Strength

Strength is one of the six ability scores and the main attribute of warriors. A minimum natural of 15 or even 17 is required for fighter, ranger and also shadowdancer dual-class combinations.
==Effects==
Strength 	THAC0	DMG	Bashing	Weight
1 	+5 	-4 	1 	1
2 	+3 	-2 	2 	3
3 	+3 	-1 	3 	5
4 	+2 	-1 	4 	15
5 	+2 	-1 	5 	15
6 	+1 	0 	6 	30
7 	+1 	0 	7 	30
8 	0 	0 	8 	50
9 	0 	0 	9 	50
10 	0 	0 	10 	70
11 	0 	0 	11 	70
12 	0 	0 	12 	90
13 	0 	0 	13 	90
14 	0 	0 	14 	120
15 	0 	0 	15 	120
16 	0 	+1 	16 	150
17 	-1 	+1 	18 	170
18 	-1 	+2 	20 	200
18/01 – 18/50	-1 	+3 	25 	220
18/51 – 18/75	-2 	+3 	30 	250
18/76 – 18/90	-2 	+4 	35 	280
18/91 – 18/99	-2 	+5 	40 	320
18/00 	-3 	+6 	45 	400
19 	-3 	+7 	50 	500
20 	-3 	+8 	55 	600
21 	-4 	+9 	60 	700
22 	-4 	+10	65 	800
23 	-5 	+11	70 	1000
24 	-6 	+12	75 	1200
25 	-7 	+14	80 	1600
Strength modifies a creature's THAC0 and the damage they deal with all melee weapons, as well as for all slings and throwing weapons (not counting darts). It also determines weight capability and which equipment a character may wield, plus the ability to bash doors or chests, though not as effective as a thief's Open Locks skill. High strength will also give additional options in certain dialogs. Some enemies can also inflict strength drain on hit, which not only weakens characters but also kills anyone who gets drained down to 0, so higher values help protect against this effect.
===Exceptional strength===
Except for halflings, all warriors get an "exceptional strength" bonus when having a strength of eighteen. This is shown as percentage behind the 18 and a slash, where "00" stands for 100%. The bonus is rolled together with the other scores during character generation and will not change when de- and increasing strength by adding or subtracting points repeatedly. Exceptional strength gives bonuses beyond those for a non- or halfling-warrior's regular eighteen, within certain ranges; according rows in the table to the right are marked with a different color. The wizard spell Strength will set the non- and halfling-warriors' strength to 18/50, while adding 50% to an already present exceptional strength bonus, though not beyond 18/00. Half-orcs of any class (not just warriors) can start the game with 19 strength if they spend enough points at character creation.
===Bashing===
Bashing allows a strong character to open a locked door or chest by force-attacking it. Bashing uses the same formula as the Thief's Open Lock and Disarm Traps skills: Skill points - 1 + 1d10 > Difficulty. Therefore, by adding 8 to the bashing skill (found on the table to the right) one can determine the maximum difficulty lock that can be bashed by a particular character.
With a strength of 25, which can be achieved by e.g. turning into the Slayer, the maximum difficulty lock that can be bashed will be 88 (80 bashing skill + 8), which covers the vast majority of locks in BG2EE (where most of the important locks, that prevent access to great treasure, are difficulty 80). Also, it doesn't yield experience, as a thief might gain by picking the lock.
==Requirements for equipment==
The tables show values for the base versions of the items; enchanted or otherwise special variants of them may differ.
{| class="wikitable sortable"	
Weapon type 	Requires strength
Bastard Sword 	11
Battle axe 	10
Club 	5
Composite longbow 	18
Dagger and throwing daggers	3
Dart 	-
Flail 	13
Halberd 	13
Heavy crossbow 	12
Katana 	6
Light crossbow 	8
Long bow 	6
Long sword 	6
Mace 	10
Morning star 	11
Ninjatō 	6
Quarterstaff 	5
Scimitar 	10
Shortbow 	3
Short sword 	5
Sling 	3
Spear 	5
Throwing axe 	4
Throwing hammer 	6
Two handed sword 	14
Wakizashi 	5
War hammer 	9
==Score altering==
A permanent increase of strength may be acquired via following methods:
*Baldur's Gate: +1 by "reading" (consuming) the Manual of Gainful Exercise
*Shadows of Amn: +2 by choosing the evil path during the Test of Wrath
*Throne of Bhaal (only single-class warriors and dual-classed ones who are still below the level of their first class): +1 by drawing the "STAR" card from the Deck of Many Things
*Throne of Bhaal: +1 by properly manipulating controls on the Machine of Lum the Mad
*In any game, playing in Story Mode buffs your Strength to 25.
If a character with exceptional strength (18/xx) gets a strength increase of +1, they always go to 19, no matter if they started with 18, 18/01 or 18/99.
Many spells and abilities, as well as potions and other item, grant temporary bonuses or penalties to strength; in case of wearable equipment often "permanent" in terms of "as long as being equipped."
===Spells and abilities===
;Bonuses
n Champion's Strength, Holy Power, Strength and Strength of One, as well as Mazzy's ability, set the score to a specific value, which may result in a reduction if the target's natural strength is higher than that value.
;Penalties
===Potions===
Potions temporarily set the score to a specific value, rather than applying a bonus or penalty. Except for the basic Potion of Strength, they all can only be used by warriors.
===Equipment===
Some equipment sets strength to a specific value, possibly causing a reduction if it is actually higher than that; on the other hand, this protects from strength-draining effects. On the other hand, some equipment increases strength by a specific value, which can be added on top of any effect that sets strength.
Category:Ability scores