DnD stats explained

DnD stats are the foundation of Dungeons and Dragons' in-depth mechanics. When a creature wants to act, they'll be called to make a dice roll, and their stats will modify the make-or-break results. A character's Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma help define what they're good at, so understanding these six abilities is crucial for gameplay. If you need a quick Dungeons and Dragons stats reminder, this guide can help.

You can also use our compendium of DnD classes to track which stats are most important for each type of character – and, if you're playing with the 'classic' 2014 DnD 5e rules, our guide to DnD races will help, as race dictates some of your stats. In the 2024 rules, they come from your background instead – read our DnD 2024 backgrounds explainer for details. For now, use the links below to learn more about specific stats, or explore our rules FAQ to find out how they all work in-game!

What do DnD stats mean?

The six DnD stats are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. This classic Tumblr post gives an excellent description of what each of the stats allows a character to do, in terms of a tomato:

• Strength – helps you crush a tomato.
• Dexterity – helps you catch a thrown tomato.
• Constitution – helps you eat a bad tomato and not be sick.
• Intelligence – helps you understand why a tomato is a fruit.
• Wisdom – helps you recognize that a tomato shouldn't be in a fruit salad.
• Charisma – helps you to sell a fruit salad made of tomatoes by marketing it as salsa.

These stats are most typically used to modify 'D20 test' rolls: that includes attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws. However, some stats also modify additional parts of your character sheet.

Let's explain what each of these means in a bit more detail:

DnD Strength

Strength measures bodily power, athletic training, and the extent to which you can exert raw physical force. The DnD Strength modifier helps you calculate Athletics skill checks; most melee attack rolls and damage; and how much you can lift and carry.

A character's Strength score and DnD size affect how much they can carry, push, drag, or lift. Generally, a character can carry 15lb of equipment for each point of Strength they have, and they can push, drag, or lift twice that.

However, the size rules make the calculation a little more complicated. Here's how the Player's Handbook does the math:

To help paint a mental picture, here's an example. These are the limits of what a Medium/Small character can carry, based on their Strength score. We've taken off 5lb for clothes, shoes, and a rucksack:

• 1 – a pet cat.
• 2 – a box of paper reams.
• 3 – a bag of dog food.
• 4 – a husky.
• 5 – a packed suitcase.
• 6 – a truck wheel.
• 7 – a punching bag.
• 8 – a North Pacific Giant Octopus with a bag of hard candy in each tentacle.
• 9 – an Irish wolfhound.
• 10 – three bags of cement.
• 11 – a beer keg, plus some glasses.
• 12 – a Russian gray wolf.
• 13 – an adult male red kangaroo.
• 14 –  a large wardrobe.
• 15 – two toilets.
• 16 – a bedroom dresser.
• 17 – a tapir.
• 18 – a gray seal.

DnD Dexterity

Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, and balance. The DnD Dexterity modifier contributes to Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks; most ranged and some melee attack rolls and damage; your Armor Class; and Initiative rolls.

Here's what different Dexterity scores mean for a character:

• 1 – barely mobile.
• 2-3 – badly uncoordinated, with little or no hand-eye coordination.
• 4-5 – often trips or stumbles, struggles with tasks that require manual precision.
• 6-7 – graceless, artless.
• 8-9 – sometimes clumsy.
• 10-11 – totally average.
• 12-13 – well poised and balanced, careful and crafty with their hands.
• 14-15 – moves elegantly, manipulates things carefully and precisely.
• 16-17 – has a dancer's control over their body, and is capable of extremely subtle and precise manual tasks.
• 18 – the body of a ballerina and the hands of a locksmith.

DnD Constitution

Constitution measures health, stamina, and vital force. The DnD Constitution modifier isn't used for any specific skill checks, but it's relevant to feats of endurance like holding your breath, surviving poisons, or going without sleep.

Typically, a character's maximum hit points increase by their Hit Die plus their Constitution modifier at every level. Constitution is also particularly important for spellcasters, who must make Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration on certain DnD spells when they take damage.

Here's what different Constitution scores mean for a character:

• 1 – just about breathing.
• 2-3 – frail, brittle, permanently exhausted.
• 4-5 – usually sickly, little resilience.
• 6-7 – out of shape, prone to illness.
• 8-9 – a little out of shape, a little more prone to getting sick.
• 10-11 – totally average.
• 12-13 – sturdy, in good health, pretty fit.
• 14-15 – tough, in great health, very fit.
• 16-17 – physically robust, almost never ill.
• 18 – a perfect physique, tireless, unyielding.

DnD Intelligence

Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and the ability to reason. Your Intelligence modifier helps calculate Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion skill checks, plus the spellcasting ability score of Wizards and Artificers.

