Traits
Traits are a customization option you can choose at character creation. In-game, they work like and share user interface space with mutations. Several traits can be gained from mutagen and other typical methods of mutating, while others can only be picked at character creation.
Traits are split between positive ones, which cost points and help your character, and negative ones, which give you points and hinder your character. However, neither all positive nor all negative traits are created equal. Some negative traits have positive effects that outweigh their negative effects (and vice versa) and many traits have negligible effects. The right selection of traits can mean the difference between a living survivor and a rotting corpse.
Several starting professions also grant you special profession traits, which are based on the characters' career before the Cataclysm and represent the expertise, training, special permissions, or other effects you've gained from that. They are unobtainable in-game, and some of them are only available by picking that profession.
Some starting scenarios, namely Challenge - Lab Patient and Experiment, allow you access to starting traits you wouldn't otherwise be able to choose. This represents that you were experimented on and possibly mutated prior to the Cataclysm. These starting mutations count as traits, so they cannot be removed with purifier and do not count for threshold mutations.
Differences between traits and mutations
- Traits can only be picked at character creation. Several of them can also be gained as mutations in-game, but will not be treated as starting traits.
- Starting traits do not count toward your mutation category strength for determining which mutation line you're on or for breaching thresholds.
- Traits are very hard to get rid of, but can evolve normally into other mutations in their branch.
- Purifier will restore your starting traits that have changed to other traits.
List of traits
Cancels: Insomniac Changes to: Practiced Sleeper Point cost: 1 |
"You have always been able to fall asleep easily, even when sleeping in less than ideal circumstances." |
Cancels: Addictive Personality Point cost: 1 |
"Whether due to a lifetime of exposure or through simple willpower, it's harder for you to become addicted to substances, and easier to rid yourself of these addictions." |
Cancels: Animal Discord Changes to: Animal Kinship Point cost: 1 |
"Peaceful animals will not run away from you, and even aggressive animals are less likely to attack. This only applies to natural animals such as woodland creatures." |
Cancels: Illiterate, Hates Books Point cost: 1 |
"There's nothing quite like the smell of a good book! Books are more fun (or less boring) for you!" |
Cancels: Meat Intolerance Point cost: 1 |
"For your whole life you've been forbidden from indulging in your peculiar tastes. Now the world's ended, and you'll be damned if anyone is going to tell you that you can't eat people." |
Point cost: 1 |
"While you're not any better at melee combat, you are better at recovering from a miss, and will be able to attempt another strike faster." |
Changes to: Disease Immune Point cost: 1 |
"It's very unlikely that you will catch ambient diseases like a cold or the flu." |
Cancels: Lightweight Point cost: 1 |
"The ancient arts of drunken brawling come naturally to you! While under the influence of alcohol, your melee skill will rise considerably, especially unarmed combat." |
Cancels: Slow Healer, Poor Healer, Imperceptive Healer, Very Fast Healer, Regeneration, Rapid Metabolism, Weakening, Deterioration, Disintegration Changes to: Very Fast Healer, Reptilian Healing Point cost: 2 |
"You heal faster when sleeping and will even recover a small amount of HP when not sleeping." |
Cancels: Slow Learner Point cost: 3 |
"You have a flexible mind, allowing you to learn skills much faster than others. Note that this only applies to real-world experience, not to skill gain from other sources like books." |
Cancels: Illiterate, Slow Reader Point cost: 1 |
"You're a quick reader, and can get through books a lot faster than most." |
Cancels: Slow Footed, Road-Runner, Ponderous, Very Ponderous, Extremely Ponderous Changes to: Road-Runner Point cost: 2 |
"You can move more quickly than most, resulting in a 15% speed bonus on sure footing." |
Cancels: Poor Hearing Point cost: 1 |
