Base Abilities

Base abilities in Underrail serve as the base for your character and consist of seven attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Constitution, Perception, Will and Intelligence. Certain functions, items and actions require a minimum score of a certain base ability to be used or performed, while some items, such as foods, temporarily boost them. Some feats also require a minimum score of a certain base ability (and skill level) to be picked and used. Each base ability is set to a default of 5 and has a maximum of 10 during character creation.

You gain a base ability point every 4 levels. Theoretical maximum base ability score is 20, although not reachable with the current level cap.

Base abilities directly boost related skills by a certain number. An ability score of 4 is the breakpoint where related skills receive no bonus nor penalty from the ability score.[1]

Every point in base ability above 4 increases the effective value of dependent skills by 10%, while every point below 4 decreases it by 8.5%.

Strength

Strength determines how much damage you can deal in unarmed combat and with melee weapons. Strength also increases your chance to hit with melee weapons by increasing your melee skill, unless your dexterity is higher. Carry capacity starts at 100, with each point of Strength increasing it by 10. Some other actions (e.g. opening vents with a crowbar) also require a set score of strength. Strength is also a requirement to use heavier types of weapons and armor. You can use heavy equipment without meeting its strength requirements, but too heavy weapons will suffer reduced precision and wearing too heavy armor reduces your action points.

High strength score is important for characters who use the heaviest of armors and heavy weaponry.

“ Strength measures your character's muscle power. It affects melee damage and carry capacity. It's also important for characters who intend to use heavier weapons (such as sniper and assault rifles and sledgehammers). ”

— In-game description

Related Base Ability	Skill Synergies
Melee	Carry capacity Melee bonus damage Requirement for heavy weapons Sniper rifles (5 STR) Assault rifles (7 STR) Sledgehammers (8-9 STR) Requirement for heavy armor Riot gear (4-6 STR) Metal armor (8-9 STR)

Dexterity

Dexterity determines how effectively your character can perform dexterous actions such as throwing items, picking locks, pickpocketing NPCs and setting traps. Dexterity also increases your chance to hit with melee weapons by increasing your melee skill, unless your strength is higher. Each point of dexterity above 5 increases your melee critical chance by 1% and decreases AP cost of light weapons by 4% (both additive). Dexterity, along with agility, also determines your combat initiative. Some other actions (e.g. catching fish) also benefit from dexterity. No items require dexterity to be used or equipped.

High dexterity score is important for thieves and characters who use light weapons.

“ Dexterity measures character's reflexes, hand-eye coordination and finger nimbleness. It affects many things, such as operating locks, thievery, throwing and initiative. It increases critical strike chance of melee attacks. High dexterity also reduces action point cost of unarmed and light weapons (pistols, SMGs, knives, and fist weapons) ”

— In-game description

Related Base Ability	Skill Synergies
Melee Throwing Lockpicking Pickpocketing Traps	Melee critical chance Initiative AP cost of light weapons (unarmed, fist weapons, knives, pistols, SMGs)

Agility

Agility determines how effectively your character can move and how much you can move. Agility affects your stealth skill, as well as dodge and evasion. Each point of agility above 5 increases your character's maximum movement points in combat by 3. Agility, along with dexterity, also determines your combat initiative. Some other actions (e.g. climbing over rocks to otherwise unreachable areas) also require a set score agility. No items require agility to be used or equipped.

High agility score is important for characters who rely on high mobility, attack avoidance and stealth as their defense. (As opposed to damage absorption.)

“ Agility represents character's reflexes, fleet-footedness, jumping ability, as well as affinity towards other athletic and acrobatic activities. Among other things it affects dodge, evasion, initiative and movement points. It also allows the character to move more quietly, increasing the stealth performance. ”

— In-game description

Related Base Ability	Skill Synergies
Dodge Evasion Stealth	Movement points Initiative

Constitution

Constitution determines your overall health and how effectively your character can resist physical effects such as stuns from telekinetic punches or incapacitation from flashbangs. Constitution does not reduce the effects of bleeding. Constitution does not affect nor boost any of your skills but increases your max health, health per level and fortitude. Health per level gains from constitution work retroactively.[2] No items require constitution to be used or equipped.

High constitution score is important for characters who rely on the armor suit and damage absorption as their defense. (As opposed to avoidance, mobility and stealth.)

“ Constitution represents the health and general stamina of your character. It is important for all types of characters, but especially for those who plan on making the armor suit their main defense. It also helps prevent or lessen the effects of poisons and diseases. ”

— In-game description

Related Base Ability	Skill Synergies
None	Max Health Fortitude Health gained per level (retroactive)

Perception

Perception determines your character's overall awareness and effectiveness with ranged weapons. It also affects your character's chance to detect hidden passages, objects or stealthed creatures and NPCs. It does not increase your vision or visible range. Perception does not directly affect your chance to hit, but rather increases your ranged weapon skills, which in turn increases your chance to hit with ranged weapons. Melee weapon hit rate is unchanged but increased with melee skill (through strength or dexterity). No items require perception to be used or equipped.

High perception score is important for characters who wish to use ranged weapons or find traps, stealthed enemies and secrets.

“ Perception helps the character to use ranged weapons more effectively, as well as detect hidden objects, passages and creatures. ”

— In-game description

Related Base Ability	Skill Synergies
Guns Crossbows	Detection Finding secrets (uses raw perception value instead of detection)

Will

Will determines your effectiveness with psi abilities, your chance to resist mental effects and modifies your maximum psi points. It also determines your character's overall determination to certain actions, such as persuading or intimidating NPCs in conversation to make them choose your side of the argument. Some psionic dialogue options also require your character to have a minimum score of pure will in order to succeed. No items require will to be used or equipped.

High will score is important for psionic characters.

“ Will measures your character's mental determination to see to his action regardless of various mental difficulties, such as pain, suggestion and overwhelming odds, as well as to force his will onto others and the environment. It heavily affects all psi disciplines, as well as determines the maximum psi. ”

— In-game description

Related Base Ability	Skill Synergies
Thought Control Psychokinesis Metathermics Persuasion Intimidation	Max Psi points Resolve Psi points gained per level (retroactive) Dialogue options

Intelligence

Intelligence determines your character's ability to craft items from components of any kind, as well as the ability to concieve and understand complex concepts such as hacking computer terminals and electrical locks. Intelligence also increases your mercantile skill, allowing you to buy and sell items for better prices. No items require intelligence in order to be used or equipped.

High intelligence score is important for crafters.

“ Intelligence determines how well the character learns and reasons. It is important for a character that focuses on science as all disciplines are dependent on it. ”

— In-game description

Related Base Ability	Skill Synergies
Hacking Mechanics Electronics Chemistry Biology Tailoring Mercantile	Dialogue options