System	
  Reference	
   Document	
  5.1 	
   76	
  
Using Ability 
Scores 
Six	
  abilities	
  provi de	
  a	
  quick	
  description	
  of	
  every	
  
creature’s	
  physical	
  and	
  mental	
  characteristics: 	
  
• Strength,	
  measuring	
  physical	
  power
• Dexterity,	
  measuring	
  agility
• Constitution,	
  measuring	
  endurance
• Intelligence,	
  measuring	
  reasoning	
   and	
  memory
• Wisdom,	
  measuring	
  perception	
  and	
  insight
• Charisma,	
  measuring	
  force	
  of	
  personality
Is	
  a	
  character	
  muscle -­‐‑bound	
  and	
  insightful?	
  Brilliant	
  
and	
  charming?	
  Nimble	
  and	
  hardy?	
  Ability	
  scores	
  
define	
  these	
  qualities —a	
  creature’s	
  assets	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  
weaknesses.	
  
The	
  three	
  main	
  rolls	
  of	
  the	
  game —the	
  ability	
  
check,	
  the	
  saving	
  throw,	
  and	
  the	
  attack	
  roll —rely	
  on	
  
the	
  six	
  ability	
  scores.	
  The	
  book’s	
  introduction	
  
describes	
  the	
  basic	
  rule	
  behind	
  these	
  rolls:	
  roll	
  a	
  d20,	
  
add	
  an	
  ability	
  modifier	
  derived	
  from	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  six	
  
ability	
  scores,	
  and	
  compare	
  the	
  total	
   to	
  a	
  target	
  
number.	
  
Ability Scores and Modifiers 
Each	
  of	
  a	
  creature’s	
  abilities	
  has	
  a	
  score,	
  a	
  number	
  
that	
  defines	
  the	
  magnitude	
  of	
  that	
  ability.	
  An	
  ability	
  
score	
  is	
  not	
  just	
  a	
  measure	
  of	
  innate	
  capabilities,	
  but	
  
also	
  encompasses	
  a	
  creature’s	
  training	
  and	
  
competence	
  in	
  activities	
  related	
  to	
  that	
  ability. 	
  
A	
  score	
  of	
  10	
  or	
  11	
  is	
  the	
  normal	
  human	
  average,	
  
but	
  adventurers	
  and	
  many	
  monsters	
  are	
  a	
  cut	
  above	
  
average	
  in	
  most	
  abilities.	
  A	
  score	
  of	
  18	
  is	
  the	
  highest	
  
that	
  a	
  person	
  usually	
  reaches.	
  Adventurers	
  can	
  hav e	
  
scores	
  as	
  high	
  as	
  20,	
  and	
  monsters	
  and	
  divine	
  beings	
  
can	
  have	
  scores	
  as	
  high	
  as	
  30. 	
  
Each	
  ability	
  also	
  has	
  a	
  modifier,	
  derived	
  from	
  the	
  
score	
  and	
  ranging	
  from	
   −5	
  (for	
  an	
  ability	
  score	
  of	
  1)	
  
to	
  +10	
  (for	
  a	
  score	
  of	
  30).	
  The	
  Ability	
  Scores	
  and	
  
Modifiers	
  table	
  notes	
  the	
  ability	
  modifiers	
  for	
  the	
  
range	
  of	
  possible	
  ability	
  scores,	
  from	
  1	
  to	
  30. 	
  
Ability	
  Scores	
  and	
  Modifiers	
  
Score	
   Modifier	
  
1	
   −5
2–3	
   −4
4–5	
   −3
6–7	
   −2
8–9	
   −1
10–11	
   +0
12–13	
   +1
14–15	
   +2
16–17	
   +3
18–19	
   +4
20–21	
   +5
22–23	
   +6
24–25	
   +7
26–27	
   +8
28–29	
   +9
30	
   +10
	
   To	
  determine	
  an	
  ability	
  modifier	
  without	
  
consulting	
  the	
  table,	
  subtract	
  10	
  from	
  the	
  ability	
  
score	
  and	
  then	
  divide	
  the	
  total	
  by	
  2	
  (round	
  down). 	
  
