In State of Decay 2, all survivors are generated with up to four traits from a pool of over 1200 possible traits, each of which can affect the character’s skills or personality in a variety of ways. For example, a survivor with the Measures Twice trait is likely to have the Craftsmanship skill, whereas a survivor with the Sold Cellular Phones trait might have the Computers skill.

Today I embark on the daunting task of compiling a list of these traits and their effects. This will be a work in progress for some time to come, and I welcome any and all help in completing it. If you have traits or effects that are not listed below, feel free to email me or comment below. So, without further ado, Here’s what I have so far:

NOTE:

As of today (5/28/2018), All traits listed below have been moved to the Traits page of the State of Decay 2 Wiki, and all future edits and additions will take place there. The Traits link from the SoD2 Mini-Wiki will henceforth link to that page. This is the first step towards transitioning to a community-driven project that I hope we can all be very proud of. Thank you all for your continued support. Rest assured that if you have submitted any Traits either via email or in the comments below, I will still be adding them to the new page, and will continue to accept new additions via both methods.

Traits:

Action Choreographer • I blocked out action sequences for a couple of local TV productions. • Affects Skills: Fighting

Action Movie Extra • • •

Active Duty Military • I was on deployment when they pulled me back stateside to fight the outbreak. • Affects Skills: ?

Always Wanted to Camp • I used to dream about sleeping under the stars. Used to. • Morale bonus from outdoor bed facilities

Animal Lover • I’ve had more friends with four legs than with two.

Attended Trade School • • Affects Skills: Mechanics

Automated Systems Tech • A modern factory will build an enormous machine and hire one person to keep it running. • Affects Skills: Electrical

Backwoods Upbringing • • •

Bagpiper • People really only let me get my instrument out for funerals. • +10 Max Stamina, -5 Morale, Affects Skills: Music

Baseball Fan • • Affects Skills: Sports Trivia

Basketball Fan • Honestly, it’s the sounds of the game that I miss, more than even the game itself. • Morale bonus from facilities with a Projector

BBQ Master • • Affects Skills: Cooking

Beatboxer • • Affects Skills: Music

Beer Lover • I’m not picky. I just love beer. • Morale bonus from Stills and Bars

Birdwatcher • • •

Blade Collector • • •

Blogger • • •

Bold Driver • • •

Braggart • Not everyone loves being around someone as confident as I am, but they definitely know I’m here. • +50% Standing Rewards, Annoys irritable community members. -3 morale.

Broad-Shouldered • You can carry a lot on a good set of shoulders. • +15 Max Carrying Capacity

Brush Clearer • While other kids were off on spring break, I was hacking at the brush on my grandfather’s land. • Morale bonus from outdoor bed facilities, Affects Skills: Gardening

Built the Worst Deck • • Affects Skills: Craftsmanship

Cake Decorator • I actually made a cake look like a head with a bullet hole once. Doesn’t seem as hilarious now. • Affects Skills: Cooking

Camp Physician • I’m not a part of the military, but when the refugee camps needed doctors, I volunteered. • Affects Skills: Medicine

Can’t Sleep Alone • I’ve had trouble sleeping alone since my last group got attacked in the middle of the night. • Annoys irritable community members, -3 Morale, -1 Beds Used

Cancer Survivor • If I can survive that, I can survive anything. • +4 Morale

Cashier • If you need someone to stand there and count things, I’m here for you. • Affects Skills: Wits

Coffee Connoisseur • I’ve spent the entire apocalypse hunting for a good cup of coffee. I’m still searching. • Easily Frustrated, Affects Skills: Making Coffee

Comic Collector • There’s always room in my pack for a few issues I’ve never read. • Morale bonus from an upgraded Lounge, Affects Skills: Geek Trivia

Compulsive Gardner • Because sometimes you find a seed pod. And you think, “hm. I could plant this!” So you do. • +25% Gardening Experience Rate, Affects Skills: Gardening

Computer “Expert” • Ice cream makes machines work better, especially computers. Spoon it right in. • -75% Computers Experience Rate, Affects Skills: Computers

Confident • • •

Coupon Cutter • I’d open up the sales papers every Sunday, and plan my entire week. • Affects Skills: Wits

Cult Film Junkie • • Affects Skills: Movie Trivia

Cult Film Junkie • • Affects Skills: Movie Trivia D-I-Y Remodeler • Let me tell you the joys of remodeling your own home. • Morale bonus from upgraded Workshop, Affects Skills: Craftsmanship

Decent Shot • I’ve always been a decent shot on the range, even without any formal training. • Affects Skills: Shooting

Delivery Driver • • Affects Skills: Driving

Digestive Problems • I’d love to change my diet, but that isn’t an option. It’s like a flamethrower, it’s horrible. • -10 Max Health, -7 Morale, Morale bonus from having a Latrine

Does Yoga • • Increased Stamina? •

Drill Sergeant • I trained hundreds of soldiers until they could look death in the eye and watch it blink. • Affects Skills: ?

