My first playthrough, my character was managing but some things just weren't working out. After reading some informative posts on this forum, my second character utterly annihilated anything that stood in his way.

The reason being: power-gaming, or more accurately: placing stats and skills well.

I found out meditation is pretty useless provided you pump perception heavily (since skills are overall more useful than stats, unless I'm mistaken) to 38, then your mana regeneration is maximized.

Now I'm making a second character with more focus in weapon skills (more specifically, bows) and I'm not sure what stats do what outside of a few factors.

Can anyone tell me what dexterity and concentration do precisely? (directing me to a page that explains in detail what all stats do would be swell )

This is for Book II, but it's almost the same in Book I:

http://eschalon.wikia.com/wiki/Ability_Scores

Okay, thanks. I'd seen that page, but since I found out it was for book 2, I wasn't sure how reliable it would be.

Do you have any idea what differences there would be? I am already aware that in book two, mana regeneration can be taken much further than in book one, increasing the level perception is useful at.