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Point Buy Calculator (5e Ability Scores & Modifiers)

Spend your 27 ability-score points with the 5e point-buy costs: points used and left for Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma, with +2/+1 bonuses and every modifier.

Strength

Dexterity

Constitution

Intelligence

Wisdom

Charisma

Ability with a +2 bonus

Ability with a +1 bonus

Point budget

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How it works

point cost: 8 = 0, 9 = 1, 10 = 2, 11 = 3, 12 = 4, 13 = 5, 14 = 7, 15 = 9 · points left = budget (27) − Σ costs · final score = base + bonuses · modifier = ⌊(score − 10) ÷ 2⌋

Point buy is the balanced way to create a character in the System Reference Document 5.1: every ability starts at 8 and you spend 27 points to raise them, up to 15 before bonuses. Each step up to 13 costs one point, but 14 and 15 cost two each, so high scores are expensive. The standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) costs exactly 27. Bonuses from your character's origin are added afterwards, and the ability modifier is the final score minus 10, halved and rounded down.

Worked example

The standard array 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 costs 9 + 7 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 0 = 27, so 27 / 27 points are spent and 0 are left. The modifiers are +2, +2, +1, +1, 0 and −1, a total of +5.

Sources: System Reference Document 5.1 (CC-BY-4.0)

Frequently asked questions

How does 5e point buy work?

All six abilities start at 8 and you have 27 points. Raising a score to 9–13 costs 1 point per step, and 14 and 15 cost 2 points each (15 costs 9 in total). You cannot go above 15 or below 8 before bonuses.

Is point buy better than rolling?

Point buy is fair and predictable — everyone gets the same total. Rolling 4d6 drop lowest averages about 73 points of scores, slightly more than point buy, but can give very high or very low results.

Should I buy odd or even scores?

Modifiers change only at even scores, so an odd score is worth it only if a bonus will make it even. That is why players often put the +1 on a 15 or the +2 on a 14 — both end at 16.

How do I calculate an ability modifier?

Subtract 10 from the score, divide by 2 and round down: 8 → −1, 10 → 0, 14 → +2, 16 → +3, 20 → +5.

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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.