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Encounter Building — Detailed XP Tables
Encounter XP tables: creature XP from 10 (PL-4) to 160 (PL+4). Budgets 40-160 for trivial-extreme. Elite/Weak adjustments (+/-2 stats, +/-10 XP). Hazards have separate XP values.
PF2e's encounter building uses XP budgets based on creature level relative to the party.
XP Budget by Difficulty (4 players):
| Difficulty | XP Budget | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Trivial | 40 or less | No real threat. Warm-up. |
| Low | 60 | Straightforward. Low resource cost. |
| Moderate | 80 | Standard challenge. Expected difficulty. |
| Severe | 120 | Genuinely dangerous. Real risk of death. |
| Extreme | 160 | Potentially lethal. Boss fight. |
Party Size Adjustment: For each player beyond 4, add the following per difficulty level:
| Difficulty | Per Extra Player |
|---|---|
| Trivial | +10 XP |
| Low | +15 XP |
| Moderate | +20 XP |
| Severe | +30 XP |
| Extreme | +40 XP |
Creature XP by Level Relative to Party:
| Creature Level vs Party | XP | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Party -4 | 10 | Lackey, trivial |
| Party -3 | 15 | Minion |
| Party -2 | 20 | Low threat |
| Party -1 | 30 | Standard underling |
| Party +0 | 40 | On-level threat |
| Party +1 | 60 | Strong threat |
| Party +2 | 80 | Boss material |
| Party +3 | 120 | Major boss |
| Party +4 | 160 | Extreme solo boss |
Elite and Weak Adjustments:
- Elite: +2 to all DCs, attack rolls, AC, saves, and skill modifiers. +2 HP per level. +10 XP. Makes a creature fight above its level.
- Weak: -2 to all the same stats. -2 HP per level. -10 XP. Makes a creature fight below its level.
- These adjustments let you fine-tune encounters without finding new creatures.
Hazard XP: Hazards (traps, environmental dangers) have XP values based on their level and complexity. Simple hazards are one-shot (half the XP of a creature). Complex hazards act each round and use full creature XP values.
Design Tips:
- Mixed encounters (boss + minions) are more dynamic than solo bosses
- Creatures 3+ levels above party are extremely dangerous due to PF2e's tight math
- Creatures 4+ levels below are negligible — even in hordes, they can barely hit
- Terrain and positioning matter enormously — a Moderate encounter in a narrow corridor is harder than in an open field