5e Point Buy Calculator
This 5e point buy calculator gives you 27 points to raise six ability scores from 8, with each score capped at 15 before bonuses. It then adds 2024 background increases or legacy species bonuses and shows your final scores and modifiers.
Spend your 27 points
How to use the point buy calculator
- Choose 2024 rules (background increases) or Legacy rules (species bonuses).
- Raise and lower each ability between 8 and 15 until the points remaining reach 0, or start from a preset.
- Pick a background or species and assign the +2 and +1 (or three +1s).
- Check the final scores and modifiers, then copy the page URL to save or share the build.
Point buy costs
Every ability starts at 8 and you have 27 points to spend. No score can go above 15 or below 8 before bonuses are added.
| Score | Total cost | Cost of this step | Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | – | −1 |
| 9 | 1 | 1 | −1 |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | +0 |
| 11 | 3 | 1 | +0 |
| 12 | 4 | 1 | +1 |
| 13 | 5 | 1 | +1 |
| 14 | 7 | 2 | +2 |
| 15 | 9 | 2 | +2 |
Why 14 and 15 cost two points each
Each step from 8 to 13 costs one point. The last two steps cost two. The price curve exists to stop everyone from building a character with three 15s and three 8s, and it mostly works: a 15 costs 9 points, a third of your whole budget.
Look at the modifier column and the curve gets sharper. Going from 13 to 15 costs 4 points and buys you +1 to the modifier. Going from 8 to 10 costs 2 points and also buys +1. In pure modifier terms, lifting a dump stat out of the negatives is twice as efficient as polishing your main stat. So a spread with no negatives is cheap to reach, but it leaves your main ability at 13 or 14, which is why most players still push their main ability to 15: the first few levels are spent hitting things with that number.
27-point spreads worth knowing
All of these spend exactly 27 points. The first four are presets in the calculator.
| Spread | Good for |
|---|---|
| 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 | The standard array; safe for almost anything |
| 15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8 | Two-stat classes that can ignore half the sheet |
| 13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12 | No weaknesses, no standout |
| 15, 15, 13, 10, 10, 8 | Main stat, Constitution and one secondary |
| 15, 15, 13, 12, 8, 8 | Same idea, with two dump stats |
| 15, 15, 14, 10, 8, 8 | Characters who need three real abilities |
| 14, 14, 14, 12, 10, 8 | Multiclass builds that want even numbers |
| 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 10 | A generalist with no penalties anywhere |
Point buy vs standard array vs rolling
The standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) is itself a 27-point buy, so point buy gives you the same total power with more control over where it goes.
Rolling 4d6 and dropping the lowest die averages about 12.24 per score, or roughly 73.5 across six scores. That’s a touch above the standard array’s 72, but the average hides the spread: one player rolls two 17s while the next ends up with nothing above 13 for the whole campaign. Point buy is fairer across a table because everyone starts with the same budget. If your group still wants to roll, the dice roller handles 4d6kh3 and shows dropped dice, so nobody has to take anyone’s word for it.
How the 2024 rules moved the bonuses
Under the older rules, your species gave fixed bonuses. A Hill Dwarf got +2 Constitution and +1 Wisdom, a High Elf +2 Dexterity and +1 Intelligence, and a Human +1 to everything. That tied certain species to certain classes, and many tables patched it with a flexible +2/+1 house rule.
The 2024 rules (SRD 5.2) moved ability increases to your background. Each background names three abilities. You add +2 to one of them and +1 to another, or +1 to all three, and no score can go above 20. The free SRD 5.2 includes four backgrounds, and the calculator has all of them: Acolyte (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma), Criminal (Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence), Sage (Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom) and Soldier (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution). For any other background, choose Custom background and pick its three abilities yourself.
The Legacy rules toggle keeps the SRD 5.1 species bonuses (Hill Dwarf, High Elf, Lightfoot Halfling, Human, Dragonborn, Rock Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc and Tiefling) plus a Flexible +2/+1 option for tables that already used one.
Tips for odd scores
Modifiers only change on even numbers. A 15 with a +1 bonus becomes 16 and jumps to +3. A 14 with a +1 becomes 15 and stays at +2, so that point does nothing until a later increase. The rule of thumb: put +1 bonuses on odd base scores and +2 bonuses on even ones. A 15 with a +2 is 17, the same +3 as a 16, which only pays off if you plan to take a feat or ability increase that adds one more point.
The calculator shows final scores and modifiers side by side, so these mistakes are easy to spot. Once the numbers are done, the name generator can sort out what to call the character, and the about page explains where the rules content comes from.
Frequently asked questions
How many points do you get for 5e point buy?
You get 27 points. Every ability starts at 8, and you can raise each one to at most 15 before background or species bonuses.
What is the best 27 point buy spread?
There isn’t one best spread, but 15, 15, 13, 10, 10, 8 and the standard array 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 suit most characters. Put a 15 in your class’s main ability and a decent score in Constitution.
Is point buy better than rolling for stats?
Rolling 4d6 drop lowest averages slightly more (about 12.24 per score), but the results vary a lot between players. Point buy gives everyone the same budget, which keeps the table even.
How do ability score increases work in the 2024 rules?
Your background lists three abilities. You add +2 to one and +1 to another, or +1 to all three, and no score can go above 20.
Can I still use racial bonuses with point buy?
Yes. Switch to Legacy rules to apply the SRD 5.1 species bonuses, or use the Flexible option to put a +2 and a +1 anywhere.