In this article, we’ll cover the basics of HP in D&D, including what they are, how you can calculate them, and how they work during combat. After reading this, you’ll have a solid understanding of HP and how to use it in your next D&D campaign. 

What Are Hit Points?

Hit points represent how well you can take hits. The HP number measures your character’s overall well-being. Constitution plays a crucial role in determining your HP. As you level up, you gain more HP based on your class, making you even tougher to defeat.

Role of HP

For living creatures, HP measures how close to falling unconscious. A character is bloodied and visibly injured when their HP falls below half. 

For an inanimate object, breaking it requires dealing a specific amount of damage. By managing your hit points, you can increase your chances of survival.

What Determines Player Hit Points?

Several factors determine your HP, including your character’s class, level, and some feats. You can also gain bonus hit points temporarily to increase your HP. Let’s look at these factors to understand better how they affect your HP.

Classes and Hit Dice

Your character’s class is the biggest factor in determining your HP. Each class has a specific Hit Die, which is a type of dice that’s rolled to determine how much HP you gain when you level up. Here is a list of classes and the Hit Die they use: 

So, characters with a higher Hit Die will normally have more hit points than characters with a lower Hit Die. Fighters and barbarians, for example, have a high HP and can take a beating. Wizards and Sorcerers, on the other hand, have a low HP and are “squishy” but make up for it with powerful spells.

Levels and Level Ups

At the first level, your HP will equal your class’s max Hit Die roll plus your Constitution Modifier. If I play a Level 1 Wizard with a Constitution Score of 9, my HP would equal 6 + (-1). With only 5 HP I’ll have to be careful! Here is a formula you can use when calculating your HP at Level 1:

(Max roll on your class’s Hit Die) + (Constitution Modifier)

You’ll level up and gain more HP as you progress through the game. Each time you level up, you roll your class’s Hit Die and add that number to your total HP. You also add your Constitution modifier with every level. Here is a formula you could use to estimate a character’s HP at any level:

(One max roll on your Hit Die) + ([Level] Rolls on your Hit Die) + (Consitution Modifier × [Level])

If you use this on a level 15 Barbarian with a Constitution Score of 18, it would be like this:

12 + (15 Rolls on your d12) + (4 × 15)

Even if you have a negative Constitution Modifier, you will always gain a minimum of 1 HP upon leveling up. You can retroactively gain HP for every level if your Constitution goes up. So, if at level 8, your Constitution goes from 13 (+1 Mod) to 14 (+2 Mod), you will get an extra +7 HP, one HP from each level that was originally a +1 Con Mod.

Feats

Feats, or Features, give your character special properties. Some feats can directly increase your HP, such as the Tough feat, which adds an extra 2 HP per level. This feat is great for those looking to get a little more health at every level!

Player Tip: Feats like Dwarven Fortitude, Durable, or Infernal Constitution boost your Constitution. By increasing your Constitution, you indirectly improve HP.

Special Hit Points

Temporary Hit Points

Besides regular hit points, some abilities, spells, or effects may grant you temporary hit points. Temp hit points are a separate pool of HP added to your regular hit points and last for a limited time.

Temp HP can be a buffer in combat, absorbing damage and helping you avoid losing regular HP. However, it’s important to note that temp HP doesn’t stack. If you receive new temp HP while still having some leftover, you only keep the higher amount. Healing also does not affect Temp HP.

Temporary Increase/Decrease Max HP

You can also increase your max HP temporarily using spells, unlike temp HP, which acts more like a shield that absorbs damage for you; increasing your HP maximum acts like regular HP. The spells Aid and Heros’ Feast temporarily increase your HP max. Unlike Temp HP, you can also stack these effects. 

Conversely, some monsters can use attacks that decrease your max HP. Chasmes are mosquito-like fiends that can suck the life out of you. They can use their proboscis to drain and decrease your max HP. You will die if your max HP is 0; no saving throws for you!

NPC and Monster Hit Points

In addition to player characters, non-player characters (NPCs) and monsters also have hit points. Understanding how NPC and monster hit points work can help you during combat.

Regular NPCs and Objects

Regular NPCs, like shopkeepers or quest-givers, have hit points too. The Commoner stat block is the best for these types of NPCs. Attacking regular NPCs can draw unwanted attention or harm your reputation.

