Traits and Flaws

Traits
Traits are aspects of a character's personality, background, or physique that make him better at some activities and worse at others. In many ways, traits resemble feats: A character can have only a limited number of traits, and each trait provides some benefit. Unlike feats, however, traits always carry a corresponding drawback. In addition to their game effects, traits suggest characteristics about the character's personality that might lead to interesting roleplaying opportunities. Together with a character's class and feat selection, traits offer a way for game mechanics to encourage deeper character backgrounds and consistent roleplaying.

Traits serve as an interesting starting point for roleplaying, reminding players of their characters' most prominent strengths and weaknesses. However, roleplaying a certain aspect of a character's personality does not require possessing the trait. For example, a paladin can be honest and forthright without the Honest trait. The player should roleplay the character consistently even though the character's honesty has no effect on his ability/skill checks.

Roleplaying Of Traits
If a player creates a character with one or more of the traits described here, she has three basic choices for how that trait affects the character's personality.

First, the character might view the trait as a weakness. A character with this view might try to hide the trait or make excuses for his behavior. On the other hand, he might seek out others with the trait to feel better about his own idiosyncrasy.

Second, the character might view the trait as a strength. A character might call attention to the trait, encourage others to act in ways that mimic the trait, or simply assume that those without the trait are less worthy than those who possess it.

Finally, the character might not acknowledge the trait at all. A character might adopt this attitude toward a trait for several reasons, each suggesting something different about the character's background and personality.

The character might not be aware of the trait; for example, a nearsighted character might not realize that others see better at a distance because his impairment is mild and the onset was so gradual that he never noticed the change.

The character might be aware of the trait but not want to admit that he possesses it. For example, an abrasive character might realize that his mannerisms affect others, yet find more solace in putting the blame on those whom he offends rather than on himself.

The character might know but simply not care.

Character Flaws
Flaws are like the flip side of feats. Whereas a feat enables a character to be better than normal at performing a task (or even to do something that normal characters can't), a flaw restricts a character's capabilities or imposes a penalty of some sort.

A player may select up to two flaws when creating a character. After 1st level, a character cannot take on additional flaws unless the game master specifically allows it (for examples of times when doing this might be appropriate, see Character Traits). Each flaw a player selects entitles his character to a bonus feat. In other words, when you create a character, if you select two flaws, you can also take two bonus feats beyond those your character would be normally entitled to.

Unlike traits, flaws are entirely negative in their impact on a character's capabilities.

Campaign Traits
Campaign traits are specifically designed to tie your character into a campaign’s storyline, and often give you a built-in reason to begin the first adventure. For this reason, GMs usually create their own campaign traits for their PCs. If your GM uses campaign traits, one of your starting traits must be a campaign trait. Your other trait can be chosen from one of the other types of traits.

Combat Traits
Combat traits are associated with combat, battle, and physical prowess; they give characters minor bonuses in battle and represent conflicts and physical struggles in the character’s backstory. The word "Society" in a traits name is meant to indicate that active membership in an organization of explorers and adventurers is required or expected.

Equipment Traits
Many adventurers come to rely on certain gear to the extent that the equipment and the adventurer each become something more when the other is present. The symbiosis between adventurers and their gear is varied and complex. Below are several traits and feats that help characters make the most of their equipment or use their equipment to make the most of their skills.

Faith Traits
Faith traits rely upon conviction of spirit, perception, and religion, but are not directly tied to the worship of a specific deity. You do not need a patron deity to gain a Faith Trait, as these traits can represent conviction in one’s self or philosophy just as easily as they can represent dedication to a deity. The word "Society" in a traits name is meant to indicate that active membership in an organization of explorers and adventurers is required or expected.

Magic Traits
Magic traits are associated with magic, and focus on spellcasting and manipulating magic. You need not be a spellcaster to take a Magic Trait (although several of these traits aren’t as useful to non-spellcasters). Magic Traits can represent a character’s early exposure to magical effects or childhood studies of magic. The word "Society" in a traits name is meant to indicate that active membership in an organization of explorers and adventurers is required or expected.

Race Traits
Race traits are keyed to specific races or ethnicities. In order to select a race trait, your character must be of the trait’s race or ethnicity. If your race or ethnicity changes at some later point (as could be possible due to the result of polymorph magic or a reincarnation spell), the benefits gained by your racial trait persist— only if your mind and memories change as well do you lose the benefits of a race trait. Of course, in such an event, you’re also likely to lose skills, feats, and a whole lot more!

Regional Traits
Regional traits are keyed to specific regions, be they large (such as a nation or geographic region) or small (such as a city or a specific mountain). In order to select a regional trait, your PC must have spent at least a year living in that region. At first level, you can only select one regional trait (typically the one tied to your character’s place of birth or homeland), despite the number of regions you might wish to write into your character’s background.

Religion Traits
ligion traits indicate that your character has an established faith in a specific deity; you need not be a member of a class that can wield divine magic to pick a religion trait, but you do have to have a patron deity and have some amount of religion in your background to justify this trait. Unlike the other categories of traits, religion traits can go away if you abandon your religion, as detailed below under Restrictions.

Social Traits
Social Traits are a sort of catch-all category—these traits reflect the social upbringing of your character, your background with high society or lack thereof, and your history with parents, siblings, friends, competitors, and enemies.