Point Buy Calculator 5e
27 points, six abilities. Tap + and − and the calculator tracks the cost, adds your bonuses and shows the final modifiers.
Bonuses from your background or species can be set per row. Your build is saved on this device.
Why 15 costs nine points
Each step from 8 to 13 costs one point. The last two steps cost two each. Remember that modifiers only change on even scores: 13 → 14 buys you +1 to a modifier, but so does 9 → 10 for half the price. Tap a score to see what it buys.
A score of 13 costs 5 points and gives a +1 modifier. Odd scores don't raise the modifier by themselves; they pay off when a +1 bonus lands on them.
That's why the strongest builds put the +1 bonus on an odd score (13 → 14 or 15 → 16).
Point buy cost table
| Score | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| Modifier | -1 | -1 | +0 | +0 | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 |
Popular 27-point spreads
- 15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8: three strong abilities, three dump stats. Good for single-ability-dependent classes that want Constitution and Wisdom saves.
- 15, 15, 13, 10, 8, 8: two main abilities and a solid third.
- 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8: the standard array. Balanced, no score below 8.
- 13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12: a jack of all trades, handy for multiclass requirements of 13.
Questions
How does point buy work in 5e?
Every ability starts at 8 and you have 27 points to spend. Raising a score costs 1 point per step up to 13, then 2 points each for 14 and 15. You cannot buy above 15 or below 8 before bonuses.
What is the point buy cost table?
8 costs 0, 9 costs 1, 10 costs 2, 11 costs 3, 12 costs 4, 13 costs 5, 14 costs 7 and 15 costs 9 points.
Where do racial bonuses go in the 2024 rules?
In the 2024 Player's Handbook (SRD 5.2) ability increases come from your background: +2 to one of its three listed abilities and +1 to another, or +1 to all three. The 2014 rules put them on your race instead. This calculator supports both through the bonus controls.
What is the best point buy spread?
A common one is 15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8 for a focused character, or 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8, which is exactly the standard array and costs all 27 points.
Can a score go above 17 at level 1?
With point buy, the highest is 15 + 2 = 17. The ability score cap is 20 until epic boons.