Dexterity Stat Guide

Info on the Dexterity stat in Baldurs Gate 3, what it does, what it affects.

If you're here, you're curious about what exactly Dexterity does in BG3. Dexterity is one of the Primary Stats - formally called "Abilities" in BG3. Commonly Dexterity is abbreviated as DEX. Like all stats, they have various effects to your character in and out of combat.

Dexterity Effects in BG3

Dexterity Modifier: Like all other stats, Dexterity has a modifier based on how much DEX you have. Having 8 DEX means you have a -1 Modifier (penalty). 10 is neutral, meaning you get a +0 DEX modifier. Then for every 2 you have after 10 gives you another +1 to your Dexterity modifier.

Finesse Weapons

Melee weapons that rely on DEX are called Finesse Weapons. They, alongside all Ranged Weapons (Bows, Crossbows) add your Dexterity Modifier to both your Attack Roll (Hit Chance), and Damage Roll (Damage Dealt).

Initiative Bonus

On starting combat, every creature rolls a D20 for Initiative, and then adds their Dexterity Modifier to the result.

Skills that rely on Dexterity

Most skill checks are affected by a specific modifier. In the case of Dexterity Modifiers:

• Acrobatics: I've yet to see a non-combat Acrobatics check...
• Sleight of Hand: LOTS OF THING. Pickpocketing, Disarming Traps, Lockpicking.
• Stealth: How well you can hide, even when you otherwise might be detected.

When performing these skills checks, your DEX Modifier is added to your roll.

Some notes on DEX skills

Dexterity is a little special when it comes to skills... These aren't dialogue skills, but not exactly "non-combat" either. They're an extremely useful bunch that makes a DEX character very attractive for any party.

Sleight of Hand is your skill check for Pickpocketing, Disarming Traps, and Lockpicking. Talk about "value of the heavenly heavens high heaven value".

Stealth is used to sneak and hide. Keep note that this "can" be a pseudo combat skill - hiding in-combat to do stealth strikes.

So yes, Dexterity is an exceptionally powerful ability when it comes to skills.

Dexterity Saving Throws

Every stat has a saving throw. The myriad actions and effects in BG3 which require you to "save" to either blunt or cancel out the effect are typically based on stats. Dexterity is no different.

Summary and Closing

Dexterity is honestly one of the most powerful stats to build around in BG3. Not only can you use decent melee weapons (Finesse types), but you can easily use Ranged weapons as well, making your DEX investment a double whammy. Aside from that, you get arguably the most important skills for exploration - Lockpicking, Disarming Traps, and Stealth. Don't leave home without a Dexterity character, guys!

Hopefully you learned all you needed to know about Dexterity in Baldurs Gate 3. This should cover most of what DEX affects! If you're unsure about something, read the tooltips guys!