D&D Point Buy Calculator
Build balanced ability scores for D&D 5e. Point buy, standard array, or rolled stats, with live modifiers and both 2014 and 2024 rules.
In the 2024 rules, your background grants these increases. Assign them to different abilities.
Ability Score Reference (5e)
The tables every player ends up looking up at character creation.
Ability Score Modifiers
Modifier = (score minus 10), divided by 2, rounded down. Scores climb past 20 for monsters and some high-level effects.
Point Buy Costs
How does point buy work in D&D 5e?
Point buy hands every player the same 27 points and asks them to spend wisely. You start each of the six abilities at 8 and pay to raise them, with the price climbing at the top of the range so a 15 costs far more than a 13. Since everyone spends from the same budget, no one leaves character creation crippled by a string of bad rolls.
Point buy, standard array, or rolling
Most tables pick one of three methods. Point buy gives you full control inside a fixed budget. The standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) skips the math entirely and lets you drop preset numbers onto your sheet. Rolling (usually 4d6, drop the lowest) is swingy and fun, and the Manual tab here lets you type those results in to read the modifiers. The calculator covers all three so you can match whatever your DM allows.
2014 rules vs 2024 rules
The point costs did not change between editions, so a 2014 spread and a 2024 spread cost the same. The difference is your bonus increases. The 2014 Player's Handbook attaches your +2 and +1 to your species, so an elf and a dwarf push different stats. The 2024 rules move those increases to your background, and let you choose a +2/+1 split or three separate +1s. Flip the ruleset toggle and the bonus section relabels itself to match.
Reading your modifier
The score is only half the story. Your modifier is the number you add to attack rolls, saving throws, and checks, and it only moves on even scores. That is why a 14 and a 15 give the same +2: the extra point is wasted unless you plan to bump it to 16 later. The tool shows the live modifier beside every score so you can see the real payoff before you spend a point.
Point buy questions, answered
What is point buy in D&D 5e?
Point buy is a way to set your six ability scores using a fixed budget instead of rolling dice. Every character starts with 27 points and "spends" them to raise each score from a base of 8 up to a maximum of 15. It gives every player at the table the same starting power, so no one is stuck with a string of bad rolls.
How many points do you get for point buy?
You get 27 points. Scores cost more as they climb: 8 is free, 9 costs 1 point, and so on up to 14 (7 points) and 15 (9 points). The jump to 14 and 15 is deliberately expensive, which nudges you toward a balanced spread rather than a single maxed stat.
Did point buy change in the 2024 D&D rules?
The 27-point system and the costs are identical in the 2014 and 2024 rules. What changed is where your bonus increases come from. Under the 2014 rules your species (race) grants the +2 and +1. Under the 2024 rules your background grants them, and you can take either a +2/+1 split or three separate +1s. Use the ruleset toggle above to match your table.
What is the standard array in 5e?
The standard array is a preset set of scores you assign to your abilities in any order: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8. It is the fastest way to build a balanced character and produces the same point total as a typical point-buy spread.
How do ability score modifiers work?
Your modifier is what you actually add to rolls. Subtract 10 from the score, divide by 2, and round down. A 14 gives a +2, a 10 or 11 gives a +0, and an 8 gives a -1. The modifier is the number that matters at the table, so the calculator shows it next to every score.
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