Strength is one of the main attributes.
Effects
- The PC gets +1 to-hit and +1 damage in melee per 2 points above 12 Strength, and -1 to-hit and -1 damage per 2 points below 10 Strength. Whips do not get bonus melee damage from Strength, instead benefiting from Dexterity.
- Two-handed weapons get up to 50% extra damage from Strength, with the extra damage being capped at two times the Two-handed weapon skill level.
- Ranged damage with bows, slings, and thrown rocks is reduced by 2 if Strength is less than 5, and by 1 if Strength is less than 9. Ranged damage with these missile weapons is increased by 1 per 4 points above 12 Strength, up to a maximum of +6 damage at 36 Strength.
- Strength determines the PC's base carrying capacity.
- Maximum HP is increased by 1 per two points of Strength.
It appears Strength is also involved in rolls made to kick down doors and rip through webs, as a weak character will tend to spend many more turns at either task than a stronger character does.
How to train it
Burdening
- Strength < 15: Can be increased by staying at Burdened status.
- Strength < 16: Can be increased by staying at Strained status.
- Strength < 18: Can be increased by staying at Strained! status.
- Strength < 20: Can be increased by staying at Overburdened! status. Being overburdened also abuses Dexterity.
Mining
Mining with a pickaxe for extended periods of time will train Strength. Mining will also occasionally produce stone giants, whose corpses can increase Strength.
Garth
The PC can pay Garth to train their Strength. Higher values of Strength require progressively more gold.
Kicking stairs
Kicking a staircase is known to train the Strength attribute, but repeated kicking of stairs can also collapse the dungeon level and instantly kill the PC (St/2000 chance).
Leveling up
Like all attributes, Strength is slightly trained every time the PC levels up. The Athletics skill increases the amount of Strength training gained.
How to raise it
Eating corpses
Corpses that cannot increase potential: Ogre, Ogre magus, Ogre lord, Ogre guardian, Ogre king, Ogre emperor, Ettin, Cyclops, Hill giant, Fomorian giant, Frost giant, Frost giant berserker, Fire giant
Corpses that can increase potential: Dark orc, Orc butcher, Stone giant, Stone giant lord, Hill giant chieftain, Frost giant jarl, Fire giant king, Titan, Greater titan, Ancient red dragon, Great red wyrm
Corpses only partially affected by potential: Ancient Chaos Wyrm, Keriax
Corpses that ignore potential: Minotaur emperor, Ancient Stone Beast, Ultimate doppelganger (trolls only)
As a rule of thumb, the stronger the creature is in combat and the lower your current Strength, the higher the chance to get an increase is going to be.
Corruption
There are two corruptions that provide an increase in Strength: stiff muscles (+2) and apish (+3). PCs also receive a Strength bonus based on their alignment and the number of corruptions they have (+1 per 2/3/4 corruptions at chaotic/neutral/lawful).
Stat potions
Potions of strength and potions of gain attributes can be used to increase strength. There is no soft or hard cap for using these; blessed potions of gain attributes give +1 (to all other stats also), uncursed potions of strength give +1, blessed potions +2.
Class powers
- Weaponsmiths receive +4 Strength as their level 18 class power.
- Barbarians receive +3 Strength as part of their level 32 class power.
- Farmers receive +3 Strength as part of their level 40 class power.
- Beastfighters and Bards receive +6 Strength as part of their respective level 50 class powers.
- Chaos Knights receive at least +1d2 Strength from their level 25 class power.
Talents
The "Strong" talent that is only available at the start of the game increases initial Strength by 2.
How to abuse It
Age gradually reduces Strength. Drinking from pools may also give the "you feel exhausted" message, which abuses the stat. Apart from these, only stat draining or cursed stat potions will permanently reduce Strength.
Corruption
The very light corruption reduces Strength by 6, and the decaying body corruption reduces it by 5.
Items
Several items in the game will grant a Strength bonus if worn (standard bonus in brackets). These include:
- The girdle of strength (+1) and the girdle of giant strength (+12)
- Gauntlets of strength (+3) and Ironfist (+7)
- The artifact weapons Executor (+3), and Skullcrusher (+4)
- The artifact armors Crowned spiked helmet of chaos lordship (+6) and Spiked armor of chaos and terror (+8)
- The weapon suffix "of might" (+2)
- Chaos Orb of Elemental Fire (+10 when equipped in the tool slot)
Requirements
| Strength | Needed for |
|---|---|
| 8 | Porter |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Far Shot |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Strong Thrower |
| 13 | Brawler, Powerful Strike |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Mighty Strike |