Strength
Strength (or STR) is one of a character's three main attributes, along with dexterity and intelligence.
Strength affects the following:
- Slightly increases damage in combat.
- Reduces the impact your armour's encumbrance rating has upon your accuracy, evasion, and spellcasting success rate.
- Slightly increases your SH bonus with shields or large shields.
- Increases the chance of doing auxiliary attacks.
- Increases constriction damage.
- Increases the chance of doing retaliatory headbutts when you are a minotaur.
Dexterity is often more useful than strength. The bonus damage from strength is generally very minor in all but the most extreme cases, while boosting your evasion is helpful for any character. However, a high strength score can go a long way toward allowing you to cast spells or dodge attacks while wearing heavy armour.
If your strength is ever reduced to 0 or lower, you will eventually suffer stat zero.
History
Prior to 0.18, each weapon type had a strength weight that determined how much strength contributed to damage and accuracy. Now strength contributes to damage equally for all weapons, and not at all to accuracy.
Prior to 0.15, characters could only carry a certain weight of gear at any given time, measured in aums. Strength increased your carrying capacity by 25 aum per point. Also, ranged combat was significantly more complicated, and strength played a role in determining your attack delay with ranged weapons (see weapon damage and ranged combat for details).
Prior to 0.13, the weapon damage bonus from strength was half as large. Strength also played a role in the now-obsolete Armour EV-Penalty system, which was replaced with encumbrance ratings.
