What this calculator does
Point buy 5e is one of three ways Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition characters get their six ability scores, alongside rolling dice or using a fixed standard array. Point buy spends a shared budget of 27 points across Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma, with each score from 8 to 15 costing a fixed, published number of points: higher scores cost progressively more per point, so pushing one ability very high eats into what is left for the others.
This calculator uses the official point buy cost table from the 5th Edition Player's Handbook: 8 costs nothing, 9 costs 1 point, and each step up costs one more point than the last until 13, where 14 jumps to 7 points and 15 to 9. Set all six scores and it totals the points spent against the standard 27-point budget, so you can see immediately whether a build fits.
The formula
Each of the six scores has a fixed point cost, looked up from the table below and added together: 8=0, 9=1, 10=2, 11=3, 12=4, 13=5, 14=7, 15=9. The running total is compared against the point budget entered (27 by default, the standard 5e rule), and the remaining points show how much of the budget is left, or how far over it a build has gone.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ability score | One of the six core D&D stats: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, each ranging from 8 to 15 under point buy before racial or other bonuses are applied. |
| Point buy | A character-creation method that spends a fixed points budget across the six scores, using a published cost table, as an alternative to rolling dice. |
| Standard array | A fixed alternative set of scores (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) that happens to cost exactly 27 points under the point buy table, and is often used as a quick reference for a "typical" spread. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Strength | Strength score, from 8 to 15, before any racial or other bonuses. |
| Dexterity | Dexterity score, from 8 to 15, before any racial or other bonuses. |
| Constitution | Constitution score, from 8 to 15, before any racial or other bonuses. |
| Intelligence | Intelligence score, from 8 to 15, before any racial or other bonuses. |
| Wisdom | Wisdom score, from 8 to 15, before any racial or other bonuses. |
| Charisma | Charisma score, from 8 to 15, before any racial or other bonuses. |
| Point budget | The point budget to check the total against. The standard D&D 5e rule is 27 points; some tables use a house-ruled figure instead. |
When to use it
Building a new character under standard rules
Most D&D 5e tables that use point buy stick to the official 27-point budget, so setting six scores and checking the total against 27 is the whole process for a legal build.
Comparing a min-maxed build against a balanced one
Pushing one score to 15 costs 9 of the 27 points on its own, a third of the whole budget; comparing that against spreading points more evenly across several scores shows the real trade-off in raw numbers rather than by feel.
Checking a house-ruled budget
Some tables raise or lower the standard 27-point budget for a grittier or more heroic game; changing the budget input checks a build against whatever number the table is actually using.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
What does each Strength score cost under point buy?
The published point buy 5e cost for a single ability score, from the minimum of 8 to the maximum of 15, with every other score left at the free minimum of 8.
Questions
What is the standard point buy budget in D&D 5e?
27 points, spent across the six ability scores using the official cost table. This is the default assumption in the 5th Edition Player's Handbook, though some game tables agree on a different budget.
Why does raising a score from 13 to 14 cost 2 points instead of 1?
The published point buy 5e table deliberately makes the last two steps, 14 and 15, cost 2 points each instead of 1, to discourage pushing a single score to the maximum at the expense of every other ability.
Can I go below 8 or above 15 with point buy?
No. The point buy system fixes the range at 8 to 15 before any racial or other bonuses are applied; scores outside that range are not covered by the official cost table.
How is point buy different from the standard array or rolling?
The standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) is a fixed, pre-set spread that happens to cost exactly 27 points, so it needs no calculation. Rolling generates scores randomly, with no guaranteed total. Point buy is the only one of the three where you choose exactly how to spend a fixed budget.
To roll ability scores instead of spending points on them, see the dice roller.