5e Point Buy Calculator | D&d – Chicken Dinner Dnd (2024)
In the earlier versions of DnD, calculating the ability scores was a task due to the use of 4d6k3, but with the 5e Point Buy, you no longer have to bring out your math skills and its smooth sailing from here on.
Table of Contents
Issues with 4d6k3
A moving average is fun to deal with, as it gives you a sense of gambling and creates a mystery for the character creation process. However, the side effect of it is the amount of chaos that unleashes if even one player rolls a high-intensity character.
The inconsistency between the scores of players makes it hard to keep track of the balance encounter. Although, if you have an updated PC, this problem won’t occur often but in the early game, it’d create an issue. Also, if you roll unsuccessfully, your character would be out of the limelight, and other powerful friends of yours would hog it.
In fact, a PC isn’t capable of handling even a few high powered characters with +3s or +4s as it’d mean more saving throws, fixing more damage and moving past skills checks. However, if your DM regulates the clashes or if you follow the rule book, you can keep it in check.
Point Buy calculator
On page 13 of the Player’s Hand Book, 3 options are mentioned for tallying the ability scores. One of them is Point Buy calculator 5e. Firstly, you’d be given an 8 in each of the 6 expertise totals.
So, the 27 points provided to each player can be used to raise these statistics. As a result, the ideal stat layout you should aim for is (15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8) excluding ASI’s and racial benefits.
Attribute Point-Buy Calculator
Available: Remaining:
Base | RacialAdj. | Score | Mod. | Cost | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
STR | + | = | ||||||
DEX | + | = | ||||||
CON | + | = | ||||||
INT | + | = | ||||||
WIS | + | = | ||||||
CHA | + | = |
Race: | Aarakocra Aasimar Dragonborn Dwarf, Hill Dwarf, Mountain Eladrin Elf, Dark (Drow) Elf, High Elf, Wood Eladrin Genasi, Air Genasi, Earth Genasi, Fire Genasi, Water Gnome, Deep Gnome, Forest Gnome, Rock Goliath Half-Elf Half-Orc Halfling, Lightfoot Halfling, Stout Human Human, Variant Tiefling |
---|
Select any two attributes: | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
STR | INT | |||
DEX | WIS | |||
CON | CHA |
5e Point Buy calculator’s features:
Meanwhile, specific characteristics you should be aware of are as follows –
- No discrepancies – Every player would start the game at the same point. Also, they’d have similar point stat as you, so that no one would be ahead in the game from the origin. Therefore, if you made a wrong move and your rogue has 14 points in skills as compared to a ranger with 20 points, it’d only take you a few levels to reach the same position. So, it’s better to have something than nothing.
Since it’s all about teamwork you’d be in luck due to the ranger’s high score even though your rogue’s identity would suffer as you rolled poorly. Moreover, if you gain three whole ASI’s in the talent category, then your chances of raising your level increase.
- Choices available – In contrast to 4d6k3 wherein your expertise sum determines the type of character you can create which might be far from what you expected or desired, the Point Buy 5e makes you focus on the ideal persona you wish to develop and the statistics would lead you to that path. Nonetheless, your dice rolls also play an essential role as it’d confirm if you can build what you want or not. In 4d6k3, you are utterly clueless of the kind of persona that would emerge, which is why the randomness isn’t always exciting. Hence, if your total is (18, 12, 10, 8, 9, 11, 10), you’d feel proud for achieving an 18 but having only one good mastery count makes it difficult for you to play in higher classes. Furthermore, if you’re aiming for Casters, a concrete CON or DEX score is required.
- Control overpowers – 4d6k3 gives you the liberty to get an outcome anywhere between a 3 and 18, which means the sum would range from -4 to +4, creating a vast gap. Also, if we include the racial bonuses, having a character with +5 wouldn’t be impossible. But the physical restraint is +5 in the game, which would mean even a random persona could turn out stronger than the monster manual. On the other hand, in the Point Buy calculator, you can expect a maximum of 15 ability score, which would lead to two +3 after the addition of racial benefits. So, a +3 denotes an above-average personality and keeps the players grounded. You even have scope for development as a character.
PB rules
Additionally, a few rules regarding the ability score calculator are –
- 27 total points to spend.
- Prowess count cannot be lower than 8.
- You can gain a maximum of 15 expertise sum.
- Different number of points is granted for every score.
- You must exhaust all of your points.