"Your hearing is better than average, and you can hear distant sounds more easily." |
Cancels: Forgetful Point cost: 3 |
"You have an exceptional memory, and find it easy to remember things. Your skills will erode slightly slower than usual, and you can remember more terrain." |
Point cost: 2 |
"You eat faster, and can eat and drink more, than anyone else! You also enjoy food more; delicious food is better for your morale, and you don't mind unsavory meals as much. Activate to skip prompt for overeating." |
Point cost: 1 |
"If you are in a very dangerous situation, you may experience a temporary rush which increases your speed and strength significantly." |
Cancels: Languorous Changes to: Hyperactive Point cost: 2 |
"Whether due to exercise and good diet, or due to a natural propensity to physical endurance, you tire due to physical exertion much less readily than others. Your maximum stamina is 25% higher than usual." |
Changes to: Infection Immune Point cost: 2 |
"Your immune system is particularly good at resisting infections. You have an increased chance for bad wounds and infections to heal on their own, and only suffer reduced penalties from them." |
Requires: Psychopath Cancels: Pacifist Point cost: 2 |
"You derive enjoyment from killing things. Putting end to life seem to spark some dark satisfaction and thrill, and you crave it every moment." |
Cancels: Sleepy, Very Little Sleep, Tireless, Very Sleepy Changes to: Very Little Sleep Point cost: 1 |
"You need less sleep than the average person." |
Cancels: Rapid Metabolism, Hyper-Metabolism, Fast Metabolism, Very Fast Metabolism, Extreme Metabolism, Heat Dependent, Very Heat Dependent, Cold Blooded, Ectothermic Changes to: Gizzard, Heat Dependent Point cost: 2 |
"Your metabolism is a little slower, and you require less food than most." |
Cancels: Clumsy Point cost: 1 |
"You make less noise while walking. You're also less likely to set off traps." |
Point cost: 2 |
"You have received some martial arts training at a local dojo. You start with your choice of Karate, Judo, Aikido, Tai Chi, Taekwondo, or Pankration." |
Changes to: Pain Junkie, Cenobite Point cost: 1 |
"Although you still suffer the negative effects of pain, it also brings a unique pleasure to you." |
Point cost: 3 |
"You have practiced fighting with weapons. You start with your choice of Eskrima, Fencing, Fior Di Battaglia, Medieval Swordsmanship, Niten Ichi-Ryu, Pentjak Silat, or Sōjutsu." |
Cancels: Fey Vision, Fey Nightsight, Feline Vision, Ursine Vision Changes to: High Night Vision Point cost: 2 |
"You possess natural night vision, and can see further in the dark than most. Activate to toggle NV-visible areas on or off." |
Cancels: Bad Temper Point cost: 2 |
"Nothing gets you down! You savor the joys of life, ignore its hardships, and are generally happier than most people." |
Point cost: 1 |
"You are accustomed to being exposed to the elements. This decreases morale penalties for being wet." |
Cancels: Disorganized Point cost: 1 |
"You pack things very efficiently! You can retrieve things from containers 10% faster." |
Cancels: Pain Sensitive, Hyperalgesia, Extreme Hyperalgesia Point cost: 2 |
"You have a high tolerance for pain." |
Cancels: Bad Knees Point cost: 2 |
"You're skilled at clearing obstacles; terrain like railings or counters are as easy for you to move on as solid ground." |
Leads to: Intestinal Fortitude Point cost: 1 |
"Your system is rather tolerant of poisons and toxins, and most will affect you less." |
Cancels: Ugly, Deformed, Badly Deformed, Grotesque Changes to: Beautiful Point cost: 1 / Visibility: 1 / Ugliness: -2 |
"You are a sight to behold. People who care about such things will react more kindly to you." |
Cancels: Pacifist Point cost: 2 |
"You don't experience guilt like others do. Even when you know your actions are wrong, you just don't care." |
Point cost: 3 |
"You're just generally quick! You get a 10% bonus to action points." |
Cancels: Genetic Downward Spiral Point cost: 3 |
"You have a very strong genetic base. If you mutate, the odds that the mutation will be beneficial are greatly increased." |
Cancels: Near-Sighted, Topographagnosia Point cost: 1 |
"You're an excellent navigator and your ability to spot distant landmarks is unmatched. Your sight radius on the overmap extends beyond the normal range." |
Point cost: 1 |
