Page 1 of 2
Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:16 am
by Maecius
Valefort compiled the following list of area maps
by CR for QC, and we decided we'd post it for general public use and awareness as well.
It is an incomplete list at present. Right now it only contains surface
areas, though we may update it for Underdark
areas at some point if possible.
Note that the CRs are based on the idea that you'll be taking the map on with a party. If you're going in solo, it's been suggested you add 2-3 levels to the area's challenge rating.
Valefort wrote:[The] stated CR [of some areas] is quite wildly different from the real difficulty. [Here] is a list of the CR on a bunch of surface areas, sorted by CR (I don't know anything about Underdark so I skipped it).
Soubar well : CR 0.5
East Chionthar : CR 1
BG, graveyard : CR 1.5
BG, graveyard cave : CR 2
Soubar ruins : CR 2
Kobolds : CR 2
Bladelings : CR 2.5
BG, east gate sewers : CR 2.5
Trade Way, south of BG : CR 2.5
Soubar, Bane temple : CR 2.5
Boareskyr Bridge bears : CR 3
Gibberling : CR 3
East Chionthar ruins : CR 3
BG, palace's district sewers : CR 4
East cloakwood : CR 4
Boareskyr : CR 4
Lion's way : CR 5-6
Ant burrow : CR 6
North of Beregost, goblins : CR 6
Cloakwood mine, level 1-2-3 : CR 6
Ulgoth's island : CR 6
Goblin mine : CR 7
Thundar's Ride : CR 7
Bridgefort : CR 7
BG, sewer bowels : CR 8
High Hedge : CR 8
Sharp Teeth : CR 8
Lion's way gnolls : CR 8
Cloakwood central : CR 8
Dragonspear exterior and castle : CR 9
Minotaurs : CR 10
BG, Undercity : CR 10
Hags : CR 12
North-west Cloakwood : CR 12
Chionthar, west : CR 12
Uldoon's trail : CR 13
Haunted house, level 1 : CR 13
Skuldaask's cave : CR 13
Haunted house, level 2 : CR 14
High Moor south : CR 14
Ulgoth's pirate : CR 14
Xvarts : CR 14
Fields of the dead : CR 14 on average
Elder Ogre stronghold : CR 15
Misty forest : CR 15
Gullykin crypt : CR 15
South of Beregost : CR 15
Fields of the dead, crypt : CR 15-16
Ulcaster : CR 16 (yes 16)
Ogre cave : CR 16
Corm Orp : CR 16
Durlag's exterior : CR 16
Durlag's tower : CR 16
Nashkel foothills : CR 16
Nashkel's mine exterior : CR 16-17
Troll Claws : CR 18 on average
Durlag's labyrinth 1-2 : CR 19
Nashkel's mine : CR 19
Cloud peaks : CR 19
Troll cave : CR 20
Yuan-ti hills : CR 20
Searing tunnels and searing caverns : CR 21
Haunted house, level 3 : CR 21
Ice cave : CR 22
Durlag's labyrinth 3 : CR 22
Spirit troll cave : CR 23
Wyrm's cave : CR 23
Yuan-ti temple : CR 23
Reaching woods : CR 23
Lizard cave : CR 23
Stone giants : CR 24
Vault, level 1 : CR 24
Forest of Wyrms : CR 24
Vault, level 2 : CR 25
Frost giants : CR 27
Graypeaks : CR 27
Speartop : CR 28
Vault, level 3 : CR 29
Netherese maze : CR 29
Distribution :
Level 0-5 areas : 16
Level 5-10 areas : 16
Level 10-15 areas : 15
Level 15-20 areas : 14
Level 20-25 areas : 13
Level 25-30 areas : 5
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:02 am
by PaulImposteur
Awesome list. I don't play enough to know most of these areas, but knowing there's more to explore at my low level is exciting.
Thank you for making this public!
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:18 am
by LISA100595
Thanks to Valefort for making this list up!!
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 12:15 pm
by Glowfire
That's very interesting... I don't think the low levels need that many maps as one would breeze through them so quickly, really.
Level 25-30 areas : 5
That's pretty sad.
Hoping someone will compose a list for the Underdark. It can be very difficult for newer UD players to know where to go.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 12:19 pm
by chad878262
I would tend to agree. I think many of the areas were introduced as a way to segregate "good" PC area's from "evil" PC area's at the early levels. Still IMO we could stand to lose 3 0-5 CR area's and 2 5-10 CR area's to create 5 26-30 area's which would even the distribution out a bit.
