Crusader Kings 3 Traits Guide & List

Traits are a huge part of how characters tick in Crusader Kings 3. They can be acquired through several different means, such as genetics, education, random events, and more. Traits can be positive or negative, and they affect the choices and events you’ll see during a given playthrough.

Here is a list of all the known Crusader Kings 3 traits and the effects they have on your character. They are broken up by trait type.

Crusader Kings 3 Traits

Childhood Traits

Characters between the age of 3 and 15 in Crusader Kings 3 have one childhood trait. These traits give you a bonus to two skills and, if an education focus is on one of those two skills, will make them more formidable when they come of age. They also make children struggle in another education skill.

• Bossy: +1 Martial, Stewardship — Struggles with Diplomacy
• Charming: +1 Diplomacy, Intrigue — Struggles with Stewardship
• Curious: +1 Diplomacy, Learning — Struggles with Martial
• Pensive: +1 Stewardship, Learning — Struggles with Intrigue
• Rowdy: +1 Martial, Intrigue — Struggles with Learning

Commander Traits

Commander Traits will give a benefit to an entire army if their leader has the given trait.

• Aggressive Attacker: +25% enemy casualties
• Cautious Leader: +4 minimum battle roll, -2 maximum battle roll
• Desert Warrior: +5 advantage in desert, desert mountains, drylands, and oasis, no desert supply limit penalty
• Flexible Leader: -50% enemy defensive advantage
• Forder: Crosses water without advantage penalties
• Forest Fighter: +5 advantage in forest and taiga
• Holy Warrior: +10% faith hostility advantage
• Jungle Stalker: +6 advantage in jungle, -50% jungle attrition, no jungle supply limit penalty
• Logistician: +100% supply duration
• Military Engineer -30% siege phase time
• Open Terrain Expert: +4 advantage in farmlands, plains, and steppe
• Organizer: +25% movement speed, -20% retreat losses
• Reaver: +100% raid speed, -75% hostile county attrition
• Reckless: +6 maximum battle roll, -4 minimum battle roll
• Rough Terrain Expert: +4 advantage in hills, mountains, and wetlands
• Unyielding Defender: -25% friendly casualties

Congenital Traits

Congenital traits can appear at birth and can be passed down to future generations. Inbreeding can increase the chances of seeing many of these traits.

A few of these traits are leveled, meaning they come in multiple strengths and can give multiple levels of positive or negative boosts.

• Albino: +15 natural dread, +10 same trait opinion, -10 general opinion
• Bleeder: -10 vassal opinion, severe health penalty
• Club-footed: +10 same trait opinion, -10 attraction opinion, -2 prowess
• Dwarf: +20 same trait opinion, -20 attraction opinion, -4 prowess
• Fecund: +50% fertility, +5 years life expectancy
• Giant: +6 prowess, +5 vassal opinion, +1 tribal ruler opinion, +20 same trait opinion, -5 attraction opinion, minor health penalty
• Hunchbacked: +10 same trait opinion, -30 attraction opinion, -10 vassal opinion, -2 prowess
• Lisping: +10 same trait opinion, -5 attraction opinion, -2 diplomacy
• Lunatic: +10% hostile scheme resistance, +10 same trait opinion, -10 attraction opinion, -10 vassal opinion, minor health penalty
• Melancholic: -1 diplomacy, martial, stewardship and intrigue, -10% fertility, moderate health penalty
• Possessed: +10% monthly learning lifestyle experience, +15 same trait opinion, -10 attraction opinion, moderate health penalty
• Pure-blooded: +10% fertility, -50% inbreeding chance, small health boost
• Scaly: +10 natural dread, +10 same trait opinion, -10 vassal opinion, -30 attraction opinion, -20% fertility
• Spindly: -1 prowess, -10 attraction opinion, minor health penalty
• Sterile/Barren: -50% fertility
• Stuttering: +10 same trait opinion, -2 diplomacy
• Wheezing: -10 vassal opinion, tiny health penalty

Leveled Congenital Traits

These are all different levels of the same trait, which grant bonuses or penalties based on how severe they are. A few of these traits have variations depending on your gender

• Beauty Traits — Hideous, Ugly, Homely, Comely, Attractive/Pretty/Handsome, Beautiful
  • Diplomacy -3/-2/-1/+1/+2/+3
  • Attraction opinion -30/-20/-10/+10/+20/+30
  • Fertility -30%/-20%/-10%/+10%/+20%+30%
• Intellect Traits — Imbecile, Stupid, Slow, Quick, Intelligent, Genius
  • All skills -8/-4/-2/+1/+3/+5
  • Monthly lifestyle experience -30%/-20%/-10%/+10%/+20%/+30%
• Physique Traits — Feeble, Frail, Delicate, Hale, Robust, Amazonian/Herculean
  • Prowess -6/-4/-2/+2/+4/+8
  • Attraction opinion -10/-5/+0/+5/+10/+15
  • Health severe penalty/moderate penalty/minor penalty/small boost/medium boost/huge boost

Coping Mechanisms

You receive a coping mechanism trait if you suffer a mental break from stress and want a stress reduction. All these traits grant a +20% Stress Loss and have other effects. Most are negative, but there are a few positive coping mechanisms in Crusader Kings 3.

