There is a very small chance that you will acquire personality traits while an adult, as it is very rare. Therefore, you should rely on educating your children yourself in order to have a better impact on their personality development. At the very least, you get to shape their personalities for the better!
The game offers bonuses and negatives with all personality traits, but some of them objectively do better than others. For example, a person who is assertive and confident may do better than someone who is shy and introverted.
Personality traits are ranked based on their stat boosts, relevance in events, their impact on stress, and their standing in the eyes of major faiths and cultures. ..
10. Chaste
Chastity is a virtue that few people are able to maintain. It has no negative modifiers and a free +10 opinion bonus with your vassals.
The reduced fertility is actually an advantage if your character suffers from other similar modifiers. While siring a dozen of children has its applications, you will generally aim for a sweet spot between securing the succession and not fragmenting your realm into a thousand pieces.
The bonus on learning is always welcome when you are the head of your culture.
Make sure your character is not following an obscure faith or from a culture that considers chastity a sin! ..
9. Ambitious
The ambitious trait provides a +1 to all attributes, but it comes with significant opinion penalties from other ambitious characters as well as a major increase in stress gain. ..
The opinion malus is often irrelevant, especially if you are an independent ruler.
Stress can be a good thing if you use it correctly. Too much stress, however, can have negative consequences on your character. Always be aware of your stress levels and keep them as low as possible. A major stress event (such as the death of a loved one) can easily raise your stress level. ..
The +1 across the board is a great bonus, while its impact on event choices is also positive for the most part.
8. Temperate
temperate provides a nice bonus to your stewardship and a small health boost.
A boost to health can be a double-edged sword. It can be a negative on a character you would rather not play as for long, but it is far easier to cut one’s life short than prolonging it. Hence, the trait’s position on the list.
temperance is a virtue in almost every single one of the organized religions.
7. Diligent
The diligent trait can help you manage stress better, but it can also lead to some drawbacks. For example, if you’re not as stressed out as you used to be, your diplomacy and learning skills may suffer.
Zoroastrianism is a religion that looks down on diligence.
While managing stress is important, the bonuses to core attributes from managing stress will significantly boost your character’s capabilities. Stress management in these cases will focus on avoiding stressful situations rather than alleviating stress. ..
6. Wrathful
The wrathful trait increases your natural dread and martial attribute by 50%, while reducing your diplomacy and intrigue by 25%. It also gives access to the “Punish Criminal Interaction” which can be very powerful if you are a strong duelist.
The downside to intrigue and diplomacy is that they are often a minor annoyance. ..
The extra martial on the other hand will give your military capabilities a significant boost.
And the 20 natural dread synergizes very well with military and intrigue lifestyles, as well as with the unique interaction wrathful provides access to. ..
Wrath is not considered a sin in Abrahamic religions. Though it’s a sin in all Eastern religions, devaluing it by quite a lot when playing in India or Tibet. ..
5. Sadistic
The sadistic trait provides a significant boost to prowess and intrigue. A massive +35 to natural dread paired with a -10 general opinion nudges you towards a tyrannical playstyle. ..
Many people consider sadism a sin, especially Christian ones. If you have this trait, your subjects will be less likely to trust you and your rule will be much more difficult to maintain.
Sadism provides a way to reduce stress from murderers and executions, making them easier to keep at low levels.
Crusader Kings games forbid parents from scheming against their children. ..
Sadistic individuals bend the rules of the game to their own advantage, making it easier for them to get what they want. They often have a difficult time getting rid of their firstborn, and this makes them even more powerful.
4. Patient
That’s a proverb that goes something like this: “Patience is a virtue” because it’s worth the wait.
In CK3, it seems that patience is not a virtue. Some major faiths consider it a virtue, apparently.
Patience is a key factor in this list, as it can help you overcome many obstacles and achieve your goals.
The vassal opinion boost is an invaluable tool that can help you avoid ambitious factions. Patience is also not looked down upon by any culture or faith, providing zero disadvantages.
3. Callous
The callous trait is another one that pushes your gameplay to a tyrannical one. It’s mutually exclusive with Sadistic, so you can’t have both on the same character!
The Tyranny gain is a great addition to any character’s repertoire. By pairing it with certain lifestyle paths, you can have a tyrant of a character who is never having to worry about rebellions.
In Abrahamic faiths, callousness is seen as a virtue. It enables a person to play differently, by not taking others seriously. This is a unique way of living that has no negative effects on opinion or behavior.
Your character is a tyrant who can do anything they please without fear of consequences.
2. Just
The Just trait effectively locks your playstyle for a given character into a streamlined, upfront, non-scheming one. This makes it difficult to plan out your moves and make strategic choices in order to achieve the player’s goals.
This might pose some problems, stressing you out if you need to absolutely scheme against your enemies. However, it’s nothing significant and can be alleviated by stress-reducing activities and event choices.
The bonus to vassal opinion is always valued, while the trait is looked upon favorably by many large cultures like Greek. ..
It’s a virtue in Islam to boost your vassals’ opinion of you even further if following one of the Muslim faiths.
The malus to intrigue is not negligible and can be a problem if you have a lot of enemies. However, the playstyle encouraged by the Just trait should ensure that you do not make many enemies. Furthermore, a good, loyal spymaster always is the most important thing when protecting yourself from schemes.
1. Brave
Brave is the best game on this list because its bonuses are applicable in all situations in the game.
The extra martial and prowess are always welcome, while the attraction opinion provided helps immensely with vassals of the opposite sex. ..
The only real downside to the brave trait is that it increases the chance of getting captured or dying in battle.
This article is about how the increased prowess of the army has offset some of the negative effects of the individual’s lack of leadership.
The hunting activity provides a positive experience that reduces stress more than usual.
Pagan faiths consider bravery a virtue, while any culture or faith looks negatively upon cowardice. ..
