Strength

Strength measures muscle and physical power. Characters with high strength scores hit more frequently and do more damage in melee combat. This ability is especially important for fighters, barbarians, paladins, and rangers. The strength ability score affects:

• Melee attack rolls.
• Melee damage rolls.
• The amount of equipment your character can carry.
• Jump and swim skills.

Dexterity

Dexterity measures agility, reflexes and balance. Characters with high dexterity have higher armor classes, higher reflex saving throws, and hit more often in ranged combat. This ability is important for rogues and other classes who typically wear light or medium armor or none at all. The dexterity ability score affects:

• Ranged attack rolls.
• Armor class, provided that the character can react to the attack.
• Reflex saving throws, for avoiding traps and attacks that you can escape by moving quickly.
• Balance, hide, move silently, open locks, and tumble skills.

Constitution

Constitution represents health and stamina. Characters with high constitution have more hit points and have higher fortitude saving throws. Constitution is important for all classes, but especially for fighters and barbarians, who need extra hit points. Spellcasters need a strong constitution to keep spells from being interrupted during combat. The constitution ability score affects:

• Bonus hit points gained each level.
• Fortitude saving throws, for resisting poison and similar threats.
• Concentration skill.

Intelligence

Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. Intelligence is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and the power of their spells. Intelligence is also important for any character who wants to have a strong assortment of skills. The intelligence ability score affects:

• The number of skill points gained each level.
• The ability to open special rune devices during quests.
• Disable device, repair, and search skills.
• Wizard spell points and spell casting ability.

Wisdom

Wisdom describes a character's willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. Wisdom is important for clerics as it effects the strength of their spells and the amount of their spell points. The minimum wisdom score needed to cast a cleric spell is 10 plus the spell's level. Wisdom is also significant for paladins, rangers, and favored souls, and it affects will saving throws. The wisdom ability score affects:

• Will saving throws, for negating the effect of charm person and other spells.
• Paladin, cleric, ranger spell points and spell strength.
• The potency of favored soul offensive spells.
• The ability to open special rune devices during quests.
• Heal, listen, and spot skills.

Charisma

Charisma measures force of personality, presuasiveness, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. It represents actual personal strength, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins, sorcerers and bards. It is also important for clerics, as it affects their ability to turn undead. The minimum charisma score needed to cast a bard or sorcerer spell is 10 plus the spell's level. The charisma ability score affects:

• Turn undead checks for clerics and paladins.
• Bard, sorcerer, and favored soul spell points and spell strength.
• Bluff, diplomacy, haggle, intimidate, perform, and use magic device skills.