Editorial Policy

Our Editorial Standards

Every piece of content on 5e Point Buy Calculator must meet the following standards before publication: rules accuracy (verified against primary WotC sources), practical utility (addresses real questions players and DMs have), authentic D&D voice (written by people who actually play the game), and copyright compliance (mechanical explanations in our own words, no verbatim PHB text).

We don't publish content just to fill a page. If we can't write something that's genuinely useful and accurate, we don't publish it. Our guides and build recommendations reflect actual play experience, not theoretical optimization that falls apart at the table.

Primary Sources We Use

• Player's Handbook (2014): The foundational rulebook for all 2014-era rules content, including point buy (page 13), ability scores, classes, races, and backgrounds.
• Player's Handbook (2024): The current edition for all 2024-era rules content, particularly the revised species/background ASI system.
• Dungeon Master's Guide (2014 & 2024): Encounter balance rules, XP tables, and variant rules including alternative stat generation methods.
• Sage Advice Compendium: Official Jeremy Crawford rulings on ambiguous rules questions. We note when a ruling is Sage Advice vs. Rules as Written (RAW).
• Adventurers League Player's Guide: For organized play rules including legal character creation methods and sourcebook restrictions.
• Official D&D Errata: Published corrections from WotC that update or clarify rules from original publications.
• Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Fizban's Treasury of Dragons: Supplemental sourcebooks referenced for content covered in those publications.

Rules Verification Process

Before publishing any rules explanation, our team verifies the claim against at least one primary source. For calculator features, we cross-reference the relevant PHB section and verify through manual calculation that our implementation produces correct results. For content that's been subject to errata or debate, we present the RAW interpretation and note any Sage Advice rulings that clarify the intent.

When rules are genuinely ambiguous or table-dependent (common in D&D), we say so explicitly. We don't pretend contested rules have clear answers when they don't. We prefer noting "this is commonly ruled X, but check with your DM" over providing false certainty.

Update Frequency

Major rules content (class pages, race pages, calculator features) is reviewed and updated whenever WotC publishes relevant errata, new sourcebooks, or significant Sage Advice rulings. This typically happens 2-4 times per year for active content areas.

All pages display their last-updated date. Our changelog tracks all significant content updates with dates, so you can assess how current any given page is. If you notice outdated information, please contact us — reader feedback is one of our primary update triggers.

Correction Policy

We correct factual errors promptly. If you find a rules mistake, point buy math error, or outdated information on any page, please use the contact form to report it. Include the specific page, the incorrect information, and the correct information with a source reference if possible.

Corrections are typically published within 48-72 hours of verification. We acknowledge significant corrections in the changelog to maintain transparency. We don't silently fix errors when a public correction is warranted.

Independence & Conflicts of Interest

This site may display advertising (via Google AdSense) to support operations. Advertising does not influence our content recommendations or editorial positions. We don't accept payment for positive coverage of third-party products, and we have no commercial relationship with Wizards of the Coast, D&D Beyond, or any other D&D product company.

Our tool, guide, and race/class recommendations are based solely on our team's assessment of mechanical effectiveness and educational value. We recommend Variant Human when it's actually the best choice for a build, not because of any commercial arrangement.