About 5e Point Buy Calculator

Why We Built This

We've played D&D 5e since launch, and one frustration kept coming up at every session zero: explaining point buy to new players. The official rulebook explanation is clear enough, but working through the math manually while trying to figure out racial bonuses, optimal stat distributions, and the 2014 vs 2024 rules differences is genuinely hard. Most online calculators we found did the basic math but nothing more.

So we built the tool we wanted to exist: a full-featured point buy calculator that handles every official race, both rule sets, build saving, multicharacter comparison, and detailed stat analysis — plus deep educational content to help players understand not just the numbers but the reasoning behind them.

The content on this site represents our team's accumulated experience at the table. We've played every class, built characters for every campaign tier, run sessions at conventions using Adventurers League rules, and spent plenty of time optimizing builds for both casual home games and competitive organized play. When we write a guide about Wizard point buy or Half-Elf builds, it's grounded in actual play experience, not just theory.

Who We Are

Our team includes longtime D&D players and DMs with 10+ years of experience at the table, TTRPG content writers who've covered 5e since the 2014 release, rules enthusiasts who follow Jeremy Crawford rulings and Sage Advice updates, and Adventurers League players who understand organized play optimization.

We don't fabricate credentials or claim official relationships we don't have. We're a group of people who love this game and want to make the character creation process better for everyone — from first-time players confused about the difference between point buy and rolling, to seasoned optimizers looking for precise build analysis.

Our reviewers verify all rules content against official WotC sources before publication. When rules are ambiguous or have been updated through errata or Sage Advice rulings, we note both the original and updated interpretations.

Our Approach to Content

We believe the D&D community deserves better than generic, keyword-stuffed content that uses real D&D terms as window dressing without actually knowing what they mean. You'll know immediately whether a guide was written by someone who's actually played the class — whether they understand why War Caster beats Lucky for a concentration Wizard, or why Sentinel + Polearm Master is the defining Fighter combo in tier 2 play.

We write content that we'd actually want to read. Specific examples, exact stat numbers, real scenarios from actual play at the table. We reference actual sourcebooks (PHB, DMG, Xanathar's, Tasha's, Mordenkainen's) and note when something is a Sage Advice ruling vs a RAW interpretation vs a common house rule.

We also take copyright seriously. We explain D&D mechanics in our own words and reference page numbers for further reading, but we don't reproduce verbatim text from WotC publications. This site is a fan resource that respects WotC's intellectual property.

The Calculator

The point buy calculator implements the exact mechanics from the 2014 Player's Handbook (page 13) and the 2024 Player's Handbook. The cost table, minimum/maximum scores, and racial bonus system are all based on official rules, verified against the books. We also support the Custom Lineage rules from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

We update the calculator and content whenever WotC releases relevant errata, new Sage Advice rulings, or new official sourcebooks. Our changelog tracks all significant updates. See our methodology page for a detailed explanation of how the calculator math works.

The calculator is free and will remain free. We don't require account creation, email submission, or payment of any kind. Your builds are saved locally in your browser's storage — we don't collect or store your character data on our servers.

Copyright & Trademark Notice

5e Point Buy Calculator is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast LLC. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, and all related trademarks, trade names, and character names are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. This is a fan-made tool created for the D&D community. We explain D&D rules in our own words and do not reproduce verbatim text from WotC publications.

Contact Us

Have a question, found an error, or want to suggest a feature? Visit our contact page to get in touch. We read every message and respond to rules questions and corrections within a few days.