Abrasive
You are difficult and demanding in conversation, which tends to oppress those around you.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Bluff checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be loud and abrupt or quiet and sinister, but either way, most find them disconcerting or irritating.

Absent-Minded
You are fascinated by knowledge and learning and are capable of pursuing complex trains of thought quite quickly. However, your preoccupation with such thoughts makes you a little less aware of your surroundings.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Knowledge checks (although this does not let you use a Knowledge skill untrained).
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks and Listen checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might flit from idea to idea, trailing off in mid-sentence or mumbling their way through complex ideas. Conversely, characters with this trait might be extremely articulate but still allow their thoughts to move faster than the pace of the conversation.

Aggressive
You are quick to initiate combat, and you tend to press the attack once battle is joined. Your enthusiasm makes you a dangerous foe, but you sometimes leave yourself open to blows that a more cautious warrior would avoid.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty to Armor Class.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are often hotheaded and quick to anger, or simply think that the best defense is quick offense.

Argumentative
You always find yourself getting involved in debates and arguments, even on subjects you know nothing about.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Bluff checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Diplomacy checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait may enjoy playing devil's advocate or simply like being argumentative. Either way, they always state their arguments assertively, but cannot be easily reasoned with.

Brawler
You naturally move close to your opponents when fighting, instinctively grabbing and punching rather than striking with weapons.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on unarmed attack rolls and grapple checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on all other attack rolls.
Special: A character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat can't select this trait (if a character with this trait later gains that feat, he loses the trait).
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often disdain the use of weapons entirely, and some eventually learn more refined martial arts based on their instinctive fighting techniques. Many brawlers might not even be consciously aware that they fight differently from other characters; they simply know that the best way to take someone out of a fight is to grab him or punch him in the face.

Caring
You have an uncanny understanding of physiognomy and use your skills to help heal the sick and tend the wounded.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Heal checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty to Listen checks and Spot checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait have a natural compassion for those around them and have the ability to use their hands to bring relief to the unwell and patch up the injured. However, in order to avoid the violence around them, they bury themselves in the task at hand and concentrate solely on healing others.

Cautious
You are cautious in combat, even a bit cowardly, and you take more care to defend yourself than others would. However, this caution renders you susceptible to fear effects.
Benefit: You gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class whenever you fight defensively or take the total defense action.
Drawback: You take a -4 penalty on saving throws made to resist fear effects.
Special: You cannot select this trait if you have immunity to fear or fear effects. If you later gain immunity to fear, you lose the benefit of this trait.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might consistently urge talking rather than fighting, or they might do little to discourage their companions from combat but simply remain as far away from foes as possible, using ranged weapons or spells.

Clumsy
You are so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you are forever walking into things and knocking stuff over.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all Intelligence-based skill checks and ability checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on all Dexterity-based skill checks and ability checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often walk around in a world of their own, wrapped up in their own introspection and contemplation. However, they are unaware of things around them and are forever walking into things, tripping over objects or knocking things over.

Cowardly
You are a coward, preferring to avoid risking yourself at any cost.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Hide checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty to Sense Motive checks and all level checks against Intimidate.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait prefer to slink away into the shadows rather than risk getting hurt. Often bullied and ridiculed for their cowardice, they are often easily intimidated, cajoled and manipulated.

Detached
You maintain a distance from events that keeps you grounded but limits your reaction speed.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Will saves.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Reflex saves.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are likely to be quiet and restrained, but they might be vocal when others falter in their beliefs.

Dishonest
You are naturally deceitful and insincere with others. You have a talent for lying, but have difficulty convincing others when you do speak truthfully.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Bluff checks
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Diplomacy checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be portrayed as crafty liars, or lying might simply be second nature to them, making actually telling the truth a difficult chore.

Distinctive
You have some distinctive physical feature such as a scar, a prominent nose, a limp, or some similar characteristic that is hard to disguise or conceal.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Reputation checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Disguise checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or they might play up its presence to gather attention, sympathy, or notoriety.

Easygoing
You are naturally friendly. Others feel comfortable around you, but this trait also makes it more difficult for you to be pushy or suspicious.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Gather Information checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Intimidate checks and Sense Motive checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be more easily manipulated in interactions with NPCs, or they might simply prefer not to argue and instead use their natural talent to learn more about the world around them.

Farsighted
You have difficulty focusing on nearby objects, but your distance vision is more keen than normal.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Spot checks.
Drawback: You have a -2 penalty on Search checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or they might simply be oblivious to its presence, having never known any different way of experiencing the world.

Focused
You can keep your attention on a task despite many distractions; however, events in the background might pass you by.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Concentration checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks and Listen checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often seem single-minded or even obsessive in their focus on a specific task.

