Talk:Dexterity

From NWNWiki

Is it possible to get a 0 dexterity in NWN? If so, does it immobilize you or kill you? --The Krit 21:34, 30 August 2006 (PDT)

No ability score can be reduced to lower than 3 (-4 modifier) in NWN. Spells like web often have the bug of reducing your dex score to 3 (though the decrease from any ability affect cannot exceed 30 lower than the raw score, so a dex 38 build cannot be reduced to any lower than 8 (there is an exception with shifting/polymorph where the raw score actually changes)). Creatures like shadow fiends have extra scripting in this regard. Shadow fiends first compare the 1d6 ability drain roll they make to the target's modified strength score. If the 1d6 roll meets or exceeds the target's modified strength score then the target receives magical damage equal to their HP (which should conceivably kill them). Technically speaking there is no killing by reducing a stat to 0 in NWN, just occasional scripting that pretends to do it in rare cases (e.g. shadow fiend).

In essence the character for each ability score operates by two sums of effects effects: The sum of the additives (capped at +12), and the sum of the diminutives (capped at -30) (ignore item properties for stat increase/decreases here, they can work a little strangely if you play the caps with them). Basically the additive score is added to the diminutive score and then the modified score is set and not allowed any lower than 3. When an effect is added or removed the entire set of effects gets recalculated, before the new score is applied. WhiZard 20:04, 23 April 2008 (UTC)