Traits are a core element in the Character Customization stage of The Outer Worlds 2. They replace the traditional attributes from the first game. If you’re just starting out and don’t know which Traits to choose, here’s everything you need to know about Traits in The Outer Worlds 2.
What are the Traits in The Outer Worlds 2
Traits are the unique characteristics a player can choose for their character in The Outer Worlds 2. They provide significant and permanent buffs or nerfs to your character, which can define your playstyle and how you interact in the game.
The Outer Worlds 2 has two types of Traits: Positive and Negative. During the Character Customization stage at the start of the game, you are given two options on how you can pick your Traits.
- Select 1 Positive Trait and no Negative Trait.
- Select 2 Positive Traits and 1 Negative Trait.
The options are meant to balance your character and to prevent players from abusing the Trait mechanic. Traits will affect your combat, skill access, reputation with factions, and dialogue options. So, choosing the right ones is crucial to progress smoothly.
All Traits in The Outer Worlds 2
The Outer Worlds 2 has 12 Traits to choose from. Here are all the Traits in the game and their effects.
|
Trait Name |
Type |
Effect |
|---|---|---|
|
Brawny |
Positive |
Sliding or sprinting into hostiles will knock them down. The effect has a 5-second cooldown. |
|
Brilliant |
Positive |
During skill selection, specialize in 1 additional skill. Specialized Skills start with 2 points. |
|
Heroic |
Positive |
-20% Companion Ability Charge Time. |
|
Innovative |
Positive |
Crafting recipes for ammo, throwables, and resources creates up to twice as many items for the same materials. |
|
Lucky |
Positive |
+5% Critical Chance and certain unique opportunities are accessible to you. |
|
Nimble |
Positive |
+25% Crouch Speed and +25% Combat Sprint Speed. |
|
Resilient |
Positive |
Death is prevented for 3 seconds the first time you would have died in each combat. |
|
Suave |
Positive |
10% discount at all vendors, and bounty must be two times higher than normal to be seen as an Outlaw. |
|
Witty |
Positive |
Your Reputation with any faction can never decrease below Neutral, preventing negative reputation penalties. |
|
Abrasive |
Negative |
Your Reputation with any faction can never increase above Neutral, preventing positive reputation bonuses like vendor discounts. |
|
Dumb |
Negative |
During skill selection, lock 5 of the 12 available skills. Those skills can never have points added to them. |
|
Sickly |
Negative |
-15% Base Health and -15% Toxicity Crash Threshold. |
Best Traits to Pick in The Outer Worlds 2
If you’re having a hard time choosing which Traits to pick for your character, here are the best ones to pick.
Brilliant Trait
The Brilliant Trait allows you to get an additional Skill from the start, making it a total of three available skills. As well as give you +2 Skill points for each specialized Skill. The Trait can give you a huge head start in the early stages of the game.
Lucky Trait
The Lucky Trait is great for combat since it gives you a +5% Critical Chance and opens new special dialogue or interactions throughout the game. Making you succeed in any situation.
Innovative Trait
The Innovative Trait is perfect for crafting resources. Any ammo, throwables, and other resources that you craft can give you twice as many items for the same cost. It also saves you from a significant amount of materials and Bits.
Witty Trait
The Witty Trait prevents your reputation from dropping below Neutral. It’s helpful if you want to avoid penalties, such as vendor subcharges.
Heroic Trait
The Heroic Trait is best paired with the Leadership Skill. If you heavily rely on your Companions, it reduces the Companion Ability Charge time by 20%.
Sickly Trait
The Sickly Trait isn’t one of the best, but if you plan on picking Two Positive Traits in the Character Customization, it’s your best bet to fill the Negative Trait slot. It’s the least impactful among the Negative Traits, and it can be countered with combat skills and gear that focus on health.