• Athletic: +1 prowess, small health boost
• Comfort Eater: -1 stewardship
• Confider: +1 diplomacy
• Contrite: -2 intrigue
• Drunkard: +10 same trait opinion, -2 stewardship, -2 prowess, tiny health penalty
• Flagellant: -2 prowess, moderate health penalty
• Hashishiyah: +10 same trait opinion, -2 stewardship, -2 learning
• Improvident: +1 diplomacy, -15% monthly income
• Inappetetic: -1 diplomacy, -3 prowess
• Irritable: +2 prowess, +10% dread gain, -2 diplomacy, -1 martial, -5 attraction opinion
• Journaller: +1 learning
• Profligate: +0.5 monthly piety, -10% monthly income
• Rakish: +5 same trait opinion, +1 intrigue, -1 diplomacy, -5 attraction opinion
• Reclusive: -2 diplomacy, -1 stewardship

Criminal Traits

Criminal traits all have to do with how they are viewed by your faith. They can be accepted, shunned, or even get you arrested/executed. You get criminal traits due to the choices you make and how certain events play out.

• Adulterer: +10 same trait opinion
• Cannibal: +2 prowess, +15% stress loss, +20 natural dread, +35 same trait opinion
• Excommunicated: -50% monthly piety
• Fornicator: +10 same trait opinion
• Deviant: +25% stress loss, +35 same trait opinion
• Dynastic Kinslayer: -5 dynasty opinion
• Familial Kinslayer: -5 dynasty opinion, -5 close family opinion
• Kinslayer: -5 dynasty opinion, -10 close family opinion
• Incestuous: +20 same trait opinion
• Sodomite: +10 same trait opinion
• Witch: +1 intrigue, +1 learning, +20 same trait opinion, -1 diplomacy

Dynasty Traits

Dynasty traits can be given or taken away by members of the same dynasty. They often have to do with interesting elements of birth or disputes over lineage.

• Bastard: +5 same trait opinion, -15 dynasty opinion, -1 diplomacy, can’t inherit titles
• Bastard Founder: (Gained a title as a Bastard) -1 diplomacy, can’t inherit titles
• Born in the Purple: (One parent owned Barony of Constantinople, Byzantine Empire or Roman Empire title) +0.5 monthly prestige, +5 vassal opinion
• Child of Concubine/Consort: -1 diplomacy
• Denounced: -1 diplomacy, -1 monthly prestige, members of dynasty can rightfully imprison this character
• Disinherited: -5 dynasty opinion, can’t inherit titles
• Disputed Heritage: -1 diplomacy, -10 house opinion
• Legitimized Bastard: -10 dynasty opinion, -1 diplomacy
• Reincarnation: (4% chance at birth if faith has Reincarnation tenet) +1 monthly piety, +5 same faith opinion
• Twin: (2% chance at birth) +15 twin sibling opinion
• Wild Oat: -1 diplomacy

Descendant Traits

These are dynasty traits that are passed down once they are founded.

• Saoshyant: +1 diplomacy, +2 learning, +2 prowess, +5 same faith opinion
  • Saoshyant Descendant: +1 learning, +5 same faith opinion
• Sayyid: +5 same faith opinion (same trait is passed down)
• Paragon: +20 temple vassal opinion
  • Consecrated Blood: +10 temple vassal opinion
• The Savior: +10 same faith opinion
  • Divine Blood: +5 same faith opinion

Education Traits

Each character in Crusader Kings 3 gets an education trait when they reach adulthood based on how successful their education was. They are each leveled.

