PF2e DC by Level - Difficulty Class Table

Pathfinder 2e ties almost every number to a level, and DCs are no exception. The DC by level table runs from level -1 at DC 13 to level 25 at DC 50, gaining about a point and a half per level in an alternating +1, +1, +2 rhythm. Reach for it whenever a task has a level of its own and nothing is rolling against the party: a locked vault door, a crumbling ledge, a rumour worth recalling.

The level you pick is the level of the obstacle, not the level of the character attempting it. A cursed seal left by an 11th-level wizard is DC 28 whether a 3rd-level rogue or a 17th-level one tries to pick it apart. That distinction is what keeps the world feeling solid instead of scaling politely around the party.

Difficulty adjustments shift the result: Incredibly Easy (-10), Very Easy (-5), Easy (-2), Hard (+2), Very Hard (+5), Incredibly Hard (+10). Most rolls at your table should stay within -2 and +2. The larger swings are for the rare moment when the standard number is plainly wrong, not for fine-tuning every check.

A standard DC is just the level-based number with no adjustment applied. For a 5th-level task, the standard DC is 20. A character trained in the relevant skill and at that same level clears it a little over half the time, which is the balance point the whole system is tuned around.

Simple DCs ignore level entirely and key off proficiency rank instead: Untrained 10, Trained 15, Expert 20, Master 30, Legendary 40. Use them for tasks with no natural level: reading a common language, climbing a garden wall, recalling something any scholar would know.

A useful rule of thumb. If you can point at the thing and say what level it is, use the level-based table. If you can only say how skilled someone would need to be, use a simple DC.

The table above sets DCs the world imposes. Three other DCs come from a character or creature's own statistics, and they are built the same way.

Class DC = 10 + level + proficiency bonus + key ability modifier. A 5th-level fighter, trained in class DC, with 18 Strength: 10 + 5 + 2 + 4 = DC 21. Proficiency contributes +2 trained, +4 expert, +6 master, +8 legendary. Most classes stay trained in class DC until a class feature raises them.

Spell DC uses the identical formula with the spellcasting ability in place of the key ability. A 5th-level cleric with 18 Wisdom and expert spellcasting proficiency casts at 10 + 5 + 4 + 4 = DC 23.

Fortitude, Reflex, and Will DCs for hazards, environmental effects, and anything without a stat block come straight off the level-based table. A trap built to threaten a 7th-level party asks for a DC 23 Reflex save. If it should feel nastier than usual, apply Hard (+2) rather than inventing a number, so the odds stay predictable across your campaign.

Building an NPC from scratch? The creature stats reference lists the spell DCs, save modifiers, and attack bonuses expected at every creature level, so your villain's numbers land where the system assumes they will.