Higher-than-average attributes will improve your chances of success at performing actions which depend on those attributes, while lower attributes will create more difficulty. These attributes are:
Strength - lifting power. Intelligence - mnemonic ability, learning speed. Detail_vision - how well you see small things. Distance_vision - how well you see far things. Night_vision - how well you see with little or no light. Smell - your sense of smell. Hearing - hearing acuity. Dexterity - hand-eye coordination. Agility - overall coordination. Constitution - physical toughness. Resilience - how quickly you recover from wounds. Size - how large your body is. Power - your innate ability to tap into magical energy sources. Will - stubbornness.
You may list your personal stats with the command 'show stats'.