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STR (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition)

Abilities

Definition

Strength measures raw bodily power. It sets your attack and damage bonus with most melee weapons, it is the only ability tied to the Athletics skill, and it decides how much you can carry, drag, and force open. It is also the ability behind grappling and shoving, which is the cheapest way in the game to control where an enemy stands. Its weakness is narrowness. Strength feeds one skill and a saving throw that comes up mostly against being moved or restrained, so a character who is not swinging a heavy weapon gets little from a high score. That is why Strength is a commitment: you take it to 16 or higher and build around it, or you leave it near 10 and use Dexterity for your weapons.

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How it works

**Modifier**: floor((score minus 10) divided by 2), so 16 gives +3 and 8 gives -1. Scores run 3 to 20 at creation and cap at 20 without magic. **Saving Throws**: Resisting being pushed, pulled, restrained, or otherwise physically moved. Barbarians and Fighters are proficient, and so are Rangers and Monks in the SRD class list. **Skills**: Athletics only, covering climbing, jumping, swimming, and feats of raw force. **Derived**: Melee attack rolls and melee damage with non-finesse weapons, carrying capacity (score times 15 pounds), and grapple and shove contests.

Tips

**Best for**: Barbarians, Fighters, and Paladins, all of whom want a heavy weapon or heavy armor, plus any build that plans to grapple. **Character concepts**: Greataxe berserker, oathsworn knight in plate, wrestler, siege engineer, dockhand who joined the crusade for the food. **Synergies**: Heavy armor is the natural partner, since it ignores Dexterity for AC and lets you dump that score instead. Constitution belongs next to it. Athletics proficiency plus a +3 or better modifier makes grappling reliable enough to be a tactic rather than a stunt.

Frequently asked questions

Should my Fighter use Strength or Dexterity?

Strength if you want heavy armor and a two-handed weapon, since heavy armor sets AC from armor alone. Dexterity if you want AC, initiative, ranged attacks, and Stealth from one score. Strength hits harder, Dexterity does more jobs.

Is Strength a dump stat for spellcasters?

Usually yes, and the real cost is carrying capacity and Strength saves. A Wizard at 8 Strength carries 120 pounds and takes a -1 on saves against being grabbed or shoved, which is survivable but noticeable in a dungeon.

What does Strength do for grappling?

A grapple or shove is a contest of your Athletics check against the target's Athletics or Acrobatics. A high Strength plus Athletics proficiency wins most of those, and holding an enemy in place is often worth more than a single attack.

Further Reading

All D&D 5e Ability ScoresAthletics
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