v0.31:Attribute

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A creature has numerous attributes which impact its performance at various tasks. These attributes are split into physical factors associated with the body and mental factors associated with a creature's soul.

Attributes are located in the Thoughts and Preferences screen. Body attributes are listed just above prefstrings, and soul attributes are listed immediately thereafter. Positive attributes are dark green and negative attributes are red.

Attributes are now associated with skills, so that shield use will raise endurance as an attribute, but not attributes like memory. Attribute gain and rust rates, along with skill gain and rust rates, are moddable in the raws as Creature_Tokens.

Attributes can be viewed for individual dwarfs by selecting view dwarves, z, enter or by going to the units menu, view, then enter.

Body Attributes

Strength

Alters the damage done in melee, increases muscle mass, and increases how much a creature can carry. Increasing strength, at least in adventurers, increases movement speed (albeit not as much as agility).

• unbelievably strong
• mighty
• very strong
• strong

• weak
• very weak
• unquestionably weak
• unfathomably weak

Agility

This attribute is directly related to a character's Speed, and the difference between 1000 agility and the maximum 5000 agility is roughly halving the time between each turn you take.

• amazingly agile
• extremely agile
• very agile
• agile

• clumsy
• quite clumsy
• totally clumsy
• abysmally clumsy

Toughness

Reduces physical damage.

• basically unbreakable
• incredibly tough
• quite durable
• tough

• flimsy
• very flimsy
• remarkably flimsy
• shockingly fragile

Endurance

Reduces the rate at which dwarves become exhausted.

• absolutely inexhaustible
• indefatigable
• very slow to tire
• slow to tire

• quick to tire
• very quick to tire
• extremely quick to tire
• truly quick to tire

Disease Resistance

Reduces the risk of disease.

• virtually never sick
• almost never sick
• very rarely sick
• rarely sick

• susceptible to disease
• quite susceptible to disease
• really susceptible to disease
• stunningly susceptible to disease

Recuperation

Increases the rate of wound healing.

• possessed of amazing recuperative powers
• incredibly quick to heal
• quite quick to heal
• quick to heal

• slow to heal
• very slow to heal
• really slow to heal
• shockingly slow to heal

Soul Attributes

From this post by Toady One

With respect to skills: most of these attributes only effect duration, when that is the only available skill effect to begin with, but they are factored into outcomes when it applies.

At the bottom is a list of which attributes affect which skills. This pair of charts provides an easier to read summary of the soul attributes that are useful for doctors and soldiers.

Analytical Ability

• awesome intellectual powers
• great analytical abilities
• a sharp intellect
• a good intellect

• poor analytical abilities
• very bad analytical abilities
• a lousy intellect
• a stunning lack of analytical ability

Memory

• an astonishing memory
• an amazing memory
• a great memory
• a good memory

• an iffy memory
• a poor memory
• a really bad memory
• little memory to speak of

Creativity

• a boundless creative imagination
• great creativity
• very good creativity
• good creativity

• meager creativity
• poor creativity
• lousy creativity
• next to no creative talent

Intuition

• uncanny intuition
• great intuition
• very good intuition
• good intuition

• bad intuition
• very bad intuition
• lousy intuition
• horrible intuition

Focus

• unbreakable focus
• a great ability to focus
• very good focus
• the ability to focus

• poor focus
• quite poor focus
• really poor focus
• the absolute inability to focus

Willpower

Willpower directly resists exertion/pain effects

• an unbreakable will
• an iron will
• a lot of willpower
• willpower

• little willpower
• a large deficit of willpower
• next to no willpower
• absolutely no willpower

Patience

Some non-skill tasks are affected by Patience

• absolutely boundless patience
• a deep well of patience
• a great deal of patience
• a sum of patience

• a shortage of patience
• little patience
• very little patience
• no patience at all

Spatial Sense

• a stunning feel for spatial relationships
• an amazing spatial sense
• a great feel for the surrounding space
• a good spatial sense

• a questionable spatial sense
• poor spatial senses
• an atrocious spatial sense
• no sense for spatial relationships

Kinesthetic Sense

Most skills involving any movement at all (lots of them), and non-skilled tasks as well are affected by Kinesthetic Sense

• an astounding feel for the position of own body
• a great kinesthetic sense
• a very good sense of the position of own body
• a good kinesthetic sense

• a meager kinesthetic sense
• a poor kinesthetic sense
• a very clumsy kinesthetic sense
• an unbelievably atrocious sense of the position of own body

Linguistic Ability

• an astonishing ability with languages and words
• a great affinity for language
• a natural inclination toward language
• a way with words

