Strength is one of the six Ability Scores that define a character’s physical and mental attributes. In Dungeons and Dragons, Ability Scores for player character races generally range from 3-18 - the result of rolling 3d6. In Baldur’s Gate 3, your player character’s starting Ability Scores will range from 8-15 by default, with racial modifiers potentially boosting them up to 17. On their own, Ability Scores don’t directly influence anything, but the higher an Ability Score is, the higher its associated modifier will be, and different Ability Score modifiers cumulatively affect just about every aspect of the game, including Attack Rolls, Damage Rolls, Skill Checks, Saving Throws, spell potency, and many, many more core aspects of the game. This page will explain what the Strength Ability Score does in Baldur’s Gate 3.

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Strength influences your prowess in melee combat, your max carry weight, and your Athletics skill.

What Does Strength Do In Baldur’s Gate 3¶

Muscles and physical power.

Affects your Athletics Skill and your effectiveness with melee weapons. Also determines how far you can jump and how much you can carry.

• Skills: Perhaps the least important Ability Score, skills-wise (not counting Constitution, which doesn’t influence any skills), Strength only influences the Athletics skill, adding your Strength Ability Score modifier to Athletics checks. Athletics - and Strength in general - is checked when a character is climbing, trying to hold onto objects or surfaces, jumping, swimming, pushing, pulling, lifting objects, forcing open doors or breaking free from bonds or restraints.

• Jump, Shove, Throw: The higher your Strength score, the greater distances you can jump and the further you can shove enemies (also affected by the target’s weight). You can also throw heavier objects and creatures further.

• Encumbrance: Your Strength score also affects your encumbrance, giving you the ability to carry 10lbs of items per point of Strength. This is the maximum amount of weight you can carry, you’ll start suffering penalties when your carry weight is at ⅔ your maximum load.

• Saving Throws: You add your Strength modifier to Strength Saving Throws.

• Melee Attack and Damage: Despite not being terribly important for skills, Strength still ends up being one of the more useful stats in the game for warriors due to its contributions to melee combat. You add your Strength modifier to all Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls made with melee weapons, making Strength absolutely vital for melee combat.

If your character is going to be engaged in melee combat on a regular basis, they should either have a high Strength or Dexterity score to improve their combat stats. In the case of Dexterity, you must be using weapons with the “Finesse” trait, which limits your selection somewhat, but allows them to use ranged weapons more competently, as well. Strength is therefore a key Ability Score for Barbarians, Fighters and Paladins, as well as some Clerics and Rangers.