• Diplomacy — Naive Appeaser, Adequate Bargainer, Charismatic Negotiator, Grey Eminence
  • +2/+4/+6/+8 diplomacy, +10%/+20%/+30%/+40% monthly skill lifestyle experience
• Martial — Misguided Warrior, Tough Soldier, Skilled Tactician, Brilliant Strategist
  • +2/+4/+6/+8 martial, +10%/+20%/+30%/+40% monthly skill lifestyle experience
• Stewardship — Indulgent Wastrel, Thrifty Clerk, Fortune Builder, Midas Touched
  • +2/+4/+6/+8 stewardship, +10%/+20%/+30%/+40% monthly skill lifestyle experience
• Intrigue — Amateurish Plotter, Flamboyant Trickster, Intricate Webweaver, Elusive Shadow
  • +2/+4/+6/+8 intrigue, +10%/+20%/+30%/+40% monthly skill lifestyle experience
• Learning — Conscientious Scribe, Insightful Thinker, Astute Intellectual, Mastermind Philosopher
  • +2/+4/+6/+8 learning, +10%/+20%/+30%/+40% monthly skill lifestyle experience
• Prowess — Bumbling Squire, Confident Knight, Formidable Banneret, Famous Champion
  • +1/+2/+3/+4 prowess

Health Traits

Health traits are gained through events and battles.

• Blind: -6 martial, -2 stewardship, -2 intrigue, -10 prowess, -10 dread, -10 attraction opinion, small health penalty
• Brutally Mangled: (curable) -4 martial, -4 intrigue, -8 prowess, -20 dread, -75% fertility, 100% dread loss, -20 attraction opinion, large health penalty
• Impotent: -50% fertility
• Inbred: -5 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue, and learning, -2 prowess, -30% fertility, -30 attraction opinion, small health penalty
• Incapable: -6 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue and learning, -12 prowess, -25 dread, -100% fertility, 100% dread loss, medium health penalty
• Infirm: -3 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue and learning, -6 prowess, -15 dread, -30% fertility, 100% dread loss, small health penalty
• Maimed: -2 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue and learning, -4 prowess, -15 dread, -50% fertility, 100% dread loss, -10 attraction opinion, medium health penalty
• Severely Injured: (curable) -2 martial, -2 intrigue, -4 prowess, -15 dread, -25% fertility, 100% dread loss, -10 attraction opinion , medium health penalty
• Sickly: (curable) -20 dread, 100% dread loss, medium health penalty
• Wounded: (curable) -1 martial, -1 intrigue, -2 prowess, -10 dread, 100% dread loss, small health penalty

Diseases

Dieseases are health traits that can be passed from character to character. If a Crusader Kings 3 character is cured of a disease, they become immune to it in the future.

• Bubonic Plague: (curable) -2 diplomacy, stewardship and learning, -3 martial and intrigue, -10 prowess, -30 dread, -50% fertility, 100% dread loss, -20 attraction opinion, severe health penalty
• Cancer: (curable) -15 dread, -20% fertility, 100% dread loss, medium health penalty
• Consumption: (curable) -2 diplomacy, -1 stewardship, -2 intrigue, -2 prowess, -10 dread, 100% dread loss, -10 attraction opinion, medium health penalty
• Great Pox: (curable) -1 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue, and learning, -20 dread, -20% fertility, 100% dread loss, -10 attraction opinion, small health penalty
• Gout Ridden: (curable) -2 diplomacy, -1 martial, -2 prowess, -5 dread, -15 attraction opinion, small health penalty
• Ill: (curable) -4 prowess, -10 dread, -20% fertility, 100% dread loss, small health penalty
• Leper: -8 prowess, -20 dread, -95% fertility, 100% dread loss, -35 attraction opinion, medium health penalty
• Lover’s Pox: -5 dread, -20 attraction opinion
• Pneumonia: (curable) -2 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue and learning, -8 prowess, -10 dread, -50% fertility, 100% dread loss, medium health penalty
• Smallpox: (curable) -2 diplomacy, -1 dtewardship, -2 learning, -10 prowess, -15 dread, -25% fertility, 100% dread loss, -10 attraction opinion, large health penalty
• Typhus: (curable) -1 diplomacy, -2 stewardship, -1 intrigue, -2 learning, -4 prowess, -15 dread, -20% fertility, 100% dread loss, -10 attraction opinion, large health penalty

Lifestyle Traits

You unlock Lifestyle traits through the final perk of each lifestyle tree or by lifestyle decision events.