• a little difficulty with words
• little linguistic ability
• very little linguistic ability
• difficulty with words and language

Musicality

This attribute doesn't affect any skills as of version .31.11

• an astonishing knack for music
• a great musical sense
• a natural ability with music
• a feel for music

• an iffy sense for music
• little natural inclination toward music
• next to no natural musical ability
• absolutely no feel for music at all

Empathy

• an absolutely remarkable sense of others' emotions
• a great sense of empathy
• a very good sense of empathy
• an ability to read emotions fairly well

• poor empathy
• a very bad sense of empathy
• next to no empathy
• the utter inability to judge others' emotions

Social Awareness

• a shockingly profound feel for social relationships
• a great feel for social relationships
• a very good feel for social relationships
• a good feel for social relationships

• a meager ability with social relationships
• a poor ability to manage or understand social relationships
• a lack of understanding of social relationships
• an absolute inability to understand social relationships

Skills By Soul Attribute

Skills impacted by Soul Attributes
Analytical Ability	Animal caretaker • Trapper • Beekeeper • Cheese maker • Cook • Furnace operator • Strand extractor • Gem cutter • Siege engineer • Siege operator • Mechanic • Architecture • Diagnostician • Appraiser • Organizer • Record keeper • Student • Knapper
Focus	Fisherdwarf • Archer • Siege operator • Ambusher • Surgeon • Bone doctor • Suturer • Record keeper • Student • Concentration • Observer
Willpower	Miner • Wood cutter • Fighter • Crutch-walker • Pump operator • Swimmer • Concentration • Resists exertion/pain effects
Creativity	Bone carver • Clothier • Glassmaker • Glazer • Leatherworker • Potter • Stone crafter • Weaver • Wood crafter • Wax worker • Trapper • Cheese maker • Cook • Architecture • Organizer • Liar • Comedian
Intuition	Animal trainer • Judge of intent • Appraiser • Observer • Diagnostician
Patience	Animal trainer • Fisherdwarf • Concentration • Some non-skill tasks
Memory	Animal caretaker • Herbalist • Diagnostician • Appraiser • Record keeper • Student
Linguistic Ability	Persuader • Negotiator • Liar • Intimidator • Conversationalist • Comedian • Flatterer • Consoler • Pacifier • Leader • Teacher
Spatial Sense	Miner • Wood cutter • Bone carver • Clothier • Glassmaker • Leatherworker • Potter • Glazer • Wax worker • Stone crafter • Weaver • Wood crafter • Trapper • Spinner • Combat Skills • Siege operator • Ambusher • Architecture • Wound dresser • Surgeon • Bone doctor • Suturer • Crutch-walker • Papermaker • Bookbinder • Swimmer • Observer • Knapping
Musicality	Nothing yet
Kinesthetic Sense	Most skills involving any movement at all (lots of them), non-skilled tasks as well
Empathy	Animal trainer • Animal caretaker • Wound dresser • Persuader • Negotiator • Judge of intent • Conversationalist • Flatterer • Consoler • Pacifier • Leader • Teacher
Social Awareness	Persuader • Negotiator • Judge of intent • Organizer • Liar • Conversationalist • Flatterer • Consoler • Pacifier • Leader • Teacher

Skills and associated attributes

I gathered data on what attributes are trained by various skills. I assume, without evidence, that the same skills use some of the attributes that they train (i.e. that high agility improves chance of dodging). Game version 31.18.

Notes:

• Spatial Sense and Kinesthetic Sense are almost everywhere
• Nothing trains Disease Resistance, Recuperation, or Musicality
• Intimidation and Comedy, social skills, raise Agility. Dwarven comedy is slapstick/clowning, not stand-up.
• knowledge_acquisition (student) doesn't boost skill gain except for teacher-student relations in a barracks
• Choose high-volume labors that train useful attributes for milita day-jobs/bootcamp
• Fishing, Siege Operating, and Record Keeping are useful for marksdwarves as they train the Focus attribute
• Hunting (ambusher/sneak) has identical attribute gain to Crossbow and Archer skills

Military/Adventure skills

Melee weapon skills, including axe, sword, dagger, mace, hammer, spear, pike and whip

• strength
• agility
• toughness
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

Other fighting skills, including throw, shield (shield user), misc_weapon (inc. shield bash), melee_combat (fighter), grasp_strike (punch/strike), stance_strike (kick)

• strength
• agility
• toughness
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

Ranged combat skills, including crossbow, bow, blowgun, sneak (ambusher) and ranged_combat (archer)

• agility
• focus
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

armor (armor user)

• strength
• toughness
• endurance
• willpower
• kinesthetic sense

dodging

• agility
• toughness
• endurance
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

crutch_walk

• agility
• endurance
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

swimming

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

situational_awareness (observer)

