Do initial stats vary?

[oldroguer]

I've often wondered if there's a dice roll or two at the beginning of each game to determine initial stats for your character (STR, DEX, etc.).

<EDIT: Obviously STR doesn't vary; my question is about stats that aren't displayed in the UI.>

Some games, my character seems to be able to thwack away at every beastie in sight right from the get go. Other times, it may take three swings just to land one blow on a freakin' bat on Level 1.

CD, am I crazy or do initial stats vary? (OK, those are really two unrelated questions, but you know what I mean... )

[CommanderData]

CD, am I crazy or do initial stats vary? (OK, those are really two unrelated questions, but you know what I mean... )

Short answers to your two questions: yes, and no!

There are no "invisible" stats that get modified each play-through. STR can vary between some of the secret characters, and Higher STR is a component of "+ To Hit" and "+ To Damage". Obviously secret characters can have enhanced equipment making it more likely to hit and kill monsters.

If you're playing generic-named rogues, the variation you see is really just the "clumpiness" in the the random number generator. Sort of like flipping a coin five times in a row and having it come up tails each time. Enough people play enough games and eventually you're bound to see stuff like that