We will be using the “point-buy” method for selecting your character’s six ability scores. You have 27 points to spend on your ability scores, and there is a cost associated with each score, as shown in the table below. For example, a score of 14 costs 7 points. Raw scores can’t be lower than 8, or higher than 15. However, you may have particular bonuses to these scores based on your ancestry or class (e.g., dwarves get a +2 to their Constitution), so you can factor those in as well when spending your points.
This method enables you to create a set of three high scores and three low ones (15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8), a set of numbers that are above average and nearly equal (13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12), or anything in between those extremes. The Player’s Handbook does offer one set of numbers that you can use, as a simple option: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
Note that you can select which of the six abilities you apply these numbers to (e.g., a fighter might want to put their highest score in Strength or Dexterity, while a wizard probably wants their highest score in Intelligence). The “Quick Build” section under each class in the Player’s Handbook tells you what abilities you probably want to make your highest scores.
The cost and the associated ability modifier for a particular ability score is listed below, but you can use this calculator to select your ability scores.
|
Score |
Modifier |
Point cost |
|---|---|---|
|
8 |
(-1) |
0 |
|
9 |
(-1) |
1 |
|
10 |
(+0) |
2 |
|
11 |
(+0) |
3 |
|
12 |
(+1) |
4 |
|
13 |
(+1) |
5 |
|
14 |
(+2) |
7 |
|
15 |
(+2) |
9 |
Once you have your scores figured out, write the score (the number between around 8-18) on your character sheet in the small box by the name of the ability, and the modifier (the number between -2 and +3) in the big box. The modifier gets used much more frequently. There’s a table of scores and their related modifiers in the zip file, taken from the Player's Handbook.
(The modifier can also be calculated from the score: take the ability score, subtract 10, then divide by 2 and round down.)