CR is equal to character level balanced for 4 players: CR 4 is for 4 level 4 players.
That said, you should always think about action in an encounter, whichever side does more things in one round has a distinct advantage which is why it's usually a good idea to throw in some smaller creatures as well or make the encounter up of a few creatures with a combined output of damage and health similar to one creature of matching CR. What level are your players and how many players do you have?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Make them and fudge the number of HP that the PC’s opponents have to make the encounters challenging without killing the party. And you’ll learn as you gain experience and you’ll fudge less and less.
I need some advice as a new DM who does mostly homebrew and has some trouble balancing things out.
CR is equal to character level balanced for 4 players: CR 4 is for 4 level 4 players.
That said, you should always think about action in an encounter, whichever side does more things in one round has a distinct advantage which is why it's usually a good idea to throw in some smaller creatures as well or make the encounter up of a few creatures with a combined output of damage and health similar to one creature of matching CR. What level are your players and how many players do you have?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Make them and fudge the number of HP that the PC’s opponents have to make the encounters challenging without killing the party. And you’ll learn as you gain experience and you’ll fudge less and less.
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