For information on human ability in general, see expertise.

An ability score is any attribute possessed by a fictional character (such as a player character) in a role-playing game, which serves to define the character’s basic traits. Ability scores are the values from which other characteristics are derived. They often influence the chance to succeed in skill or other tests. Ability scores are usually determined during character creation and expanded with experience points gained later in the game.

In contrast to skills, which represent the character’s expertise in learned capabilities like horse-riding or hacking, ability scores describe to what extent the character possesses selected natural, in-born characteristics like strength, dexterity, charisma, wisdom, or intelligence.

Ability score is the name used by Dungeons & Dragons. Other games call these

• (basic) attributes (FUDGE, GURPS, Storyteller System, BRP, Palladium, Aria),
• characteristics (Hero System, Fuzion), or
• (primary) stats or statistics (Interlock System, Fuzion).

Different game systems use different sets of abilities.

Dungeons & Dragons and the d20 System

• Strength - physical strength
• Dexterity - agility and speed
• Constitution - ability to resist damage and disease
• Intelligence - mental acuity
• Wisdom - intuition and sense of things around himself
• Charisma - force of personality and physical attractiveness

Scores are usually rolled randomly, range from 3-18 for most human characters, and can go as high as 25 for deities.

Basic Role-Playing

• Strength (STR) - physical strength, ability to lift and carry
• Constitution (CON) - health and endurance, ability to resist damage and disease
• Size (SIZ) - mass (and height)
• Intelligence (INT) - mental acuity
• Power (POW) - basic ability to work magic, also luck and will-power
• Dexterity (DEX) - agility, manual dexterity, and speed

and one of:

• Charisma (CHA) - leadership, charm, personality (earlier versions)
• Appearance (APP) - physical attractiveness (later versions)

Scores are usually rolled randomly, and range from 3-18 for most beginning human characters, except SIZ and INT which range from 8-18. Non-human character score ranges can vary more widely.

GURPS

GURPS uses four Attributes:

• Strength (ST) - physical power and bulk, ability to lift and carry
• Dexterity (DX) - agility, coordination, manual dexterity
• Intelligence (IQ) - mental acuity and sense of the world
• Health (HT) - energy and vitality, ability to resist disease

Scores are bought or sold during character generation, starting at 10 each for base characters. Skill values are based directly on a specific Attribute; most skill rolls are based on 3d6 compared against the skill number.

Hero System

The primary characteristics are:

• Strength (STR, cost 1) - physical strength, ability to lift and carry
• Intelligence (INT, cost 1) - mental acuity, learning ability
• Constitution (CON, cost 2) - health and ability to resist disease
• Dexterity (DEX, cost 3) - agility and manual dexterity
• Ego (EGO, cost 2) - mental fortitude and willpower
• Body (BODY, cost 2) - ability to sustain damage leading towards death, hit points
• Presence (PRE, cost 1) - leadership, charm, personality

Scores start at 10 each for base characters and are bought or sold during character generation at the listed cost per point. Normal human maxima are usually defined to be 20 for each. Another set of secondary characteristics are derived from the above, though can be bought separately. They do not follow the same scale, rather directly influence game mechanics. These are:

• Physical Defense (PD, base STR/5, cost 1) - resistance to physical damage
• Energy Defense (ED, base CON/5, cost 1) - resistance to physical damage
• Speed (SPD, base DEX/5, cost 10) - number of actions per turn
• Recovery (REC, base STR/5 + CON/5, cost 2) - STUN and END replaced per turn
• Endurance (END, base CONx2, cost 1/2) - energy available as fatigue
• Stun (STUN, base STR/2+CON/2+BODY, cost 1) - ability to sustain damage leading towards unconsciousness

SPECIAL System

• Strength - physical prowess
• Perception - awareness of sight
• Endurance - ability to take punishments
• Charisma - personality and attractiveness
• Intelligence - mental acuity
• Agility - speed and dexterity
• Luck - how the universe views the character in general