Pf2e Encounter Calculator

Reviewed by: Elias Vance, Master of Game Design (Pathfinder 2e Specialist).

Welcome to the definitive Pathfinder 2nd Edition (PF2e) Encounter Calculator. Use this tool to accurately determine the Difficulty Level of any encounter based on your party’s level and the monsters you include, ensuring balanced and challenging gameplay.

Party Level (PL):

Party Size (PS):

Monster Levels:

Monster 1 Level:

Monster 2 Level:

Calculated Total XP:

0 XP

Encounter Difficulty:

Trivial

PF2e Encounter Calculator Formula

The PF2e encounter system relies on calculating the total Experience Point (XP) value of all creatures, traps, and hazards in an encounter, then comparing this total to the party’s encounter budget, which is scaled by party size.


                1. Calculate Monster XP: XP_Monster = Lookup(Monster_Level - Party_Level)

                2. Calculate Total Encounter XP: Total_XP = SUM(XP_Monster_1, XP_Monster_2, ...)

                3. Determine Adjusted XP Thresholds (for party size 'PS'):
                   Threshold_Adjusted = Threshold_Base * (PS / 4)

                4. Determine Difficulty:
                   Difficulty = Map Total_XP to the closest Adjusted Threshold (Trivial, Low, Moderate, Severe, Extreme).

Formula Source: Archive of Nethys: Building Encounters

Variables

Party Level (PL): The average level of the Player Characters. This is the baseline for calculating the difference in level with the monsters.
Party Size (PS): The number of Player Characters. Standard adventures assume 4 PCs, so this variable adjusts the final XP thresholds.
Monster Level: The level of each individual enemy or hazard in the encounter.
Total XP: The sum of the XP values for all creatures, which determines the overall difficulty.

Related Calculators

What is the PF2e Encounter Calculator?

The Pathfinder Second Edition (PF2e) Encounter Calculator is an essential tool for Game Masters (GMs) aiming to create balanced and meaningful challenges. It uses the game’s core rule system, which defines difficulty based purely on the Experience Point (XP) cost of the enemies relative to the party’s level and size. This approach provides a predictable and scalable difficulty curve.

Unlike older editions, PF2e explicitly assigns a standard XP budget to five tiers of difficulty: Trivial, Low, Moderate, Severe, and Extreme. For example, a Moderate encounter is worth 80 XP for a standard four-person party. The calculator simply aggregates the XP value of all monsters and maps that total back to the corresponding difficulty tier, adjusting for parties larger or smaller than four.

How to Calculate a PF2e Encounter (Example)

Determine Party Stats: A party of 5 Player Characters (PS=5) at Level 3 (PL=3) wants to fight an Ogre Warrior (Level 4) and an Orc Brute (Level 2).
Calculate Level Differences:
- Ogre Warrior (Lvl 4): $4 – 3 = +1$ difference.
- Orc Brute (Lvl 2): $2 – 3 = -1$ difference.
Assign XP Values:
- A +1 enemy is worth 60 XP.
- A -1 enemy is worth 30 XP.
Calculate Total Encounter XP: $60 \text{ XP} + 30 \text{ XP} = 90 \text{ Total XP}$.
Determine Difficulty: The standard Moderate threshold is 80 XP, and Severe is 120 XP. Since the party size is 5, the thresholds are slightly increased, but 90 XP still falls firmly into the Moderate difficulty range, representing a reasonable challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the calculator accurate for all party sizes?

Yes. The calculator uses the official rules to scale the XP thresholds based on party size. For instance, a Severe encounter for a 6-person party requires 180 XP (120 XP * (6/4)), while a 2-person party only needs 60 XP (120 XP * (2/4)).

What is the difference between a Severe and an Extreme encounter?

A Severe encounter is dangerous; the PCs may suffer setbacks or spend significant resources. An Extreme encounter is a deadly challenge that risks a TPK (Total Party Kill). Extreme encounters are generally reserved for major villains or campaign climaxes.

Do Hazards and Traps count?

Yes, any creature, trap, or environmental hazard that has an XP value should be included in the calculator’s total XP calculation to accurately determine the encounter’s difficulty.

What if I input a monster Level 5 levels lower than the party?

An enemy that is 4 or more levels below the party is only worth 10 XP. The PF2e rules stop differentiating lower than PL-4, as those creatures pose minimal threat.

PF2e Encounter Calculator