Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most anticipated video game adaptations of the popular tabletop franchise, Dungeons & Dragons. Just like the source material, players will be using various Abilities to calculate their odds of success throughout the game.
There are 6 Abilities in total, and each of them does wildly different things. Each of them will cover adding a modifier to various skill checks that can change their outcomes. Some of these Abilities will even decide the potency when casting spells. While combat is a major focus in the game, having a wide skill coverage among your companions will be very important, and some of these skills will come up more than others.
6 Constitution
Constitution represents the physique and vitality of a character. Individuals that are in peak physical condition can shake off sickness and injuries alike. Constitution is the only Ability that has no skill checks. However, it will govern how many Hit Points your character has during their creation — and how many Hit Points they receive whenever they level up. You will also be using this Ability to make Saving Throws to maintain your concentration while casting a spell you want to keep going over several turns.
If you are poisoned or being suffocated, this is the Ability that will help reduce the effects and allow you to keep going even in the harshest of conditions. What puts it at the bottom of the list is due to the fact you are not supposed to follow a typical “tanky” mentality in Dungeons and Dragons. It is better to remove threats so they stop hurting you, rather than trying to heal the damage afterward doing so. Sending in whichever party member is most qualified for the task at hand will keep the rate of success high. Constitution is a cushion for ‘if’ something goes wrong and not something you should be relying on.
5 Strength
Strength represents how physically mighty a character is. They have big muscles and can exert a lot of physical force when they need to. Strength only has 1 skill check in the form of Athletics. Athletics will let you successfully overcome obstacles that would push against you and make movement harder than it should be. It will also determine how far your jump can get you. If you see a large object you need to push to solve a puzzle, or a massive rock sitting on top of a ledge above the head of an enemy, then Strength will be what you use to push said object. This Ability will also be what you use to prevent other characters from shoving you into an unfavorable place on the map.
Strength is also what will determine a lot of classes' melee attack rolls and melee damage rolls. This is due to the wide variety of weapons that use Strength as their modifiers. Another benefit of having high Strength is that it will increase that character’s carrying capacity, meaning the group can be more prepared for what hazards await them. You will need Strength to wear some of the heaviest of armors and wield the heaviest of weapons.
4 Dexterity
Dexterity represents acts of shifting weight and how accurately one can manipulate their physical properties. There are 3 skills that will make use of Dexterity. Acrobatics will allow you to safely walk along beams high above the ground, shift your weight to prevent being shoved off balance, and other acts of physical agility. Stealth will let you move without making a sound or remain hidden from enemies moving around. This will be great for getting the drop on enemies with their backs to you or sneaking past a sleeping dragon. Lastly, there is Sleight of Hand. Sleight of Hand lets you manipulate the position of small objects.
This can be used to pick the pockets of a target, plant an object on an unsuspecting target, and keep something hidden on your person. If the user has some Thieves Tools, they can also use this skill to pick locks and disarm traps. Dexterity has many uses outside of skills as well. You will Dexterity for determining certain weapons' damage and their likelihood of hitting their targets. The order in which a character gets to act in combat is determined by their Initiative Roll, which gets a bonus from that character’s Dexterity modifier. Lastly, Dexterity will also help increase your Armor Class.
3 Intelligence
Intelligence represents how much knowledge a character has. Intelligence skills can often be overlooked and leave players unprepared when they need to acquire new information to better tackle a situation. The only class that makes Intelligence their primary Ability above all else is the Wizard, although both the Eldritch Knight Fighter and Arcane Trickster Rogue will benefit from this Ability.
This Ability is used to cast many spells in the game and will be vital to characters using those spells. Many of the game's secrets and possible quest outcomes will require you to have successful rolls for Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion. So, be sure each of these is covered in your party composition for when you need them to tackle the quests they are part of.
2 Charisma
Charisma will be a character's ability to manipulate the attitude of NPCs through various social means. There are 4 Charisma Skills:, Persusion, Deception, Intimidation, and Performance. Persuasion for using the truth and reasoning. Deception is for tricking NPCs into believing what you want them to believe. Intimidation allows you to use fear to get your way. Lastly, Performance will let a character project their social charms to affect all those around them.
This can open up plenty of new doors throughout the campaign. It will help you forge new bonds with NPCs and achieve various alternate outcomes to situations. This is also used by Warlocks, Sorcerers, and Bards as their primary spell-casting Ability, making it the most important ability for those characters.
1 Wisdom
Wisdom is a measure of a character's use of their senses. This includes seeing something that is out of place or smelling the scent of blood on the wind before turning a corner. Wisdom is also used by Clerics, Druids, and Rangers as their primary spell casting Ability. This is great for these classes as a lot of spell lists that use Wisdom have some amazing spells at lower levels that stay useful all through the game. Just like the Intelligence Ability, there are 5 skills associated with it: Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Survival, and Perception. Each of them is highly important for various situations that may come up in the game.
Animal Handling will let you control various beasts. Insight will let you know when a target is not being entirely truthful with you. Medicine will help treat and stabilize targets in need. Survival will help you gather supplies in the wild. Finally, Perception may very well be the most important skill in the game for letting you know about any and all impending danger and finding valuable items. This is because it can let you hear scuttling sounds in the next room, see hidden passages that hold treasure, and do anything else that a character's senses can pick up on that the player may not be aware of.