Traits represent the unique advantages, qualities, and special abilities that a character possesses. Unlike skills, which are typically quantifiable and tied to specific actions, traits are more abstract, often reflecting inherent capabilities, personal experiences, or specific attributes that influence the character’s behaviour and potential. These can be anything from heightened senses, special training, or a magical lineage, to unique abilities granted by an ancestry or class.

At the beginning of their journey, characters start with two Traits. One of these will be granted by the character's background; the other by their class. Some ancestries will grant an additional trait, chosen from their own pool or from another pool as directed.

As characters progress, they gain the opportunity to select one additional Trait each time they level up, representing the growth, refinement, and evolution of their abilities.

While Traits themselves don’t have numerical values, they can be categorized into five distinct tiers within their respective pools.

These ratings represent the relative position of the trait within the pool, but do not define the strength or efficacy of the trait itself. Instead, they serve as an indicator of the level of mastery or experience required to obtain that trait. Your character's level must equal or exceed the level given by the tier of the trait in order to select the trait in question.

Traits can be drawn from different pools, which are associated with the character's ancestry, background, or class. The key distinction is that Traits tied to a specific class must be chosen from the pool available to the class that the character has just leveled into. This ensures that the Traits a character gains are thematically appropriate for their development and fit with their evolving role.

Ancestry Traits: These are inherent abilities and advantages tied to a character’s race or species. These often reflect deep-seated qualities passed down through generations.

Background Traits: These represent advantages gained from the character’s life experiences prior to becoming an adventurer. They can include learned skills, knowledge, or even unique perspectives shaped by upbringing or environment.

Advancement Traits: These traits are tied to a character’s development and improvement within their chosen fields. This is the largest pool of traits to which a character normally has access.

Tier Traits: These traits tend to be rather unique, not often appearing in other trait pools. Every character selects a Tier Trait upon attaining levels 5, 9, 13 and 17—that is, when they gain access to a new tier of traits. Unlike other trait pools, all Tier Traits are automatically considered Journeyman-tier.

Many Traits come with prerequisites, requiring characters to have certain abilities, skills, or previous Traits before they can select them. These prerequisites ensure that characters develop in a way that is consistent with their abilities and growth. For example, a character may need to have a certain number of skill training ranks or a lower-tier trait before they can select a higher-tier trait.

The list of traits below is provided as an overview of the options available, but it is not for selecting traits for your character. The traits you can choose from are determined by the pools associated with your character’s ancestry, background, and class. Since these pools are often limited or exclusive to certain choices, you will only have access to traits that fit within the boundaries of your character’s development. Refer to your ancestry, background, and class options when selecting traits at character creation or when gaining a level.