Simone Lawson
Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) is a complex tabletop roleplaying game with many rules and stats to keep track of. One of these is the Constitution modifier, which is important for all classes as it represents a character's health and stamina and contributes to their Fortitude defence. It can be challenging for beginners to navigate the rulebooks and understand how to determine their character's Constitution modifier. This is calculated based on a character's Constitution score, which can be modified by their race, and then used to determine their hit points.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Constitution modifier | +1 |
| Constitution score | 13 |
| Constitution score (with racial bonus) | 14 |
| Constitution modifier (with racial bonus) | +2 |
| Constitution modifier range | +5 to -5 |
| Constitution modifier calculation | Roll d20, add relevant modifiers, compare to target number |
| Constitution modifier application | Hit Die rolls, hit points, Fortitude defense |
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What You'll Learn
Constitution score and modifiers
Constitution represents a character's health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character's hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.
The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that ability. You also use the modifier with some numbers that aren’t die rolls. A positive modifier is called a bonus, and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
The rules for determining a character's Constitution modifier are as follows: firstly, you roll a twenty-sided die (d20). To determine if your character succeeds at a task, you do the following: roll a d20, add any relevant modifiers, and compare the result to a target number. If the result equals or exceeds the target number, your character succeeds. If the result is lower than the target number, you fail.
For example, if your Constitution score is 13, you have a +1 Constitution bonus. If you are a human, you get +1 to all scores, so your Constitution score of 13 would raise to 14, increasing your modifier from +1 to +2.
| Score | Modifier |
|---|---|
| 0-1 | -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 |
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Racial bonus
When it comes to determining your Constitution modifier, racial bonuses play a crucial role. Constitution represents your character's health and stamina, and a higher Constitution score can increase their hit points, making them more resilient in combat. Certain races, such as dwarves and half-orcs, are known to have inherent bonuses to their Constitution scores, providing them with enhanced durability.
For example, let's say you've rolled a 14 for your Constitution stat, resulting in a +2 modifier. If you're playing as a dwarf or a half-orc, your racial bonus might grant an additional +2 to your Constitution score. This would increase your total Constitution score to 16, resulting in a modifier of +3. This modifier will then be applied to various aspects of your character's abilities and skills, as outlined in the player's handbook.
It's important to note that racial bonuses are not limited solely to Constitution. Different races may have bonuses to other abilities as well, such as Dexterity, Intelligence, or Strength. These bonuses reflect the unique traits and capabilities of each race, allowing players to create diverse and specialized characters.
Additionally, racial bonuses can be further customized using resources like Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, which offers suggestions for using these bonuses in more flexible ways to suit your preferred playstyle. This level of customization allows players to create characters that align with their desired vision while still adhering to the rules and guidelines of the D&D 5th Edition.
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Modifiers and die rolls
Die rolls, on the other hand, are used to determine the outcome of actions with a chance of failure. When attempting such an action, a player rolls a twenty-sided die (d20) and adds any relevant modifiers. If the total equals or exceeds a predetermined target number, the character succeeds in the action. For example, a character with a Dexterity modifier of +3 attempting to pick a lock would roll a d20 and add their modifier, needing to reach a number set by the Dungeon Master (DM) to succeed.
Modifiers are also applied to hit points, which represent a character's health and stamina. A higher Constitution modifier increases a character's hit points, making them more resilient in combat. Additionally, modifiers can influence a character's Fortitude defence, which is determined by either their Constitution or Strength modifier, whichever is higher. This can impact their performance in attack rolls, class features, or skill checks.
The weight carried by a character can also influence their die rolls. If they carry weight in excess of five times their Strength score, they become encumbered, resulting in a speed reduction. If the weight exceeds ten times their Strength score, they become heavily encumbered, leading to further speed reduction and disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws involving Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.
It's important to note that modifiers can range from negative five to positive five, and they are applied to the die roll when a character attempts an action related to a specific ability. Positive modifiers are called bonuses, while negative modifiers are called penalties. These modifiers can also be influenced by a character's class and level, with some classes having Constitution as a primary key ability. Additionally, a character's Intelligence modifier affects their spellcasting abilities, the number of languages they know, and the number of skill points gained at each level.
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Modifiers for main stats
| Stat Score | Modifier |
| --- | --- |
| 0-1 | -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 |
In addition to the base modifier, certain races may give a bonus to Constitution. For example, humans have a +1 bonus to all scores, and dwarves and half-orcs also receive bonuses. These racial bonuses are added to the Constitution stat that you rolled for or used a point system to acquire.
Constitution represents your character's health and stamina, and a Constitution bonus increases a character's hit points, so this ability is important for all classes. Your character's Constitution modifier is added to each roll of a Hit Die, though a penalty can never drop the result below 1. This means a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time they advance in level.
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Constitution modifiers and hit points
Constitution modifiers are determined by a character's constitution score. A character's constitution score is influenced by their race, with certain races like dwarves and half-orcs having bonuses to their constitution stat. For example, a human character receives a +1 bonus to all scores. A character with a constitution score of 12 has a modifier of +1, while a score of 14 gives a modifier of +2, and so on.
Constitution modifiers contribute to a character's hit points. When determining a character's maximum hit points, players typically add their Constitution modifier to each Hit Die they roll for their hit points. This means that if a character's Constitution modifier increases, their maximum hit points also increase retroactively for all levels. For example, if a character's Constitution modifier increases from +1 to +2 at 4th level, they would adjust their hit point maximum as though they had the +2 modifier from 1st level.
It's important to note that changes to Constitution modifiers only affect maximum hit points and not current hit points. In the case of a character whose Constitution modifier increases, their current hit points remain the same, and they would need to heal to reach their new maximum hit points.
Additionally, a character's class determines how many hit points they gain per level, and their Constitution modifier is added to that each level. For example, a level 3 character with 12/20 hit points and a +1 increase in their Constitution modifier would have their maximum hit points increase by 3 to 23. However, their current hit points would remain the same, resulting in a new score of 12/23.
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Frequently asked questions
You can find your constitution modifier by looking at the modifier table in Chapter 1 of the Player's Handbook. Your modifier is based on your constitution score. For example, a score of 12 gives you a modifier of +1, while a score of 14 gives you a modifier of +2.
Certain races, like dwarves and half-orcs, give a bonus to your constitution score. If you're playing as one of these races, be sure to add that bonus to your constitution score before looking up your modifier in the table.
Your hit points are calculated by adding your constitution modifier to the result of rolling a Hit Die. Remember that your hit points will increase or decrease depending on any changes to your constitution modifier.
If you don't have access to the handbook, you can use the following table to find your modifier based on your constitution score:
0-1 = -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
