Point Buy 5e Guide | Overview & How to Use It

What is Point Buy in D&D 5e?

In D&D 5e, Point Buy is one of the character creation methods that allows you to have greater control over your character’s attributes.

Instead of relying on random dice rolls or on the Standard Array, the Point Buy method provides you with an allocated number of points to distribute across your character’s ability scores, allowing you to craft a more focused and customised character.

You have 27 points at your disposal to spend on your ability scores. Each score begins at a base value of 8, and you’ll use your points to raise these scores according to the Point Buy rules.

When planning your character’s attributes, it might be a good idea to consult your DM to make sure your Point Buy allocation fits the tone and difficulty of the campaign.

Using the Point Buy system empowers you as a player to create a character tailored to your desired playstyle while adding some consistency to your stats compared to using random dice rolls.

So, the next time you sit down to create a character, consider giving the Point Buy method a try and customise your adventurer to your heart’s content.

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Setting Up with Point Buy 5e

When creating your character in Dungeons & Dragons using the Point Buy system, you’ll be provided with a pool of 27 points to spend on your character’s ability scores.

These consist of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
The aforementioned system offers you more flexibility and customisation options during character creation as opposed to using the standard array method.

To begin, all your ability scores start at 8.
You’ll spend your 27 points to increase these scores based on the cost assigned to each score. The range for ability scores is between 8 and 15 before accounting for any ability modifiers granted by your chosen race.

This table shows the cost for each ability score:

As you can notice, higher ability scores cost more points, so it’s important to balance out your character’s abilities according to their class and role in the party.
(You can’t have a character with a score of 15 on each ability because that would cost 45 points, way beyond the pool of 27 points).

As you allocate your points, consider the role you want your character to play and which abilities will be most important for your chosen class. For example, a fighter might prioritise Strength and Constitution, while a wizard would focus on Intelligence.

Keep an eye on your remaining available points as you distribute them among your ability scores, making adjustments where necessary to ensure you don’t exceed the 27-point limit.

It seems very complicated, but after trying a couple of times it becomes easier + some tools help you with this matter. 
I'll better explain it later in the article when I'll write about my favourite Point Buy 5e calculator.

Remember, Point Buy allows you to customise your character to suit your playstyle, so think about your character’s strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits as you assign points.

Once you have allocated all the points, it’s time to determine your ability modifiers for each score:

Subtract 10 from the score and divide the result by 2, rounding down.

This will give you the modifier for each ability. With your scores and modifiers established, you can now continue with the character creation process, selecting a race, class, and background to further develop your character’s story and abilities.

Suggested Point Buy 5e for Each Class

Here are the suggested point buy values for each class, with a friendly reminder to keep those racial bonuses in mind, as they will affect your overall stats.

Artificer requires high Intelligence as it’s the source that fuels your spells, followed by Constitution and Dexterity:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 13
• Constitution: 15
• Intelligence: 15
• Wisdom: 12
• Charisma: 8

As a barbarian, you’ll want to focus on Strength and Constitution, with Dexterity as a secondary priority. Consider allocating your points as follows:

• Strength: 15
• Dexterity: 14
• Constitution: 15
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 8

Bards require a good Charisma score for their spellcasting abilities and Dexterity for light armour. Aim for these values:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 14
• Constitution: 12
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 15

Clerics need Wisdom for their divine spells, with a secondary focus on Constitution and Strength or Dexterity, depending on your Domain. Here’s a suggestion:

• Strength (or Dexterity): 14
• Dexterity (or Strength): 8
• Constitution: 13
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 15
• Charisma: 8

Druids also rely heavily on Wisdom, while Constitution is important for maintaining concentration on spells. Try the following:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 12
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 15
• Charisma: 8

As a versatile class, fighters can focus on Strength or Dexterity, with Constitution as a significant priority. Here’s a balanced approach:

• Strength (or Dexterity): 15
• Dexterity (or Strength): 8
• Constitution: 15
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 8

Monks rely on Dexterity and Wisdom for both offence and defence. Focus on these stats:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 15
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 15
• Charisma: 8

Paladins need Strength and Charisma for their martial prowess and divine powers. Constitution is also helpful. Allocate your points like this:

• Strength: 15
• Dexterity: 8
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 15

For rangers, focus on Dexterity, then Wisdom for spellcasting. Constitution will help with hit points. Try these values:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 15
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 15
• Charisma: 8

Rogues excel with high Dexterity, and Intelligence or Charisma can be beneficial depending on your subclass. Consider these allocations:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 15
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 14 (or 10)
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 8 (or 14)

As a sorcerer, you will rely on your Charisma for spellcasting. Constitution will aid in maintaining concentration:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 12
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 8
• Charisma: 15

Warlocks also depend on Charisma for their magic, with Constitution for concentration:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 12
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 8
• Charisma: 15

Finally, as a wizard, your priority is Intelligence, with Dexterity and Constitution to help out with defence:

• Strength: 8
• Dexterity: 14
• Constitution: 12
• Intelligence: 15
• Wisdom: 10
• Charisma: 8

These are merely suggestions to guide you while building your character.
Remember that personal preferences, role-playing choices, and even group dynamics can influence your ability score allocations.

Pros and Cons of Point Buy vs Dice Rolls

When creating your character in D&D 5e, you have options for determining your ability scores. Two popular methods are Point Buy and Dice Rolls. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each method.

