Each character has six abilities — Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma. Ability scoresrate a character, painting a broad picture of how strong, dexterous, and intelligent (and so on) that character is. Ability scores form the foundation upon which a character of myth and legend grows.
A character has six abilities. Three are physical abilities and three are mental abilities, as follows:
Strength (Str):This score gauges your character’s physical might. How much equipment can he or she carry? Can he or she force open a heavy door? Arm-wrestle a bugbear? Swing a greatsword? Bash open a locked chest? A strong character is better at melee combat than a weaker one.
A character with the fighter class wants a high score in this ability.
D ex terity (D ex ):This score measures your character’s reflexes and agility.
How good is he or she with a ranged weapon, such as a sling or bow?
Can he or she use speed and coordination to avoid being hit and taking damage? Can he or she use skills that require a great deal of hand-eye coordination? A dexterous character is better at ranged combat than a less agile one and has a better Armor Class (AC) thanks to quick reactions.
A character with the rogue class wants a high score in this ability.
C o ns titu tio n (C o n):This number expresses your character’s overall physical health and stamina. How long can he or she hold his or her breath? How well does his or her body deal with physical damage? How much punishment can he or she take before falling unconscious? These are the types of things measured by your character’s Constitution score.
All characters want at least a minor bonus from this ability because of its bonus to hit points.
Intelligenc e (Int):This score gauges your character’s ability to learn and use deductive reasoning. How many languages does your character know?
Can he or she disarm the trap without setting it off? What does your character know about the monster he or she is facing? The history of the dungeon? The uses for the arcane ingredients found in the necro-mancer’s vault? A smart character is better at finding answers than a less intelligent one.
W is d o m (W is ):This score measures your character’s perception and willpower. Does he or she notice the gnolls lurking in the shadows?
Can he or she hear the dragon breathing in the dark cave ahead? Does he or she have the strength of will to withstand the vampire’s hypnotic gaze? A wise character is better at taking advantage of insight and intu-ition than a less wise character would be. A high score also provides a
cleric with bonus spells. A character with the cleric class wants a high score in this ability.
Charisma (Cha):This number represents your character’s personal magnetism and physical attractiveness. Can he or she get the castle guard to look the other way with convincing words or a well-timed bribe? A charismatic character is better at being suave or subtle when the situation calls for it than a less charismatic one is. A high score also provides a sorcerer with bonus spells and helps determine what level of spells a sorcerer can cast. For these reasons, a character with the sorcerer class wants a high score in this ability.
When you create a character, you generate ability scores and assign them to the abilities as you see fit. How you assign the scores depends on what kind of character you’re creating. If you’re making a sorcerer, for example, you would assign a high score to Charisma, whereas if you’re making a fighter, you would assign a high score to Strength. (See Table 12-2, later in this chapter, for more information.)
An average score is 10 or 11. Scores of less than 10 are below average, while scores of 12 or better are above average. In general, ability scores range from 8 to 18 when you first create the character. The score provides a modifier, either a bonus or a penalty that is tied to certain types of actions in the game, as described in Table 12-1. In general, ability scores relate to actions in the following way:
Low ability scores (9 and lower) provide penalties to actions they are associated with.
High ability scores (12 and higher) provide bonuses to actions they are associated with.
Table 12-1 Ability Modifiers
Score Modifier Score Modifier
1 –5 12–13 +1
2–3 –4 14 –15 +2
4 –5 –3 16 –17 +3
6 –7 –2 18 –19 +4
8 –9 –1 20 –21 +5
10 –11 0
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Chapter 12: Figuring Out Your Character’s Ability Scores
Roll a d20
Add a modifier (bonus or penalty) Compare the result to a target number
So bonuses (such as +1) are always better, because they help make your d20 result higher and increase the chance of success at a given action. Penalties (such as – 1) lower your d20 result and make the chance of failure more likely.
A low score in a physical ability means that the character faces difficult challenges as a front-line warrior; a high score, on the other hand, doesn’t guarantee success in that field.
In the following list, we describe each of the six abilities and their effects on character actions in the game:
Strength (Str):The modifier provided by the character’s Strength score is applied to melee attacks, damage rolls, and physical skill scores (Climb, Jump, and Swim).
Dexterity (Dex):The modifier provided by the character’s Dexterity score is applied to ranged attacks, Reflex saving throws, the character’s AC, and to Dexterity-based skill scores (such as Balance, Open Lock, and Tumble).
Constitution (Con):The modifier provided by the character’s Constitution score is applied to his or her Hit Die to determine the character’s hit points (hp) every time he or she gains a level. The Constitution modifier also applies to Fortitude saving throws and the Concentration skill score (which is important to spellcasters such as the sorcerer and cleric).
Intelligence (Int):The modifier provided by the character’s Intelligence score is applied to the number of languages he or she can know as a 1st-level character, the number of skill points he or she gains at every 1st-level, and to Intelligence-based skill scores (such as Disable Device, Knowledge, Search, and Spellcraft).
Wisdom (Wis):The modifier provided by the character’s Wisdom score is applied to Will saving throws and Wisdom-based skill scores (such as Listen, Spot, and Survival).
Charisma (Cha):The modifier provided by the character’s Charisma score is applied to Charisma-based skill scores (such as Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate) and to a cleric’s checks to turn undead creatures.