In Dungeons & Dragons 5e, each character level has a set of experience‑point (XP) thresholds that define what the game calls an Easy, Medium, Hard, or Deadly encounter. These thresholds are calculated per character, then multiplied by the number of party members to obtain the total XP budget for the encounter.
Challenge Rating (CR) is a shorthand that describes a monster’s overall power. The CR table maps each CR to a fixed amount of XP, allowing designers to quickly sum the XP of multiple monsters and compare it against the party’s thresholds.
By entering the party’s average level, its size, and either the total encounter XP or the CR of the monsters, the calculator determines the difficulty category using a simple comparison against the summed thresholds.
How do I calculate the XP budget for an encounter?
What is Challenge Rating (CR) in D&D?
How do I determine the difficulty level of an encounter?
What are the XP thresholds for a level 5 character?
How does party size affect encounter difficulty?
Can I use this calculator for non-D&D games?
What if my party has characters of different levels?
Results are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional advice.