Traits

Traits are minor bonuses that come with equal drawbacks to balance them out. Unlike perks, which are abilities and techniques you can learn over time, Traits are something ingrained into your character, like being short or left-handed, that are not entirely good or bad.

Abstinence

For religious or ideological reasons, you have vowed to abstain from the pleasures of alcohol and drugs. You gain no benefit from any chems, but your dedication has made it so that while you can still have food and water, you do not accumulate Exhaustion from not eating or drinking.

Bespectacled

In order to correct your poor vision, you have to wear one of the great marvels of Carlian ingenuity: eyeglasses, or spectacles. When you are not wearing your eyeglasses you suffer Disadvantage on Perception-based checks relying on your sight. While you are wearing them, however, your sight is crystal-clear and you gain +2 on the same sort of Perception checks. If your eyeglasses are ever broken, anyone with proficiency in glass-related artisan's tools can make you a new pair of lenses fit for you as part of a long rest.

Bloody Mess

It's a mystery. When you land the killing blow on a person or creature, roll 2d6. If the same number comes up on both dice, your enemy explodes into a gruesome shower of blood and guts, dealing 1d6 Will damage to everyone within 10 feet except yourself. If the dice show different numbers, your enemy dies as normal.

Brutish

You've got a strange look about you - rough, uncouth, and dangerous. You can use your Physique modifier instead of Charisma when making Barter and Authority-based rolls, as well as Rhetoric rolls to intimidate people. However, you have Disadvantage on Rhetoric rolls to persuade people more peacefully, as well as when lying: people naturally distrust you.

Hydrophobic

Perhaps due to a traumatic incident in your past, you have nothing but fear and loathing for bodies of water. You cannot willingly enter water that is knee-high or higher on you unless you pass a Psyche save, and you move half as quickly when swimming or wading through water. However, somehow fire does not bother you as much and you find yourself with Resistance to fire damage.

Illiterate

No matter how hard you may have tried, you were never able to learn how to read or write. You cannot read any text nor write anything coherent and legible - even your name - and naturally cannot use Forgery Kits. However, you have put that effort into your other talents: choose one Skill or Tool; you have specialised in it and gain proficiency in it if you were not already proficient, and gain +2 to all rolls involving that Skill or Tool.

Photosensitive

Sunlight just makes you feel like a fried egg in a pan. When you are in direct sunlight or other bright light, you have Disadvantage on all Perception rolls and halve restored Health. In dim light or darkness, however, you have Advantage on all Perception rolls (in darkness only if you have Blindsense or Darkvision) and gain +1 on all attack rolls.

Physicality

Your personal charisma is based less on presence and personality than your sheer physical appearance. When interacting with people who are attracted to you (usually the opposite sex), double your Charisma modifier for Charisma saves and Charisma-based Skills and abilities. This has the opposite effect when interacting with people who aren't attracted to you, in which case you do not use your Charisma modifier at all for Charisma saves and Charisma-based Skills and abilities.

Powerful Build

You're unusually hefty, and have been taller or broader than your peers since a young age. Your Physique is considered 2 points higher for calculating your height and weight, and you count as Large size for purposes of calculating your carry weight and the weight you can lift, drag, or push, making it double the usual. However, you are much too big to fit into many spaces, and also count as Large for the purposes of mounting vehicles and fitting into small spaces, making it sometimes hard to get around.

Rail Thin

Maybe you didn't eat enough as a kid, but one way or another you are short and slim. You gain +5 feet of movement and are considered a Small creature for the purposes of mounting vehicles and fitting into small spaces, and your Physique is considered 2 points lower for calculating your height and weight. However, your are considered Small also for the purposes of determining your carry weight and the weight you can lift, drag, or push, making it half the usual, and you have Disadvantage on Physique-based saves made against Medium or larger people and creatures.

Southpaw

You were born and raised left-handed, an unusual thing in this part of the world. Those you fight in melee combat don't see it coming, and you gain +1 bonus to melee, unarmed, and grappling attack rolls; however, living in a right-handed world means ranged and thrown weapons are awkward for you to use, giving you a -1 penalty to attack rolls with these weapons.