Ability Scores
STRENGTH (STR)
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for the Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Ranger, and Monk classes because it helps them prevail in physical combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.You apply your character’s Strength modifier to:
- Melee attack rolls.
- Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon (including a sling). (Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive only one-half the character’s Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive one and a half times the Strength bonus. A Strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies to attacks made with a bow that is not a composite bow.)
- Climb and Swim checks. These are the skills that have Strength as their key ability.
- Strength checks (for breaking down doors and the like).
DEXTERITY (DEX)
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This ability is the most important one for classes based on subtlety such as the Rogue, but it’s also high on the list for classes who typically wear light or medium armor (such as the Ranger and Barbarian class) or no armor at all (monk, Wizard, and sorcerer), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.You apply your character’s Dexterity modifier to:
- Ranged attack rolls, including those for attacks made with bows, crossbows, throwing axes, and other ranged weapons.
- Armor Class (AC), provided that the character can react to the attack.
- Reflex Saving Throws, for avoiding fireballs and other attacks that you can escape by moving quickly.
- Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key ability.
CONSTITUTION (CON)
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.You apply your character’s Constitution modifier to:
- Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1 — that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time they advances in level).
- Fortitude Saving Throws, for resisting Poison and similar threats.
- If a character’s Constitution score changes enough to alter their Constitution modifier, the character’s hit points also increase or decrease accordingly.
INTELLIGENCE (INT)
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for intelligence based casters, such as the Wizard, because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.You apply your character’s Intelligence modifier to:
- The number of languages your character knows at the start of the game.
- The number of skill points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level.)
- Appraise, Craft, Disable Device, Knowledge, Linguistics, Psicraft, and Spellcraft checks. These are the skills that have Intelligence as their key ability.
- Intelligence based casters, such as the Wizard, gain bonus spells based on their Intelligence score. The minimum Intelligence score needed to cast their spells is 10 + the spell’s level.
WISDOM (WIS)
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important ability for wisdom base classes, such as Cleric and Druid, and it is also important for Paladin and Ranger. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.You apply your character’s Wisdom modifier to:
- Will Saving Throws (for negating the effect of Charm Person and other spells).
- Autohypnosis, Control Shape, Heal, Perception, Profession, Sense Motive, and Survival checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key ability.
- Wisdom based casters, such as the Cleric, Druid, Paladin, and Ranger, get bonus spells based on their Wisdom scores. The minimum Wisdom score needed to cast their spells is 10 + the spell’s level.
CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for charisma based casters, such as Paladin, Sorcerer, and Bard. It is also important for clerics, since it affects their ability to Turn Undead. Every creature has a Charisma score.You apply your character’s Charisma modifier to:
- Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, Use Magic Device, and Use Psionic Device,checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key ability.
- Checks that represent attempts to influence others.
- Turning checks for a Cleric or Paladin attempting to turn zombies, vampires, and other Undead.
- Charisma based casters, such as Sorcerer and Bard, get bonus spells based on their Charisma scores. The minimum Charisma score needed to cast their spells is 10 + the spell’s level.
Special Cases
There are some circumstances where the normal rules for ability scores are not followed.Nonabilities
Some creatures lack certain ability scores. These creatures do not have an ability score of 0—they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a nonability is +0. Other effects of nonabilities are detailed below. StrengthAny creature that can physically manipulate other objects has at least 1 point of Strength. A creature with no Strength score can’t exert force, usually because it has no physical body or because it doesn’t move. The creature automatically fails Strength checks. If the creature can attack, it applies its Dexterity modifier to its base attack bonus instead of a Strength modifier. Dexterity
Any creature that can move has at least 1 point of Dexterity. A creature with no Dexterity score can’t move. If it can perform actions (such as casting spells), it applies its Intelligence modifier to Initiative checks instead of a Dexterity modifier. The creature automatically fails Reflex saves and Dexterity checks. Constitution
Any living creature has at least 1 point of Constitution. A creature with no Constitution has no body or no metabolism. It is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless the effect works on objects or is harmless. The creature is also immune to Ability Damage, Ability Drain, and Energy Drain, and automatically fails Constitution checks. A creature with no Constitution cannot tire and thus can run indefinitely without tiring (unless the creature’s description says it cannot run). Intelligence
Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has at least 1 point of Intelligence. A creature with no Intelligence score is mindless, an automaton operating on simple instincts or programmed instructions. It has immunity to mind-affecting effects (Charm And Compulsion, Phantasm, Pattern, and morale typed effects) and automatically fails Intelligence checks. Mindless creatures do not gain feats or skills, although they may have bonus feats or racial skill bonuses. Wisdom
Any creature that can perceive its environment in any fashion has at least 1 point of Wisdom. Anything with no Wisdom score is an Object, not a creature. Anything without a Wisdom score also has no Charisma score. Charisma
Any creature capable of telling the difference between itself and things that are not itself has at least 1 point of Charisma. Anything with no Charisma score is an Object, not a creature. Anything without a Charisma score also has no Wisdom score.
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