It’s not obvious immediately looking at the class descriptions which ability scores you’ll want for each class. This quickly outlines that, including cases where some archetypes want different primary ability scores.
 
 

What’s left out

This guide only talks about the ability scores that directly relate to a class’ abilities or combat focus. All characters are still going to want Dexterity for Reflex saves and AC, Constitution for Fortitude saves and hit points, and Wisdom for Will saves, among other considerations, but this should help make it easier to decide the balance you want for those.
 
 
Also, unlike in tabletop Pathfinder, you’ll have an easy way to get Dexterity to damage with any finesse weapon by taking Mythic Weapon Finesse. Because of that, this doesn’t list sources of damage separately except for a few special cases (like Alchemist adding your Intelligence bonus as damage to bombs).
 
 
 

Classes — Alchemist

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (bombs, ranged weapons)*	Intelligence	Intelligence
Grenadier	Dexterity (bombs, ranged weapons)*	Intelligence	Intelligence
Incense Synthesizer	Dexterity (bombs, ranged weapons)*	Intelligence	Intelligence
Metamorph	Strength (natural weapons)	Intelligence	Intelligence
Vivisectionist	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	Intelligence	Intelligence

 
* Bomb damage has the Alchemist’s Intelligence bonus added to it, but doesn’t add Strength or Dexterity.
 
 
 

Classes — Arcanist

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma*	Intelligence

 
* Some arcanist exploits scale off Charisma, while others (such as Potent Magic) don’t scale off an ability score at all. If you’re careful with your build, you can leave out use of Charisma entirely.
 
 
 

Classes — Barbarian

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons)	—
Instinctual Warrior	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons)	Wisdom

 
 
 

Classes — Bard

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	Charisma	Charisma

 
 
 

Classes — Bloodrager

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	Charisma

 
 
 

Classes — Cavalier

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons)	Charisma	—
Cavalier of the Paw	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons)	—	—

 
 
 

Classes — Cleric

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma*, Wisdom	Wisdom

 
* The only Cleric special ability that uses Charisma is the Channel Energy ability, and only then to set the save DC for an enemy. You only need Charisma at all if you want to use this ability offensively or if you want to use Mythic Channeling to gain a bonus to the amount healed/harmed.
 
 
 

Classes — Druid

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons, natural weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, natural weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Wisdom	Wisdom
Feyspeaker	Dexterity (ray and touch spells)	Wisdom	Charisma

 
 
 

Classes — Fighter

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	—	—
Dragonheir Scion	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	Charisma	—

 
 
 

Classes — Hunter

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	—	Wisdom
Divine Hunter	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Wisdom	Wisdom

 
 
 

Classes — Inquisitor

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells)	Wisdom	Wisdom

 
 
 

Classes — Kineticist

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Dexterity (kinetic blast)	Constitution	—
Dark Elementalist	Dexterity (kinetic blast)	Intelligence	—
Kinetic Blade	Strength (kinetic blade) or       Dexterity (kinetic blade, kinetic blast)	Constitution	—
Overwhelming Soul	Dexterity (kinetic blast)	Charisma	—
Psychokineticist	Dexterity (kinetic blast)	Wisdom	—

 
Because of how Kineticist’s burn ability works in regard to hit points, any Kineticist except for Psychokineticist is going to want a high Constitution, even if their abilities are based off a different ability score.
 
 
 

Classes — Magus

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Intelligence	Intelligence
Eldritch Archer	Dexterity (ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Intelligence	Intelligence
Eldritch Scion	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	Charisma

 
 
 

Classes — Monk

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons)	Wisdom	—
Scaled Fist	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons)	Charisma	—
Zen Archer	Wisdom (bows)	Wisdom	—

 
 
 

Classes — Oracle

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	Charisma

 
 
 

Classes — Paladin

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons, lay on hands) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, lay on hands with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	Charisma
Divine Hunter	Dexterity (ranged weapons, lay on hands with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	Charisma
Warrior of the Holy Light	Strength (melee weapons, lay on hands) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, lay on hands with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	—

 
 
 

Classes — Ranger

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	Wisdom	Wisdom
Espionage Expert	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	Charisma	Charisma
Nomad	Dexterity (ranged weapons)	Wisdom	Wisdom
Stormwalker	Dexterity (ranged weapons)	Wisdom	Wisdom

 
 
 

Classes — Rogue

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	—	—
Eldritch Scoundrel	Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	—	Intelligence
Rowdy	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	—	—
Sylvan Trickster	Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	Intelligence	—
Underground Chemist	Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, splash weapons)*	—	—

 
* Damage from splash weapons has the Underground Chemist’s Intelligence bonus added to it, but doesn’t add Strength as with normal thrown weapons. Unlike Alchemist, there’s no free source of splash weapons.
 
 
 

Classes — Shaman

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Strength (melee weapons, touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Wisdom	Wisdom

 
 
 

Classes — Skald

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells)	Charisma	Charisma

 
 
 

Classes — Slayer

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons)	Intelligence	—
Arcane Enforcer	Strength (melee weapons) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray exploits)	Intelligence, Charisma*	—

 
* Charisma is used by the chosen arcanist exploits, but other Slayer class abilities are still based on Intelligence. Some arcanist exploits don’t scale on an ability score at all, so you might be able to avoid needing Charisma by picking only those.
 
 
 

Classes — Sorcerer

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	Charisma
Empyreal Sorcerer	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Wisdom	Wisdom
Sage Sorcerer	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Intelligence	Intelligence

 
 
 

Classes — Warpriest

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Strength (melee weapons. touch spells) or       Dexterity (finesse weapons, ranged weapons, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Wisdom	Wisdom
Feral Champion	Strength (melee weapons, natural weapons, touch spells)	Wisdom	Wisdom
Shieldbearer	Strength (spiked shields, touch spells) or       Dexterity (spiked shields, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Wisdom	Wisdom

 
 
 

Classes — Witch

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Intelligence	Intelligence
Stigmatized Witch	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma	Charisma

 
 
 

Classes — Wizard

Archetype	Attacks	Special Abilities	Spells
Any, except…	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Intelligence	Intelligence
Arcane Bomber	Dexterity (bombs, ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)*	Intelligence	Intelligence
Exploiter Wizard	Dexterity (ray spells, touch spells with Weapon Finesse)	Charisma**	Intelligence

 
* Bomb damage has the Arcane Bomber’s Intelligence bonus added to it, but doesn’t add Strength as with normal thrown weapons.
 
 
** Charisma is used by the chosen arcanist exploits, but some arcanist exploits don’t scale on an ability score at all, so you might be able to avoid needing Charisma by picking only those.
 
 

 
 
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