[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":337},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page-\u002Fwiki\u002Fcreating-a-character\u002Fability-scores":3,"navigation-main":218},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":210,"extension":211,"meta":212,"navigation":213,"path":214,"seo":215,"stem":216,"__hash__":217},"wiki\u002Fwiki\u002F4.creating-a-character\u002F4.ability-scores.md","Ability Scores",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":203},"minimark",[9,18,37,42,53,136,139,149,155,159,176,183,187,195],[10,11,12,13,17],"p",{},"Six numbers describe what your character is physically and mentally capable of.\nEverything else on the sheet is a modifier applied to a roll made with one of\nthem, so this is the step that decides what your character is ",[14,15,16],"em",{},"good"," at.",[10,19,20,21,26,27,31,32,36],{},"What matters at the table is not the score but its\n",[22,23],"tooltip",{"label":24,"tooltip-key":25},"modifier","rules\u002Fability-score-and-modifier"," — the\nnumber you actually add to an\n",[22,28],{"label":29,"tooltip-key":30},"ability check","rules\u002Fability-check",", a\n",[22,33],{"label":34,"tooltip-key":35},"saving throw","rules\u002Fsaving-throw"," or an attack.\nScores go up in steps of one; modifiers go up in steps of two. An odd score\nbuys nothing on its own, which is the single most useful fact on this page.",[38,39,41],"h2",{"id":40},"three-ways-to-get-your-six-numbers","Three ways to get your six numbers",[10,43,44,48,49,52],{},[45,46,47],"strong",{},"Point buy"," is the default, and the only one that guarantees every character\nat the table starts equally capable. You have ",[45,50,51],{},"27 points",", every ability\nstarts at 8, and you raise them by paying from this table:",[54,55,56,69],"table",{},[57,58,59],"thead",{},[60,61,62,66],"tr",{},[63,64,65],"th",{},"Score",[63,67,68],{},"Cost",[70,71,72,81,89,97,105,113,121,129],"tbody",{},[60,73,74,78],{},[75,76,77],"td",{},"8",[75,79,80],{},"0",[60,82,83,86],{},[75,84,85],{},"9",[75,87,88],{},"1",[60,90,91,94],{},[75,92,93],{},"10",[75,95,96],{},"2",[60,98,99,102],{},[75,100,101],{},"11",[75,103,104],{},"3",[60,106,107,110],{},[75,108,109],{},"12",[75,111,112],{},"4",[60,114,115,118],{},[75,116,117],{},"13",[75,119,120],{},"5",[60,122,123,126],{},[75,124,125],{},"14",[75,127,128],{},"7",[60,130,131,134],{},[75,132,133],{},"15",[75,135,85],{},[10,137,138],{},"No score can go below 8 or above 15 at this stage. The costs are deliberately\nuneven at the top — going from 13 to 14 costs 2 points, and 14 to 15 costs 2\nmore — so a single maximised ability is paid for by two mediocre ones.",[10,140,141,144,145,148],{},[45,142,143],{},"The standard array"," is point buy with the decision already made for you:\n",[45,146,147],{},"15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8",", assigned to the six abilities in whatever order you\nlike. It costs nothing to think about and lands in the same place as a sensible\npoint buy.",[10,150,151,154],{},[45,152,153],{},"Rolling"," is the traditional method: roll four d6, drop the lowest, six times.\nIt can produce a character stronger than either method above, and it can produce\none meaningfully weaker. Ask your DM before assuming the table uses it, because\nit is the one method where two characters can start unequal.",[38,156,158],{"id":157},"then-add-your-background","Then add your background",[10,160,161,162,167,168,171,172,175],{},"Your ",[163,164,166],"a",{"href":165},"\u002Fwiki\u002Fcreating-a-character\u002Forigin","background"," raises three of your\nabilities, after the method above rather than before it. You either add ",[45,169,170],{},"+2 to\none and +1 to another",", or ",[45,173,174],{},"+1 to three",".",[10,177,178,179,182],{},"Do this in the right order and it pays for itself: point buy stops at 15, so a\n15 plus a background's +2 is a ",[45,180,181],{},"17"," — a number the method alone cannot reach,\nand the difference between a +2 and a +3 modifier on everything your class does.\nChoosing the background first and squeezing the points around it is how people\nend up one point short of an even number.",[38,184,186],{"id":185},"where-each-ability-shows-up","Where each ability shows up",[10,188,189,190,194],{},"The six are covered in full on\n",[163,191,193],{"href":192},"\u002Fwiki\u002Fplaying-the-game\u002Fthe-six-abilities","The Six Abilities",". For this step,\nthe short version is that your class names one primary ability, your two\nsaving throw proficiencies come from that class, and Constitution quietly\nmatters to everyone, because it raises every Hit Point total you will ever roll.",[10,196,197,198,202],{},"If you would rather see the arithmetic than do it, the\n",[163,199,201],{"href":200},"\u002Ftools\u002Fability-scores","Ability Score Calculator"," runs all three methods and\napplies your background's increases for you.",{"title":204,"searchDepth":205,"depth":205,"links":206},"",2,[207,208,209],{"id":40,"depth":205,"text":41},{"id":157,"depth":205,"text":158},{"id":185,"depth":205,"text":186},"Six numbers describe what your character is physically and mentally capable of.\nEverything else on the sheet is a modifier applied to a roll made with one of\nthem, so this is the step that decides what your character is good 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