Dexterity

    Dexterity (Dex) encompasses several physical attributes including hand-eye coordination, agility, reaction speed, reflexes, and balance. Dexterity affects a character's reaction to a threat or surprise, his accuracy with thrown weapons and bows, and his ability to dodge an enemy's blows. It is the prime requisite of rogues and affects their professional skills. A rogue with a Dexterity score of 16 or higher gains a 10% bonus to the experience points he earns.

    Reaction Adjustment modifies the initiative roll and saving throws v-breath weapon

    Missile Attack Adjustment is used to modify a character's die roll whenever he uses a missile weapon (a bow or a thrown weapon). A positive number makes it easier for the character to hit with a missile, while a negative number makes it harder.

    Defensive Adjustment   Modifies the character's Armor Class (see Glossary), representing his ability to dodge normal missiles and parry weapon thrusts. For example, Rath is wearing chain mail, giving him an Armor Class of 15. If his Dexterity score is 16, his Armor Class is modified by +2 to 17, making him harder to hit. If his Dexterity score is 5, his Armor Class is modified by -2 to 13, making him easier to hit. (In some situations, beneficial Dexterity modifiers to Armor Class do not apply. Usually this occurs when a character is attacked from behind or when his movement is restricted--attacked while prone, tied up, on a ledge, climbing a rope, etc.)

Table 2:

Dexterity

                                                Missile

    Ability         Reaction         Attack             Defensive

    Score           Adj.                 Adj.                 Adj.

    1                  -6                     -6                     -5

    2                  -5                     -5                     -5

    3                  -4                    -4                    -4

    4                  -3                    -3                     -3

    5                  -2                     -2                     -2

    6                  -1                     -1                   -1

    7                  -1                      0                     0

    8-11              0                      0                      0

    12                  0                     +1                       0

    13                 +1                    +1                     0

    14                +1                     +1                   +1

    15                +1                     +1                    +1   

    16                +1                    +1                    +2

    17                +2                    +2                    +3

    18                +2                    +2                    +4

    19                +2                    +3                    +4

    20                +3                    +3                    +5

    21                +3                    +4                    +5

    22                +4                    +4                    +6

    23                +4                    +5                    +6

    24                +5                    +5                    +7

    25                +5                    +6                    +7