Point Buy 5e

With the Point Buy system, you have a pool of points to allocate to your ability scores. This method provides more control over your character’s strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:

• Balanced characters: with a set pool of points, you can ensure that your characters have reasonably balanced abilities.
• Customisation: you can allocate points to the abilities you find most valuable and create the character you envision.
• Predictable results: you know the potential range for your ability scores, so there are no surprises.

Cons:

• Limitation on scores: Point Buy restricts the maximum and minimum scores you can have, which may not fit your vision for your character.
• Fewer highs and lows: with no chance for extremely high or low rolls, your character may be more “average.”

Dice Rolls

The traditional method for generating ability scores is to roll dice for each ability score. By rolling 4d6 and removing the lowest die roll, you get a value for each ability score.

Pros:

• High potential: rolling dice allows for the possibility of obtaining the maximum score for an ability, making your character excel in that area.
• Unpredictability: the randomness of dice rolls can lead to interesting characters with unexpected strengths and weaknesses.
• Narrative possibility: dice rolls may create unique character traits that inspire your roleplaying and storytelling.

Cons:

• Inconsistency: dice rolls can result in unevenly distributed ability scores, which may lead to one character being considerably more powerful than others in the party.
• Risk of low scores: rolling dice comes with the chance of obtaining low ability scores, potentially making your character less effective in certain aspects.

When it comes to Hit Points, the difference between Point Buy and Dice Rolls is less impactful.

However, applying the same principles as above, the choice between these methods may slightly impact your characters’ Hit Points, as some players prefer to roll for their characters’ maximum HP every level, while others opt for the average value provided by their class.

Exploring Tools: Point Buy Calculator

When you create your character and you choose to use the Point Buy system to determine the ability scores, you can use a Point Buy Calculator which is a convenient and user-friendly tool that simplifies this process, saving you time and ensuring accurate results.

To get started with a point buy calculator, you simply input the number of points you wish to allocate for each ability score.
The calculator will adjust the corresponding scores based on your input and follow the rules set out in the Dungeons & Dragons 5e Player’s Handbook.

Some key features of a good point buy calculator include:

• Customizable point pool: you can adjust the number of points available to suit your campaign or personal preferences.
• Automatic calculations: the calculator updates your ability scores, point costs, and remaining points as you allocate points.
• Error checking: if you allocate too many points to an ability, a warning message will help you quickly correct the error.
• Racial modifiers: a point buy calculator that accounts for racial bonuses will further streamline character creation.

Many point buy calculators are available online as web applications, making them easy to access from any device with an internet connection.

My personal go-to Point Buy calculator is 5e Point Buy Calculator.

Alternatives to Point Buy 5e

In your search for character creation methods in Dungeons & Dragons, you might come across alternatives to the Point Buy 5e system. It’s a fantastic system, but there are other methods that offer unique experiences as well. Let’s explore a few of them:

Standard Array: a popular and straightforward alternative is utilising the Standard Array. With this method, you can assign the predefined scores of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8 to your character’s abilities. It’s a quick and easy approach that ensures a balanced distribution of ability scores among all players in your group.

Random Roll: to inject an element of randomness and unpredictability into your character creation, give the Random Roll method a try. This approach requires you to roll four six-sided dice (4d6) and drop the lowest number for each ability score. Then, you’ll add the remaining three dice results for each ability to determine your character’s scores. Repeat the process 6 times in order to get a score for all the abilities of your character.

This method can yield higher or lower ability totals compared to Point Buy or Standard Array and can create unique characters with strengths and weaknesses.

Variant Point Buy: if you enjoy customisation but feel that the Point Buy 5e method is too restrictive, consider the Variant Point Buy system. This approach follows similar rules to the standard Point Buy but allows for a greater range of point values. Instead of starting with 27 points, you can choose from a range such as 22-30 points, depending on the Dungeon Master’s preference.

Custom Creations: collaborating with your Dungeon Master can open doors to character creation methods tailored specifically to your campaign. Some Dungeon Masters allow for homebrew rules or tweak existing methods to match the theme and power level of their adventures.
This option enables creativity while ensuring character balance within the campaign.

Point Buy 5e FAQ

What is Point Buy in 5e?

Point Buy is a character creation method in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition that allows you to customize your character’s ability scores. Instead of rolling dice to determine your ability scores, you have a pool of points to allocate as you see fit.

How many points do I start with?

In most cases, you will start with 27 points to distribute among your six ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma). However, your Dungeon Master might choose to use a different point total.

What are the minimum and maximum scores?

At character creation, the minimum points you can allocate to an ability score is 8, and the maximum is 15 (before applying racial bonuses). Make sure you consult your DM, as they might have set different minimum or maximum scores for your campaign.

How do I calculate the point cost for each ability score increase?

As you increase an ability score, the point cost also increases. Here’s a simple table outlining the cost of each ability score:

For example, if you want to have a score of 14 in Strength, it will cost you 7 points from your initial pool.

Can I save points for later?

No, you can’t save any points for later use. Ensure you allocate all your available points during character creation.

Does Point Buy affect my character progression?

Point Buy only affects your initial ability scores during character creation. As you level up, your character will still gain ability score improvements and other features as outlined in their class progression.