D&D 5e Stat Roller — 4d6 Drop Lowest
Roll your D&D 5e ability scores using the standard 4d6 drop lowest method. Roll all at once or one at a time. Compare your result to the standard array (72 average).
Roll Ability Scores
How 4d6 Drop Lowest Works
The 4d6 drop lowest method is the most common dice rolling method for D&D 5e ability scores. For each of the six ability scores, you roll four six-sided dice (4d6) and discard (drop) the lowest die result. Add the remaining three dice together for your score.
For example: if you roll 5, 3, 4, 6, drop the 3 (lowest), and add 5+4+6 = 15. The dropped die is excluded from the total.
You do this six times to generate six scores, then assign them to your six ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) in any order you choose.
Average Results and What to Expect
The average single score from 4d6 drop lowest is approximately 12.24. Across six scores, you'd expect a total of around 73-74 — slightly higher than the standard array's 72.
The distribution has a significant range: a lucky roller might get 90+ (very powerful characters), while an unlucky roller might get 55-65 (weaker than the standard array). About 5% of full roll sets will total above 85; about 5% will total below 60.
Many DMs set a reroll threshold: if your total is below 65, or if no score is above 13, you can reroll the entire set. This protects against unplayable results while preserving the rolling experience.
Rolling vs Point Buy: The Statistics
On average, rolling produces results equivalent to point buy. The problem is variance — the standard deviation of a full roll set is around 8-10 points. In a group of four players all rolling, the luckiest roller might total 85 while the unluckiest totals 62 — a 23-point swing that creates a meaningful power gap.
Point buy eliminates this variance. Every player has exactly the same budget. The tradeoff is that rolling can produce scores that point buy cannot replicate (18 in a stat at character creation, for instance), and the anticipation of rolling creates a shared dramatic moment that point buy lacks.
Is Rolling Legal in Adventurers League?
No — Adventurers League (AL) requires either the standard array or point buy for character creation. Rolling stats is not permitted in organized play. If you're building an AL character, use the standard array tool or the point buy calculator.