Trait

A trait is an ability or character quality that can be acquired at every odd-numbered level. As well, traits can be acquired any time a character class' level advancement chart states "Bonus Trait"; however, not all traits can be selected as bonus traits.

Once a trait is acquired, it takes effect immediately, often granting a passive or conditional bonus to character actions. Some traits may have prerequisites, such as raising a certain attribute to a necessary level or above, or having a minimum number of ranks in a given skill. If these prerequisites are not met, then the trait cannot be acquired. If a character does not qualify for a trait at level up, they can instead acquire two traits the next time they would acquire a trait.

Aggravated Attack

 * Piercing damage dealt by this character now deals an extra wound, regardless of whether the opponent succeeds at their HD check or not.

Ambidextry

 * Normally, wielding two weapons at once will cause a -3 penalty to skill checks with the offhand weapon, and a -1 penalty on the primary weapon. With this trait, this penalties are negated; the character can use a weapon in either hand equally well.


 * Requires: COO 8

Arcane Prowess

 * When casting a spell, the caster may expend an extra 15 Clarity to add another die to his or her Spellcraft check.


 * Requires: INT 8, RES 9

Armor Proficiency

 * Without Armor Proficiency, the usage of armor is considerably more difficult for one to become accustomed to.

Light

 * The character can now use light armor without penalties. Without this trait, wearing light armor causes a -1 penalty to Spellcraft checks, and reduces COO by 2.


 * Requires: STR 4

Medium

 * The character can now use medium armor without penalties. Without this trait, wearing medium armor causes a -2 to Spellcraft checks, reduces COO by 4, and reduces movement speed by 5'.


 * Requires: STR 7, Light Armor Proficiency

Heavy

 * The character can now use heavy armor without penalties. Without this trait, wearing heavy armor causes a -3 to Spellcraft checks, reduces COO by 6, and reduces movement speed by 10'.


 * Requires: STR 9, Medium Armor Proficiency

Awesome Might

 * This trait enables a character to make a second attack with a heavy weapon in a single turn. Additionally, heavy weapon usage increases Exertion at the same rate as lighter weapons, rather than double.


 * Requires: STR 12, COO 10

Boundless Energy

 * The character gains a +1 bonus on Energy checks. This does not affect the character's base Energy. This trait may be taken multiple times.

Brute Strength

 * The character gains a +1 bonus on Power checks. This does not affect the character's base Power. This trait may be taken multiple times.

Bull Rush

 * With this trait, a character may make an Unarmed attack at the end of their movement action, if they end their movement action within melee range of an opponent. If this attack succeeds, the opponent is pushed away from the attacker by 5' multiplied by the attacker's Power; this attack does no damage. This attack is done as a swift action.


 * Requires: STR 8

Cat's Grace

 * The character gains a +1 bonus on Agility checks. This does not affect the character's base Agility. This trait may be taken multiple times.

Charmer

 * This trait grants the character a +1 bonus to Speechcraft when attempting to ply an individual with flattery or sweet-talk.


 * Requires: Speechcraft 1

Combat Awareness

 * With this trait, a character cannot be caught flat-footed, and does not suffer a penalty when being attacked by opponents on multiple sides.


 * Requires: INT 7, COO 7

Cunning

 * Normally, the skill Intimidate is made using Power as its linked attribute. With this trait, a character may choose to use Savvy instead of Power for Intimidate checks.

Deep Cut

 * Slashing damage this character deals now causes bleeding.

Deep Focus

 * Without this trait, a Mage who is focusing recovers Clarity at a rate of one point per point of Resilience per round spent focusing. With this trait, the Mage now recovers Clarity at double the normal rate while focusing: double their Resilience per round.


 * Requires: RES 8

Die-Hard

 * With this trait, a character may reroll any HD check once per day, if the outcome would normally be fatal. If their HD check succeeds, the attack is nonfatal, and the affected character instead is reduced to 1 HD and is unconscious.


 * Requires: RES 10 or VIT 10

Diplomacy

 * This trait grants a +1 bonus to Speechcraft checks when speaking diplomatically or negotiating with others.


 * Requires: Speechcraft 1

Exhausting Attack

 * This trait grants the character the ability to increase an opponent's Exertion by 1 on a successful Bashing attack. As long as the attack roll is a success and the opponent does not use their weapon skill to defend, the Exertion increase will occur, even if the opponent's armor or shield negated some or all of the attack's damage.

Finesse

 * Normally, damage is increased by 1/2 of the character's Power, rounded down, and many weapon skills, with the exception of ranged weapons and Polearms, use Power as their linked attribute. With this trait, damage is increased by 1/2 of the character's Agility, rounded down, and weapon skills use Agility as their linked attribute instead.


 * Requires: COO 8

Giant

 * This character is exceptionally large. As a result, they gain +1 VIT, +1 STR, and have their reach increased by 5' in melee combat, but also receive a -1 penalty to COO and a -1 penalty to Evasion and Acrobatics.


 * Requires: This trait may only be taken at character generation.

Glory

 * This trait grants an extra attribute point to the character. This trait may be taken multiple times, but may not be taken as a bonus trait from class level advancement.

Great Tolerance

 * This trait grants the character a +5 bonus to Tolerance.


 * Requires: RES 5

Hardy

 * Taking this trait will immediately increase the character's maximum Hit Dice by 1. This trait may be taken multiple times, but may not be taken as a bonus trait from class level advancement.

Hawkeye

 * The character has uncommonly keen vision. This trait will grant +1 to Perception when attempting to see something, +1 to Investigation when attempting to find or search for something, and +1 to Firearms and Archery when aiming at a distant target.


 * Requires: Perception 2; this trait may only be taken at character generation.

