D&D 5e SRD · Challenge Rating
CR 17 monsters
4 monsters at Challenge Rating 17, worth 18,000 XP (72,000 XP combined). Click into any of them to roll attacks, damage, and saves straight from the stat block, and read how to run each one as an ally or an adversary.
Building encounters with CR 17 monsters
Challenge Rating summarizes the threat a monster poses to a group of four player characters. The SRD's rough guideline: a single CR 17 monster is a low-difficulty fight for four level 17 characters. By the XP Budget per Character table alone, one of these monsters on its own (18,000 XP) lands between the Low and High budgets of four characters at level 12 to 17; above that, it falls under the Low budget and works better with minions or a second monster.
Creature types at this CR: Dragon (3), Celestial (1). 3 of them have Legendary Actions, which let a single monster act right after other creatures' turns. If a monster has a feature that lower-level characters can't easily overcome, the SRD suggests not using it against characters whose level is lower than its CR.
| Name | Type | Size | HP | AC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Gold Dragon | Dragon (Metallic) | Huge | 243 | 19 |
| Adult Red Dragon | Dragon (Chromatic) | Huge | 256 | 19 |
| Dragon Turtle | Dragon | Gargantuan | 356 | 20 |
| Sphinx of Valor | Celestial | Large | 199 | 17 |
CR 17 quick answers
How many CR 17 monsters are in the D&D 5e SRD?
4 CR 17 monsters appear in the SRD 5.2.1: Adult Gold Dragon, Adult Red Dragon, Dragon Turtle, Sphinx of Valor.
How much XP is a CR 17 monster worth?
A CR 17 monster is worth 18,000 XP, with a Proficiency Bonus of +6.
Stat blocks from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 © Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.