---
title: "Point Buy Calculator: 27 Points, 5e SRD | Dice Parlor"
description: "Spend 27 points on ability scores from 8 to 15 or use the standard array, add +2/+1 increases and read off the modifiers. Follows the 5th edition SRD."
url: https://diceparlor.me/point-buy-calculator/
---

# Point buy calculator

Build a character's six ability scores the 5th edition SRD way: spend 27 points on scores from 8 to 15, or place the standard array, then add your increases and read off every modifier.

## How point buy works

Every score starts at 8 and you have 27 points to raise them. Each step costs one point up to 13; 14 and 15 cost two points a step. No score can go above 15 or below 8 before increases, and you can't spend more than 27.

| Score | Cost | Score | Cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 8 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| 9 | 1 | 13 | 5 |
| 10 | 2 | 14 | 7 |
| 11 | 3 | 15 | 9 |

The **standard array** is 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8, which happens to cost exactly 27 points. Add your increases in the **Increase** column. The **modifier** is the score minus 10, halved and rounded down: 15 gives +2, 8 gives −1.

## Downloading a free character sheet?

Free starter rules and printable character sheets are often handed out in exchange for an email address. [CleanTempMail](https://cleantempmail.com/) gives you a temporary inbox with no sign-up that empties itself after three days, so the download arrives without the newsletters that follow. Use your real address for anything you buy.

## Sources

- System Reference Document 5.2 (SRD 5.2), “Character Creation”, page 21: the 27 points, the Ability Score Point Costs table, the standard array, and increases of +2 and +1 or +1, +1 and +1, none raising a score above 20. Point buy and the standard array are not part of SRD 5.1.
- System Reference Document 5.1 (SRD 5.1), “Using Ability Scores”, page 76: the Ability Scores and Modifiers table.

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at [https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document](https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document). The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode).

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2 (“SRD 5.2”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at [https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd](https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd). The SRD 5.2 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode).

## Questions

**Why can't I buy a 16?**

The point cost table stops at 15. Scores above that come from increases afterwards: a 15 with a +2 increase makes 17.

**Which is better, point buy or the standard array?**

Neither gives more in total: the array costs exactly 27 points. Point buy lets you trade, for example three 15s and three 8s, or a flatter 14, 14, 14, 12, 10, 8.

**What if my table uses different increases?**

Set them anyway. The calculator notes when increases don't match +2/+1 or +1/+1/+1 but never blocks them, and it caps every final score at 20.