Objects, like doors or chains, have hit points that determine their durability. The object is destroyed or broken once its hit points are reduced to zero. Here is the suggested HP got objects from the Dungeon Master’s Guide:

Weapons usually can’t damage very large objects such as stone walls or buildings, but there may be other creative ways to destroy them. It’s up to the DM to decide whether you can destroy something or not.

DM Tip: You may consider giving them damage thresholds if you run combat between two large ships. That means any single attack that does less than X amount does zero damage to the ship!

Monsters and Enemies

Monsters and enemies in D&D have hit points that also determine their vitality. These hit points can vary depending on the creature’s size, type, and challenge rating. The stronger the monster, the higher the HP.

DMs can find a monster HP in the creature stat block. The HP can either be set, or you can roll dice to decide. Some creatures can heal themselves or be harder to hit because of their unique abilities.

Minions

Minions are a type of enemy that is not officially in D&D 5e but was a part of D&D 4e. These are a special type of enemy with only 1 HP and will instantly die if hit. You can use minions to create a large group of monsters your players need to mow down to progress.

Player vs Nonplayer HP

Payer characters’ and nonplayer characters’ HP are similar but different. Player character HP is calculated using their class, level, feats, and temporary bonuses. Nonplayer characters’ HP is determined by the stat block or what the DM has decided.

NPCs can still pose a threat in combat despite players having more control over their HP. Monsters have higher HP than player characters, as they are designed to battle many players at once. A challenging battle against a lone monster requires the group’s HP to be on par with the monster’s HP.

Hit Points During Battle

Hit points are the lifeblood of battles in D&D, ebbing and flowing with every strike and spell. If a character’s hit points reach zero, they fall unconscious and make death-saving throws. To win battles in D&D, managing hit points and using healing wisely is important.

Taking Damage

In combat, characters can take damage from various sources, such as weapons, spells, or traps. Each attack that hits a character will reduce their HP by the damage dealt.

There are different types of damage, including piercing, slashing, fire, cold, and more. Some things resist certain damage types, so knowing what works before you attack is good.

Characters can also take extra damage from effects like poison or ongoing spells. Tracking all sources of damage can help a player avoid being overwhelmed. Having a good Armor Class can also help you endure more hits!

Death and Saving Throws

If a character’s hit points go to zero, they fall unconscious and make death-saving throws. On each turn, the character rolls a d20, and if they roll 10 or higher, they succeed on a saving throw. If they roll less than 10, they fail. If a character gets three successful saves, they stabilize. If they get three failures, they die.

Exceeding your max HP through damage can cause instant death for a character. So if your max HP is 20 and you take 40 damage, you die! Additionally, some monsters or spells have effects that can kill a character instantly.

Having a plan for healing or reviving fallen comrades in combat is important. Use spells like Healing Word or Cure Wounds to revive a character before they fail too many death-saving throws. If a character dies, some spells like Revivify or Reincarnate can bring them back to life.

Healing

There are various ways to restore a character’s hit points during or after combat. Healing spells, Potions, and Magic Items can all restore a character’s hit points. Healing spells may have restrictions, such as a limited number of uses or requiring touch. Additionally, some spells may restore hit points over time rather than instantly.

Characters can also take a short rest to regain hit points. This takes 1-hour in-game, so you must do it before or after combat. You determine the healing by rolling your Hit Dice. You have Hit Dice equal to your character’s level. 

You can restore all lost HP and abilities by taking a long rest, typically for 8 hours.  You also gain up to half your level in hit dice used during a short rest.

To Sum It Up

Hit points are a fundamental aspect of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, determining a character’s physical and mental durability. A player’s class, level, and Constitution score affect their HP, and feats can also increase their health. Temporary hit points also provide extra protection during combat. Understanding the basics of HP is crucial for surviving in the world of D&D.

Did you enjoy the article? Share this with your friends to help them understand more about HP! Leave a comment about anything I missed. Thanks for reading!

Armor Class is important in combat because it determines whether you succeed or fail in protecting yourself. This guide provides a comprehensive understanding of Armor Class. It covers Armor Class basics, the impact items, enhancements, and other bonuses. 

