Traits

Traits are an optional replacement for Inspiration. Traits are a dynamic way of having your characters gain advantages or disadvantages based on how you portray them in your game.

Every player character starts with and always has three traits. Traits are simple words or phrases that explain the defining features of a character. Players write the first three traits for their character during creation.

Traits can be invoked by players to grant advantage or disadvantage on rolls where those traits are relevant in the story. They can also be invoked to grant non-roll based benefits or misfortunes at the GM’s discretion.

Once a trait has been invoked to gain advantage or benefit it is marked and cannot be used again to gain another advantage or benefit until it has been unmarked. When a trait is invoked to grant disadvantage or misfortune you can unmark one trait of your choice. Using a trait to grant disadvantage or misfortune does not mark that trait. All traits are unmarked at the start of each session.

Examples

Traits are descriptive and can be almost anything, these examples are simply here to inspire you.

Hairy: Invoked to grant advantage on deception check to disguise oneself as a bear or invoked to grant disadvantage on acrobatics check to escape a sticky swamp.

Honest: Invoked to grant advantage on persuade check to convince a priest to give people asylum for the night or invoked to grant disadvantage on sleight of hand check to steal the keys to a jail cell.

Head Over Heels: Invoked to grant advantage on dexterity save to tumble out of the way of a triggered trap or invoked to grant disadvantage on wisdom save to avoid being charmed by a beautiful young baron.

Hagard: Invoked to have an npc grant the player characters lodgings for the night out of pity or invoked to grant disadvantage on stealth check to pass unnoticed through a crowd of wealthy merchants.

Hungry: Invoked to grant advantage to attempt to grapple a tasty looking myconid or invoked negatively to have sentries alerted to the party's presence at the sound of a grumbling stomach.

Hoity Toity: Invoked to grant advantage on desterity save to avoid tripping while ballroom dancing or invoked negatively to balk and be unable to enter a room filled with disgusting ooze.

Hard Boiled: Invoked to find a packet of cigarettes or a flask of scotch on one's person or invoked negatively to resist the wiles of a femme fatale.

Hillfolk: Invoked to grant advantage on survival check to navigate hilly terrain or invoked negatively to grant disadvantage on fear save to avoid agoraphobia.

Haberdasher: Invoked to grant advantage on investigate check to identify the maker of a fine shirt or invoked negatively to grant disavantage on stealth to avoid being noticed by harpies looking for shiny buttons

Example Of Play Torbjorn, the barbarian, has the traits "Musclebound", "Callous", and "License to Kill" when he goes to lift the heavy portcullis his player invokes "Musclebound" this grants the Torbjorn advantage on his Strength check. The player then marks off "Musclebound" and it cannot be invoked for benefit again until it is unmarked. Once inside Torbjorn attempts to negotiate with the noble leading the guards defending the castle. Torbjorn's player invokes "Callous" to give Torbjorn disadvantage on his persuasion check. By invoking "Callous" against themself though, Torbjorn's player is allowed to unmark one trait so they unmark "Musclebound" so that it can be used for benefit again later.

End of Session

At the end of each session the rest of party votes on which trait is least descriptive of your character in that session and then decide on a new trait that describes how your character was during the session. You then remove the trait that was voted least descriptive and replace it with the new one. If there is a tie or a decision cannot be made, the GM may rule which trait is least descriptive or which new trait should be introduced.

Traits cannot be the same as or very similar to abilities, skills, features or other traits the character already has.

Additional Options

If your individual game sessions aren't very long the GM may decide to run the end of session votes once every few sessions or when characters gain levels.

If your game has an audience, The GM may have the audience vote on which trait to remove and what to replace it with.