Here's what different Intelligence scores mean for a character:

• 1  – an instinctual animal.
• 2-3 – a conscious animal.
• 4-5 – minimum level for sentience – struggles to reason logically at all or to retain information.
• 6-7 – dim, may struggle to connect ideas, often comes to the wrong conclusions from information.
• 8-9 –  makes more errors than usual when reasoning, sometimes struggles to retain knowledge.
• 10-11 – totally average.
• 12-13 – can reason quickly, make novel connections among ideas.
• 14-15 – can reason rapidly and accurately, retain and process complex information.
• 16-17 – can understand, retain, recall, and reason with very complex information rapidly.
• 18 – profound genius.

DnD Wisdom

Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and represents perceptiveness and intuition. Your Wisdom modifier contributes to Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Survival skill checks, plus the spellcasting ability of Clerics, Druids, and Rangers.

Here's what different Wisdom scores mean for a character:

• 1  – extreme perceptual difficulties, a profound disconnect from reality, or both.
• 2-3 – struggles to perceive their surroundings and situation correctly, either due to sensory impairment or a lack of mental focus.
• 4-5 – usually distracted and easily misled – frequently misapprehends the situation.
• 6-7 – prone to zoning out, taking things at face value, or overlooking obvious clues.
• 8-9 – prone to errors or oversights in judgment and perception.
• 10-11 – totally average.
• 12-13 – a good eye for detail, quick wit, or clear head.
• 14-15 – very good senses, great situational awareness, canny in social situations.
• 16-17 – keenly aware of the environment and changes within it – seldom misses a clue, insinuation, or lie.
• 18 – perfect awareness of surroundings, context, and implications – extremely hard to get anything past them.

DnD Charisma

Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively with others. Your Charisma modifier helps calculate Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion skill checks, plus the spellcasting ability of Bards, Paladins, Sorcerers, and Warlocks.

Here's what different Charisma scores mean for a character:

• 1 – profoundly hateful, repellent, or boring.
• 2-3 – deeply disagreeable, whether through incompetence, malice, or blandness.
• 4-5 – unlikable, tedious, or simply socially oblivious.
• 6-7 – prone to making gaffes, over-estimating their abilities, or boring others.
• 8-9 – somewhat socially inept or dull.
• 10-11 – totally average.
• 12-13 – good presence and social skills.
• 14 -15 – assured social skills, a smooth operator.
• 16-17  – an accomplished orator, performer, diplomat, or liar.
• 18 – even their worst enemies can't help but respond to them – their personality lights up a room.

DnD stats FAQ – all the rules to know

Above we've explained the six core D&D stats, what they mean in the game, and what they allow your character to do – but you'll need to know a bit more than that to apply your ability scores in the game, and use theme effectively when building characters. Read on for our expert, no-nonsense answers to the most important stats-related rules questions.

What are ability score modifiers?

For each of your character's core DnD stats, you get an ability score modifier that gives you a bonus or penalty to dice rolls when you attempt to do stuff in the game. 

Each ability score value has a corresponding modifier, which will apply to dice rolls made when using that ability. For instance, a character with a Strength of eight has a -1 penalty on Strength (Athletics) skill checks as a result of their ability modifier.

These are all the ability modifiers for different ability score values:

There is actually a mathematical relationship between the ability score and the modifier:

Ability modifier = (Ability score / 2) – 5, rounded down.

How to calculate DnD stats

You will generate a character's base DnD stats using one of three main methods: rolling, standard array, or points buy. Your Dungeon Master can tell you which they prefer you to use in your campaign.

If you're using the 2014 rules, you will then select the DnD race for your character. Your character's race or species will increase some of the stats that you just generated. Once this is done, you have your starting stats, and these determine what modifiers your character has.

If you're playing from the 2024 Player's Handbook, your background decides these ability score increases instead. The process of rolling your stats remains the same, however – roll up your numbers with a method of your choice and then select a background that buffs your class' most important stats.

How do you roll for DnD stats?

To roll for a character's DnD stats, roll 4D6, remove the lowest die result, and note the total. Do this six times to generate six numbers between three and 18, then assign each of these numbers to one of your stats. Voila! You have your base stats, ready to add any bonuses from your character's race.

Randomly rolled stats can have more extreme results than other methods, and you are at the mercy of luck. It is the only way to get a base stat above 15 (before you add race bonuses) at character creation.

In the very first DnD edition, character stats were always generated by rolling dice, with a strict system: you would roll 3D6 for each stat in order, and could not rearrange them. Modern stat rolling is much more forgiving!

What is the DnD standard array?

The DnD 5e standard array is a fixed, balanced set of numbers that you can use for your characters' base stats: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. You will use each number in the array for one stat. It's equivalent to making average dice rolls, or building a balanced character with points buy.

How does the DnD points buy system work?

