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Simulate D&D character ability score rolls and analyze probability distributions to build optimized tabletop characters.
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Generate a classic 4d6-drop-lowest stat array instantly using a cryptographically random generator.
Rolled Attributes
15, 14, 10, 10, 9, 3
Tip
Save this page to test character arrays, compare class viability, and evaluate whether a roll set beats standard point-buy.
Formula
4d6 Drop Lowest: Roll four six-sided dice, discard the lowest, and sum the remaining three.This is repeated 6 times to generate the six character ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma).
Step by step
Related guides
Guide
See the exact 4d6-drop-lowest distribution, odds of high scores across six rolls, ability modifiers, and comparisons with standard array and point cost.
Guide
A statistical, practical comparison of point buy and 4d6-drop-lowest rolling for D&D 5e ability scores, with the real probability math behind each method.
Summary
Highest Roll
15
Your single best attribute.
Lowest Roll
3
Your worst attribute (dump stat candidate).
Modifier Sum
-1
Total bonus across all stats.
Point Buy Value
16 pts
Value vs standard 27 pts budget.
D3 visualization
Sorted values of the six rolled attributes, representing Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma distribution.
Guide
The 4d6-drop-lowest method remains a classic tabletop role-playing rule because it creates heroic but still variable ability distributions. By rolling four six-sided dice, dropping the lowest die, and summing the top three, the method shifts results above the flat average of 3d6 and increases the chance of producing one or two standout ability scores.
Each generated stat is the sum of the top three results from four independent six-sided die rolls. This produces a non-uniform distribution skewed toward the middle but with an improved upper tail relative to 3d6. After six stats are rolled, players often sort them from highest to lowest and assign them strategically to class priorities.
Raw scores matter, but modifiers often matter more because most game checks reference the modifier rather than the score itself. The standard 5e modifier rule is:
Modifier = ⌊ (Score - 10)/2 ⌋
Comparing a rolled array against point-buy is useful because point-buy represents a controlled baseline. If a rolled array materially exceeds the usual 27-point structure, the character may start stronger than standard campaign balance assumes. For other tabletop games, you can calculate competitor rankings using our Board Game Elo Rating Calculator to manage campaign stats and league rankings.
Rolling stats adds excitement and unpredictability, but it can also create imbalances between players. Some groups love that variability because it produces more diverse characters. Others prefer point-buy or standard arrays because those methods guarantee fairness and planning stability. A stat-roll calculator helps groups understand how strong or weak a random set actually is.
Click the roll button to generate a fresh set of six ability scores using the 4d6-drop-lowest method. Each score sums the highest three of four random six-sided dice. Re-roll as many times as you like — each generated array is independent and does not depend on previous rolls.
A sample roll from this calculator produced the array [17, 17, 16, 15, 15, 9] — a sum of 89, well above the typical range. Across a large simulated sample of arrays, the 4d6-drop-lowest method averages 12.24 per individual stat and about 73.5 as a six-stat total, so an 89-point array like this sample sits comfortably above average and would be considered a strong roll at most tables.
Converting to modifiers using ⌊ (Score - 10)/2 ⌋, a 17 gives +3, a 16 gives +3, a 15 gives +2, and a 9 gives -1 — a spread a player could assign to prioritize a primary attack stat (17) and a secondary save or skill stat (16 or 15), while accepting the 9 as a dump stat for their class's least-used ability.
Exhaustively enumerating every possible 4d6-drop-lowest outcome across all six ability scores produces a precise percentile table, not just an average. The median (50th percentile) six-score total is 74 — essentially identical to the 73.5 average — while the 90th percentile sits at 82, the 95th at 85, and the 99th at 89. In other words, half of all rolled arrays land at 74 or below, only about one roll in ten reaches 82 or higher, and a genuinely exceptional array like the [17,17,16,15,15,9] example above (total 89) occurs in only about the top 1.2% of possible outcomes.
Single Ability Dependent (SAD) classes — a Sorcerer built almost entirely around Charisma, for example — can perform well with almost any array, since only one high score is truly needed and the rest can be dumped. Multiple Ability Dependent (MAD) classes — a Paladin needing Strength, Constitution, and Charisma all reasonably high — benefit more from a genuinely strong roll and are hurt more by a weak one, since there is less room to compensate by sacrificing unused stats. If you are building a MAD character and want a guaranteed floor instead of rolling, the point-buy method removes this risk entirely.
Because rolling has no guaranteed minimum, many tables set a reroll threshold in advance — for example, requiring at least one score of 15 or higher, or a six-score total above a set floor — before dice are ever picked up. Deciding this policy ahead of time and applying it identically to every player at the table avoids an awkward, seemingly arbitrary judgment call later if one player's array turns out unusually weak.
Prefer a guaranteed, fair allocation instead of rolling? The D D 5e Point Buy Calculator lets you build the same six scores from a fixed 27-point budget. Running combat with your rolled characters? The D D 5e Encounter CR Difficulty XP Budget Calculator helps balance fights against your party's actual strength, and the Board Game Elo Rating Calculator is handy if your group also runs competitive tabletop nights.
Point-buy
A non-random system where players allocate a fixed budget to build ability scores.
Ability modifier
The bonus or penalty derived from a raw ability score using the floor((score - 10)/2) rule.
Standard array
A pre-set non-random score set often used as an alternative to rolling.
SAD vs MAD
Single Ability Dependent classes need one strong score; Multiple Ability Dependent classes need several, changing how much a roll's variance matters.
Percentile distribution
The exact ranking of a given roll total against all possible outcomes, computed by enumerating every dice combination.