"You get to see your exact amount of HP remaining and health, instead of only having a vague idea of whether you're in good condition or not." |
Point cost: 2 |
"You have taken some self-defense classes at a nearby gym. You start with your choice of Capoeira, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, Wing Chun, or Zui Quan." |
Point cost: 2 |
"You have studied the arts of the Shaolin monks. You start with one of the five animal fighting styles: Tiger, Crane, Leopard, Snake, or Dragon." |
Cancels: Truth Teller Point cost: 1 |
"You have no qualms about bending the truth, and have practically no tells. Telling lies and otherwise bluffing will be much easier for you." |
Point cost: 1 |
"You've always felt that there is more to the world than we can see. Whether driven by religious beliefs or philosophical interest, you find great inspiration in studying holy texts and experiencing mystical things." |
Cancels: Addiction Resistant Point cost: 2 |
"You have a unique history with stimulants (like coffee or amphetamines). You can tolerate a lot more of them without overdosing, but if you indulge too much, you start seeing things…" |
Cancels: Bad Back Point cost: 2 |
"You are capable of carrying far more than someone with similar strength could. Your maximum weight carried is increased by 35%." |
Cancels: Weak Stomach Changes to: Nausea Point cost: 1 |
"You are less likely to throw up from food poisoning, alcohol, etc. If you throw up nevertheless, you won't suffer a residual nausea." |
Point cost: 2 |
"Practicality is far less important than style. Your morale is improved by wearing fashionable and attractive clothing." |
Cancels: Lightweight Leads to: Alcohol Metabolism, Intestinal Fortitude Point cost: 1 |
"You can handle intoxicants well. Their effects clear up more quickly for you." |
Cancels: Junkfood Intolerance Changes to: Sugar-Loving Point cost: 1 |
"You have a soft spot for processed foods, and gain a morale bonus from eating them." |
Point cost: 1 |
"There's something about you that creatures find frightening, and they are more likely to try to flee." |
Cancels: Thin-Skinned Point cost: 1 |
"Your skin is tough. Cutting damage is slightly reduced for you. Slightly decreases wet penalties." |
Cancels: Flimsy, Frail, Fragile, Glass Jaw Changes to: Durable Point cost: 2 |
"It takes a lot to bring you down! You get a 20% bonus to all hit points." |
Point cost: 1 |
"The bottoms of your feet are tough and you are accustomed to going barefoot. You receive no movement penalty for not wearing shoes." |
Cancels: Strong Scent, Insect Pheromones, Mammal Pheromones Point cost: 1 |
"Your scent is quite weak. Animals that track your scent will do so with more difficulty." |
Cancels: Addiction Resistant Point cost: -2 |
"It's easier for you to become addicted to substances, and harder to rid yourself of these addictions." |
Cancels: Phelloderm, Bark, Pale Skin, Solar Sensitivity Changes to: Solar Sensitivity Point cost: -1 |
"You lack skin pigmentation due to a genetic problem. You sunburn extremely easily, and typically use an umbrella and sunglasses when going out in the sun." |
Cancels: Animal Empathy Changes to: Prey Animal Point cost: -1 |
"Most animals don't like you, and aggressive animals are more likely to attack you. This only applies to natural animals such as woodland creatures." |
Point cost: -4 |
"You will occasionally need to use an inhaler, or else suffer severe physical limitations. However, you are guaranteed to start with an inhaler." |
Cancels: Strong Back Point cost: -3 |
"You simply cannot carry as much as people with a similar strength could. Your maximum weight carried is reduced by 35%." |
Cancels: Parkour Expert Point cost: -1 |
"Whether due to injury or age, your knees aren't particularly strong or flexible. Moving over rough terrain will slow you down more than normal." |
Cancels: Optimist Point cost: -2 |
"Things just keep getting you down. You tend to be unhappy, and it takes some doing to cheer you up." |
Point cost: -2 |
"You suffer from a minor chemical imbalance, whether mental or physical. Minor changes to your internal chemistry will manifest themselves on occasion, such as hunger, sleepiness, narcotic effects, etc." |
Cancels: Light Step Point cost: -1 |
"You make more noise while walking. You're also more likely to set off traps." |
Requires: Poor Hearing Cancels: Good Hearing Point cost: -4 |
