When creating a boss battle, thinking about which bosses pair well with which minions can be a great starting point. You can use the table below to match up minions and bosses in a number of classic adventure environments.

| Boss CR | Boss                 | Environments                         | Minions                                                               |
| ------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1       | Goblin boss          | Caves, mountains                     | Goblins, worgs                                                        |
| 2       | Bandit captain       | Cities, sewers, ruins                | Bandits, spies, thugs, berserkers, gladiators                         |
| 2       | Cult fanatic         | Cities, ruins                        | Cultists, bandits, thugs, dretches                                    |
| 2       | Ettercap             | Caves, ruins                         | Giant spiders                                                         |
| 2       | Ghast                | Ruins, crypts, cities, sewers        | Ghouls, zombies                                                       |
| 2       | Gnoll pack lord      | Plains, caves, ruins                 | Gnolls, hyenas                                                        |
| 2       | Ogre                 | Ruins, caves                         | Orcs, goblins                                                         |
| 2       | Sea hag              | Coves, swamps, grottos               | Giant constrictor snakes, crocodiles                                  |
| 3       | Bugbear chief        | Keeps, fortresses, ruins, caves      | Bugbears, goblins, worgs                                              |
| 3       | Green hag            | Forests, swamps                      | Bullywugs, giant toads, giant constrictor snakes, imps, quasits       |
| 3       | Winter wolf          | Frozen mountains, frozen ruins       | Dire wolves, ice mephits                                              |
| 4       | Banshee              | Ruins, crypts                        | Specters, skeletons                                                   |
| 4       | Bone naga            | Ruins, crypts                        | Skeletons, specters, wights                                           |
| 4       | Ettin                | Mountains, ruins, caves              | Ogres, orcs                                                           |
| 4       | Lamia                | Ruins, towers, caves                 | Jackalweres                                                           |
| 4       | Lizard king/queen    | Swamps, sunken grottos               | Lizardfolk shamans, lizardfolk, monitor lizards                       |
| 5       | Hill giant           | Mountains, ruins, caves              | Ogres, orcs, bugbears, goblins, cave bears                            |
| 5       | Night hag            | Ruins, crypts, Lower Planes          | Hell hounds, quasits, manes, shadow demons                            |
| 5       | Sahuagin baron       | Coves, grottos, underwater ruins     | Sahuagin priestesses, sahuagin, reef sharks, giant octopuses, krakens |
| 5       | Wraith               | Ruins, crypts                        | Flameskulls, specters, wights                                         |
| 6       | Hobgoblin warlord    | Ruins, keeps, fortresses             | Hobgoblin captains, hobgoblins, bugbears, goblins, worgs              |
| 6       | Mage                 | Towers, cities                       | Animated armor, imps, acolytes, flesh golems, veterans                |
| 6       | Medusa               | Ruins, caves                         | Basilisks, giant constrictor snakes, death dogs                       |
| 7       | Oni                  | Ruins, caves, cities                 | Hobgoblins, orcs                                                      |
| 8       | Frost giant          | Frozen mountains, frozen ruins       | Yetis, young white dragons, polar bears, winter wolves                |
| 9       | Fire giant           | Volcanoes, caverns                   | Hell hounds, young red dragons, salamanders, azers, fire mephits      |
| 9       | Glabrezu             | Lower Planes, ruins, towers          | Barlguras, chasmes                                                    |
| 10      | Aboleth              | Caverns, coves, lakes                | Chuuls, cult fanatics, hydras, NPCs (enthralled), sea hags            |
| 11      | Efreeti              | Ruins, volcanoes, cities, deserts    | Fire elementals, salamanders, fire snakes                             |
| 11      | Horned devil         | Lower Planes, ruins, towers          | Barbed devils, bearded devils, spined devils                          |
| 12      | Archmage             | Towers, cities                       | Animated armor, imps, cambions, demons (any), elementals, golems      |
| 13      | Adult white dragon   | Frozen mountains, frozen ruins       | Yetis                                                                 |
| 13      | Vampire              | Ruins, crypts                        | Vampire spawn, giant bats, dire wolves, specters, wights              |
| 14      | Adult black dragon   | Swamps, sunken grottos               | Giant crocodiles, trolls, bullywugs, lizardfolk, kuo-toa              |
| 15      | Adult green dragon   | Forests, ruins, caverns              | Treants, elves                                                        |
| 15      | Mummy lord           | Ruins, crypts                        | Mummies, skeletons, wights, cult fanatics                             |
| 16      | Adult blue dragon    | Deserts, ruins, towers               | Air elementals, mages                                                 |
| 16      | Marilith             | Lower Planes, ruins, towers          | Hezrous, vrocks                                                       |
| 17      | Adult red dragon     | Mountains, volcanoes, ruins, caverns | Fire elementals, kobolds                                              |
| 17      | Death knight         | Crypts, ruins, Lower Planes          | Wights, wraiths, liches, flameskulls, nightmares, revenants           |
| 19      | Balor                | Lower planes, ruins                  | Mariliths, glabrezus, goristros, cambions, cult fanatics              |
| 20      | Ancient white dragon | Frozen mountains, frozen ruins       | Abominable yetis                                                      |
| 20      | Pit fiend            | Lower planes, ruins, towers          | Horned devils, bone devils, erinyes                                   |
| 21      | Ancient black dragon | Swamps, sunken grottos               | Giant crocodiles, trolls, bullywugs, lizardfolk                       |
| 21      | Lich                 | Ruins, towers, crypts, caves         | Death knights, iron golems, wraiths, mages                            |
| 22      | Ancient green dragon | Forests, ruins, caverns              | Treants, elves                                                        |
| 23      | Ancient blue dragon  | Deserts, ruins, towers               | Air elementals, mages                                                 |
| 24      | Ancient red dragon   | Mountains, volcanoes, ruins, caverns | Fire giants, fire elementals, kobolds                                 |