Stat Effects

[Merlin]

What exactly do all of your stats do? (I am talking about Strength, Dexterity, etc.)

[Derakon]

STR: carrying capacity (how much equipment and inventory you can carry without being slowed down); number of melee blows/round; damage bonus; minimum weapon weight (usually not relevant).
DEX: number of melee blows/round; accuracy bonus; AC bonus; theftproofness
CON: hitpoints
INT: spellcasting stat for arcane casters; magic device use rate
WIS: spellcasting stat for holy casters; saving throw
CHA: Buy/sell values in stores

"Spellcasting stat" means that it determines your mana, how many spells you can learn, and your failure rate.

Many of these are also modified by your race and class, e.g. half-trolls have terrible magic device use regardless of their INT scores, while mages have good magic device use.

[Napsterbater]

Don't neglect CHA, buy all the !CHA you see in town. You won't regret it when it gets swapped with STR by that darned nexus vortex.

[Merlin]

Thanks! And I drink up all those !Chr I find around.

[Derakon]

Originally Posted by Napsterbater

Don't neglect CHA, buy all the !CHA you see in town. You won't regret it when it gets swapped with STR by that darned nexus vortex.

Better solution: stay the hell away from nexus vortices. There'll always be a low stat that will really hurt you if it gets swapped for one of your key stats.

CHA is functionally useless in the nightlies if you play no-selling, since as far as I can tell it doesn't affect prices in the Black Market (e.g. stat potions are always 30k AU, CHA potions always 3k AU).

[Merlin]

My stat potions, or Con and Int at least, are 24k on the Black Market...