Ability score |
Cost |
Score |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|
8 |
0 |
12 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
13 |
5 |
10 |
2 |
14 |
7 |
11 |
3 |
15 |
9 |
Point Buy options
Some of the PointBuy options mentioned in the PHB list are –
- Min-max capacity – The min-max limit of the count is (15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8) excluding racial bonuses which would lead you to have three +2 modifiers and three -1 modifiers for mastery total. It isn’t a bad deal, since even after adding the racial advantages, it’d only raise to two +3. You’d be substantial due to these features, but the negative points would eventually affect you when you use the saving throws frequently. Furthermore, if you change the pattern like (16, 16, 16, 8, 8, 8), then you’d get three +3 modifiers.
- Average persona – Moreover, an average character’s expertise set would look like this (13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12) which offers three +1 modifiers, and after the inclusion of racial bonuses, it’d be two +2 modifiers and four +1 modifiers. However, it isn’t quite ideal as it doesn’t involve any high ability scores but useful nevertheless.
- Standard stat – If you don’t want to get into the hustle of the PB system, follow the standard statistics provided (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). Since the only thing that could go wrong is that you’d acquire one ability score with a -1 modifier. After adding the racial perks, you might have two capabilities along with a +3 modifier.
Point buy calculator
To evaluate the stats, the mathematical skills of yours need to be top-notch as it requires quite a lot of calculations. Therefore, the Point Buy calculator is here to rescue you. Keep an eye on the total stat count exhausted in the lower right-hand corner of the calculator.
In addition, all the races are incorporated in it, which makes it easier for you to select one. You can even increase or decrease the values to adjust them according to your requirements.
Although, one issue with it is that there is no limit to adding data even after you’d gone past the maximum restriction. So, you’d be aware when you are over the limit though as the fraction is printed over there.
This is how the calculator works –
Ability score |
Purchased |
Cost |
Racial mod |
Final |
---|---|---|---|---|
Strength |
13 |
3 |
2 |
15 |
Dexterity |
11 |
1 |
4 |
15 |
Dexterity |
9 |
-1 |
6 |
15 |
Dexterity |
7 |
-4 |
1 |
8 |
Wisdom |
10 |
0 |
-2 |
8 |
Charisma |
13 |
3 |
-5 |
8 |
Chicken dinner 5e
If you deviate from the official rulebook and create content which isn’t present in the game, it’s considered as unofficial content.
At the same time, such a content in the PB system doesn’t affect your game as expanding and diminishing the 27 point scale would only lead to you creating high or low powered characters. Also, this wouldn’t be a problem if all are starting at the same place.
The maximum and minimum limit set can also be altered, but you’d have to allocate the points accordingly. However, it’d be in your favour if it doesn’t go below 6 because having a -3 or lower sum is troublesome.
Also, a gamer can’t have 20 in abilities naturally. Moreover, it is also easier for the DM to manage a group of high powered characters, so it’s not much of an issue.
Gold piece rewards
Tier |
Hourly GP award |
Minimum GP |
Limit per level |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
20 gp |
10 gp |
80gp |
2 |
30 |
15 |
240 |
3 |
200 |
100 |
1600 |
4 |
750 |
375 |
1600 |
Magic item limits
Tier |
Magic item limit |
---|---|
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
10 |
XP checkpoint table
Experience points |
Checkpoints |
Level |
Proficiency |
GP per level |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 |
0 |
1 |
+2 |
0 |
300 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
75 |
900 |
8 |
3 |
+2 |
75 |
2,700 |
12 |
4 |
+2 |
75 |
6,500 |
16 |
5 |
+3 |
75 |
14,000 |
24 |
6 |
+3 |
150 |
23,000 |
32 |
7 |
+3 |
150 |
34,000 |
40 |
8 |
+3 |
150 |
48,000 |
48 |
9 |
+4 |
150 |
64,000 |
56 |
10 |
+4 |
550 |
85,000 |
64 |
11 |
+4 |
550 |
100,000 |
72 |
12 |
+4 |
550 |
120,000 |
80 |
13 |
+5 |
550 |
140,000 |
88 |
14 |
+5 |
550 |
165,000 |
96 |
15 |
+5 |
550 |
195,000 |
104 |
16 |
+5 |
550 |
225,000 |
112 |
17 |
+6 |
5500 |
265,000 |
120 |
18 |
+6 |
5500 |
305,000 |
128 |
19 |
+6 |
5500 |
355,000 |
136 |
20 |
+6 |
5500 |
Conclusion
Finally, the 5e Point Buy is a game-changer and would make things relatively easy for you. No need to stress any longer. – Homebrewing