What is AC?

Armor class, or AC, is a character’s ability to block or dodge an attack. When you or the enemy make an attack roll, you check AC to determine if it hits. If the attack roll is less than the AC, the attack misses. If the attack roll is equal to or greater than the AC, the attack hits.

Some attacks, like high-level spells, don’t check AC and instead have the target make a saving throw. A high AC doesn’t guarantee protection in all situations. Armor that gives a high AC can make it harder to pass Dexterity saving throws. You may feel indestructible in full plate armor, but one unexpected Fireball can burn you to a crisp.

AC for NPCs

While I’ll mostly focus on AC from the player’s perspective, it’s always important to note that these can also apply to Nonplayer Characters (NPCs) you make as a DM. For enemy NPCs and monsters, refer to its stat block for AC. For regular NPCs, an AC of 12 is reasonable.

DM Tip: Armor class isn’t only for living things; objects also have AC! Paper has an AC of 11, while adamantine has an AC of 23. Check out the details here.

You can also adjust AC to the enemy’s challenge rating. CR 1 enemies have an AC of around 13, while CR 20 enemies have an AC of around 19. You may adjust the AC based on the armor the enemy is wearing or other AC Bonuses they might have.

Using Armor

Everyone can wear armor to increase their AC, but not everyone can maximize its effectiveness. Your class determines your Proficiency in different types of armor and shields. Here’s a breakdown of armor proficiencies by class:

Wearing armor that your character isn’t proficient in will give you a penalty on Strength or Dexterity checks. You can’t cast spells wearing armor or wielding a shield if you aren’t proficient!

Types of Armor

Armor has three main categories: light, medium, and heavy. You can also use no armor. Depending on what type of armor you wear changes how you will calculate AC. Sorcerers often wear plain clothing, such as robes, while Paladins wear heavy armor.

Light Armor

Light armor is the most common type of armor. It is cheap, and 10 classes can use it without issue. Here is a list of the 3 types of light armor and no armor:

Wearing light armor is a great way to improve your character’s AC with minimal drawbacks, as long as you are proficient with it! Light armor also uses your Dexterity modifier to determine the final AC. Check out how Dexterity and other stats are determined here.

Medium Armor

Medium armor is when armor starts to get more complex. Here are the 5 types of medium armor:

Medium armor allows you to use your Dex mod when calculating your AC, but only up to +2. You must choose between price, protection, and stealthiness when picking medium armor.

Heavy armor

The highest level of armor is heavy armor, normally used by Fighters and Paladins. Heavy armor protects those who fight on the frontlines of battle. Here are the 4 types of heavy armor:

Mundane heavy armor always has a disadvantage on Stealth checks, while only specific types of light and medium armor have this penalty. Some of the armor requires a minimum Strength Score, too! Heavy armor gives you a flat AC, so your dexterity modifier won’t affect your AC.

Shields

Shields are a sheet of metal or wood that you attach to your arm to help block attacks. This simple item gives you a +2 to your AC. Be careful, with a shield equipped, you won’t be able to do much with the hand that it’s in. Enchantment can improve the defenses of a shield up to +5!

Magic Armor

Magical enchantments can improve armor or give it special effects. Listing all magic armor would take too long, so go and explore what kinds of magic armor are available for yourself!

I mention two special metals that make armor magical: Adamantine and Mithral. It gains a special benefit if medium or heavy armor (excluding hide) is made with one of these metals. 

Adamantine is the hardest substance in existence. Armor made with adamantine stops critical hits against you, turning them into normal hits. 

Mithral is a light, flexible metal. Armor made from Mithral no longer causes a disadvantage on Stealth checks and has no Strength requirements to wear. 

DM Tip: Putting on and taking off armor takes time. The time it takes depends on the type of armor. The Player’s Handbook calls it Donning (putting on) and Doffing (talking off) if you want to know the details. Most of the time, your players won’t be pressured to don or take off your armor.

Race Bonuses

Natural armor, like scales, shells, or exoskeletons, protects a creature. A Tortle’s shell is an extreme example. If you play a Tortle character, your base AC will be 17, but you won’t benefit from donning armor.

