Ability scores are the numerical values for a character's six abilities. They represent a creature's physical and mental attributes. The scores translate directly into ability score modifiers - the bonuses or penalties that are added to (or subtracted from) most rolls in the game. The six abilities are:
Overview
Each a ility describes a creature's capability in a different area:
- Strength: Physical power.
- Dexterity: Agility and finesse.
- Constitution: Overall health and endurance.
- Intelligence: Rational reasoning and memory.
- Wisdom: Common sense and insight.
- Charisma: Charm or force of character.
Generally the minimum possible ability Score is 1, and the maximum is 20. A score of 10 is considered average for a humanoid creature, and player characters can't start with any score lower than 8. Ability scores are bought with points during Character Creation, and can be permanently increased through the Ability Improvement class feature (presented in the list of feats), though this cannot raise them above 20. They may also be increased through magical effects, though these are rare. Some monsters and magical creatures may have scores higher than 20.
Ability scores may be temporarily increased above 20 through various enhancements, such as magical spells, elixirs, or special equipment. Some supernatural or magical effects (like Devour Intellect) can drain abilities, reducing one or more of the target's ability scores, potentially to zero. This is not automatically fatal.
Interactions with classes
Primary and secondary abilities
Each class has designated primary and secondary abilities. While these have no particular mechanical significance, they are mentioned in the game's tooltips, and serve as recommendations for players unfamiliar with the rules of the game.
The primary abilities for the classes are:
Strength (STR): Barbarians, Fighters
Dexterity (DEX): Monks, Rangers, Rogues
Intelligence (INT): Wizards
Wisdom (WIS): Clerics, Druids
Charisma (CHA): Bards, Paladins, Sorcerers, Warlocks
Spellcasting ability
Every class has an ability that affects their spellcasting. These affect the attack rolls and Difficulty Class of their spells. The primary ability of casters classes always corresponds to their spellcasting ability, with the exception of rangers and classes that gain spellcasting via a subclass class feature.
Racial spells may use their own designated ability. For example, the cantrip granted during character creation by the elf or half-elf race always uses Intelligence, regardless of the creature's class.
Strength
- Associated skills: Athletics.
Strength governs physical power. Strength increases a creature's carry weight and jump distance. The Strength modifier improves chances of success of shoving or resisting being shoved. It is also added to the result of attack and damage rolls for melee weapons.
Dexterity
- Associated skills: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand and Stealth.
Dexterity describes a character's agility and finesse. The Dexterity modifiers is added to the results of attack and damage rolls of ranged weapons and, when the creature's Dexterity score is higher than their Strength score, melee weapons with the Finesse property.
A creature's Dexterity modifier is also added to their Armour Class (AC), but the bonus added may be limited depending on what armour they have equipped.
Medium armour usually limits the bonus added to the creature's AC to +2, whereas, heavy armour tends to ignore the bonus entirely.
Dexterity is a common ability used for saves against spells, often halving the damage rolls of those spells.
Constitution
- Associated skills: None.
Constitution describes a character's overall health and endurance. A creature's Constitution modifier is added to the amount of hit points it gains on level up. This increase is applied retroactively.
Constitution is commonly used for saves against poisons, and is a common ability used in saves against spells.
Intelligence
- Associated skills: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature and Religion.
Intelligence describes a character's reasoning and memory.
Intelligence is the spellcasting ability of wizards, fighters and rogues.
Wisdom
- Associated skills: Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Survival.
Wisdom describes a character's common sense and understanding, and is the spellcasting ability for clerics, druids and rangers, and is an important ability score for monks, as several of their class features depend on it.
Wisdom is also a commonly used ability for saves against spells.
Charisma
- Associated skills: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion.
Charisma describes a character's eloquence or force of personality, and is the spellcasting ability for bards, sorcerers, warlocks and paladins.