Constitution

Summary

Constitution is one of the six core stats in Dungeon World, representing a character's physical toughness, endurance, and resilience. A character's Constitution score determines their modifier for related rolls and directly affects their hit points, making it a crucial stat for survivability. In Dungeon World, the modifier system assigns the same bonus to a range of scores: Constitution scores from 13-15 all grant a +2 modifier, meaning an increase from 13 to 14 maintains the same mechanical benefit while still representing incremental character growth.

Details

Constitution governs a character's ability to withstand physical hardship, resist injury, and endure prolonged strain. The stat follows Dungeon World's standard modifier progression, where scores are converted to modifiers that apply to relevant rolls. A Constitution of 14 grants a +2 modifier, the same bonus provided by a score of 13, since the +2 tier spans from 13 through 15.

For a character class like the Thief, Constitution represents an unconventional choice during character advancement. The Thief playbook typically benefits most from high Dexterity, which affects core class moves and professional competence. Choosing Constitution over Dexterity prioritizes staying alive over performing the specialized maneuvers the class is designed for. As Abdul put it when discussing Sucks's Dexterity: "No dexterity. Just none," followed by the assessment that it "doesn't really come in handy. Ever."

This approach to character building reflects a player's strategic decision to shore up weaknesses rather than lean into strengths, trading finesse and skill for raw durability.

History

Session 11

Constitution becomes relevant during Sucks's level advancement to level 5. When selecting which stat to improve, Abdul chooses Constitution, explaining: "I added one to constitution because I would like to have a plus two there. I'm up to 14 constitution." This increases Sucks's Constitution from 13 to 14, maintaining the +2 modifier already in effect but representing the character's growing physical resilience.

The choice stands in deliberate contrast to the alternative of increasing Dexterity, the stat most beneficial to a Thief's professional toolkit. Abdul's dismissive comments about Dexterity—that it doesn't "really come in handy. Ever"—underscore a commitment to building Sucks as a character who survives through toughness rather than agility, even at the cost of effectiveness in his chosen profession.