The points buy system gives you 27 points to spend on your DnD stats, with each stat value costing a fixed number of points.

The points buy system is the most fiddly way to calculate stats, but it gives you the most control over your character's core abilities.

How do DnD stats change with level ups?

When a character gains a new level in a class, they may be able to improve their stats. At certain specific levels, the character will have the option to either improve one stat by two points, or two stats by one point. This may change the modifier they receive from that stat.

Most DnD classes get stat improvements at fourth, eighth, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, but the DnD Fighter 5e and DnD Rogue 5e both also receive stat improvements at sixth and 14th level. A multiclass character does not gain stat improvements based on its overall level, but on each class level separately – so a second-level Fighter / second-level Wizard 5e would not receive a stat improvement.

Whenever a character gains a stat improvement, they may instead take a DnD feat. These provide different unique abilities and sometimes allow the player to increase one of two specified stats by a single point. The DnD 2024 feats from the new Player's Handbook function in the same way, but they're far more likely to give you a +1 stat boost along with their unique ability.

What are the max DnD stats?

The Ability Score Increase feat can increase any DnD stat to a maximum of 20. However, it's possible to buff an ability score even further by magical means.

Certain DnD magic items, such as the Belt of Giant Strength, allow you to bypass that 20-point ceiling. Plus, in the latest version of the rules, the Epic Boon feats can be used to increase a stat to a maximum of 30. 30 is generally considered the absolute maximum a stat can reach, and it's rare any character will buff an ability score to such heights.

What are the average DnD stats?

The Player's Handbook says that average humanoids have ability scores of 10 or 11 for each DnD stat.

This helps put your character's abilities into perspective: even if your Strength-focused Barbarian has an Intelligence of 10, they're still no dumber than the average human. They might struggle slightly in conversation with a Charisma of 8, but a Strength score of 14 means they already have superhuman muscles at fairly low levels.

Can DnD stats go over 20?

Yes, you can increase your DnD stats above 20 – but only using powerful magic items. In D&D 5e, you cannot increase any ability score above 20 using feats or Ability Score Increases, but various magic items – such as Tomes of Clear Thought and Ioun Stones – apply passive bonuses to specific stats which can take your score above 20.

Both the 2014 and 2024 D&D rules place an ultimate cap of 30 on all ability scores. It's possible (though very unlikely) that a level 20 character build could reach 30 in one or two skills – but no higher. Ability scores in the 20-30 range are considered the province of extremely powerful divine beings and particularly mighty monsters.

Ultimately the only limit is your group and DM's decisions, so you could allow players to increase their stats higher – but be aware that, at these already god-tier power levels, it won't make much difference to gameplay unless the DM applies more house-rule tweaks to increase challenge levels accordingly.

How do DnD weapon stats work?

In Dungeons and Dragons, most weapons have five main stats attached: Type, Damage, Cost, Weight, and Properties.

Here's what they mean:

• Type – tells you if the weapon is ranged or melee, and which weapon Proficiency you need to be extra effective with them, such as Simple, Martial, or Firearms.
• Damage – tells you which dice to roll for damage when you've successfully hit your target with the weapon.
• Cost – tells you what the weapon is typically worth when buying or selling (this isn't a guarantee, though, as other things can affect prices at merchants).
• Weight – tells you how heavy the weapon is (in pounds), and thus how much of your total carry weight it will take up when you're holding it.
• Properties – explains any special effects and abilities the weapon has which affect its use. For ranged weapons, this section lists its normal range and long range limits, in feet.

How does armor affect your DnD stats?

In D&D, the armor you equip dictates your Armor Class, which helps you avoid damage – but it also interacts with other important stats.

Your Armor Class (AC) stat is equal to the AC stat of the armor you're wearing, plus two if you're also using a shield.

There are three other important stat interactions from armor:

• Using armor you're not Proficient in makes you bad at everything – Any character can wear any armor, but while you're wearing armor of a type (Light, Medium, or Heavy) in which you don't have Proficiency, you'll roll with Disadvantage on all ability checks, saving throws, and Attacks that use STR or DEX, and can't cast any spells either.
• Heavier armor makes you bad at stealth – Heavier armor is bulky and noisy when worn, making it harder to sneak around. All non-magical Heavy Armor and some Medium Armor gives you Disadvantage on Stealth checks while you're wearing it.
• Wearing heavy armor makes you move slower, unless you're strong enough – Some Heavy Armor types require you to have a minimum Strength stat to use them effectively. If your STR isn't at least that number, your movement speed is reduced by 10 feet while you're wearing it.

For more rules explainers, here's all you need to know about DnD languages and DnD damage types. Or, if you want to keep up with the latest RPG books, here's everything coming up on this year's DnD release schedule.

This guide directly presents rules text for DnD Attributes, published by Wizards of the Coast under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.