• focus
• intuition
• spatial sense

wrestling

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

bite

• strength
• toughness
• endurance
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

knapping

• strength
• agility
• analytical ability
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

Labor skills

mining

• strength
• toughness
• endurance
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

woodcutting

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• willpower
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

carpentry

• strength
• agility
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

detailstone (engraver)

• agility
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

masonry

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

animaltrain

• agility
• toughness
• endurance
• intuition
• patience
• empathy

animalcare

• agility
• analytical ability
• memory
• empathy

dissect_fish

• agility
• kinesthetic sense

dissect_vermin (animal dissection)

• agility
• kinesthetic sense

processfish (fish cleaner)

• agility
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

butcher

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

trapping

• agility
• analytical ability
• creativity
• spatial sense

tanner

• agility
• kinesthetic sense

weaving

• agility
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

brewing

• strength
• agility
• kinesthetic sense

clothesmaking

• agility
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

milling

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

processplants (thresher)

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

cheesemaking

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• analytical ability
• creativity
• kinesthetic sense

milk

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

cook

• agility
• analytical ability
• creativity
• kinesthetic sense

plant (farmer)

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

herbalism (plant gathering)

• agility
• memory
• kinesthetic sense

fish

• strength
• agility
• focus
• patience
• kinesthetic sense

smelt (furnace operator)

• strength
• toughness
• endurance
• analytical ability
• kinesthetic sense

extract_strand

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• analytical ability
• kinesthetic sense

forge_weapon, forge_armor, forge_furniture, metalcraft

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

cutgem

• agility
• analytical ability
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

encrustgem, woodcraft, stonecraft, bonecarve, bowyer (makes crossbows)

• agility
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

glassmaker, leatherwork

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• creativity
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

siegecraft (siege engineer)

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• analytical ability
• creativity
• spatial sense

siegeoperate

• strength
• toughness
• endurance
• analytical ability
• focus
• spatial sense

mechanics

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• analytical ability
• creativity
• spatial sense

designbuilding (architect)

• analytical ability
• creativity
• spatial sense

dress_wounds

• agility
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense
• empathy

diagnose

• analytical ability
• intuition
• memory

surgery

• agility
• focus
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

set_bone

• strength
• agility
• focus
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

suture

• agility
• focus
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

wood_burning, lye_making, soap_making, potash_making

• strength
• toughness
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

dyer

• strength
• agility
• endurance
• kinesthetic sense

operate_pump

• strength
• toughness
• endurance
• willpower
• kinesthetic sense

Social awareness/Admin/Misc skills

persuasion, negotiation, conversation, flattery, console, pacify, leadership, teaching

• linguistic ability
• empathy
• social awareness

judging_intent

• intuition
• empathy
• social awareness

appraisal (trader)

• analytical ability
• intuition
• memory

organization

• analytical ability
• creativity
• social awareness

record_keeping

• analytical ability
• focus
• memory

lying

• creativity
• linguistic ability
• social awareness

intimidation

• agility
• linguistic ability
• kinesthetic sense

comedy

• agility
• creativity
• linguistic ability
• kinesthetic sense

knowledge_acquisition (student)

• analytical ability
• focus
• memory

Unimplemented skills

military_tactics

• analytical ability
• creativity
• intuition

magic_nature (druid)

• agility
• toughness
• endurance
• focus
• willpower
• empathy

tracking

• analytical ability
• focus
• spatial sense

concentration

• focus
• willpower
• patience

discipline

• focus
• willpower

writing

• creativity
• intuition
• linguistic ability

prose

• creativity
• intuition
• linguistic ability

poetry

• creativity
• intuition
• linguistic ability

reading

• focus
• memory
• linguistic ability

speaking

• linguistic ability

coordination

• agility
• spatial sense
• kinesthetic sense

balance

• strength
• agility
• kinesthetic sense

alchemy

• agility
• analytical ability
• creativity
• intuition

Attributes trained by skills

(incomplete, badly formatted)

• Strength
  • Melee weapon skills
  • Other weapon skills
  • Armor user
  • Swimming
  • Wrestling
  • Biting
  • Knapping

• Agility
  • Melee weapon skills
  • Other weapon skills
  • Ranged skills
  • Dodging
  • Crutch walking
  • Swimming
  • Wrestling
  • Knapping

• Endurance
  • Armor user
  • Dodging
  • Crutch walking
  • Swimming
  • Wrestling
  • Biting

• Toughness
  • Melee weapon skills
  • Other weapon skills
  • Armor user
  • Dodging
  • Biting