Lizardfolk have neutral armor with a base AC of 13 + Dex modifier. Lizardfolks won’t benefit from leather armor but may benefit from Plate armor. If you have more than one way to calculate your AC, always pick the highest one, as effects don’t normally stack

Class Bonuses

Some classes may have special bonuses to AC. Barbarians and Monks both have the level 1 feature of Unarmored Defence. If a Barbarian isn’t wearing armor, their base AC is 10 + Dex Mod + Constitution Mod. If a Monk isn’t wearing armor, their base AC is 10 + Dex Mod + Wisdom Mod.

Your Subclass may give you special armor effects. A Wizard Subclass, School of Invention, from this Unearthed Arcana has the feature Arcanomechanical Armor. It gives you proficiency in light armor and an enchanted suit of studded leather armor.

Look at your class features to find the special bonuses and modifiers you use for your AC.

Using Spells

Most spell casters will find that they have no armor proficiencies. These characters will be more vulnerable than their armored companions. Do not worry because there are ways to use magic to increase your AC.

Mage Armor is one common spell you can find in any cautious Sorcerer’s spell list. This first-level spell will give you an 8-hour boost to your AC. Here is the calculation for creatures wearing mage armor:

13 + Dexterity Modifier = AC

Mage Armor doesn’t stack with other armor effects. If you give mage armor to a creature with natural armor or Unarmoured defense, use whichever gives the highest AC.

Shield, another first-level spell, gives a +5 bonus to your AC. You use this spell as a reaction in battle, and it will last till the start of your next turn.

Other Bonuses to AC

Here are some extra ways to up your AC in the heat of combat!

You gain a bonus to AC by taking cover behind an object or structure. Half cover gives you a +2 bonus to AC. Three-quarters cover gives you a +5 to your AC. Finally, full cover makes it so you can’t be directly targeted by spells!

Player tip: If an enemy uses cover to defend from your attacks, try targeting them indirectly. If you have an area of effect spell, you can use it to hit them even if they have full cover.

The Dodge action doesn’t increase your AC, but it does cause disadvantage on attacks against you. If you need to survive, it’s a great action since AC can’t always save you. It’s good to try to have extra hit points. 

To Sum It Up

Now you know that Armor Class (AC) determines a character’s ability to block or dodge attacks. Armor proficiency and armor type affect the AC calculation. You can also utilize class features and Magic to increase your AC. But remember, a high AC does not always guarantee protection from all attacks.

If you liked the article, please share it with friends so that they can understand AC better. If I missed anything about AC, please leave it in the comments to help your fellow players!

Perception will be one of the most used skills during your D&D adventure. I will be explaining what Perception is and how to use it passively. As a note, while this article focuses on how you use passive Perception, you can apply the same game mechanics to something like passive Insight or passive Arcana.

What is Perception?

Perception is about a Player’s or an NPC’s overall awareness. You could notice the smell of a delicious food stand nearby, a mysterious figure slipping through the crowd, or the feeling of your coin pack getting lighter.

You might only think of sight when dealing with Perception checks, but consider other senses like smell, touch, and even taste! Some creatures or NPCs may have special abilities that increase Perception checks, such as a heightened sense of smell or the ability to see invisible creatures.

Storytime: A friend of mine once wanted to play as a blind Monk. Being blind meant that she would always fail sight-based perception checks. As compensation, the DM gave her character a bonus on sound and touch-based perception.

Perception VS Investigation

Perception and Investigation are often compared to each other. I would say the main difference between the two is Perception shows you WHAT something is, while Investigation helps you understand WHY something is. The two also use two separate Ability Scores.

Ability and Skill Scores

Perception is a skill that is based on the Player’s Wisdom Score. Wisdom also affects Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, and Survival skills. A character’s ability scores show how good a character is at certain things. This means that the higher your character’s ability score is, the higher your ability modifier will be for skill checks.

If you want to learn more about what ability scores are and to determine your scores, check out my guide on how to roll for your character’s stats.

DM Tip: Always consider what Ability is best for a situation.  You may use Intelligence to help you navigate a city, but Wisdom helps you tell the safe parts from the dangerous parts of a city. Let Players get creative with how they might use their Abilities!

