Point Buy Calculator
Build a balanced D&D 5e character with the standard 27-point buy. Set each of the six ability scores from 8 to 15 and see how many points you have spent, how many remain, and whether you are on budget.
Example: with Strength 15 (9 pts) · Dexterity 14 (7 pts) · Constitution 13 (5 pts) · Intelligence 12 (4 pts) · Wisdom 10 (2 pts) → Points spent: 27 / 27 points.
- Points remaining0 points
- Total of scores72 total (avg 12.0)
- StatusExactly on budget ✓
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
Standard 5e point buy: every ability starts at 8 and you spend from a 27-point pool. Costs climb faster past 13, so raising a score from 14 to 15 costs 2 points.
How 5e point buy works
Point buy replaces random rolls with a fixed budget so every character at the table starts on equal footing. Each of the six abilities begins at 8, and you spend from a pool of 27 points to raise them, up to a maximum of 15 before any racial or background bonuses. The system rewards planning over luck.
The costs are not linear. Moving from 8 to 13 costs one point per step, but 14 costs 7 and 15 costs 9 — the last two points are the priciest. That curve nudges players away from min-maxing a single 15 and toward well-rounded spreads.
Common spreads
The published standard array — 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 — spends exactly 27 points, so it is a legal point-buy result and a safe default. Many players instead take two 15s and fill the rest, or spread evenly for a durable, flexible character.
Assign your highest scores to the abilities your class leans on, then apply racial bonuses afterward. Because those bonuses come after point buy, an odd score like 15 often becomes an even 16 or 17 that boosts your modifier.
How it’s calculated
Point-buy costs (D&D 5e Player's Handbook): score 8 = 0, 9 = 1, 10 = 2, 11 = 3, 12 = 4, 13 = 5, 14 = 7, 15 = 9 points. Points spent is the sum of the six costs; the budget is 27, and scores are limited to 8–15 before racial or background bonuses.
Standard variant only. Some tables tweak the budget, allow scores outside 8–15, or use rolled or standard-array methods instead.
Point-buy cost per score
| Ability score | Point cost |
|---|---|
| 8 | 0 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 |
| 12 | 4 |
| 13 | 5 |
| 14 | 7 |
| 15 | 9 |
D&D 5e Player's Handbook standard point-buy costs; 27-point budget, scores 8–15 before racial or background bonuses.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the cost is linear — 14 and 15 cost 7 and 9 points, not 6 and 7.
- Adding racial bonuses before point buy; those are applied after, on top of the 8–15 scores.
- Setting a score above 15 or below 8, which the standard point-buy rules do not allow.
- Forgetting the budget is 27 total across all six abilities, not per ability.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is D&D 5e point buy?
27 points. Every ability starts at 8, and you spend from the 27-point pool to raise scores up to 15 before racial or background bonuses.
How much does each ability score cost?
Scores 8 through 13 cost 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points. Then 14 costs 7 and 15 costs 9, so the top two points are the most expensive.
Is the standard array a legal point buy?
Yes. The standard array 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 spends exactly 27 points, so it is a valid point-buy spread and a common default.
Can I go above 15 with point buy?
Not during point buy — 15 is the cap. You can exceed 15 only after adding racial or background bonuses on top of your bought scores.
Why are my scores odd after point buy?
Point buy often leaves scores like 13 or 15. Racial bonuses added afterward usually bump them to even numbers, which is where ability modifiers actually increase.