5e Racial Bonus (ASI) Calculator
Enter your point buy base scores, select your race, and see your final ability scores after all racial ability score improvements are applied.
+1 to two other stats of your choice
Custom bonuses for Half-Elf:
How Racial ASIs Work in D&D 5e
Racial Ability Score Improvements (ASIs) are bonuses to your base ability scores that come from your character's race. In the 2014 PHB, every race grants fixed bonuses — a Half-Orc always gets +2 STR and +1 CON, for example. These bonuses are applied to your base scores after you've set them through point buy, rolling, or standard array.
The key point buy interaction: you cannot set a score above 15 from point buy before racial bonuses. But after applying a racial bonus of +2, you can reach 17 in a stat. Starting at 15 and adding +2 gives you 17 — a +3 modifier. With a further ASI at level 4 (+2), you reach 19 (+4). One more ASI at level 8 takes you to 20 (+5) — the character cap.
This is why the race/class combination matters for efficiency: a Half-Elf Sorcerer gets +2 CHA from race, letting them start at CHA 17 from a 15 base. Reaching 20 CHA takes only two ASIs (at levels 4 and 8). A human Sorcerer starting at CHA 15 needs three ASIs (levels 4, 8, 12) to reach 20 — falling behind for several tiers.
2024 PHB: Flexible Racial ASIs
The 2024 PHB changed how ASIs work: instead of being tied to your race, the +2/+1 bonuses come from your background. Your species (race) no longer grants ASIs. This makes every race equally efficient for any class in terms of raw stat scores.
If your DM is using 2024 rules, use the point buy calculator with flexible bonuses enabled, and apply your +2/+1 from your background to whichever two stats you need most.