Skills are an extension of the ability score. Most non-attacking options may fall under one of the Player’s skills. When making a character, you will have the opportunity to give yourself proficiency or expertise in different skills. Proficiency and expertise give a bonus to your skills, whether you use them actively or passively!

What is Passive Wisdom?

As I said before, the term “passive Perception” is called “passive Wisdom” in official books. What makes it passive? Passive means that it’s how good a character is at something without trying. Passive Wisdom is the awareness and intuition of a character at any given moment.

Passive Wisdom (Perception) is how well they notice through their senses. This suggests that there could be passive Wisdom (Insight) showing how well someone is at noticing lies.

DM Tip: You can use passive checks for other abilities too! If a Player is a strong barbarian, you might allow them to pick up a heavy barrel without needing to roll, but you might have the weak wizard roll because you don’t think their passive strength is good enough.

Passive Checks

Most checks use a d20, so we calculate passive checks by adding 10 to whatever normal modifiers you would add to the roll. Passive checks are normally a tool for the DM to use to help streamline gameplay.

Passive checks allow things to happen without your Players having to roll anytime they want to do something. Perception is the first thing that Players use to see a new place. DMs can use a Player’s passive Perception as a baseline for what the players notice when they first enter a room.

Passive Skills and Skill Floors

So, if passive Perception is so useful, what about other skills? Why roll at all if I could use a +10 instead? Well, some DMs may consider letting players use passive skills instead of having them roll.

Generally, DM’s separate ability checks into different difficulty classes. Passive checks let Players pass easy DCs without needing to risk a roll. Every DM might have a different rule when it comes to passive ability checks. ALWAYS follow the DM’s Guidance, as there are no hard rules for passive checks outside of Wisdom.

Perception checks are a bit more complicated since players are always perceiving. Jeremy Crawford talks about passive Perception in an episode of Dragon Talk around the 22-minute mark. He says that passive Perception is always on unless the character is unconscious. Passive Perception of 10 + their modifiers will still be the floor of their Perception skill even if they roll below a 10 on an active Perception check. 

Using Passive Perception

For Players

Passive Perception is often used by Player characters for the following actions:

• Noticing hidden threats, especially while traveling
• Detecting secret doors (but not opening them)
• Feeling a pickpocket
• Seeing a trap before it is triggered
• Being awoken while asleep
• Tasting off flavors

Passive Perception scores can be useful in situations where a character might not be actively looking for danger. This could be when they are traveling through a dangerous area, talking with an NPC who might deceive them, or eating at a party full of political enemies.

The simple way to calculate passive perception is:

10 + any modifiers that you would use for Perception

You can also add 5 for advantage and subtract 5 for disadvantage. It’s often up to the DM to decide when a player has advantage or disadvantage on passive Perception checks.

If you are in a loud crowded area, a DM may give disadvantage on sound-based passive Perception. However, in an empty cathedral, they may give you advantage on sound-based passive Perception.

Player Tip: When traveling as a group, be careful, because if you choose to move at a fast pace you will take a -5 penalty to your passive Perception! So you’ll have to choose between safety or speed.

Improve Your Passive Perception

Improving your passive Perception can give your party an edge in finding secrets or helping to avoid surprise attacks. Here are a few ways to up your passive Perception score:

• Improving your Wisdom ability score can increase the modifier that impacts perception
• Magic items that help perception, like the Eyes of the Eagle
• Magic items that increase wisdom, like the Ioun Stone of Insight
• Taking that Observant feat gives you a +5 bonus to passive Perception
• Gaining proficiency or expertise in Perception

It is normally up to the DM to decide what you see during a Player’s passive Perception check. Even if the DM is conservative with how they use passive Perception, most of these methods will help improve your active Perception too.

Many things go into passive Perception. Here is a more complicated formula that can show you every piece that might go into passive Perception (depending on the character, most of the variables could be 0):

10 + (Wisdom Modifier) + (Perception Proficiency or Expertise bonus) + (Bonus from the Observant feat) + (Class bonus to Perception) + (Race bonus to Perception) + (Item Bonus to Perception) + (5 for advantage or -5 for disadvantage) – (5 if traveling at a fast pace)

For Monsters and NPCs

Passive Perception works the same for monsters and NPCs as it does for players. The DM will need to check passive Perception to decide if the pickpocketing Rouge gets caught.

