The most important stat

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The most important stat:

Starting a new adventurer is a daunting process. Especially when there is good odds they will be around for playing in 10 or 20 years. As such initial decisions on stat allocation will have vital repercussions on your character's development for as long as it lasts.

Physical Strength (PS): The most important stat. PS determines what weapons you can use. The big damage, big strike chance weapons come with corresponding big PS requirements. And having more strength is even better! PS also determines your effectiveness in close combat and is a major contributor to your ability in unarmed fighting. It also determines how much you can carry without being unduly slowed down. Want heavy armour, a large weapon and a big shield. You'll need a high PS just to lug that and all your potions and other stuff around.

Manual Dexterity (MD): It is the most important stat. MD directly influences your ability to hit an enemy and also determines what sort of weapon you can use. With high MD you can also use a large shield in battle with only a minimal reduction in fighting ability. Many useful adventuring skills require MD to be high.

Agility (AG): The most important stat. The importance of AG just cannot be understated. In battle AG directly determines how fast you move, your defence against incoming blows and the speed at which you attack. Going second in a fight can be a terminal experience for your character. Also, it's amazing how often you'll be required to make a check against AG since it is the stat governing athletic endeavours.

Magical Aptitude (MA): It's a game about mercenary mages so the stat governing your ability to do magic is clearly the most important. MA powers your ability to cast magic. A MA of 25 grants you a +10 chance to cast magic. The best spells have very low chances to start with and for most colleges getting bonuses is rare or non-existent. Having +10 (or the ability to do that in the future) places you head and shoulders above the competition. High MA also grants discounts on the General knowledge spells which is definitely worthwhile. And in a game where magic becomes more and more important as time goes on the importance of this stat grows likewise.

Willpower (WP): By now you've caught on, so repeat after me. "Willpower is the most important stat". WP is the basis for your magic resistance, your ability to just shrug off enemy magic or reduce it to something manageable. It also determines how well you cope with fear and other irrational phenomena. It also determines how quickly you can recover from heavy blows. So if fleeing in terror and gaping like a fish out of water is your thing then don't invest in high WP. Otherwise do.

Endurance (EN): Hands down, this is the most important stat. Your EN is a measure of how much damage your character can take. Lose all EN and you're in big trouble. Lose 150% and you're dead. Having large EN makes you less likely to be stunned by a blow, affected by poisons and how long you can just keep going before passing out. EN also determines your FT which is a measure of how tired you can get and how much magic you can throw. But we cannot understate the not dying thing.

Clearly, all the primary stats are important and grant major advantages to those who specialise in one or the other. Conversely the stat you de-prioritise to have uber-whatever is going to cause problems later on due to it's lack.