The opening questions in Stranded with You look harmless enough, but each answer quietly reshuffles your starting stats before the real game even begins. For anyone chasing a clean 100% run, those numbers matter — they feed directly into how often your dice rolls land where you want them. I put this breakdown together so you can pick your answers with full knowledge of the trade-offs instead of guessing and restarting later.
What surprised me is how few of the answers are actually neutral. Only the first option in each of the three questions leaves your stats untouched. Everything else is a small optimization puzzle, and if you are the type who rerolls until the numbers feel right, you will want this table in front of you before you commit.
The Starting Questions and Their Stat Effects
Below is exactly what each response does to your stat spread. I recommend reading the whole thing before answering, because the penalties are not always obvious until you see them side by side. Answers marked “No stat changes” are the safe default if you would rather not tinker with your build at all.
| Question | Answer | Stat Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Question #1 | Answer 1 | No stat changes |
| Question #1 | Answer 2 | +1 Vitality, -1 Mind, -2 Strength, +1 Intelligence, +1 Tec |
| Question #1 | Answer 3 | -1 Vitality, +1 Mind, -3 Strength, +4 Intelligence, -2 Tec, +1 Luk |
| Question #1 | Answer 4 | -1 Vitality, +3 Mind, -2 Strength, +3 Intelligence, -1 Tec, -2 Luk |
| Question #2 | Answer 1 | No stat changes |
| Question #2 | Answer 2 | -1 Vitality, -1 Mind, +3 Strength, -1 Intelligence, -2 Tec, +2 Luk |
| Question #2 | Answer 3 | +2 Vitality, -1 Mind, +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Tec, -1 Luk |
| Question #2 | Answer 4 | +3 Vitality, -3 Mind, +1 Strength, -1 Tec |
| Question #3 | Answer 1 | No stat changes |
| Question #3 | Answer 2 | -1 Mind, +1 Intelligence, +1 Tec, -1 Luk |
| Question #3 | Answer 3 | -1 Vitality, -2 Mind, -2 Strength, -1 Intelligence, +4 Tec, +2 Luk |
| Question #3 | Answer 4 | -2 Vitality, -3 Mind, +1 Strength, -1 Intelligence, +2 Tec, +3 Luk |
What Actually Moves Your Dice Rolls
Here is the part I wish I had internalized earlier: your stats are only one lever among several, and the biggest wins come from stacking them. Everything you do to nudge your odds up compounds, so do not treat any single stat point as the whole story.
The most concrete boost comes from better tools — grab them whenever the opportunity appears, because they directly raise your chances on every dice roll. On top of that, you can push each stat all the way to 18, either by training in camp or by spending experience on them. I lean on camp training when I have the downtime and bank experience for the moments when I need a specific stat up right now.
Skills are where I focus first. Learning all of the kills on the right, personally, is always the very first thing I do in a run. Every skill hands you 2 points toward your dice rolls, and they are not that expensive, which makes this the best return on effort in the early game. If you only do one thing from this guide, make it this.
Do not neglect health either. Eating well keeps your health in excellent form, and that in turn lowers your dice requirements — or you can lean on Mitsuki water, which matters just as much. I keep an eye on mood for the same reason, since letting it slide quietly erodes the odds you worked so hard to build. As for Will and Strength, they are not strictly a requirement, but it is always better when they sit higher than 0.
One more habit worth building: keep a full save on hand before you lock in your answers or head into a roll-heavy stretch. It costs you nothing and saves an entire restart if the dice turn against you.
Wrapping Up
None of these opening answers will make or break a run on their own, but combined with skills, tools, health, and mood, they tilt the odds in your favor from the very first roll. Pick the spread that matches the build you actually want to play, then go stack the rest.