• Administrator: +1 diplomacy, +3 stewardship, +5 vassal opinion
• Architect: +2 stewardship, -15% building and holding construction time, -10% building and holding gold cost
• August: +2 diplomacy, +1 martial, +1 monthly prestige
• Avaricious: +2 stewardship, +15% holding taxes
• Celibate: +1 monthly piety, +10 clergy opinion, -10 opposite trait opinion, cannot have children
• Diplomat: +3 diplomacy, +20 independent ruler opinion, +25% personal scheme power
• Gallant: +2 martial, +4 prowess, +20% monthly prestige, +20 attraction opinion
• Overseer: +2 martial, +2 stewardship, +50% monthly control growth
• Patriarch/Matriarch: +10 house opinion, +15 close family opinion, +20% fertility, +20% stress loss
• Schemer: +5 intrigue, +25% hostile scheme power
• Scholar: +5 learning, +15 monthly development growth, +10 hostile and personal scheme success chance
• Seducer/Seductress: +3 intrigue, +20% fertility, +40 attraction opinion
• Strategist: +1 diplomacy, +3 martial, +25% enemy casualties, cross water without military advantage loss
• Theologian: +3 learning, +20% monthly piety
• Torturer: +4 prowess, +50% dread gain, +25% hostile scheme resistance, +10% levy size
• Whole of Body: +25% fertility, -25% stress gain, medium health boost

Leveled Lifestyle Traits

These can be increased through further events.

• Aspiring Blademaster, Blademaster, Legendary Blademaster
  • +3/+6/+12 prowess, small/medium/large disease resistance boost
• Novice Hunter, Hunter, Master Hunter
  • +2/+4/+6 prowess, +10%/+15%/+20% stress loss
• Wise Woman/Wise Man, Mystic, Miracle Worker
  • +1/+2/+4 learning
• Eager Reveler, Famous Reveler, Legendary Reveler
  • +2/+3/+4 diplomacy, +1/+2/+3 intrigue, +10/+15/+20 same trait opinion
• Novice Physician, Physician, Renowned Physician
  • +1/+2/+4 learning, small/medium/large disease resistance boost

Personality Traits

Personality traits affect your stress and most characters have three of them. Most are also tied to an opposite trait that will change how they feel about characters who possess that trait.

• Ambitious: +1 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue, and learning, +1 prowess, +25% stress gain, -15 opinion of liege, -15 same trait opinion
• Arbitrary: +3 intrigue, +15 natural dread, -50% stress gain, -2 stewardship, -1 learning, -5 vassal opinion
• Arrogant: +1 monthly prestige, -5 opinion of vassals, -5 opinion of liege, -15 opposite trait (Humble) opinion
• Brave: +2 martial, +3 prowess, +5 vassal opinion, +10 attraction opinion, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Craven) opinion, +100% likelihood of capture or death in battle
• Callous: +2 intrigue, -20% tyranny gain, +25% dread gain, +25% dread decay, -2 diplomacy, -5 attraction opinion, -5 close family opinion
• Calm: +1 diplomacy, +1 intrigue, +10% stress loss, +10% scheme discovery, +50% dread decay, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Wrathful) opinion
• Chaste: +2 learning, -25% fertility, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Lustful) opinion
• Compassionate: +2 diplomacy, +5 attraction opinion, -15 opposite trait (Callous & Sadistic) opinion, -2 intrigue, -15 natural dread, +100% dread decay
• Content: +2 learning, +10% stress loss, +10 opinion of vassals, +20 opinion of liege, +20 same trait opinion, -1 intrigue
• Craven: -50% likelihood of capture or death in battle, +20 same trait opinion, -2 martial, -3 prowess, -5 vassal opinion, -10 attraction opinion
• Cynical: +2 intigue, +2 learning, -20% faith conversion cost, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Zealous) opinion, -20% monthly piety
• Deceitful: +4 intrigue, -2 diplomacy, -10 opposite trait (Honest) opinion
• Diligent: +1 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue and learning, +20% stress gain, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Lazy) opinion
• Fickle: +1 diplomacy, +20% hostile scheme resistance, -2 stewardship
• Forgiving: +2 diplomacy, +1 learning, -2 intrigue, +15 prisoner opinion, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Vengeful) opinion
• Generous: +3 diplomacy, -10% monthly income, -15 opposite trait (Greedy) opinion
• Gluttonous: +10% stress loss, -2 stewardship, -5 attraction opinion, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Temperate) opinion
• Greedy: +15% monthly income, -2 diplomacy
• Gregarious: +2 diplomacy, +5 attraction opinion, +15% personal scheme power, +10 same trait opinion
• Honest: +2 diplomacy, -4 intrigue, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Deceitful) opinion
• Humble: +0.5 monthly piety, +10 opinion of liege, +10 opinion of vassals, +10 clergy opinion, -15 opposite trait (Arrogant) opinion
• Impatient: +20% monthly prestige, +15% hostile scheme power, -2 learning, -5 vassal opinion, -5 liege opinion, -15 opposite trait (Patient) opinion
• Just: +2 stewardship, +1 learning, -3 intrigue, +5 vassal opinion, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Arbitrary) opinion
• Lazy: +15% stress loss, -1 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue, and learning
• Lustful: +2 intrigue, +25% fertility, +10% seduction scheme power, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Chaste) opinion, -50% asexuality chance
• Paranoid: +3 intrigue, +25% dread gain, +10% scheme discovery chance, -25 enemy personal scheme success chance, -1 diplomacy, +100% stress gain, -10 vassal opinion
• Patient: +2 learning, +10 hostile scheme resistance, +5 vassal opinion, +5 liege opinion, -15 opposite trait (Impatient) opinion
• Sadistic: +2 intrigue, +4 prowess, +35 natural dread, -10 general opinion, can use hostile schemes against their own children
• Shy: +2 learning, +15% hostile scheme resistance, +15 same trait opinion, -2 diplomacy, -5 attraction opinion, -15% personal scheme power
• Stubborn: +3 stewardship, -5 liege opinion, -5 vassal opinion, small disease resistance boost
• Temperate: +2 stewardship, +10 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Gluttonous) opinion, small health boost
• Trusting: +2 diplomacy, -2 intrigue, +15 opinion of liege, +15 opinion of vassals, +15 enemy hostile scheme success chance
• Vengeful: +2 intrigue, +2 prowess, +15% dread gain, +15% hostile scheme success against rivals, -2 diplomacy
• Wrathful: +2 martial, +20 natural dread, -1 diplomacy, -1 intrigue
• Zealous: +2 martial, +20% monthly piety, +15 same trait opinion, -10 opposite trait (Cynical) opinion, -35 different faith opinion, +20% faith conversion cost

