty rating: Easy, Medium, Hard, or Deadly.

  4. 4

    Fine-tune the encounter

    Adjust monster quantities or remove creatures until the difficulty bar lands where you want it. The XP-per-player value tells you exactly how much experience to award after the fight.

Frequently asked questions

How does the encounter multiplier work in D&D 5e?
The DMG applies a multiplier to total monster XP based on how many monsters are in the fight. One monster uses a ×1 multiplier, two use ×1.5, three to six use ×2, and so on up to ×4 for fifteen or more monsters. This reflects the fact that more enemies are disproportionately harder due to action economy.
What is the difference between raw XP and adjusted XP?
Raw XP is the simple sum of each monster's individual XP value. Adjusted XP multiplies that total by the encounter multiplier based on monster count. The adjusted value is used to determine encounter difficulty, but players are awarded the raw XP divided among the party.
How are the Easy, Medium, Hard, and Deadly thresholds calculated?
Each player level has four XP thresholds defined in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The party thresholds are the sum of each player's individual thresholds. If the adjusted XP exceeds the Deadly threshold, the encounter is rated Deadly, and so on down to Easy.
Does this work for parties with mixed player levels?
Yes. Toggle to individual level mode and enter each player's level separately. The calculator sums the per-player thresholds for every level in the party to produce accurate difficulty ratings for mixed-level groups.
Is this calculator accurate for 5th Edition?
All XP-by-CR values, per-level thresholds, and encounter multipliers come directly from the D&D 5e Dungeon Master's Guide. The calculator uses the same math the DMG describes in Chapter 3 — it just does it instantly.
Can I use this as a Kobold Fight Club alternative?
Absolutely. This tool covers the core encounter-building workflow — party setup, monster CR selection, difficulty rating, and XP calculation — with no sign-up, no ads blocking the UI, and instant results right in your browser.

Plan perfectly balanced combat encounters for Dungeons & Dragons 5th

Edition in seconds. Enter your party size and player levels, then add

monsters by challenge rating to see the encounter difficulty update in

real time. The calculator uses the official Dungeon Master's Guide XP

thresholds and encounter multipliers to rate every combination as Easy,

Medium, Hard, or Deadly with a color-coded difficulty bar. Toggle

between same-level and individual-level party modes when your players

are at different tiers. Add multiple monster groups at different CRs to

build complex encounters with mixed creature types. The results panel

shows raw monster XP, adjusted XP after the encounter multiplier, per-

player XP for awarding experience, and exactly where the encounter

falls relative to each difficulty threshold. All data comes straight

from the 5e DMG — all 20 player levels and CRs 0 through 30 are

supported. Everything runs in your browser with zero latency, no

sign-up required, and no data sent to any server. A fast, free

alternative to Kobold Fight Club for DMs who need quick encounter math.

Related tools