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⚖️ Dungeon Master's Guide 5e Combat Engine

5e NPC & Monster CR Combat Scaler

Need to quickly turn a humble CR 1/8 Bandit into a CR 7 Bandit Warlord, or tone down a deadly boss for a Level 2 party? Select any target Challenge Rating to compute accurate 5e math, HP formulas, attack actions, and export to Obsidian Markdown.

Select Target Challenge Rating (CR)CR 3 (700 XP)
Scaled Veteran Combatant
Medium Humanoid, Any Non-Good Alignment
Challenge
CR 3
700 XP
Armor Class:
14 (Scale Mail)
Hit Points:
67 (9d8 + 27)
Speed:
30 ft.
STR
16 (+3)
DEX
14 (+2)
CON
14 (+2)
INT
10 (+0)
WIS
12 (+1)
CHA
10 (+0)
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Saving Throws: Str +5, Con +4
Spell / Ability Save DC: DC 13
Senses: Passive Perception 11
Languages: Common, Goblin or Dwarvish
Actions
Multiattack. The creature makes two melee weapon attacks.
Primary Melee Attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage.
Heavy Ranged Attack. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Tactical Surge (Recharge 5–6). The creature rallies its allies or unleashes a devastating blow dealing an additional 10 damage and forcing a DC 13 Strength saving throw or knocked prone.
📐 5e DMG Math Breakdown
Defensive CR:CR 3 (HP ~67, AC 14)
Offensive CR:CR 3 (DPR ~15, +5 Hit)
Target Damage / Round:15-20 DPR
XP Encounter Budget:700 XP
Export Statblock
💡 DM Encounter Tuning:If fighting a solo boss, consider giving the creature Legendary Actions (1–2 per round) or minion guards to balance the action economy against 4 player characters.
5e Dungeon Master's Guide Math & Mechanics

Mastering 5e Challenge Rating (CR) & Action Economy Scaling

The 5th Edition Challenge Rating (CR) system calculates whether an encounter will challenge a 4-player party of a given level without causing an unintended Total Party Kill (TPK). A monster's final CR is the mathematical average of its Defensive CR (Hit Points + effective Armor Class) and its Offensive CR (Damage Per Round + attack bonus or save DC).

🛡️ Step 1: Defensive CR Calculation

Start with expected Hit Points. For every 2 points that actual AC deviates from baseline, adjust the defensive CR by +1 or -1:

  • • CR 1/4 - 1: 36 - 85 HP | Baseline AC 13
  • • CR 2 - 4: 86 - 130 HP | Baseline AC 13 - 14
  • • CR 5 - 8: 131 - 190 HP | Baseline AC 15 - 16
  • • CR 9 - 14: 191 - 280 HP | Baseline AC 16 - 18

⚔️ Step 2: Offensive CR & Damage Per Round (DPR)

Average the maximum potential damage over 3 rounds assuming all attacks hit and spells affect 2 targets:

  • • Multiattack: Add all strikes together (e.g. 2x Longsword = 2d8+6 = 15 DPR).
  • • AoE Spells: Treat Fireball as dealing double average damage across 3 rounds.
  • • Recharge Actions: Factor into round-1 burst damage estimates.