Character Point Buy Calculator
Allocate ability scores using the D&D 5e point buy system with automatic cost and modifier calculation.
About this calculator
This calculator implements the standard D&D 5th Edition point buy cost table: scores of 8 through 13 cost 1 point per point raised (8=0, 9=1, 10=2, 11=3, 12=4, 13=5), then the cost steps up to 2 points per point for 14 and 15 (14=7, 15=9), reflecting the game's official rule that pushing a score above 13 costs more. Every ability score you set between 8 and 15 is priced against that table and summed into Points Spent, which is then compared against your Point Budget to show Points Remaining. The Point Budget itself never changes how many points get spent — it is purely a target you're allocating against, so raising or lowering it moves Points Remaining directly but leaves Points Spent and every ability modifier completely untouched.
Each ability's Modifier follows the standard 5e formula, floor((score − 10) / 2), and only the corresponding raw score affects that one modifier — Strength changes only the Strength Modifier, not any of the other five. What this calculator does not do: it does not apply racial ability score increases, doesn't enforce a specific edition's optional variant rules (some tables use a 15-point array instead of 27, or allow scores down to 3 with different costs), and does not validate that your final scores make sense for a class's primary stat. It is a pure point-buy cost calculator, not a full character builder.
Inputs
Results
Points Spent
18
Points Remaining
9
Figures current as of 2024. Source: Wizards of the Coast, D&D Beyond Basic Rules, "Creating a Character" — Point Buy ability score generation method
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the point budget you're allocating from (27 points for the standard D&D 5e array).
- Enter each ability score — Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma — between 8 and 15.
- Review Points Spent and Points Remaining to confirm your allocation stays within budget.
- Check the ability modifier shown for each score (STR through CHA) along with the Total Modifiers Sum.
- Use the Ability Scores chart to compare your six scores at a glance before finalizing your character.
How the result changes with Dexterity
| Dexterity | Points Spent | Points Remaining |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 11 | 16 |
| 11 | 14 | 13 |
| 15 | 20 | 7 |
What each input means
- Point Budget
- Standard D&D 5e point buy budget is 27 points.
- Strength
- Melee attack, athletics, carry capacity. Cost: 8=0, 13=5, 14=7, 15=9.
- Dexterity
- Ranged attack, AC, initiative, stealth.
- Constitution
- Hit points and concentration saves.
- Intelligence
- Wizard casting stat, investigation, knowledge skills.
- Wisdom
- Cleric/druid casting, perception, insight, survival.
- Charisma
- Bard/sorcerer/warlock/paladin casting, persuasion, deception.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters7 parametersPoint Budget = 27, Strength = 10, Dexterity = 14, Constitution = 13, Intelligence = 8, Wisdom = 12, Charisma = 8 = 7 input(s) provided
- Calculate Points SpentPoints Spent18 = 18
- Calculate Points RemainingPoints Remaining9 = 9
- Calculate STR ModifierSTR Modifier0 = 0
- Calculate DEX ModifierDEX Modifier2 = 2
Figures and sources
- Point Buy ability score cost table (8=0 ... 15=9) and 27-point standard budget (2024) — Wizards of the Coast, D&D Beyond Basic Rules, "Creating a Character" — Point Buy ability score generation method
Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does raising my Point Budget change how many points my ability scores cost?
No. Point Budget only sets the target you're spending against — it never enters the per-ability cost formula, so Points Spent and every ability Modifier stay exactly the same no matter what budget you set. Only Points Remaining moves when you adjust the budget, since that figure is simply Point Budget minus Points Spent.
Why does raising a score from 13 to 14 cost more than raising it from 12 to 13?
The official 5e point buy table prices scores 8 through 13 at 1 point per point (so 12→13 costs 1 point), but scores of 14 and 15 cost 2 points per point (so 13→14 costs 2 points, and 14→15 costs another 2). This is the game's built-in rule for discouraging maxed-out single stats — it isn't a calculator quirk, it matches Wizards of the Coast's published Point Buy cost table, in the D&D Basic Rules under "Creating a Character," exactly.
Does changing my Strength score affect any other ability's Modifier?
No — each of the six ability Modifiers is computed only from its own raw score using floor((score − 10) / 2), independently of the other five scores. Raising Strength moves only the Strength Modifier and adds to Points Spent (and Total Modifiers Sum), leaving Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma modifiers completely unaffected.
Does this calculator account for racial ability score bonuses?
No — it only prices the raw point-buy allocation before any racial, background, or feat-based ability score increases are applied. Add those bonuses to your final point-buy scores separately once you've settled on an allocation here, since this tool intentionally covers only the base point-buy cost math, not the full character creation sequence.
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