Hard of Hearing
You have a slight hearing impediment, and to compensate, you have become more in tune with your other senses.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Spot checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Listen checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or they might simply be oblivious to its presence, having never known any different way of experiencing the world.

Hardy
You are made of tougher stuff than the average person, but you're not quite as quick to react to dangerous effects.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Reflex saves.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might see their physical prowess as normal and look down on less hardy individuals, or they might see it as their duty to play the role of protector and help those less able to endure physical hardship.

Honest
You are naturally straightforward and sincere. This quality helps you persuade people to your viewpoint, but you have difficulty telling lies and seeing deception in others.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Bluff checks and Sense Motive checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be naive or too unsophisticated to lie, or they might be aware of worldly matters and simply choose to take a higher ground.

Illiterate
You cannot read, but have devoted yourself to learning other skills.
Benefit: Choose any one skill except Decipher Script or Forgery. You gain a +1 bonus on checks using that skill.
Drawback: You are illiterate.
Special: You can eliminate the negative effect of this trait by spending two skill points to become literate. Unlike with the barbarian, you cannot become literate by taking a level in any class other than barbarian.
You can't select this trait if your character is already illiterate because of race, class, or any other reason.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about not being able to read, or they may not value the written word.

Inattentive
You find it difficult to concentrate on one thing for very long and are quickly distracted.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks and ability checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on all Wisdom-based skill checks and ability checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait find it difficult to focus, quickly shifting their attention from one subject to another. To the frustration of others, they prefer interacting with those around them, at the expense of the task at hand.

Light-Fingered
You are quick of eye and swift of hand and enjoy the thrill of thievery and living on the wrong side of the law.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Open Lock checks and Disable Device checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often live on the edge of the law, using their fast hands to raid the pockets of the innocent. However, their gift is a natural one and they struggle with mechanical and technical concepts, which require hard work and mental aptitude to master.

Musclebound
You are good at almost everything that requires strength, but less adept than most at tasks that require coordination.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Strength-based skill checks and ability checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Dexterity-based skill checks and ability checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are likely to solve problems with physical strength rather than through trickery or finesse.

Nearsighted
You have difficulty focusing on distant objects, but your eye for detail is more keen than normal.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Search checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or they might simply be oblivious to its presence, having never known any different way of experiencing the world.

Nightsighted
Your eyes are particularly well suited to using darkvision, but they are less well adapted to what others consider normal light.
Benefit: Add 10 feet to the range of your darkvision.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks when in areas of bright light.
Special: You must have darkvision as a racial ability to have this trait.
Roleplaying Ideas: This trait might not affect a character's personality at all, but it might make the character prefer going on underground or nighttime adventures.

Nimble
You are lithe and fleet of foot, preferring to use your natural athleticism to get you into and out of combat.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Tumble checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on all Strength-based skill checks and ability checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are lithe and dexterous, preferring to use their athleticism to get into and out of combat. However, they tend to struggle with arduous and physical tasks.

Nondescript
You have the kind of appearance and personality that means you are rarely noticed and completely unmemorable.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Disguise checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Reputation checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait seem unable to have any influence over others. They may be quiet and are generally ignored. Some may take to embracing false personas to overcome their flaws, while others actively enjoy their anonymity and use it to their own ends.

Passionate
You are made of tougher stuff than the average person, but you are highly suggestible.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Will saves.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be gruff and place extreme value on overcoming physical obstacles, or conversely, their weakness against magical enhancements might leave them fascinated and fearful of such things.

Plucky
You have a strength of will not reflected in your limited physical gifts.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Will saves.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Fortitude saves.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be annoyingly positive-minded, or they might only show their mental resilience in times of dire need.

Polite
You are courteous and well spoken.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Intimidate checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be honestly polite and kind, or they might simply be adept at mimicking social conventions to get what they want.

Quick
You are fast, but less sturdy than average members of your race.
Benefit: Your base land speed increases by 10 feet (if you don't have a land speed, apply the benefit to whichever of your speeds is highest).
Drawback: Subtract 1 from your hit points gained at each level, including 1st. A result of 0 is possible.
Special: You must have a Constitution of 4 or higher to select this trait.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait typically try to stay away from physical combat, but a rare few might relish it, striving to see if their superior speed is enough to best hardier warriors.

Reckless
You naturally sacrifice accuracy to put more power behind your blows.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls after successful melee attacks. For the purposes of a critical hit, or when applied after an attack with a two-handed weapon, the bonus is not multiplied, giving only a total +1 bonus to damage rolls.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on melee attack rolls.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be loudly passionate about entering combat and overcoming foes through strength of arms, or they might be so desperate to avoid confrontation that they put extra effort into every blow in an attempt to end the encounter more quickly.

