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Using Ability 12–13 +1
+2
14–15
16–17 +3
Scores 18–19 +4
+5
20–21
22–23 +6
Six abilities provide a quick description of every 24–25 +7
creature’s physical and mental characteristics: 26–27 +8
+9
• Strength, measuring physical power 28–29 +10
30
• Dexterity, measuring agility
• Constitution, measuring endurance To determine an ability modifier without
• Intelligence, measuring reasoning and memory consulting the table, subtract 10 from the ability
• Wisdom, measuring perception and insight score and then divide the total by 2 (round down).
• Charisma, measuring force of personality Because ability modifiers affect almost every
Is a character muscle- bound and insightful? Brilliant attack roll, ability check, and saving throw, ability
and charming? Nimble and hardy? Ability scores modifiers come up in play more often than their
define these qualities—a creature’s assets as well as associated scores.
weaknesses.
The three main rolls of the game—the ability Advantage and
check, the saving throw, and the attack roll—rely on
the six ability scores. The book’s introduction Disadvantage
describes the basic rule behind these rolls: roll a d20,
add an ability modifier derived from one of the six Sometimes a special ability or spell tells you that you
ability scores, and compare the total to a target have advantage or disadvantage on an ability check,
number. a saving throw, or an attack roll. When that happens,
you roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use
Ability Scores and Modifiers the higher of the two rolls if you have advantage, and
use the lower roll if you have disadvantage. For
Each of a creature’s abilities has a score, a number example, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and
that defines the magnitude of that ability. An ability a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and
score is not just a measure of innate capabilities, but roll those numbers, you use the 17.
also encompasses a creature’s training and If multiple situations affect a roll and each one
competence in activities related to that ability. grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you
A score of 10 or 11 is the normal human average, don’t roll more than one additional d20. If two
but adventurers and many monsters are a cut above favorable situations grant advantage, for example,
average in most abilities. A score of 18 is the highest you still roll only one additional d20.
that a person usually reaches. Adventurers can have If circumstances cause a roll to have both
scores as high as 20, and monsters and divine beings advantage and disadvantage, you are considered to
can have scores as high as 30. have neither of them, and you roll one d20. This is
Each ability also has a modifier, derived from the true even if multiple circumstances impose
score and ranging from −5 (for an ability score of 1) disadvantage and only one grants advantage or vice
to +10 (for a score of 30). The Ability Scores and versa. In such a situation, you have neither
Modifiers table notes the ability modifiers for the advantage nor disadvantage.
range of possible ability scores, from 1 to 30. When you have advantage or disadvantage and
something in the game, such as the halfling’s Lucky
Ability Scores and Modifiers trait, lets you reroll the d20, you can reroll only one
Score Modifier of the dice. You choose which one. For example, if a
1 −5 halfling has advantage or disadvantage on an ability
2–3 −4 check and rolls a 1 and a 13, the halfling could use
4–5 −3 the Lucky trait to reroll the 1.
6–7 −2 You usually gain advantage or disadvantage
8–9 −1 through the use of special abilities, actions, or spells.
10–11 +0 Inspiration can also give a character advantage. The

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. System Reference Document 5.1 76