Physical Traits

Physical traits are obtained through a variety of events.

• Disfigured: -4 diplomacy, -20% fertility, -20 attraction opinion, +100% likelihood of capture or death in battle
• Dull: -2 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue, and learning
• Eunuch: -20 attraction opinion, cannot have children, cannot inherit titles, cannot marry
• One-eyed: +1 learning, +10 dread, -2 prowess, -5 attraction opinion, +100% likelihood of capture or death in battle
• One-legged: +1 learning, -10 dread, -4 prowess, -10 attraction opinion, +100% likelihood of capture or death in battle
• Scarred: +0.1 monthly prestige, +5 attraction opinion
• Shrewd: +2 diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue, and learning
• Strong: +4 prowess, medium health boost
• Weak: -4 prowess, -10 attraction opinion, -10 vassal opinion, medium health penalty

Other Traits

These traits can be obtained through various events throughout Crusader Kings 3. Some have many names, depending on factors like culture, religion, etc.

• Adventurer: +1 martial, +1 prowess, +10 same trait opinion, -1 diplomacy
• Augustus: +0.5 monthly prestige, +10 vassal opinion
• Berserker: +2 martial, +5 prowess, +10 same trait opinion, -2 diplomacy
• Chakravarti: +2 diplomacy, +1 martial, +2 learning, +20 same faith opinion
• Crusader: +2 martial, +1 prowess, +15 clergy opinion, +15 same faith opinion
• Devoted (multiple names): +0.3 monthly piety, +5 same faith opinion, cannot inherit titles, cannot marry
• Greatest of Khans: +2 diplomacy, +2 martial, -1 stewardship, +2 prowess, +50 natural dread, -25% dread decay, +10 same culture opinion, +25% hostile scheme resistance, -20 enemy hostile scheme success chance, +20 vassal limit
• Heresiarch: +2 martial, +2 learning, +2 prowess, +5 advantage against co-religionists, +10 same faith opinion
• Holy Monarch: +3 martial, +2 prowess, +5 faith hostility advantage, -20% retreat losses, -15% friendly casualties, +50% monthly control, +35 popular opinion, +15 same faith opinion, +10 same trait opinion, Ignore negative culture opinion
• Mujahid: +2 martial, +1 prowess, +15 clergy opinion, +15 same faith opinion
• Murderer: -15 general opinion
• Order Member: +1 martial, +4 prowess, +15 same trait opinion, cannot inherit titles, cannot marry
• Peasant Leader: +10 popular opinion, +25 same trait opinion, -10 general opinion
• Pilgrim: +10% monthly piety, +5 same faith opinion
• Pregnant: -2 prowess
• Raider/Viking: +2 martial, +3 prowess, +0.3 monthly prestige, +5 same trait opinion
• Saint: +2 monthly piety
• Varangian: +1 diplomacy, +2 martial, +2 prowess, +10 same trait opinion
• Warrior of the Faith (multiple names): +2 martial, +1 prowess, +15 clergy opinion, +15 same faith opinion

And that’s that! Every known trait in Crusader Kings 3. For more guides on the game, including how to declare war or how to change cultures, check out our tips and strategies page!