Relentless
You don't know the meaning of the word "tired". You go all out until you simply can't continue.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Constitution checks and similar checks made to continue tiring activities (see the Endurance feat for a mention of all the checks and saves to which this benefit applies).
Drawback: Any effect or condition that would normally cause you to become fatigued instead causes you to become exhausted.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait may see others as soft or weak, especially anyone who complains of being tired or fatigued. They might openly scoff at others' weaknesses or might quietly encourage them to "tough it out."

Saddleborn
You are natural in the saddle, but have little patience for handling animals when not riding them.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Ride checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty to Handle Animal checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait rarely bother to consider animals as good for anything other than mounts, but they are extremely confident about their riding abilities.

Skinny
You are very slender for your race.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Escape Artist checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Strength checks to avoid being bull rushed or overrun.
Roleplaying Ideas: Skinny characters tend to be pushed around by tougher types, so those with this trait might be shy, or they might be very defensive when faced with such situations.

Slippery
You are less adept at grappling and wrestling than others of your size and strength, but you are adept at slipping out of another's hold.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Escape Artist checks to escape a grapple and on grapple checks to escape a grapple or avoid being grappled.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on all other grapple checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might fear close combat, knowing they are less adept grapplers than most opponents. On the other hand, good escape artists with this trait might enjoy battling larger foes into grappling them, knowing they can easily slip out of the grasp of most foes.

Slow
You are slow, but sturdier than average members of your race.
Benefit: Add +1 to your hit points gained at each level.
Drawback: Your base land speed is halved (round down to the nearest 5-foot interval).
Special You must have a base land speed of at least 20 feet to select this trait.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait tend to be relatively immobile in combat. They typically prefer to wear strong armor (or other protective devices), since it's hard for them to flee a fight.

Sneaky
You are light on your feet and are naturally skilled at moving quietly and avoiding the attention of others.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Move Silently checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Bluff checks and Sense Motive checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are light on their feet, but not very good when having to deal with others. They are often quiet individuals who keep themselves to themselves.

Specialized
You have a knack for one kind of work or study, but other tasks are harder for you to accomplish.
Benefit: Choose one specific Craft, Knowledge, or Profession skill. You gain a +1 bonus on checks using the specified skill.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on all other checks using the same skill (Craft, Knowledge, or Profession, based on the skill chosen).
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often see themselves as elite artists or experts rather than mere professionals, and they might regard their chosen vocation or study as more useful or interesting than other tasks.

Spellgifted
You have a gift for casting spells from a certain school. Although your spells from this school are more potent than those of other casters, you are not as effective at casting spells from other schools.
Benefit: Choose a school of magic. Add 1 to your caster level when casting spells from that school.
Drawback: Reduce your caster level by 1 whenever you cast a spell that is not from your chosen school.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be loudly vocal about the merits of the school of magic that they understand most readily, or they might feel awkward and out of place around "normal" spellcasters as a result of their unusual aptitude.

Stout
You are heavy for your race.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Strength checks to avoid being bull rushed or overrun.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Escape Artist checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Overweight characters are often bullied so those with this trait might be shy, or they might be very defensive when faced with such situations. Some turn to humor to defuse such situations, while others become bitter.

Stylish
Everything you do is done with style and panache.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks and ability checks.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on all Intelligence-based skill checks and ability checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are highly charismatic and stand out from the crowd. However, they are all too often regarded as being both superficial and not particularly intelligent.

Survivor
You have a better understanding than the average person of the natural world around you and know how to survive within it.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Survival checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Bluff checks, Diplomacy checks and Gather Information checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait have an affinity with the natural world and are happiest when they can feel the wind in their hair and the grass underfoot. All too often, however, they find their interpersonal skills all too wanting and find themselves uncomfortable in urban environments.

Suspicious
You are naturally suspicious of everyone and everything. While this trait makes you hard to fool, it makes others slightly less likely to agree with you or find you threatening.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Sense Motive checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Intimidate checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: This trait might express itself as comic levels of paranoia, or it might make the character quietly cautious about others.

Torpid
You are sluggish and slow to react to danger, but also resistant to others' commands.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on saves against enchantment (compulsion) effects.
Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on initiative roles.
Roleplaying Ideas: Torpid characters may be seen as lazy, or as methodical and measured in their actions.

Uncivilized
You relate better to animals than you do to people.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Handle Animal checks and wild empathy checks.
Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Bluff checks, Diplomacy checks, and Gather Information checks.
Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are likely to feel awkward in many social situations; that might be expressed as shyness and quiet behavior, or it might be expressed through an overly exuberant need to participate in conversations.