"You're not able to hear anything, and as such you're not able to talk to NPCs." |
Cancels: Packmule Point cost: -1 |
"You are terrible at organizing and storing your possessions. You retrieve things from containers 10% slower." |
Point cost: -2 |
"Without reading glasses, you are unable to read anything, and take penalties on melee accuracy and electronics/tailoring crafting. However, you are guaranteed to start with a pair of reading glasses." |
Cancels: Light Eater, Hyper-Metabolism, Very Fast Metabolism, Extreme Metabolism, Heat Dependent, Very Heat Dependent, Cold Blooded, Ectothermic Changes to: Very Fast Metabolism, Rapid Metabolism Point cost: -2 |
"You require more food than most people, but recover stamina slightly faster." |
Cancels: Tough, Durable, Unbreakable Changes to: Frail Point cost: -4 |
"Your body can't take much abuse. Its maximum HP is 25% lower than usual and you heal slightly slower. Stacks with Glass Jaw." |
Cancels: Good Memory Point cost: -3 |
"You have a hard time remembering things. Your skills will erode slightly faster than usual, and you can remember less terrain." |
Requires: Frail Cancels: Tough, Durable, Unbreakable Point cost: -8 |
"Your body is extremely fragile. Its maximum HP is 75% lower than usual and you heal much slower. Stacks with Glass Jaw." |
Requires: Flimsy Cancels: Tough, Durable, Unbreakable Changes to: Fragile Point cost: -6 |
"Your body breaks very easily. Its maximum HP is 50% lower than usual and you heal slower. Stacks with Glass Jaw." |
Cancels: Robust Genetics Point cost: -12 |
"The events of the Cataclysm have damaged your DNA beyond repair. You mutate frequently, and all mutations you receive (from any source) are negative." |
Cancels: Tough Point cost: -2 |
"Your head can't take much abuse. Its maximum HP is 20% lower than usual." |
Point cost: -2 |
"You have a rare allergy that prevents you from eating most types of grains such as wheat or oats. It's possible for you to eat them, but you will suffer morale penalties and obtain less nutrition from them." |
Cancels: Illiterate, Bookworm Point cost: -1 |
"Reading is for nerds! Boring books are more boring, and you can't have fun by reading books." |
Cancels: Meat Intolerance Point cost: -3 |
"You despise eating fruits. It's possible for you to eat them, but you will suffer morale penalties and obtain less nutrition from them." |
Cancels: Meat Intolerance Point cost: -2 |
"You have problems with eating vegetables. It's possible for you to eat them, but you will suffer morale penalties and obtain less nutrition from them." |
Changes to: Very Heavy Sleeper Point cost: -1 |
"You're quite the heavy sleeper. Noises are unlikely to wake you up." |
Cancels: Metabolic Rehydration Changes to: Very Thirsty Point cost: -2 |
"Your body dries out easily; you need to drink more water." |
Point cost: -4 |
"You don't feel right unless you're carrying as much as you can. You suffer morale penalties for carrying less than maximum volume (weight is ignored). Xanax can help control this anxiety." |
Cancels: Fast Reader, Slow Reader, Dungeon Master, Bookworm, Hates Books Point cost: -6 |
"You never learned to read! Books and computers are off-limits to you." |
Cancels: Fast Healer, Slow Healer, Poor Healer, Very Fast Healer, Regeneration, Rapid Metabolism, Weakening, Deterioration, Disintegration Point cost: -8 |
"You recover barely any health through sleeping - it will heal only one tenth of usual HP." |
Cancels: Accomplished Sleeper Point cost: -2 |
"You have a hard time falling asleep, even under the best circumstances!" |
Point cost: -3 |
"During moments of great stress or under the effects of stimulants, you may find your hands shaking uncontrollably, severely reducing your Dexterity." |
Cancels: Sweet Tooth Point cost: -1 |
"Something in those heavily processed foods doesn't agree with you. It's possible for you to eat them, but you will suffer morale penalties and obtain less nutrition from them." |
Point cost: -1 |
"You, like 75 percent of the world, cannot tolerate milk or milk based products. It's possible for you to eat them, but you will suffer morale penalties and obtain less nutrition from them." |
Cancels: Indefatigable Point cost: -2 |
"Whether due to lack of exercise and poor diet, or due to a natural disinclination to physical endurance, you tire due to physical exertion much more readily than others. Your maximum stamina is 25% lower than usual." |
