The 5e standard array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8
Six fixed numbers, assigned once and never negotiated: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8. The array exists so that a table can start play without anyone spending a budget, and every character built this way begins from an identical set of scores.
Assign the six numbers
Each number is used exactly once. Drop the same value into two abilities and the assignment stops being the standard array, so the totals below refuse to report until all six are placed and distinct.
Standard array assignment
Valid assignment — each of the six numbers used exactly once.
| Ability | Assigned | Species bonus | Total | Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STR | +0 | 15 | +2 | |
| DEX | +0 | 14 | +2 | |
| CON | +0 | 13 | +1 | |
| INT | +0 | 12 | +1 | |
| WIS | +0 | 10 | +0 | |
| CHA | +0 | 8 | -1 |
Species and background increases apply on top of the assigned number, exactly as they do on a bought array. Under the 2014 rules the bonus comes from the species; under the 2024 rules it comes from the background instead.
What the array costs in point buy
The array is not an alternative to the 27-point budget so much as one particular result of it. Priced through the published cost table it comes to exactly 27, which is why a table can offer both methods and treat the outcomes as equivalent.
| Number | Point cost | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 9 | +2 |
| 14 | 7 | +2 |
| 13 | 5 | +1 |
| 12 | 4 | +1 |
| 10 | 2 | +0 |
| 8 | 0 | -1 |
| Total | 9 + 7 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 0 = 27 | |
Spreads point buy can reach and this array cannot
What point buy adds is the spreads the array cannot reach. The array always has one 15, one 8, and four numbers in between; a budget can be spent on a shape that is flatter, or far more lopsided, for the same 27 points.
- 15 / 15 / 15 / 8 / 8 / 8 — 27 points
- Three maximum scores at once. The array has exactly one 15 and no way to make a second.
- 14 / 14 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 8 — 27 points
- Three 14s, which suits a class that needs two abilities and Constitution behind them.
- 13 / 13 / 13 / 12 / 12 / 12 — 27 points
- The flattest legal spread there is: no score below 12 and no dump stat anywhere.
The comparison only runs one way. Because the array costs exactly 27, everything it can produce is something the budget can also buy, so there is no spread on this page that point buy is unable to reach.
Standard array questions
What is the standard array in 5e?
It is the fixed set 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8, assigned one number to each ability in whatever order suits the character. No dice are rolled and no budget is spent, so two players who both use it start from the same six numbers.
Is the standard array better than point buy?
Neither is stronger, because the array costs exactly 27 points under the purchase table. The array is faster and removes a decision; point buy is worth the extra minutes only if the character wants a spread the array cannot produce, such as three 15s.
Can you rearrange the standard array?
Yes. The six numbers are fixed but their placement is entirely free, and choosing which ability takes the 15 and which takes the 8 is the whole of the decision. What you cannot do is change a number, use one twice, or leave one out.
Does the standard array include racial bonuses?
No. The six numbers are what you assign before any increase is applied. A 2014 species bonus or a 2024 background bonus is added afterwards, so a 15 with a +2 becomes a 17 and the array itself is unchanged.
What is the best way to assign the standard array?
Put the 15 on the ability your class attacks or casts with, the 14 on Constitution or the second ability your subclass needs, and the 8 on the ability nothing in your build reads. The 13 is worth watching if you intend to multiclass.
Where to go next
- Roll 4d6 drop lowest — The third method, and the only one where two players at the same table can end up with very different totals.
- The full modifier table — What each assigned number is actually worth once it is on the sheet.
- spend the 27 points instead