After you choose your race and class, the next screen allows you to spend five points on attributes.
See the appropriate sections in the Classes chapter for details on the best paths for leveling your character. The following sections run down how each attribute most affects your character:
Strength
- Increases damage from all weapons except crossbows, bows, and staves
- Increases attack score in melee combat by 0.5 for each point purchased
- Prerequisite for most weapon talents and higher-level armor and weapons
- Contributes to physical resistance and intimidation
Dexterity
- Increases attack score in melee combat by 0.5 for each point purchased
- Increases attack score in ranged combat by 1 for each point purchased
- Increases defense by 1 for each point purchased
- Increases damage from piercing weapons (bows and crossbows)
- Prerequisite for some weapon talents
- Contributes to physical resistance
Willpower
- Increases mana or stamina by 5 for each point purchased
- Contributes to mental resistance
Magic
- Increases spellpower by 1 for each point purchased
- Increases effectiveness of potions, poultices, and salves
- Prerequisite for higher-level staves and many spells
- Contributes to mental resistance
Cunning
- Increases effectiveness of rogue talents
- Prerequisite for many skills
- Contributes to armor penetration, mental resistance, and persuasion
Constitution
- Increases health by 5 for each point purchased
- Contributes to physical resistance
Some important concepts, though, apply to all characters. First, as tempting as it is to spread out your attribute points and stay decent at everything, it's a better idea to focus on your key stats and raise them first.
Look at your talents/spells and see what attribute thresholds you need to unlock them. Make sure you get those attributes up before you throw points anywhere else.
Second, familiarize yourself with all stats and don't discount anything. For example, all classes need stamina (energy for physical actions) or mana (energy for magical actions).
Willpower raises stamina or mana, which means even a warrior needs to build up willpower to some degree. Again, concentrate on your core attributes first, but when you find a point or two free, it might be a good idea to throw it to willpower as a warrior or rogue, or maybe constitution as a mage - you get the idea.
Third, some of the "secondary" stats take a bit of research to understand, and they may have some bearing on your class choice.
Resistances reduce specific types of damage and effects. For example, physical resistance helps prevent you from being knocked down. Armor protects a character from physical attacks when you get hit, while your defense score increases the chance of dodging or parrying those attacks completely.
Your attack score indicates the chance of landing physical attacks. Your damage score shows your equipped weapon's potential damage against an unarmored opponent, adjusted for the speed of the weapon.
For example, let's say you have a rogue with damage scores on two weapons: 12.7 and 7.9. The rogue will deal 12.7 damage with his main hand and 7.9 damage with his off-hand to an unarmored opponent.
Critical chance increases your ability to deal maximum damage on a success. Don't forget about your fatigue stat, especially if you play a warrior with all that heavy armor. Fatigue causes an increase in the basic stamina or mana cost to activate a spell or talent.
For example, a fatigue rating of 8.5 means that your stamina/mana cost for all abilities goes up by 8.5 percent.