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Baldur's Gate seriesLowest Ability Scores(7 posts)(7 posts)
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Posted October 09, 2013
Hi!

At character creation the lowest possible score for an ability is 3 (or down to 1 or 2 in some examples). I've found lots of tables showing the exact effect of all ability scores - except for a score of 1 and 2.

I got curious, does anyone know if the two lowest scores differ from a score of 3? E.g. -4 THAC0 instead of -3 for Strength, or +5 AC instead of +4 for Dexterity, etc..

I Don't know if it matters at all, but I kinda want to know.
Posted October 09, 2013
Edit: Woops. Screw up on my part. I'll see if I can post the table.

You can find the table here.

http://gemrb.org/iesdp/files/2da/2da_tob/strmod.htm
Post edited October 09, 2013 by geoguy2011
Posted October 09, 2013
If you don't know, the reason that scores can't normally go below a 3 in character creation (other than racial penalties and suchlike, perhaps?) is that in normal dungeons and dragons stats are generated by rolling 3 6 sided dice and adding them up. There are several variants to that system to ensure you don't get terrible scores, especially in your key stats, but they mostly revolve around that mechanic. In fact, BG uses a variant on the system itself: it rolls 3 dice for all 6 stats, rerolling any that are below minimum requirements for your class, but then lets you reassign the points as you wish. That's my understanding, anyway.

Geoguy's table only shows strength, but it appears that if you replace 'str' with 'dex', 'int', etc in the link it'll take you to the other tables.
Post edited October 09, 2013 by pi4t
Posted October 09, 2013
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pi4t: If you don't know, the reason that scores can't normally go below a 3 in character creation (other than racial penalties and suchlike, perhaps?) is that in normal dungeons and dragons stats are generated by rolling 3 6 sided dice and adding them up. There are several variants to that system to ensure you don't get terrible scores, especially in your key stats, but they mostly revolve around that mechanic. In fact, BG uses a variant on the system itself: it rolls 3 dice for all 6 stats, rerolling any that are below minimum requirements for your class, but then lets you reassign the points as you wish. That's my understanding, anyway.

Geoguy's table only shows strength, but it appears that if you replace 'str' with 'dex', 'int', etc in the link it'll take you to the other tables.
Yea sorry I wasn't fully reading the original post apparently.


http://gemrb.org/iesdp/files/2da/2da_tob/dexmod.htm

http://gemrb.org/iesdp/files/2da/2da_tob/hpconbon.htm

http://gemrb.org/iesdp/files/2da/2da_tob/intmod.htm

http://gemrb.org/iesdp/files/2da/2da_tob/chrmodst.htm

Are a few more examples (they aren't necessarily full tables for all the effects that different ability scores give).
Post edited October 09, 2013 by geoguy2011
Posted October 10, 2013
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pi4t: If you don't know, the reason that scores can't normally go below a 3 in character creation (other than racial penalties and suchlike, perhaps?)
Yes, racial penalties are applied after you have assigned the points, so it's possible to have a half-orc fighter with an Intelligence score of 1.

As far as I know, having an ability score of 10 means that the person is average in that field, or perhaps slightly fitter than most people (in which case Average Joe would have a score of 8 or 9 in everything); a score of 3 is pretty catastrophic for certain aspects of an individual's life. The half-orc I mentioned earlier would be no more intelligent than an animal, and actually dumber than many of them, which would certainly cause many kinds of social issues.
Posted October 10, 2013
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pi4t: If you don't know, the reason that scores can't normally go below a 3 in character creation (other than racial penalties and suchlike, perhaps?)
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AlKim: Yes, racial penalties are applied after you have assigned the points, so it's possible to have a half-orc fighter with an Intelligence score of 1.

As far as I know, having an ability score of 10 means that the person is average in that field, or perhaps slightly fitter than most people (in which case Average Joe would have a score of 8 or 9 in everything); a score of 3 is pretty catastrophic for certain aspects of an individual's life. The half-orc I mentioned earlier would be no more intelligent than an animal, and actually dumber than many of them, which would certainly cause many kinds of social issues.
By the third edition rules, at least, 10 is about average (for a human commoner). PCs are generally above average due to favourable mechanics in rolling stats, like '4d6 drop one'. I'm not sure if that was the case in 2e or not, though. It's conceivable that in 2e, the score of 10-11, average for PCs, was intended to be above average for people in general.
Posted October 10, 2013
10.5 was considered average back to 1st edition. Optional multiple roll systems for stats were also introduced in 1st edition.

1st Edition methods:
Method I: Roll 4d6, drop the lowest, order stats as desired.
Method II: Roll 3d6 12 times, take the best 6, order stats as desired
Method III: Roll 3d6 six times for each ability, keep the highest.
Method IV: Roll 12 different sets of stats with 3d6 each in order. Pick the set you like best.
Method V: (from Unearthed Arcana) Each class had a system, one stat got 9d6, another 8d6 down to 3d6. Note there are 7 stats because Comeliness was added as a stat (physical attractiveness and opposed to Charisma which was likability.
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Baldur's Gate seriesLowest Ability Scores(7 posts)(7 posts)
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