Background Traits

Background Traits are permanent modifiers to a character which can be acquired either via the random selection of 3 traits rolled and offered to the player once they achieve 3 RPP, or via purchasing them using GPP. The effects of trait can be as simple as conferring a percentage bonus to a particular stat or providing an initial bonus to the character's reputation star, or as complex as denoting their membership of a specific bloodline and offering access to restricted skill trees. Traits often dramatically affect a character's playstyle and combat ability while also serving as a means to better convey aspects of a character's personality or background, so a player should give some thought to their choice of traits.

A player's earliest characters will likely not have the ability to purchase many traits owing to a lack of GPP, but this is no reason to despair. Clever play and smart building can see you rise above characters with the perks of accrued GPP, but even then optimal combat ability is rarely that important to tell a compelling story or portray a complete character arc. Should your character meet their end, then simply think of it as the horizon of possibilities for your next character widening as their RPP value at the time of death (not counting bonus catch-up RPP) will be converted to GPP which can be spent on future characters.

The following is a list of all traits currently available in-game, with GPP cost denoted in parenthesis next to their names.

These traits denote your character as belonging to a specific lineage or race and often grant access to a special skill tree related to it or impose notable mechanical changes. Unless otherwise noted, a character can only possess one of these traits.

These traits confer bonuses to character statistics, sometimes simply a small flat bonus and at other times offering a more considerable bonus albeit with a drawback.

These traits chiefly affect a character's combat ability, offering unique situational modifiers or altering how certain mechanics work.

These traits bestow unique equipment upon acquisition.

These traits confer effects which do not fall under the purview of any of the above, often times interacting with the game's other systems or chiefly focusing on character flavour.

• Alchemist (15) - Potions are 10% more effective.
• Built Different (60) - Your character possesses a much higher capacity for cyberware than normal humans and increased max sanity.
• Criminal (60) - Your character is treated as immediately hostile by police NPCs in most districts, however bandits will treat them as friendly.
• Collector (30) - Your character has a chance of receiving an additional item every time they open a chest.
• Corpo (30) - The daily rental cost of properties is reduced by 10%.
• Duality (100) - Your character possesses the unique ability to attune to 2 elemental trees of magic rather than being limited to 1 as standard.
• Elemental Nexus (350) - Your character possesses the unique ability to attune to all elemental trees of magic rather than being limited to 1 as standard.
• Entrepreneur (30) - You can sell items to vendors at increased prices. (Currently no mechanical use)
• Famous (30) - Your character starts with an increased reputation value, giving them earlier access to higher ranked missions and certain stores.
• Genetic Lottery (60) - Your character's decline via old age is delayed by an additional 15 in-game years.
• Gourmet Appetite (15) - The energy restored by food items is altered based on the price of the food item in question.
• Nightowl (60) - Your character's energy expenditure is increased during the day but decreased at night.
• The Imagined World (200) - Your character gains the ability to teleport to their own personal reality marble.
• Venomancy (175) - Your character gains access to the Venomancy skill tree, granting them dark magicks relating to blood and curses.