Non-standard attack and damage mods

In DDO, most melee weapons weapons use Strength for calculating attack bonus. Most ranged or thrown weapons use Dexterity for calculating attack bonus.

This can be changed by:

Feats

 * Bow Strength allows Strength for damage bonus with bows.
 * Brutal Throw allows Strength for attack bonus with thrown weapons (but NOT ranged weapons).
 * Past Life: Harbinger of Nature's Wrath allows Wisdom to attack and damage for the summoned Flame Blade.
 * Weapon Finesse allows Dexterity for attack bonus with light melee weapon, rapiers, and unarmed attacks.
 * Zen Archery allows Wisdom for attack bonus with ranged missile weapons (not thrown).

Racial enhancements

 * Dwarf: Tier 4 enhancement Throw Your Weight Around allows Constitution for damage with either axes (battle axes, dwarven waraxes, hand axes, greataxes and throwing axes) or picks and hammers (heavy picks, light hammer, light picks, mauls, throwing hammers, and warhammers)
 * Elf: Tier 4 enhancement Grace allows Dexterity to determine the damage for a subset of weapons:
 * Aerenal Grace: Longswords, Rapiers, and Longbows
 * Valenar Grace: Scimitars, Falchions, and Shortbows
 * Halfling: Tier 3 enhancement Skillful Thrower allows Dexterity modifier for damage with returning thrown weapons.
 * Purple Dragon Knight: Tier 1 enhancement Cormyrean Knight Training allows Charisma for attack and damage with swords (shortswords, longswords, bastard swords, and greatswords).
 * Sun Elf: Tier 4 enhancement Grace allows Dexterity to determine the damage with Morningstars, Maces, and Hammers.

Class enhancements

 * Bard: Swashbuckler tier 3 Different Tack allows Cha / Dex / Int to damage while Single Weapon Fighting.
 * Monk: Ninja Spy core enhancements Basic/Advanced Ninja Training allow Dexterity for attack (and later damage) with piercing and slashing weapons when centered.
 * Ranger:
 * Tempest core enhancements Tempest and Graceful Death allow Dexterity for attack (and later damage) with light weapons and scimitars.
 * Deepwood Stalker tier 2 Improved Weapon Finesse allows Dexterity for damage bows, thrown weapons, and finessable melee weapons (not handwraps).
 * Rogue:
 * Assassin core enhancements Knife in the Darkness and Dagger in the Back allow Dexterity for attack (and later damage) with daggers and kukris, and if you also have the Weapon Finesse feat all melee weapons with Dexterity for attack get Dexterity for damage (does not apply to handwraps or unarmed attacks).
 * Mechanic core enhancement Targeting Sights allows Intelligence for damage with all crossbows and thrown weapons.
 * Thief-Acrobat core enhancements Staff Control and Stick Fighting allow Dexterity for attack (and later damage) with quarterstaves.
 * Harper Agent enhancements available to all classes: Int to attack, damage

Spells

 * Flame Blade allows Wisdom for attack and damage with the summoned scimitar.
 * Insightful Strikes allows Intelligence for attack with a crossbow or one handed melee weapon if it is the only weapon (other than a Runearm) equipped when the spell is cast (cannot be used from a scroll as it only applies to the weapon in the main hand; dispels Insightful Damage)
 * Insightful Damage allows Intelligence for damage with a crossbow or one handed melee weapon if it is the only weapon (other than a Runearm) equipped when the spell is cast (cannot be used from a scroll as it only applies to the weapon in the main hand; dispels Insightful Strikes)

Certain weapons use different abilities for calculating attack bonus and damage. Those are listed on this page.

Listed alphabetically and showing which ability it uses for Attack and Damage mod. When two abilities are listed (comma separated), it means it will use the highest one.

When using a non-standard ability for damage, the ability modifier is not multiplied by 1.5 for two-handed weapons or by 0.5 for off-hand weapons. supposedly fixed in u19

Similar forum thread:

Melee weapons
(*) INT possibly also relevant.

Orbs
All orbs use the higher of INT or CHA for attack and damage. See Category:Orbs.