A value of 8 is `normal' or `average' for each of the stats — Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Presence. That is, a normal adult, with a reasonable amount of experience in life, would be expected to have values around 8. A basic premise of Argo, though, is that `player characters' are a cut above the masses... They have at least the potential to develop their stats signicantly higher than the default value of 8.

Characters start off with 8 points for each stat, and a certain amount of character development points set by the MUCK administrators. The default amount of is 16 points. You can also take Disadvantages, giving you additional points totalling any amount up to the maximum level set by the MUCK administrators; the default limit is 8 points. So, with the default settings, you will have up to 24 points to spend. Some will be needed for skills, however, so don't spend them all on stats.

The command for viewing your stats and other levels is +sheet. Typing the command shows your character sheet; the first time you use the command for a character, Argo sets your stats to 8 each and allocates the starting amount of character points and money. At first, that's all your character sheet will show; later, when you've taken advantages and disavantages and learned skills, these will be shown on the sheet as well. (You may need to go to a designated setup room to run +sheet the first time.)

Increasing a stat above the norm costs points; decreasing a stat `buys back' points. There are no maximum stat levels, but there is always a chance of failed rolls, no matter high one's stats and skills: one reaches a point of diminishing returns somewhere around 14 points. A character has to have at least 1 in all stats, but anything below 5 is abysmally poor for a human. (There is also a system parameter for min_stats, which regulates how low a stat may be set. Its default value is 4.)

Strength affects how much damage you do in unarmed combat and which weapons you can use. On occassions, you might want to roll against your Strength to see if you can lift or push something. Player-vs-player contests like arm wrestling would also involve rolls against Strength. Strength also contributes to the amount of energy you have for activities that require exertion, such as fighting or powering spells.

Constitution is important for anyone likely to be subjected to physical harm: it determines how much damage one can take before falling unconscious or dying. Along with Strenth, Constitution determines how long you can continue tiring activities such as fighting or spellcasting. For many types of characters — merchants, artisans, pilots... anything that doesn't put the character at the receiving end of a weapon — Constitution is less crucial, though hazards like poisons and disease also work against CON.

Anyone whose skills involve physical ability — artisans, artists, sailors, hunters, pilots, warriors, etc. — will need a high Dexterity. Magicians too need a good DEX: it (along with Intelligence and Presence) determines whether their spells succeed or fail. The only characters for whom Dexterity is relatively unimportant are those who's skills and profession are purely social or mental: beureaucrats, rumor-mongers, and cortisans; scholars, librarians, and mathematicians.

Intelligence, too, is important for a number of character types. It determines not only one's facility with Intelligence-based skills but also which skills one can learn and one's ability to notice things, including clues and signs of danger.

Presence is most important for characters whose skills revolve interaction with other characters: Conversation, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, the Influence skills, Oratory, Politics, etc... all these are based on Presence. So, political or military leaders, journalists, investigators, and so forth would all require a strong Presence. Presence is also the base stat used when calculating defence against many spells and psionic abilities.

Increasing a stat during character generation costs one character point per level the stat is raised. Lowering a stat `buys back' one point per level. The command for changing a stat level is +stats. Type the command and follow the prompts. When you first enter the command, you will be asked which stat you want to adjust, then what value you want to set it to. The cost is deducted from the Available Points field on your character sheet. Type `.q' to exit the program. You can talk and pose while using the program (or while at any Argo prompt), but you cannot use other MUCK commands.

After you have completed character generation and had your character approved (or, if your MUCK has automatic character approval, after you've used the +finished command to indicate the character is complete), increasing a stat costs three character points rather than one, so you should spend the necessary points to get them close to the level you want while going through chargen, even if that means deferring learning a few desired skills for a while. Also, stats cannot be lowered once the character is approved, only raised.

You don't have to do all adjustment of stats at once: you can adjust your stats, work on advantages, disadvantages, and skills, then come back and make further adjustments to stats. Until you have had your character approved, the cost remains the same and stats are freely adjustable.