Traits are rolled, not chosen. At the moment of creation, a character receives between three and five traits drawn from a pool shaped by their race and class. These traits define the texture of how that character experiences the world, day by day, room by room.
Three to five traits are rolled at character creation. The exact number is variable and contributes to the sense that no two characters of the same race and class are identical — one version may receive traits that complement each other beautifully, while another receives a set in mild tension. Both are valid; neither is a mistake. The roll shapes the character rather than determining their fate.
Many traits operate within a scope that defines how close the relevant object must be to trigger comfort. A trait that reacts to carried items only fires when the object is in the character's own inventory. One that reacts to nearby items fires when the object is in the same room, even if the character is not holding it. Scope is fixed per trait and cannot be changed — it is part of what the trait is, not how actively it is managed.
Every active trait contributes a comfort value — positive or negative — each world turn. The values are small individually but cumulative over a long descent. A character whose traits are consistently satisfied will drift upward in comfort through ordinary play; a character whose traits are consistently frustrated will drain steadily regardless of other circumstances. Traits do not spike comfort suddenly — they push it gradually in a direction.
Traits are grouped by what they respond to. The kind determines the category of input — not the specific value, which is set per trait — and therefore what kinds of player choices will satisfy or frustrate this character.
Reacts to the material domain of carried, equipped, or nearby items. A character with a material trait favouring metal is more comfortable when armed and armoured in steel than when clad in cloth and leather.
Reacts to active smells on carried, equipped, or nearby objects. A character who finds the smell of herbs pleasant gains comfort when their pack contains freshly gathered plant materials; one who finds blood offensive loses comfort after a messy fight.
Reacts to the broader environment the character currently occupies — the dungeon region, the above-ground area, or the general character of the space. Some characters feel at home underground; others are unsettled by it.
Reacts to the current social or combat situation — whether the character is alone, in company, in active conflict, or at rest. A character who prefers solitude may lose comfort when surrounded by party members; one who fears isolation may lose it when travelling alone.
Reacts to the category of items carried, equipped, or nearby — weapons, armour, jewellery, books, and so on. A character who is uncomfortable carrying weapons still carries them when necessary, but the comfort cost is real and ongoing.
Reacts to specific actions the character has recently performed — running, sneaking, attacking, casting, crafting. The comfort effect persists for a short window of turns after the action occurs, then fades. A character who dislikes violence will feel that discomfort for several turns after every attack made.
Reacts to specific foods consumed. A character who loves mushroom stew gains comfort for several turns after eating it; one who dislikes salted meat loses it. The effect is temporary and fades with the turns, making food traits a renewable source of positive or negative comfort depending on what is available.
Reacts to specific consumed items beyond food — potions, alchemical preparations, tinctures. A character with a trait favouring medicinal consumption gains comfort each time they take a healing draught; one with an aversion to alchemical substances loses it.
Comfort does not respond to change instantly. It settles toward its current target at a fixed rate each turn — five points in either direction. This means that equipping a piece of armour with a strong comfort bonus does not immediately flood the character with wellbeing. The comfort drifts upward toward the new target and arrives there only after several turns of sustained contact.
The same applies to loss. Removing a favoured item or entering a disliked environment does not instantly drain comfort. The drift begins and continues until the new equilibrium is reached. A seeker in a poor situation for a single turn barely registers it; a seeker in that situation for twenty turns feels it fully.
Because comfort settles gradually, the system rewards consistency over reactive optimisation. A character who always wears the same type of armour, always carries preferred materials, and avoids situations their traits find distressing will maintain high comfort without ever having to think about it. A character who constantly swaps gear, eats whatever is available, and takes any job regardless of what it involves will find their comfort chronically unstable.
Traits are not a puzzle with an optimal solution. They describe who the character is. Playing consistently with that description is its own reward, expressed through the comfort that accumulates from doing so. Playing against it has a cost that arrives slowly and stays until the circumstances change.
Not all traits are rolled freely. Some are shaped by lineage, some by profession, and some arrive through what the world does to the character during a run.
The majority of traits are drawn from a general pool at creation. The pool is wide and its results are genuinely varied — two characters of identical race and class can receive completely different sets. Race and class apply a bias to the roll, weighting certain kinds of traits as more likely, but they do not guarantee any specific result. The character is not defined by their origin alone.
Certain classes grant fixed traits regardless of the roll. A dedicated crafter may always receive a trait favouring the act of crafting, regardless of what else the roll produces. These class-sourced traits are marked as such and represent the formative influence of training and vocation on the character's sensibility. They cannot be rolled away and are part of what choosing that class means.
Racial background biases the roll without guaranteeing outcomes. An Orc character is more likely to receive traits aligned with survival instinct, physical hardship, and blunt materials than an Elf character, who leans toward nature-adjacent and aesthetic traits. The bias shapes probability, not destiny — a character can always receive traits that cut against their racial tendency, and occasionally does.
Certain world events can grant, modify, or replace a trait during a run. These are rare and significant — a life-changing encounter, a curse, a blessing, a revelation. An event-sourced trait is indistinguishable from any other once received; it carries the same weight and the same mechanical effect. The only difference is that the world placed it there rather than the character's origin.