Where do traits come from.

[Leonhart Steelmane]

I assumed that they were in the CRB since I don't have it but apparently there not. I have the APG, UC, and ACG and they're not mentioned in those either. I know there are campaign specific ones in the campaign players guides but besides those, where do the others come from.

[Luthorne]

They're from the Advanced Player's Guide, check the New Rules section, which is where they, along with some new combat maneuvers and hero points, were introduced. They were greatly expanded in Ultimate Campaign, though.

Edit: Page 326, if that helps.

[James Jacobs]

In fact, traits were around a few years before the Advanced Player's Guide.

I first invented traits for the 2nd adventure path, Curse of the Crimson Throne, as a way to try to encourage players to build their characters so that they'd fit into the campaign's backstory. Over the course of the next several Adventure Paths, we adapted and evolved the concept to be more than just a campaign-specific mechanic—I had hoped to get traits built into the Core Rules (since by that point they were already well established in our adventure paths), but the design team was worried that an addition like that would deviate too far from the 3.5 established rules; back in those days we were EXCEPTIONALLY timid about changing the rules from 3.5 too much and shaking things up from a backward compatibility standpoint. Traits instead went into the next player-focused hardcover we did, the Advanced Player's Guide.

[TriOmegaZero]

Bah. I remember the Shackled City campaign traits. :P

[James Jacobs]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Bah. I remember the Shackled City campaign traits. :P

Also by me. Those are probably the protoest of the proto traits, but I never did like the idea that those versions had to have drawbacks, frankly.

Players shouldn't feel like they need to give their characters disadvantages in order to be part of a campaign.

[Leonhart Steelmane]

thanks guys, also I'm playing shackles right now and I don't remember the campaign traits having any drawbacks. most just gave a class skill and skill bonus if i remember correctly.

[Derek Vande Brake]

Well, when a mommy trait and a daddy trait love each other very much...

[Idle Champion]

Derek Vande Brake wrote:

Well, when a mommy trait and a daddy trait love each other very much...

I thought that many featlings go to featling school to get accepted into a high-paying job as a feat, but so many of them have to put aside their dreams and take work as a trait. Their only real hope of promotion is by the Additional Traits work placement program, which is a slim chance at best.