Strength

Strength is one of the six character abilities. It's a very important character ability for fighters, paladins, rangers and barbarians. It determines how often a character hits with his weapons in combat, how much damage is delivered, how much a character can carry and a chance to open doors or chest without lockpicking. It also affects which items a character may use which are in range of the chosen class.

Bashing
Bashing works exactly the same as a thief's Pick Lock ability, allowing a strong character to open a locked door or chest by attacking it with a weapon, but does not grant experience for a successful lock bash, and cannot go above 80 points. Like Pick Lock, Bashing works on a threshold system - if you're within 5 points of the target lock's difficulty you have a 50% chance of bashing it successfully, while if you're equal to or greater than the lock's difficulty, it's guaranteed.

Permanent Strength boosts

 * Manual of Gainful Exercise in Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition.
 * Machine of Lum the Mad in Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal.
 * Baldur's Gate II Chapter 2 - Hell, Test of Wrath. The reward for the 'evil path' is a +2 to your Strength.
 * The Star card from the Deck of Many Things - grants +1 to your Strength if you are a fighter, paladin, Ranger, barbarian, nonk or fighter/thief.

Strength-altering equipment
These items set your Strength score to a specific value, this might actually cause a reduction in Strength. They also render you immune to Strength-draining effects.
 * Crom Faeyr
 * Angurvadal +5
 * Gauntlets of Ogre Power
 * Girdle of Hill Giant Strength
 * Girdle of Stone Giant Strength
 * Girdle of Frost Giant Strength
 * Girdle of Fire Giant Strength

Strength-altering potions
These items set your Strength score to a specific value. Some may cause a reduction in Strength.
 * Potion of Strength
 * Potion of Hill Giant Strength
 * Potion of Stone Giant Strength
 * Potion of Frost Giant Strength
 * Potion of Fire Giant Strength
 * Potion of Cloud Giant Strength
 * Potion of Storm Giant Strength

Strength-altering spells
These spells set your Strength score to a specific value. With the exception of Draw Upon Holy Might, some may cause a reduction in Strength.
 * Strength
 * Draw Upon Holy Might
 * Strength of One