For traits in other Total War titles, see Traits.
A trait summary window showing the attribute bonus, harmony and additional effects
Traits in Total War: Three Kingdoms indicates character's personality. Hitherto undiscovered qualities develop over time, revealing themselves as experience is gained. But the starting traits will always remain the same. Traits have significant effects on a character's capabilities, their opinion of others and behavior.
Overview
Every character in the game starts with three traits which are generated when the character is made, these will then define their personality. Once they're in play they'll be able to learn additional traits.
How does it work
Effect
Characters begin play with several traits, which enhance – and in some cases hamper – their abilities in many areas. You can view a character's traits and scrutinize their effects by mousing over them in the character panel.
Traits can transform a character's abilities in campaign and battle, and are key to the formation and development of relationships with other characters. Be aware of the attributes and other bonus that the general gains directly from traits or indirectly from relationships. With great traits and harmonious working environment, not only will your general be a better fighter than his base attributes and stats imply, he will also have an affinity for warlike leaders and those who display physical prowess in battle, which will in turn influence the relationships he forms and with whom.
Earn new traits
A character's activities may earn them new traits over time. For example, a character who has served as a secondary general in army for a period might gain the ambitious trait (although this trait cannot be earned if a character has the humble, loyal, dutiful or fraternal traits). The ambitious trait boosts the character's authority, and grants a global increase to faction income if the character is assigned a ministerial role in your court, but also reduces the character's satisfaction and makes them more likely to demand independence from your faction if they are assigned as the administrator of a commandery.
Harmony and Disharmony
This pop-up window in Kong Rong's relation tab shows the harmonious relationship decided by traits between him and Wang Xiu
- Main article: Guanxi
Character can have opinion on their colleague based on traits. For example, A character with the formidable trait, for example, will gain bonuses to their instinct and melee damage, and will gain the opinions Commends Physical Strength, Commends Physical Ability, and Supports War. Player can check this on the court screen or on their unit cards. When character likes each other by sharing similar opinion, their relationship is considered as harmony with a green tick displayed. When your characters are harmonious in court or army, they will become more satisfied with their job and eventually become friends. On the other hand, disharmonious characters will dislike each other and leave the faction if they feel unsatisfied for long time. Although worth noting that disharmonious characters will try to compete with each other on the job, resulting in a slightly performance buff.
List of Traits
Listed in alphabetical order (work in progress)
- AC = Administered commandery.
- EAC = Enemy armies in this country.
- EAAC = Enemy armies in administered commandery)
- AAC = Armies in administered commandery
- FW = Faction-wide (only if this character is prime minister, heir, or faction leader).
- LC = Local County
- OA = Own army.
- OAC = Own army in this country.
- OR = Own retinue.
- TA = This Army
- WC = When commanding
- Ambitious: +8 Authority, Increased penalty from desire for higher office, +5% income from all sources (AC), Increases ambition to gain independence as administrator.
- Admires Power
- Wary of Ambition
- Beautiful +4 Authority, -5 Satisfaction (FW), +5 Satisfaction
- Admires Attractiveness
- Brave: +12 Resolve, +6 moral (WC)
- Commends Bravery
- Brilliant: +6 expertise, +6 Cunning, +15% Ammunition for all units (OAC), +10% income from all sources (AC), Increased ambition to gain independence as administrator.
- Careless: -4 Cunning, +6 Instinct, -15% Change of avoiding ambush (OA).
- Accepts: Carelessness
- Cautious: +6 Cunning, -4 Instinct, +10% Chance of Evading Capture, +10% Chance of avoiding ambush (OA)
- Respects Caution
- Wary of Zeal, Dislikes Carelessness
- Charitable: +4 Resolve, +4 Authority, +4 Public Order, -4 Food production (generals) (AC), +10% Income from peasantry (AC).
- Clumsy: -4 Expertise, -10 maximum cover when spying.
- Competitive: +6 Instinct, +2 Authority, +10 Charge Bonus, Increased ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Committed: +2 Resolve, +6 Authority, -1 mustering turns (OA), +3% replenishment (OA)
- Admires Zeal, Respects Decisiveness
- Co-ordinated: +6 Expertise, +10 Maximum cover when spying
- Commends Physical Ability
- Cruel: +6 Instinct, +2 Authority, -4 Public order (FW, +5 Military Supplies, +10% Income from peasantry (FW).
- Supports: Cruelty.
- Disregards: Kindness.
- Cunning: +12 Cunning, +15% Chance of ambushing (OA).
- Defiant: +2 Expertise, +6 Resolve, +5% Attrition to hostile forces (EAAC), +10 morale when defending (OA).
- Determined: +6 Resolve, +2 Instinct
- Admires Zeal, Respects Decisiveness
- Disciplinarian: +6 Expertise, +2 Resolve, +4 Satisfaction (FW), Enables: Fatigue Resistance.
