Ability Scores

This article contains information from the game manual from Baldur's Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast. It displays the effects from the six character ability scores. All character ability scores can be increased permanently by tomes, with enchanted items while they are equipped, or temporarily with potions and spells.

Character ability score table (Baldur's Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast)
Strength
 * Hit adjustment: Number that is added to or subtracted from melee attack rolls during combat. A higher number results in more hits.
 * Damage adjustment: Number that is added or subtracted from melee damage rolls during combat. Strength also boosts the damage of slings.
 * Weight Allowance (lbs): Determines how much weight the character can carry before being slowed or unable to move.
 * Bashing %: Chance a character can bash open a locked door or chest.
 * Equipment: Some armor and weapons have minimum strength requirements.

Dexterity Constitution
 * Missile attack adjustment: Number that is added to or subtracted from ranged attack rolls. A higher number results in more hits.
 * Armor Class (AC) adjustment: A lower armor class makes a character more difficult to hit with ranged and melee attacks.
 * Hit Point adjustment: Number that is added to or subtracted from the gain of hit points when the character reaches a new level. The number in parentheses is for Fighters, Paladins, Rangers and barbarians (the four warrior classes) only. The Constitution bonus to HP is only applied for the first 9 levels for warriors and for the first 10 levels for rogues, priests and wizards. If a character's constitution score is raised, hit points for previous levels are added retroactively.
 * Resurrection Survival: The percentage chance that a character is Resurrected or Raised successfully from the dead by magic. Characters whose bodies were too damaged (or "chunked" by a heavy blow) when they were killed cannot be raised.

Intelligence
 * Spell Level: This limits the level of arcane spells that may be cast. 5th means the Wizard or Bard can cast up to level 5 spells.
 * % To Learn Spell: Determines the chance the caster can learn a new spell from a spell scroll.
 * Max Spells Per Level: Determines how many spells the wizard may scribe to his or her spellbook for each spell level.
 * Lore Bonus: Number added or subtracted to the Lore ability. Lore ability determines which magical items may be identified by the character without using spells or other means to identifiy an object.

Wisdom
 * Bonus spells: The number of additional spell slots the priest receives for a Wisdom score, which are cumulative. A priest with a Wisdom of 19 receives +3 level 1 spell slots,  +2 level 2 spell slots, +1 level 3 spell slots and +2 level 4 spell slots.
 * Spell failure (%): The chance that a priest fails in casting the spell, which results into having no effect.
 * Lore Bonus: See Intelligence. This bonus is cumulative with Intelligence.

Charisma
 * Reaction adjustment: How an NPC reacts. The computer generates a random number between 8 and 12, then adds or subtracts bonuses or penalties from the character's Reputation and Charisma. Negative reactions may mean a quest isn't offered, and positive reactions may lead to a better quest reward, for example.