Holocron

Using Ability Scores

Player's Handbook · chapter

Six abilities provide 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 awareness and intuition
  • 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 attack roll, and the saving throw—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.

This chapter focuses on how to use ability checks and saving throws, covering the fundamental activities that creatures attempt in the game. Rules for attack rolls appear in chapter 9.

In this chapter1Ability Scores and Modifiers2Advantage and Disadvantage3Minimum Roll Threshold4Proficiency Bonus5Ability Checks6Using Each Ability7Strength8Dexterity9Constitution10Intelligence11Wisdom12Charisma13Saving Throws