- Distinguished: +6 Instinct, +2 Authority, Increases Ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Admires Attractiveness, Admires Refinement
- Dutiful: +8 Authority, Reduced penalty from desire for higher office, +10 Satisfaction.
- Focuses on Duty
- Energetic: +2 Expertise, +6 Instinct, +5 Campaign Movement Range (OA)
- Admires Zeal
- Enigmatic: +6 Cunning, +2 Authority, -5 Cover cost when performing spy actions
- Respects Patience
- Dislikes Carelessness, Dislikes Impulsiveness
- Fiery: +2 Resolve, +6 Instinct, +10 Charge Speed.
- Admires Zeal, Supports War
- Disregards Diplomacy
- Fertile: +2 Instinct, +50% chance of having children
- Formidable: +4 Expertise, +8 Instinct.
- Fraternal: +8 Resolve, + 10 Satisfaction.
- Fulfilled: +6 expertise, -4 Instinct, +10 Satisfaction
- Gracious: +2 Resolve, +6 Authority, +5 Satisfaction (LC)
- Values Kindness, Admires Refinement
- Honest: +6 Resolve, +2 Authority, +5% corruption (FW)
- Values Sociability, Commends Trustworthiness
- Honourable: +8 Resolve, Reduced penalty from desire for higher office, -10% change of capturing enemy officers post-battle. Decreased ambition to gain independence as administrator.
- Humble: +2 Resolve, +6 Authority, No desire for higher offices, +10 satisfaction, Decreases ambition to gain independence as administrator.
- Commends Honour
- Wary of Ambition, Loathes Vanity
- Impeccable: +3 Public Order (FW)
- Admires Attractiveness, Indulges Vanity
- Dislikes Scarring
- Incompetent: -4 Expertise, +4 Resolve, -20% Character Experience
- Accepts Carelessness
- Wary of Intelligence
- Indecisive: +4 Expertise, -4 Authority, -10% Character Experience, +10 Cover cost for enemy spies (FW), Decreases ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Resents Decisiveness
- Intimidating: +12 Instinct, Enables: Immune to Scaring.
- Respects Decisiveness
- Intrepid: +2 Expertise, Enables: Immune to Fear & Terror
- Commends Honour, Commends Bravery
- Kind: +2 Resolve, +6 Authority, +5 Satisfaction (FW), +2 Public Order (AC).
- Focuses on Family
- Kind-Hearted: +6 Resolve, +2 Authority, +2 Public Order (FW)
- Values Kindness
- Opposes Intimidation, Loathes Greed
- Loyal: +8 Expertise, Reduced penalty form desire for higher office, +10 Satisfaction, Decreased ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Focuses on Family
- Modest: +2 Cunning, +6 Authority, Reduced penalty from desire for higher office, -15% retinue upkeep, Decreases ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Commends Honour
- Loathes Arrogance, Loathes Greed
- Pacifist: +4 Cunning, -4 Instinct, +1 Mustering (AAC), +5% Income from all sources (AC)
- Values Kindness, Values Diplomacy
- Opposes War
- Patient: +6 Expertise, +2 Cunning, Enables: Fatigue Resistance
- Respects Patience
- Dislikes Impulsiveness
- Perceptive: +6 Cunning, +2 Instinct, +10% chance of capturing enemy officers post-battle, +10% line-of-sight.
- Philanthropic: +2 Resolve, +6 Authority, +2 Public Order (FW)
- Values Charity
- Opposes Intimidation, Loathes Greed
- Quiet: +6 Cunning, +2 Instinct, +4 Cover gain per turn when spying, Decreases ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Disregards Sociability, Wary of Zeal
- Reckless: +6 Resolve, -4 Cunning, -10% chance of evading capture post-battle(AAC), -1 Mustering turns, -5 Public order (AC), +10% Speed.
- Accepts Impulsiveness
- Resents Discipline, Resents Caution
- Resourceful: +2 Expertise, +6 Cunning, +5 Reserves (AC)
- Commends Flexibility
- Scholarly: +4 Expertise, +4 Cunning, +25% Character Experience
- Values Education, Admires Intelligence
- Superstitious: +6 Resolve, +2 Instinct, May randomly trigger superstition events for their owning faction
- Indulges Superstition, Respects Caution
- Suspicious: +6 Cunning, +2 Instinct, +10 undercover network cost for enemy spies (FW)
- Wary of Ambition, Wary of Power, Disregards Trustworthiness
- Uncomplicated: +4 Resolve, -4 Cunning, +10% Recruitment cost (TA)
- Disregards Education, Wary of Intelligence
- Vain: -4 Cunning, +6 Instinct, +25% Retinue upkeep, +1 starting rank for all recruits (OR)
- Vengeful: +2 Resolve, +6 Instinct
- Supports Intimidation, Supports War
- Disregards Diplomacy
- Weak: -4 Resolve, -10 Melee Evasion
- Sympathetic to the Weak