Ability Scores

The Ability Scores are the six main character stats that define a character's physical and mental aptitudes.

Summary

Ability	Gives bonus to	Meaning
Strength (STR)	THAC0 (melee) Damage (melee) Bashing Weight Allowance	muscle power (including the ability to lift weights and hit hard)
Dexterity (DEX)	Armor Class THAC0 (ranged) Thieving Skills	agility, balance, finesse
Constitution (CON)	Hit Points Regeneration resisting Fatigue resisting Intoxication Saving Throws (short races)	fortitude, stamina, physical resilience
Intelligence (INT)	Max Spell Level (mage or bard) Max Known Spells/Level (mage or bard) Chance to Learn Spell (mage or bard) Lore wand usability	capacity for logical reasoning, memorization, learning
Wisdom (WIS)	Spells Per Day (priest) Lore	willpower, common sense, perceptiveness, intuition
Charisma (CHA)	shop prices	persuasiveness, leadership skills, beauty

See the articles for the individual ability scores, for details.

In addition to the listed game mechanics, ability scores are also sometimes checked during dialog, and to determine what dual-class options are available to the character.

Stat values

Every character (including player characters, NPCs, and monsters) has a value between 1 and 25 for each ability score.

In character generation

The ability scores of player characters are determined during character generation (char-gen), using a mix of random rolls (with the ability to re-roll) and a point-buy system. Normally, between 3 to 18 points can be assigned to each stat; the exceptions to this are discussed below.

Maximums

While the normal maximum stat value during char-gen is 18, some races have different maximums for specific stats:

Race	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
Human	-	-	-	-	-	-
Elf	-	19	17	-	-	-
Half-elf	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dwarf	-	17	19	-	-	16
Gnome	-	-	-	19	17	-
Halfling	17	19	-	-	17	-
Half-orc	19	-	19	16	-	-

In the Enhanced Edition, one class kit further adjusts these maximums:

Class	STR adj.	DEX adj.	CON adj.	INT adj.	WIS adj.	CHA adj.
Druid ► Avenger	-2	-	-2	-	-	-

This means that e.g. an Elf Avenger has a maximum CON of 15 during char-gen.

Due to the way the dice rolls during char-gen are implemented, having higher maximums also makes it a little more likely to get higher rolls.

Minimums

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During the game

The ability scores of party members usually remain constant throughout the Icewind Dale game and its expansions, except for temporary buffs and these rare permanent-stat-boost potions:

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External links

• Ability Scores article on the Baldur's Gate Wiki, a wiki for the Baldur's Gate games.