Here is a list of actions the Players might do that would need a DM to consult passive Perception.

• Pickpocketing NPCs
• Preparing an ambush
• Sneaking through a guarded dungeon
• Speaking in the presence of a non-magically asleep NPC or Monster

DM Tip: Get creative! If you are running a campaign focusing on espionage, you may want to use passive Perception as a trigger for NPCs to begin actively perceiving, giving Players a chance to hide again. 

You can calculate passive Perception the same way it is done for players. Often, passive Perseption is on a monster stat block. If it’s not on the stat block, or it’s for something without a stat block, you can calculate it like this: 

10 + Wisdom Modifier + Any Perception bonuses

You can also add or subtract 5 for advantage and disadvantage, which also affects preset passive Perception. The challenge rating of an NPC or Monster could also help you determine or edit its passive Perception, you can learn more about challenge rating here.

Final Thoughts

Passive Perception is a great tool for DMs to use to help keep the game running smoothly and move the narrative forward without needing to stop and roll for things that should be easy to see. As a Player, having high passive Perception can help you easily see secrets, but it’s always up to the DM to determine what you see without actively looking.

I hope you enjoyed the article, and please comment with any opinions or things you think I missed. You can also share this with a DM who you wish would use passive Perception more!

Dice

Dice makes the D&D world go round. To roll, you need dice. While most of you already know about dice, this is for the few who may need the information before diving in. 

There are 6 main dice used in D&D. These are the d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. There is also the d100, or percentile dice, which use two d10s. D is short for die, the singular word for dice, and the number is the number of sides on the die. So, a d12 is a twelve-sided die. Having physical dice or using an online dice roller will help you as you go through this article. 

Making A New Character

Creating a new character can be a fun and exciting experience but also overwhelming for new players. Looking at your empty Character Sheet may make you feel uncertain, but follow along so we can fill it out together!

Character Classes

A good first step for creating a new character is choosing a class. The class determines your character’s abilities, skills, and role in the party. There are 12 classes in the Player’s Handbook, each with a unique set of features and abilities. Look at the classes and their abilities before you decide which class to play, or you can let fate decide! Pick from this list by rolling your d12:

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything officially added a 13th class, the Artificer. If you are using D&D Beyond, you may also notice the Blood Hunter class. Blood Hunter is an example of an unofficial class made by Matt Mercer. 

Players make all kinds of unique classes and subclasses you could use! Game material made by players is called Homebrew and is not considered official. If you like a Homebrew class, talk to your DM to see if it’s okay for you to play it.

Character Races

After selecting a class, you can choose a race for your character. Your race determines your character’s physical traits and abilities. There are 9 core races to choose from in the Player’s Handbook. Unlike Classes, Wizards of the Coast has added more playable races in extended material. 

Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse added a whopping 33 playable races! I can’t list or talk about all the races because that’s something you should explore yourself. Want to leave it up to chance? Here is another list that you can roll a d20 to determine your race:

Ability Scores

Ability scores are the core of your character’s inherent physical and mental skills. Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are the six abilities. Each one is represented by a number between 1 and 20. They influence your skill checks, saving throws, and combat rolls. What abilities are useful depends on your class. Here is a quick breakdown of the abilities and what classes they are important to.

Strength

Strength represents a character’s physical power, athleticism, and ability to exert force. If you choose a Fighter, Barbarian, or Paladin, they rely on physical attacks. A high Strength score lets you deal more damage, carry heavier gear, and perform physical tasks like jumping or climbing.

Dexterity

Dexterity represents a character’s agility and finesse. It is important for characters who rely on ranged combat, such as Rogues, Rangers, and Bards. A high Dexterity score will allow you to avoid attacks, sneak around, and perform acrobatic maneuvers. Dexterity is often used to calculate your armor class too!

Constitution

Constitution is important for all characters as it affects your hit points. It also helps you resist things like poison, disease, and exhaustion. A high Constitution score will allow you to last longer in combat, survive harsh environments, and drink excessive amounts of ale. Of all classes, Barbarians care most about Constitution.