Drinks Cold Medicine • For a while, it’s all I could get. Now I actually kind of like the taste. • +50 Infection Resistance, Morale bonus from Stills and Bars

Eats Like a Bird • I don’t know how other people eat so much. I’m full pretty much the moment I sit down. • -50% Food Consumed Per Day

Entourage Member • One of my friends had a brief pop career before the outbreak, and brought me along for the ride. • Affects Skills: ?

Exterminator • Clearing infestations was already my speciality. • Affects Skills: Chemistry

Fanfic Writer • I’m secretly shipping half the people in my community. • Affects Skills: Wits

Fears Needles • Just of the sight of my skin being broken makes me panic a little. • -20 Max Health

Fiery Protester • I can identify what brand of pepper spray you use from thirty yards away. • Easily Frustrated, Starts conflicts with other people

Fights Defensively • Whenever I’m in trouble, I”ve got this reflex to draw in and defend myself. • +30 Max Health, -50% Injury Severity

Film Director • You have to have enough confidence in your vision to lead other people through the worst of it. • +75% Standing Rewards

Fire Marshal • I can definitely tell you that this entire town is a death trap. • Affects Skills: Utilities

Fleet Manager • It’s been awhile since I’ve been shoulder-deep in an engine, but I still know my way around. • Affects Skills: Mechanics

Former Burglar • • •

Frequent Anxiety • • •

Friendly • • •

Fry Cook • No, I don’t understand all that fifties diner-speak. I can read a ticket, though. • Affects Skills: Cooking

Gas Hoarder • • •

Gas Station Attendant • • Affects Skills: Mechanics

Geocacher • It was the world’s best game, before all the GPS satellites got out of alignment. • Morale bonus from outdoor bed facilities, Affects Skills: Wits

Good Arm • I could always throw further and hit harder than the other kids in school. • Affects Skills: Cardio

Good Listener • How does that make you feel? • +25% Standing Rewards

Goofball • • •

Got into Bar Fights • I can get a little silly when I drink, and that’s landed me in more than one drunken brawl. • Starts conflicts with other people, Morale bonus from Stills and Bars, Affects Skills: ?

Grew Up Poor • • •

Had a Chemistry Set • I needed a new chemistry set every year as a kid, as I burned through all the experiments. • Affects Skills: Chemistry

Had a Flower Garden • • Affects Skills: Gardening

Halo Champion • I know it’s not real combat, but you do learn something about tactics and teamwork. • Affects Skills: ?

Hard to Kill • • •

Has a Pain Disorder • • Reduced Health?

Has Rough Hands • I’ve got hard-earned calluses that make it easier for me to climb and fight without a break. • +10 Max Health, +20 Max Stamina

High Pain Threshold • • Increased Health? •

Holed Up at a Farm • • Affects Skills: Gardening

Homebrewer • There’s a special kind of talent that goes into brewing a really good beer. • +25% Chemistry Experience Rate, Morale bonus from Stills and Bars, Affects Skills: Chemistry

Hopeless Romantic • My first instinct is always to go for the grand gesture.

Idealist • Look, we finally have a chance to get things right! • Easily Frustrated

Impostor Syndrome • • •

In Recovery • I’m still counting my days of sobriety. It’s the only calendar that matters anymore. • Morale penalty from Still and Bars

In Witness Protection • Starting over is usually better than dying.

Indefatigable • • •

Into Model Trains • • •

Into Weaving • • Affects Skills: Sewing

Janitor • I was the only janitor at an underfunded government building. I learned a lot of different jobs. • Affects Skills: Utilities

Keeps Hidden Pouches • Since I’ve been on the run, I’ve learned to modify my clothes to store things close to my body. • +1 Max Consumable Stack, +10 Light Carrying Capacity, +10 Max Carrying Capacity

Kept Smartphone • People make fun of me … but all my family pictures are on here. I can’t just toss it out.

Kind Eyes • What about my eyes? Do they look weird? Stop looking at me! • +25% Standing Rewards

LARPer • Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! • Affects Skills: Acting

Laughs Easily • I’m always the first one eliminated from “don’t laugh” challenges. • +4 morale

Lawyer • If you want to rebuild a new society, you’ll need someone who knew how the previous one worked. • Affects Skills: Law

Leads from Behind • The best leaders are the ones that other people think they’re in charge. • -33% Standing Rewards

Learned Chemistry • I’ve been studying chemistry since the outbreak. Real practical stuff, about soap and charcoal. • Affects Skills: Chemistry

Led a Quiet Life • People told me I should get out more, but why? What could be better than a quiet night at home?