Cancels: Drunken Master, Substance Tolerance Point cost: -1 |
"Alcohol and drugs go straight to your head. You suffer the negative effects of these for longer." |
Cancels: Cannibal, Hates Vegetables, Hates Fruit Point cost: -2 |
"You have problems with eating meat. It's possible for you to eat it, but you will suffer morale penalties and obtain less nutrition from it." |
Point cost: -1 |
"Your morale will shift up and down at random, often dramatically." |
Point cost: -3 |
"You randomly fall asleep without any reason." |
Cancels: Ursine Vision, Scout Point cost: -2 |
"Without glasses, your seeing radius is severely reduced! However, you are guaranteed to start with a pair of glasses." |
Changes to: Antsy Point cost: -1 |
"You're too adventurous for your own good. The more time you spend somewhere, the unhappier it makes you to be there." |
Cancels: Psychopath, Killer Drive, Culler, Hunter, Predator, Apex Predator Point cost: -4 |
"You don't like thinking about violence. Your combat skills advance much slower than usual, and you feel more guilt about killing." |
Cancels: Pain Resistant, Deadened Changes to: Hyperalgesia Point cost: -2 |
"For some reason things always seem to hurt you more. Pain dealt to you is increased by 25%." |
Cancels: Fast Healer, Slow Healer, Imperceptive Healer, Very Fast Healer, Regeneration, Rapid Metabolism, Weakening, Deterioration, Disintegration Point cost: -4 |
"Your health recovery through sleeping is severely impaired and causes you to recover only a third of usual HP." |
Cancels: Good Hearing Changes to: Deaf Point cost: -2 |
"Your hearing is poor, and you may not hear quiet or far-off noises." |
Point cost: -2 |
"You have an unhealthy obsession with fire, and you get anxious if you don't light them every now and then or stand near them often. However, you gain a mood bonus from doing so." |
Point cost: -1 |
"You've been taught proper table manners from your early childhood on. Now you can't even think about eating without a table. Eating without it frustrates you, but eating like a civilized person gives you a bigger morale bonus." |
Point cost: -4 |
"You tend to specialize in one skill and be poor at all others. You advance at half speed in all skills except your best one. Note that combining this with Fast Learner will come out to a slower rate of learning for all skills." |
Point cost: -3 |
"You will periodically suffer from delusions, ranging from minor effects to full visual hallucinations. Some of these effects may be controlled through the use of Thorazine." |
Cancels: Less Sleep, Very Little Sleep, Tireless, Very Sleepy Changes to: Very Sleepy, Rapid Metabolism Point cost: -1 |
"You need sleep more often, but still spend most of your time awake." |
Cancels: Fleet-Footed, Road-Runner, Ponderous, Very Ponderous, Extremely Ponderous Point cost: -3 |
"You can't move as fast as most, resulting in a 15% speed penalty on flat ground." |
Cancels: Fast Healer, Poor Healer, Imperceptive Healer, Very Fast Healer, Regeneration, Rapid Metabolism, Weakening, Deterioration, Disintegration Point cost: -2 |
"You heal a little slower than most; sleeping will heal less HP." |
Cancels: Fast Learner Point cost: -3 |
"You are slow to grasp new ideas and thus learn things more slowly than others. Note that this only applies to real-world experience, not to skill gain from other sources like books." |
Cancels: Illiterate, Fast Reader Point cost: -1 |
"You're a slow reader, and it takes you longer to get through books than most." |
Point cost: -1 |
"You can't even think about putting filthy clothes on yourself, especially from zombies' corpses." |
Cancels: Weak Scent, Insect Pheromones, Mammal Pheromones Changes to: Smelly Point cost: -1 |
"Your scent is particularly strong. It's not offensive to humans, but animals that track your scent will do so more easily." |
Cancels: Thick-Skinned Point cost: -1 |
"Your skin is fragile. Cutting damage is slightly increased for you." |
Cancels: Scout Point cost: -1 |
"Focal brain damage has rendered you incapable of recognizing landmarks and orienting yourself in your surroundings, severely crippling your sight radius on the overmap." |
Point cost: -1 |
"On rare occasion, you will go full-auto when you intended to fire a single shot. This has no effect when firing semi-automatic firearms." |