Intelligence

Intelligence represents a character’s technical knowledge, such as in history or the arcane. Wizards, Artificers, and Knowledge Domain Clerics rely on Intelligence for their magical attacks. A high Intelligence score will allow you to cast more spells, learn things quickly, and solve puzzles.

Wisdom

Wisdom could be considered a character’s “common sense” or intuition. It is crucial for Clerics, Druids, and Rangers because they rely on perception and connecting with nature and gods. A high Wisdom score will allow you to sense danger, detect hidden doors, and make sound judgments.

Charisma

Charisma, or as the kids call it “Rizz,” is about how well a character talks, looks, or acts. Sorcerers, Paladins, Warlocks, and Bards use Charisma when casting their spells. A high Charisma score will also allow you to influence others, convince them to do things, and perform feats of showmanship.

DM Tip: If you are feeling ambitious, you can Homebrew your own custom Abilities. Integrity could measure how well your character is in a given domain. Resilience could be the Constitution of the mind.

Lets Roll!

Now that you have picked the Race and Class of your character, it is time to roll your stats! Rolling your base stats is consistent across all characters, but you should distribute the stats based on your class. The rules for rolling stats go like this:

1. Roll your d6 4 times, and write down each number
2. Remove the lowest of the 4 results
3. Add the 3 remaining results together
4. Repeat 5 more times so you have 6 numbers, one for each Ability Score
5. Assign each number to an ability score
6. Add any class, racial, or feat bonuses to the scores

For some, this may be all you are looking for, but if you still feel lost, let’s go through each step together.

Step-by-step guide on rolling for stats 

I just created my new Human Fighter character, Viktorin Di. Now I will roll to see what his Ability Scores will be. Take my d6 and roll… 1… 1… 5… 5… Now let’s take out one of the 1s since it was the lowest roll. That leaves us with 1 + 5 + 5 = 11. Let’s do it 5 more times to get all 6 Scores.

2… 5… 6… 5… Remove 2… 5 + 6 + 5 = 16

6… 4… 3… 3… Remove 3… 6 + 4 + 3 = 13

5… 5… 1… 2… Remove 1… 5 + 5 + 2 = 12

2… 2… 4… 2… Remove 2… 2 + 2 + 4 = 8

1… 5… 1… 3… Remove 1… 5 + 3 + 1 = 9

Now, my Ability Scores pool is 11, 16, 13, 12, 8, and 9. Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity are my most important abilities as a fighter. Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma aren’t as useful to a Fighter. I’ll be assigning my base Scrores like this:

Remember to check if you have any racial bonuses for your Ability Scores. Since I am playing a Standard Human, I can add 1 to each of my Ability Scores. Meaning my Scores at level 1 would be:

If you are starting at a level higher than 1, you must go through and add things based on your class. You can increase your Ability Scores at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level. Once you have completed your base stats, you can add other aspects such as skill, tool, or language proficiencies. You gain these proficiencies from your Race, Class, and Background.

Rolling for other things

D&D sourcebooks often have tables similar to the ones earlier in this article. It can be for randomizing character traits, worldbuilding, or NPCs. When you find these tables you can use them to add extra flavor to your campaign.

While I have encouraged a lot of dice rolling and randomization, you can always opt to choose whatever Class, Race, or added flavor you want. If you don’t want to randomize your stats, there is another way to determine them!

Point buy option

Rolling stats can lead to characters with very high or very low scores. Point buy avoids the risk of some players having weaker characters due to unlucky rolls. Many DMs may prefer point buy for this reason.

Unlike with rolling, the max a stat can be before adding your racial bonuses is 15. All stats start at a minimum of 8, and it costs you points to increase that number. You have 27 points to spend. Here is a chart for how many points each score is worth: 

Here is an example of how my Human fighter’s stats might have looked using the point buy method:

This is before I add one to every Ability Score for being a Standard Human. Since many of the stats are on an odd number, when I add one, the modifier will go up!

To Sum It Up

Choosing a Class and race and rolling for Ability Scores are important steps in creating your unique D&D character. Remember to consider what abilities are important to your chosen class, and don’t be afraid to let fate make some of those choices for you!

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