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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 8182856" data-attributes="member: 20323">Actually, the specific monster matters immensely.Disclaimer: I have only run a handful of dragons (and a dracolich) in straight up combat in 5e, but I've played in a dragon-slaying series my friend DMed. And I've used dragons thematically and in roleplaying encounters (even an exploration encounter inside a dead dracolich) a whole lot.One guideline I use as the "you must be this tall to safely enjoy the ride" bar... as my personal litmus test for whether a monster I'm thinking of using might be too powerful... is I look at the monsters damage output in a single turn (both single-target & area effect), and compare that to the average HP of the PCs.If multi-target damage in one turn can reduce entire party of fresh PCs to 0 HP, that's a red flag.Similarly, if single-target damage in one turn can reduce a fresh PC to dead (not dying, but dead), that's also a red flag.So 11th PCs might have an average of 8+(10*5)+(11*1) hit points = 69 HP when fresh. That's a rough number to keep in mind.An <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/adult-red-dragon" target="_blank">adult red dragon</a> can breathe a 60-foot cone (conceivable getting the entire party) that deals 63 average damage on a failed save. It could almost, but not quite reduce the entire fresh part to 0 hit points in one turn.However, if its breath weapon was a little closer to the average party HP (e.g. if you'd said a 10th level party, with average 63 HP), then I'd flag the monster as very possibly too powerful in an equal fight.The adult red dragon's single-target damage in one turn is 26 bite + 15 claw + 15 claw = 56 damage. Probably not going to outright kill a fresh 11th level PC. Checks out.An androsphinx isn't putting out the same kind of damage as a red dragon; instead its threat comes from more control abilities, game-changing banishment, superior mobility with freedom of movement & teleportation, and some seriously wild Lair Actions.The androsphinx's flame strike is probably catching 2 PCs with its 10-foot radius, so 2*(8*3.5) = 56 damage. Less than the red dragon, and its not catching the whole party.Whereas the androphinx's single-target damage, at 2*17 = 34 damage, is much lower than the dragon's.As a closing thought, I'd encourage you to think holistically about your encounters in a way that goes deeper than comparing CR to level/number of PCs. For example, if the party relies on spells for magical flight to face flying monsters on more equal footing, then the red dragon is at a disadvantage, while the androsphinx (with dispel magic up its paw) suffers no disadvantage and might even turn the tables on the PCs with a nasty fall in store. That kind of thinking will be much more valuable to you than the CR system, at least, in my humble opinion.</blockquote>

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