Cancels: Skilled Liar Point cost: -1 |
"When you try to tell a lie, you blush, stammer, and get all shifty-eyed. Telling lies and otherwise bluffing will be much more difficult for you." |
Cancels: Pretty, Beautiful, Very Beautiful, Glorious Changes to: Deformed Point cost: -1 / Visibility: 1 / Ugliness: 2 |
"You're not much to look at. People who care about such things will react poorly to you." |
Point cost: -8 |
"Whether from personal choice or childhood trauma, traveling with vehicles is off-limits to you, even if your life depended on it." |
Cancels: Strong Stomach Changes to: Nausea Point cost: -1 |
"You are more likely to throw up from food poisoning, alcohol, etc." |
Cancels: Weight: XXXL Point cost: -1 |
"You lost an awful lot of weight before Cataclysm. Whatever the reason, your skeletal figure is now an extra burden, when food is not at hand's reach. You need to gain weight or die trying." |
Cancels: Weight: XS Point cost: -1 |
"You gained an awful lot of weight before Cataclysm. Whatever the reason, your bloated figure is now an extra burden, when mobility is a key to survival. You need to go on a diet or die trying." |
Point cost: -1 |
"You are badly allergic to wool, and cannot wear any clothing made of the substance." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You're trained in proper operation of the Autodoc, an advanced machine used for surgical procedures. Operations involving it will be moderately more likely to succeed." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You are a cybernetically-resurrected law enforcer, with jurisdiction throughout the New England region thanks to interstate agreements. Whether you can do for the law what the law did for you is another question." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You were competitive at national levels, and had considered teaching your art. Defending against the entire town may still be a challenge, though." |
Point cost: 0 |
"Thou art a lewede man, a lowly cowherd, though where thi catel been thou hast not ynn certain." |
Cancels: Illiterate Point cost: 0 |
"Weeks spent picking through manuals and researching topics you aren't versed in has taught you to find what you need to know more quickly. You read slightly faster, and suffer no reading time penalty for books too complex for you to easily understand." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You were just through with the administrative formalities for your residency when the Cataclysm struck. "Your" hospital was overrun and evacuated, but there's always work for a good doctor." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You were shaping up to be a pretty decent student of the martial arts before the Cataclysm struck. Time to see just how good you really are." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You are a duly sworn law enforcement investigator, with jurisdiction throughout the New England region thanks to interstate agreements. Whether your shield means anything now is another question." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You are a duly sworn law enforcement officer, with jurisdiction throughout the New England region thanks to interstate agreements. Whether that means anything now is another question." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You are experienced in the Sweet Science of boxing. You could've had a shot at a local boxing tournament, if the Cataclysm hadn't screwed that up." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You are a duly sworn law enforcer, with jurisdiction throughout the New England region thanks to interstate agreements. Whether that means anything now is another question." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You spent a lot of time actively maneuvering on skates before the Cataclysm, and are better at staying on your feet when checked or blocked." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You are the true Foodperson, some might think Foodperson is just a mascot, but you know better. You are Foodperson, the mask has become your face, you are real and the only thing standing between this world and oblivion is you." |
Point cost: 0 |
"You are a duly sworn Federal marshal, with nationwide jurisdiction and the authority of the United States of America." |
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