Running DOIP module, and I'd like to give some of the NPCs more flavor than just "veteran" stats. Is there a set way to translate CR (challenge rating) to Character Level? I'd like to create them through dndbeyond, so they could have possible feats to make it more challenging IF my crew decides to/or causes a fight with them.
My instinct is that a veteran with its stats might be around a level 5 character, but not sure.
Well think of it this way... CR 1 is a match for a party of 4 level 1s (in theory). CR 1/4 would then be a match for one level 1 character. Thus a level 1 character is CR 1/4. It takes 2 notches above 1/4 to get to CR 1 (CR 1/2 is one notch up, CR 1 is 2 notches up). 1 + 2 = 3, so I would say a level 3 is about CR 1. This means character level is about 2 notches above the CR. So a CR 3 character would be level 5, etc.
This is not a perfect way to do it and as you get into upper levels it will skew way off but below level 6 or so it kind-of works.
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hmmmm just thought of something else, would you go by the number of hit dice for the level? oh that won't work. a veteran is 9d8, their attacks seem kind of week for level 9? not sure.
Well think of it this way... CR 1 is a match for a party of 4 level 1s (in theory).
CR 1 is a medium fight for 4 level 1s. A coinflip fight is several times that budget. A reasonably optimized PC is typically a CR of around half its level, though very offensively tilted unless something like a barbarian.
For fun I regularly calculate what my party's CR would be if they were npc's. The Battlemaster fighter in my group had 3 CR at level 6, the same as a veteran.
A veteran has an offensive CR of 3 and a defensive CR of 2. My battlemaster had an offensive CR of 5 and a defensive CR of 1. NPC statblocks will often have increased hitpoints, but deal less damage than characters, allowing them to be more tanky.
Fun fact: The Warlock of the Fiend has 17 levels of warlock but only has 12 hit dice.
hmmmm just thought of something else, would you go by the number of hit dice for the level? oh that won't work. a veteran is 9d8, their attacks seem kind of week for level 9? not sure.
The game balances some of the lopsided action economy by buffing the Hitpoints of monsters somewhat. I wouldn't use that as the point of comparison.
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Running DOIP module, and I'd like to give some of the NPCs more flavor than just "veteran" stats. Is there a set way to translate CR (challenge rating) to Character Level? I'd like to create them through dndbeyond, so they could have possible feats to make it more challenging IF my crew decides to/or causes a fight with them.
My instinct is that a veteran with its stats might be around a level 5 character, but not sure.
Thanks for your help!
Well think of it this way... CR 1 is a match for a party of 4 level 1s (in theory). CR 1/4 would then be a match for one level 1 character. Thus a level 1 character is CR 1/4. It takes 2 notches above 1/4 to get to CR 1 (CR 1/2 is one notch up, CR 1 is 2 notches up). 1 + 2 = 3, so I would say a level 3 is about CR 1. This means character level is about 2 notches above the CR. So a CR 3 character would be level 5, etc.
This is not a perfect way to do it and as you get into upper levels it will skew way off but below level 6 or so it kind-of works.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
hmmmm just thought of something else, would you go by the number of hit dice for the level? oh that won't work. a veteran is 9d8, their attacks seem kind of week for level 9? not sure.
CR 1 is a medium fight for 4 level 1s. A coinflip fight is several times that budget. A reasonably optimized PC is typically a CR of around half its level, though very offensively tilted unless something like a barbarian.
For fun I regularly calculate what my party's CR would be if they were npc's. The Battlemaster fighter in my group had 3 CR at level 6, the same as a veteran.
A veteran has an offensive CR of 3 and a defensive CR of 2. My battlemaster had an offensive CR of 5 and a defensive CR of 1. NPC statblocks will often have increased hitpoints, but deal less damage than characters, allowing them to be more tanky.
Fun fact: The Warlock of the Fiend has 17 levels of warlock but only has 12 hit dice.
The game balances some of the lopsided action economy by buffing the Hitpoints of monsters somewhat. I wouldn't use that as the point of comparison.