How many CR 9 monsters are in the D&D 5e SRD?

There are 8 CR 9 creatures in the SRD. That is the free subset of the game's monsters, so the full Monster Manual contains more at this rating.

What level party can handle a CR 9 monster?

As a rough guide, a single monster is a fair fight for a party of four characters at roughly the same level as its challenge rating. That is a starting point rather than a rule — a creature's actions, mobility and control effects matter more than its rating, so read the stat block before you commit.

How much XP is a CR 9 monster worth?

Each creature's XP value is listed on its stat block. When you use several in one encounter, multiply the total by the encounter multiplier for the number of monsters before comparing it with the party's budget — numbers raise difficulty faster than the raw total suggests.

Monsters by challenge rating

CR 9 Monsters (D&D 5e)

There are 8 CR 9 creatures in the D&D 5e SRD. A CR 9 monster is a fair challenge for a party sized to that rating — use the XP with the encounter builder. Tap any name for its stat block.

Challenge rating:

8 results

What's on the CR 9 list

The 8 CR 9 creatures in the SRD are 2 fiends and 2 giants, with 4 more across other groups. They run 133 to 200 hit points and armour class 14 to 19. Challenge rating averages offence and defence together, so two creatures sharing a rating can play completely differently — check the armour class against the party's attack bonuses before assuming a fight will be quick, because a high-AC, low-HP creature frustrates a martial party while the reverse drags.

How to use these at the table

From CR 5 the party has subclass features, better spells and reliable healing, so encounters stop being about survival and start being about resource management. Creatures in this band work best as the centre of a fight with weaker support around them, rather than alone — a solo monster at this rating gets focused down in two rounds by a party with an action surge and a smite.

Where the maths bites

This is where legendary actions and multiattack start to matter more than raw hit points. A creature that acts once per round will lose to five characters no matter its CR, so if you want a solo threat, give it something to do on other people's turns. Watch out for save-or-suffer effects too: at this tier the party has enough saving throw bonuses that a single failed save rarely ends them, but a low-Wisdom character can still be removed from the fight entirely.

Common questions

How many CR 9 monsters are in the D&D 5e SRD?: There are 8 CR 9 creatures in the SRD. That is the free subset of the game's monsters, so the full Monster Manual contains more at this rating.
What level party can handle a CR 9 monster?: As a rough guide, a single monster is a fair fight for a party of four characters at roughly the same level as its challenge rating. That is a starting point rather than a rule — a creature's actions, mobility and control effects matter more than its rating, so read the stat block before you commit.
How much XP is a CR 9 monster worth?: Each creature's XP value is listed on its stat block. When you use several in one encounter, multiply the total by the encounter multiplier for the number of monsters before comparing it with the party's budget — numbers raise difficulty faster than the raw total suggests.

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Printable Monster Cards

Every creature as a printable stat card with tokens and standees — build the encounter, then deal out the cards.

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