Both methods give you the same 27-point budget, so neither one makes a stronger character on paper. The difference is control. The standard array hands you six fixed numbers. Point buy hands you the budget and lets you decide how to spend it. Here's how they compare, with the actual numbers, and how to choose for your group.
The short answer
Use the standard array if you're new, short on time or playing a one-shot. Use point buy if you have a build in mind, want an even spread, or play a class that needs two high scores. Both methods are in the 2014 and 2024 Player's Handbook, so either one is fair game at most tables.
Side by side
| Standard array | Point buy | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 | Anything from 8 to 15, bought with 27 points |
| Total of all six | 72 | 69 to 75 |
| Point cost | Exactly 27 | Exactly 27 |
| Different spreads possible | 1 | 65 |
| Scores of 15 before bonuses | One | Up to three |
| Can avoid scores below 10 | No | Yes |
| Time at the table | Under a minute | A few minutes, or seconds with a calculator |
| Best for | New players and quick starts | Planned builds and experienced players |
The standard array is a point buy result
For reference, here is what each score costs with point buy, and the modifier it gives:
| Score | Point cost | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | −1 |
| 9 | 1 | −1 |
| 10 | 2 | +0 |
| 11 | 3 | +0 |
| 12 | 4 | +1 |
| 13 | 5 | +1 |
| 14 | 7 | +2 |
| 15 | 9 | +2 |
Price the array with the point buy table and you get 9 + 7 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 0 = 27. It's one of the 65 different spreads that point buy allows, chosen because it suits almost every class: one great score, two good ones, two average ones and a dump stat. So anything you can build with the array, you can also build with point buy. The reverse isn't true.
What point buy can do that the array can't
- Two high scores. STR 15, DEX 8, CON 13, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 15 gives a paladin both Strength and Charisma at 15 before bonuses. The array has only one 15.
- No weak spots. STR 14, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 10 has nothing below 10, which suits a character who has to do a bit of everything.
- The highest total. STR 13, DEX 13, CON 13, INT 12, WIS 12, CHA 12 adds up to 75, three more than the array, though it gives up the 15 entirely.
- Three 15s. STR 15, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 8 is legal. Few builds need it, but the option exists.
The catch is that more choice means more ways to waste points. A 13 costs a point more than a 12 for the same +1 modifier, and an even spread can leave your main ability lower than your class wants.
The same fighter, built both ways
Here's a Strength fighter made with each method. With the standard array: STR 15, DEX 13, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 8. With point buy: STR 15, DEX 13, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 8.
The point buy version drops Intelligence from 10 to 8, which frees 2 points, and spends them raising Constitution from 14 to 15. Add a +2 to Strength and a +1 to Constitution and the point buy fighter starts with 17 Strength and 16 Constitution, a +3 in both. The array fighter with the same bonuses has 17 Strength and 15 Constitution, so a +3 and a +2. One extra hit point per level for the price of a lower Intelligence score that a fighter rarely uses. Small, but it adds up over a campaign.
How bonuses change the picture
Bonuses are added after either method, and they never cost points. In the 2014 rules they come from your race; in the 2024 rules they come from your background, as +2 and +1 or as +1 to three scores. Either way, the array's single 15 becomes a 17, and its 13 can become a 14 to make the +1 count.
Point buy gets more out of the same bonuses because you can plan around them. Buy two 15s and the +2 and +1 turn them into a 17 and a 16, both +3. The array can only reach a 17 and a 15. For classes that live on one ability, like wizards or rogues, the gap mostly disappears.
Pros and cons
Standard array
- Pro: fast. Assign six numbers and you're done.
- Pro: balanced by design, with a 15 for your main ability and an 8 you can dump.
- Pro: easy for the DM to check, since every character uses the same six numbers.
- Con: characters at the table end up with the same shape.
- Con: no way to get two 15s, which hurts classes that lean on two abilities.
Point buy
- Pro: full control over every score.
- Pro: lets paladins, monks and other two-ability classes cover both needs.
- Pro: still balanced, because everyone spends the same 27 points.
- Con: slower, and the extra cost of 14 and 15 trips up new players.
- Con: easier to build something lopsided by accident.
Where rolling fits in
Rolling 4d6 and dropping the lowest averages about 73.5 for all six scores, a little more than either method. The spread is the real difference. Run the math and about 38% of rolled sets total less than the array's 72, while about 39% beat the best point buy total of 75. Roughly three sets in ten include a score of 7 or lower. That swing is fun for some groups and frustrating for others, especially when one player rolls an 18 and the next rolls a 6. If your table rolls, the stat roller shows every die so the results are easy to check.
Which should your table use?
- New players or a one-shot: the standard array. It's quick and nobody has to learn the cost table.
- A long campaign where builds matter: point buy. Players will live with these scores for months, so let them choose.
- A mixed group: let each player pick either method. Both cost 27 points, so nobody gets ahead.
- A table that wants dice with a safety net: a common house rule is to roll, but let anyone whose total comes in under 72 take the standard array instead.
Questions
Is the standard array weaker than point buy?
No. The array costs exactly 27 points, the same budget point buy gives you. Point buy only adds flexibility in how those points are spread.
Can I use racial or background bonuses with the standard array?
Yes. Bonuses work the same way with every method. Assign the array first, then add your +2 and +1, or +1, +1 and +1 under the 2024 rules.
Can the DM give more than 27 points?
Some DMs do for higher-powered games, often 30 or 32 points. That is a house rule. The standard rules in both Player's Handbooks use 27.
Try both in a minute
Open the point buy calculator and press Standard Array to load 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8. Then move points around to see what else the same 27 points can buy. The counter won't let you overspend, and your build is saved if you leave the page.
If you'd rather check a single number first, the ability score calculator shows the modifier and point cost for any score, and the full rules are on the point buy calculator page.