	
   Because	
  ability	
  modifiers	
  affect	
  almost	
  every	
  
attack	
  roll,	
  ability	
  check,	
  and	
  saving	
   throw,	
  ability	
  
modifiers	
  come	
  up	
  in	
  play	
  more	
  often	
  than	
  their	
  
associated	
  scores. 	
  
Advantage and 
Disadvantage 
Sometimes	
  a	
  special	
  ability	
  or	
  spell	
  tells	
  you	
  that	
  you	
  
have	
  advantage	
  or	
  disadvantage	
  on	
  an	
  ability	
  check,	
  
a	
  saving	
  throw,	
  or	
  an	
  attack	
  roll.	
  When 	
  that	
  happens,	
  
you	
  roll	
  a	
  second	
  d20	
  when	
  you	
  make	
  the	
  roll.	
  Use	
  
the	
  higher	
  of	
  the	
  two	
  rolls	
  if	
  you	
  have	
  advantage,	
  and	
  
use	
  the	
  lower	
  roll	
  if	
  you	
  have	
  disadvantage.	
  For	
  
example,	
  if	
  you	
  have	
  disadvantage	
  and	
  roll	
  a	
  17	
  and	
  
a	
  5,	
  you	
  use	
  the	
  5.	
  If	
  you	
  instead	
   have	
  advantage	
  and	
  
roll	
  those	
  numbers,	
  you	
  use	
  the	
  17. 	
  
	
   If	
  multiple	
  situations	
  affect	
  a	
  roll	
  and	
  each	
  one	
  
grants	
  advantage	
  or	
  imposes	
  disadvantage	
  on	
  it,	
  you	
  
don’t	
  roll	
  more	
  than	
  one	
  additional	
  d20.	
  If	
  two	
  
favorable	
  situations	
  grant	
  advantage,	
  for	
  example, 	
  
you	
  still	
  roll	
  only	
  one	
  additional	
  d20. 	
  
	
   If	
  circumstances	
  cause	
  a	
  roll	
  to	
  have	
  both	
  
advantage	
  and	
  disadvantage,	
  you	
  are	
  considered	
  to	
  
have	
  neither	
  of	
  them,	
  and	
  you	
  roll	
  one	
  d20.	
  This	
  is	
  
true	
  even	
  if	
  multiple	
  circumstances	
  impose	
  
disadvantage	
  and	
  only	
  one	
   grants	
  advantage	
  or	
  vice	
  
versa.	
  In	
  such	
  a	
  situation,	
  you	
  have	
  neither	
  
advantage	
  nor	
  disadvantage. 	
  
	
   When	
  you	
  have	
  advantage	
  or	
  disadvantage	
  and	
  
something	
  in	
  the	
  game,	
  such	
  as	
  the	
  halfling’s	
  Lucky	
  
trait,	
  lets	
  you	
  reroll	
  the	
  d20,	
  you	
  can	
  reroll	
  only	
  one	
  
of	
  the	
  dice.	
  You	
  choose	
  which	
  one.	
  For	
  example,	
  if	
  a	
  
halfling	
  has	
  advantage	
  or	
  disadvantage	
  on	
  an	
  ability	
  
check	
  and	
  rolls	
  a	
  1	
  and	
  a	
  13,	
  the	
  halfling	
  could	
  use	
  
the	
  Lucky	
  trait	
  to	
  reroll	
  the	
  1. 	
  
	
   You	
  usually	
  gain	
  advantage	
  or	
  disadvantage	
  
through	
  the	
  use	
  of	
  specia l	
  abilities,	
  actions,	
  or	
  spells.	
  
Inspiration	
  can	
  also	
  give	
  a	
  character	
  advantage.	
  The	
  