Keen Insight

 * The character gains a +1 bonus on Insight checks. This does not affect the character's base Insight. This trait may be taken multiple times.

Lucky

 * Acquiring this trait increases the character's maximum Luck by 1. This trait may be taken multiple times, but cannot be taken as a bonus trait from class level advancement.

Magical Control

 * The character has learned to control the wild forces of magic. Even on a Complete Failure, spells cannot backfire, and are simply not cast instead.


 * Requires: INT 10, COG 9

Magical Mastery

 * This character has mastered the art of spellcraft. With this trait, the outcome of a Spellcraft check does not affect the potency of a spell. If the check is a success, the spell is cast, and if the check is a failure, the spell is not cast.


 * Requires: Magical Control, INT 15

Magnanimity

 * The character is no longer affected by Stigma.


 * Requires: Great Tolerance

Persevere

 * Once per day, if the character would be reduced to 0 or less Clarity, they may instead choose to be reduced to 1 Clarity.


 * Requires: RES 10

Persuasive Argument

 * With this trait, a character attempting to convince or persuade an individual to do something or agree to something receives a +1 bonus to their Speechcraft check.


 * Requires: Speechcraft 1

Quick Casting

 * With this trait, the character reduces the time taken to cast a spell. The act of making a Spellcraft check no longer takes up the character's standard action for a turn, and can be done as a swift action instead. This will allow the character to cast two spells in a single turn, if desired, by making a Full Attack action.


 * Requires: COO 8, INT 8

Quick Reflexes

 * A character with this trait may dodge arrows without a penalty to Evasion, instead of the normal -1 penalty. Additionally, the character may dodge gunfire at a -3 penalty.


 * Requires: COO 10

Quick Thinker

 * The character gains a +1 bonus on Savvy checks. This does not affect the character's base Savvy. This trait may be taken multiple times.

Reflexive Casting

 * With this trait, a Mage may prepare a spell during his or her turn, and delay its casting. If the Mage does so, the spell may be cast at any time in the round until the caster's next turn as a swift action. The caster must still use their attack action for the turn doing this as normal, and the spell's Clarity cost is still incurred whether or not the spell is cast. The caster may not hold their spell for multiple rounds; additionally, they cannot cast other spells while holding a spell in this way, and must succeed on a Will check to perform other actions while holding a spell.


 * Requires: Quick Casting

Resilient

 * This trait immediately increases the character's maximum Clarity by 10. This trait may be taken multiple times, but cannot be taken as a bonus trait from class level advancement.

Sharp Hearing

 * The character is capable of hearing things keenly. They receive a +1 bonus to Perception when attempting to hear or listen for something. However, if exposed to a loud noise close by, such as gunfire or an explosion, they will suffer a loss of 15 Clarity.


 * Requires: This trait may only be taken at character generation.

Shield Proficiency

 * Using a shield in combat no longer increases the character's Exertion. Note that the character's Exertion will still increase if they exceed their maximum number of swift actions in a turn.


 * Requires: Shield 2

Silent Augment

 * This trait will allow a Mage to choose any augment available to them requiring a verbal component; this augment may now be used without penalty even while gagged, mute, or otherwise nonverbal. This trait may be taken more than once, but a new augment must be selected each time.

Silver Tongue

 * The character receives a +1 bonus to Speechcraft when attempting to bluff, lie, con, or deceive others through words.


 * Requires: Speechcraft 1

Still Augment

 * This trait will allow a Mage to choose any augment available to them requiring a somatic component; this augment may now be used without penalty even when immobilized or restrained. This trait may be taken more than once, but a new augment must be selected each time.

Strong Will

 * The character gains a +1 bonus on Will checks. This does not affect the character's base Will. This trait may be taken multiple times.

Swiftness

 * This trait will increase the character's maximum movement speed by 10'. This trait may be taken up to three times.


 * Requires: COO 5

Tiny

 * This character is smaller than others. As a result, they gain a +1 bonus to COO, as well as a +1 bonus to Evasion and Acrobatics, but receive a -1 penalty to STR, and may not wield heavy weapons or wear heavy armor.


 * Requires: This trait may only be taken at character generation.

Touch of Magic

 * This trait allows a character to use Spellcraft as a Mage does. The character may now put ranks into Spellcraft and learn spell augments; however, this trait will not teach any augments to a character in and of itself.


 * Requires: INT 9, RES 9

Toughness

 * A character who has this trait will take half damage in combat on a successful HD check, instead of full damage. If their HD check fails, however, a wound will still be received, and the full damage from the attack will be dealt.


 * Requires: VIT 9

Weapon Finesse

 * With this trait, the character may exceed their weapon's Speed rating and thereby make extra attacks or defenses with a chosen weapon category (such as Blades, Polearms, or Unarmed) in a turn. However, this trait does not apply to heavy weapons.


 * Requires: Weapon Focus, COO 10

Weapon Focus

 * The character receives a +1 bonus to all skill checks made with a weapon category (such as Blunt or Exotic Weapons) that character is trained in. All weapons outside the chosen category receive a -1 penalty, however.


 * Requires: Weapon skill trained

Weapon Might

 * With this trait, the character may exceed their weapon's maximum damage rating with all weapons in a chosen weapon category (such as Blades, Polearms, or Unarmed). This trait does not apply to Firearms, however.


 * Requires: Weapon Focus, STR 10

Weapon Specialization

 * This trait represents a character focusing their training exclusively on the use of a single weapon, such as a cudgel, a recurve bow, or a longsword. The character must choose a weapon or weapon type (such as Heavy Clubs or Medium Axes); when using the chosen weapon, fortune may be rolled on a 3 or greater, rather than a 4 or greater. However, other weapons from the same category do not receive this benefit, and weapons from different categories will now only roll fortune on a 5 or 6.


 * Requires: Weapon Focus