Licensed Birth Coach • • Affects Skills: Medicine

Lived by the Sword • I found this really nice katana sticking out of a zombie skull by the side of the road one time. • Affects Skills: Swordplay

Lived on Spoiled Food • • •

Lives on Pasta • If you’re going to eat one thing in the zombie apocalypse, eat something dry that lasts forever. • -25% food consumed per day

Loved the Outdoors • • •

Loved to Dance • • Increased Stamina? •

Loves Baking • Strangers sometimes knocked on my door just to find out what smelled so good. • +100% Cooking Experience Rate, Morale bonus from an upgraded Kitchen, Affects Skills: Cooking

Loves Baking (No Effect) • I didn’t say I was good at it. But I could rock a sheet of break-and-bake cookies!

Loves Canning • • Affects Skills: Cooking

Mall Cop • • •

Masseuse • • •

Measures Twice • • Affects Skills: Craftsmanship

Medical Researcher • I put my medical training to work testing new cures and identifying side effects in patients. • Affects Skills: Medicine

Medicine Merchant • • Affects Skills: Medicine

Meter Reader • You wouldn’t believe some of the weird jury-rigged setups while I was on the job. • Affects Skills: Utilities

Model Hobbyist • At first I had a room devoted to model robots. Then a whole house. • Affects Skills: Craftsmanship

Motivational Speaker • Increased Stamina • Increased Stamina •

Neat • • •

Night Watch • I always took the night watch in my last group. Only real chance to be alone with my thoughts. • Affects Skills: ?

Nosy • • •

Nurse • I served on the front lines of the war on injury and disease. • Affects Skills: Medicine

Overcame Fears • • •

Paintballer • • •

PC Gamer • I changed out my graphics card every year. Not because I needed to. But because I could. • Morale bonus from facilities with a Projector, Affects Skills: Computers

Philosophy Major • With most of the world’s greatest minds now staggering and moaning, I’m basically the new Plato. • Affects Skills: Wits

Picnicker • • • Cooking

Played Sports • If it has a ball, I’ve played it. • Affects Skills: Cardio

Poor Typist • • •

Pulled All-Nighters • When I wasn’t up all night working, I was up all night partying. I basically don’t need sleep. • -33% Fatigue Severity

Ran a Garden Department • • Affects Skills: Gardening

Reads Books • I read books, you know. • +100% Wits Experience Rate, Morale bonus from an upgraded lounge

Rescues Spiders • They eat the bugs that contaminate our food. Of course I keep them alive! • •

Research Assistant • • •

Rifle Collector • • •

Ruthless • You fuck with me, you get fucked with back. That’s how it works. There are no exceptions. • Starts conflicts with other people.

Sales Associate • • •

Sawbones • • Affects Skills: Medicine

Security Guard • • •

Self-Effacing • I couldn’t do it without you guys. • -25% Standing Awards, Not Easily Frustrated

Short as a Kid • I used to be tiny. Didn’t come into my full height until I was an adult.

Slightly Stocky • • Reduced Stamina? •

Social Butterfly • • •

Sold Cellular Phones • • Affects Skills: Computers

Sold Crafts Online • I’m not really a specialist. Whatever caught my fancy, I learned to make it, and then sold it. • Affects Skills: Craftsmanship

Sore Neck • I can’t stand around in a pack all day, or my neck really starts to hurt. • -5 Max Carrying Capacity

Spry • • •

Stamp Collector • • •

Stays Fit • • Increased Stamina? •

Straight-A Student • I thought I had life figured out when I was in school. Diploma’s not helping a lot right now. • Affects Skills: Wits

Strong • It’s not my fault, being the biggest and the strongest. I don’t even exercise. • Affects Skills: Cardio, Fighting

Student Mentor • • •

Survived Indoors • • •

Sweats a Lot • • •

Talks to Plants • • Affects Skills: Gardening

Taxidermist • I thought of putting myself forward as a sort of surgeon… then I realized that was insane. • Affects Skills: Wits

Telemarketer • • •

Theatre Nerd • The -re spelling is more appropriate to the history and erudition of the art.

Took Crazy Road Trips • • •

Tourist • I’ve been to all fifty states and four continents. Come have a look at my photo album! • Affects Skills: Wits

Trilingual • I’m constantly translating my thoughts from one language into another. • Affects Skills: ?

Voyeur • • •

Waiter • • •

Watched Cooking Shows • • Affects Skills: Cooking

Watched Westerns • I used to have a huge collections of Westerns on VHS. Now I live on the frontier. Go figure. • Morale bonus from facilities with a Projector, Affects Skills: Shooting

Went to ROTC • • •

Workaholic • I can’t sit still when there’s something useful I could be doing. • +1 Labor

Worked at an Office • • •

Yoga Instructor • The best way to survive out here is to get your joints limber and your chakras aligned • Affects Skills: Acrobatics

Important Note:

There are some traits that have the same exact name, yet do not have the same stats. For Example, there are two skills called “Loves Baking.” One is a really great trait which improves the cooking skill and the rate at which your survivor gains experience in the cooking skill, while the other does… nothing. You have been warned.

Update History:

5/20: Added a ton of new traits as well as the description and effects of some of the traits we already had. Added the important note above about duplicate trait names with very different effects.