EDIT: I would really love to see a couple more area's that require a party of 3 Epic Character's, or at least are very difficult to solo. Netherese Maze / Speartop White Dragon type of difficulty.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 4:36 pm
by Rinzler
Glowfire wrote:That's very interesting... I don't think the low levels need that many maps as one would breeze through them so quickly, really.
Level 25-30 areas : 5
That's pretty sad.
It's still better than the Underdark which has
maybe two.
Hoping someone will compose a list for the Underdark. It can be very difficult for newer UD players to know where to go.
You're right, it's hard for newer UD players to know what to do but it's not hard to make a list. There's about 10 options from 1-30.
Sewer
Beetles
Kobold
Spore
Goblin
Goblin Deeper
Basilisk
Myconid Circles
Kros
Duergar Compound
Oghranns / Driders
Edit:: Almost half of which is Upperdark.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 4:48 pm
by Glowfire
There's more maps than that Rinzler. I also believe that Durlag's Tower is legit for UDers, except you need to be an epic character to get through the spawns on the way there (driders, searing caverns - I think those were connected on that route) so it's sorta easier to Teleport to the surface and head in the easy way. Ogre caves are also legit.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:58 pm
by Steve
I have to say, since the
CR system update, these
Areas by CR seem to be way, way off.
Or...is the idea that these
CR ratings are for Party of 5? I traveled around, and with a Level 19 PC, I was only able to be in an Area solo if it was
5–6 CR below my PCs Level. And, my toon has pretty good gear. And at 6
CR below my Level, I was getting 49 XP per kill!!! Woot woot!
Don't get me wrong, I'm fully diggin' the new system. But if Player's want an OOC idea of where to go to not DIE IMMEDIATELY, then maybe give a bigger warning up top like. Cheers.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:20 pm
by chad878262
Well cr rating in d&d is based on a party of 4-6... also cr 17 can become cr19 when you're solo...cr 14 becomes 16 which should be about right for a solo level 19 pc.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:17 pm
by NeOmega
PaulImposteur wrote:Awesome list. I don't play enough to know most of these areas, but knowing there's more to explore at my low level is exciting.
Thank you for making this public!
the highest ive ever been to is the haunted house level 3. The highest ive ever solo'd is fields of the dead.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 4:20 pm
by aaron22
could someone put together something like this for the UD. it is really hard for me to navigate and the CR flow seems weird.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 4:52 pm
by wurdpass
Since this is getting some discussion Ill admit that as a noob I wish I knew that
CR was intended for groups of 3 or 4. I assumed it was simply "what level can you solo". It aint.
As someone else noted, for a solo mission you need to take (at least) 5 off
CR in my experience. And even then you can get caught slipping
by 2+ casters tossing nukes
Took me far too long to figure this out
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 5:18 pm
by mrm3ntalist
wurdpass wrote:Since this is getting some discussion Ill admit that as a noob I wish I knew that
CR was intended for groups of 3 or 4. I assumed it was simply "what level can you solo". It aint.
As someone else noted, for a solo mission you need to take (at least) 5 off
CR in my experience. And even then you can get caught slipping
by 2+ casters tossing nukes
Took me far too long to figure this out
Unfortunately, an area being crX for one character cannot be the same for another different character. it is not just the mechanical power of the character but the different abilities they have. That is why it is easier and more appropriate to give an area a
CR based on a balanced party ie a rogue, a melee and a caster.
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 5:40 pm
by wurdpass
mrm3ntalist wrote:wurdpass wrote:Since this is getting some discussion Ill admit that as a noob I wish I knew that
CR was intended for groups of 3 or 4. I assumed it was simply "what level can you solo". It aint.
As someone else noted, for a solo mission you need to take (at least) 5 off
CR in my experience. And even then you can get caught slipping
by 2+ casters tossing nukes
Took me far too long to figure this out
Unfortunately, an area being crX for one character cannot be the same for another different character. it is not just the mechanical power of the character but the different abilities they have. That is why it is easier and more appropriate to give an area a
CR based on a balanced party ie a rogue, a melee and a caster.
Thanks for the explanation. I think all I meant is that for me, maybe I wouldve died less if there was a sign in the Nexus that explained that
CR does not equal "at what level you could solo"
Then again that might just be me. As I like to tell people I party up with in game - my poor toon is cursed with a very stupid player
Re: Areas By Challenge Rating (CR)
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 5:58 pm
by Akroma666
This is very useful, can we by chance get a split of surface and underdark? Would love to know where to go now that I'm underground.