RimWorld has a lot of moving cogs, and traits are some of the most impactful little cogs of the system. There are many things that can influence your RimWorld playthrough, and traits can make you pull your hair out or cry of happiness. Here are all the traits in RimWorld, along with all their descriptions and effects, to consider if they are good for you or not.
All Traits in RimWorld
There are two types of traits in RimWorld that you can get for your pawns: General and Special Traits.
General RimWorld traits
Lifestyle
Name
Description
Effect
Conflicting Traits
Night owl
NAME likes to work at night. S/He gets a mood bonus if awake at night and mood loss if awake during the day. S/He doesn’t get a mood penalty for being in the dark.
→ -10 mood penalty if awake during day (11:00 – 18:00) → +16 mood bonus if awake during night (23:00 – 06:00) → No mood penalty from being in the dark
–
Undergrounder
NAME has no need to experience the outdoors or light. S/He will never feel cooped up or get cabin fever, no matter how long s/he stays inside, and is not bothered by darkness.
→ Mood not affected by Darkness. → No Outdoors or Space need. → Added Indoors need. → +3 mood when indoors, +4 when underground; → -3 mood when outdoors → Gains the Morbid meditation focus type.
–
Nudist
NAME enjoys the feeling of freedom that comes from being nude. They can handle clothing, but will be happier without it.
→ +20 mood bonus when naked → -3 mood penalty for wearing any apparel, except headgear and utility items.
–
Masochist
For NAME, there’s something exciting about getting hurt. S/He doesn’t know why, S/He’s just wired differently.
→ +5 mood bonus for being in a little pain → +10 mood bonus for being in medium pain → +15 mood bonus for being in severe pain → +20 mood bonus for being in shock → Gains the Morbid meditation focus type.
–
Body modder
NAME feels limited in POSSESSIVE feeble human body. NAME often dreams of being enhanced by artificial body parts.
→ Mood bonus for having artificial body parts, from +4 up to +13 → -4 mood penalty for not having an artificial body part → +8 opinion of other colonists for each part installed on them, up to +40
→ Body purist
Body purist
NAME believes the human body is limited for a reason. To her/him, artificial body parts are unethical and disgusting..
→ Heavy mood penalty for having artificial body parts, starting at -10, going down to -35 → -8 opinion of other colonists for each part installed on them, down to -40
→ Body modder
Gourmand
NAME’s life revolves around food. S/He gets hungry quickly, and if s/he is in a bad mood, s/he will often satisfy her/his-self by eating.
→ +50 % hunger rate → +4 Cooking skill → Only possible minor mental break is food binge as long as there is food in storage; can randomly change to such
→ Ascetic
Living space
Name
Description
Effect
Conflicting Traits
Ascetic
NAME has forsaken physical comforts and enjoyments in favor of a simple, pure lifestyle. S/He will become unhappy if s/he has a bedroom that’s too impressive. S/He also dislikes fancy food and prefers to eat raw. S/He never judges others by their appearance.
→ +5 mood bonus for having an awful bedroom → -5 mood penalty for having a slightly impressive or better bedroom. → Mood not affected by food quality, prefers raw food. → Pawn beauty of others does not change pawn’s social opinion on that pawn → Gains the Minimal meditation focus type. → Loses the Artistic meditation focus type, if they had it. → Global Certainty Loss Factor ×50%
→ Greedy → Gourmand → Jealous
Greedy
NAME needs a really impressive bedroom. S/He gets a mood loss if they don’t get what they want.
→ -8/-8/-8/-6/-4 mood penalty for not having a bedroom of Slightly Impressive or better.
→ Ascetic → Jealous
Jealous
For NAME, it’s degrading to have a less impressive bedroom than someone else. NAME gets a mood loss if any colonist has a more impressive bedroom.
→ -8 mood penalty for not having the best bedroom. → Gains the Morbid meditation focus type.
→ Ascetic → Greedy
Pyromaniac
NAME loves fire. They will occasionally start fires and will never extinguish them.
→ +5 mood bonus for having an incendiary weapon equipped → Incapable of firefighting → Only possible extreme mental break is fire starting spree → Will randomly have fire starting sprees with a MTB of 50 days, regardless of mood -20% reduction in market value → Gains the Flame meditation focus type.
–
Social views
Name
Description
Effect
Conflicting Traits
Bloodlust
NAME gets a rush from hurting people, and never minds the sight of blood or death.
→ +3/+5/+7/+8 mood bonus for wearing clothing made out of human skin → +8 mood bonus for witnessing a stranger’s death → +13 mood bonus for killing strangers → No mood penalty for wearing tainted clothes or organ harvesting → Four times as likely to start a social fight → Gains the Morbid meditation focus type.
–
Cannibal
NAME was taught that eating human meat is wrong and horrible. But one time, long ago, S/He tried it… and S/He liked it.
→ +3/+5/+7/+8 mood bonus for wearing clothing made out of human skin → +15 mood bonus after eating meal made with human flesh → +20 mood bonus after eating raw human flesh → Gains the Morbid meditation focus type.
–
Psychopath
NAME has no empathy. The suffering of others doesn’t bother them at all. They don’t mind if others are butchered, left unburied, imprisoned, or sold to slavery – unless it affects them. NAME also feels no mood boost from socializing.
→ Mood not affected by sight of death, unburied colonists, prisoners sold into slavery, organ harvesting, butchering of humans or friendly chats (Rotting corpses will still cause a mood debuff.) → Gains the Morbid meditation focus type. → Global Certainty Loss Factor x50%
–
Combat
Name
Description
Effect
Conflicting Traits
Nimble
NAME has remarkable kinesthetic intelligence. S/He seems to dance around danger with preternatural grace.
→ Melee Dodge Chance +15.0 → Trap Spring Chance x10%
–
Brawler
NAME likes to fight up close and personal. S/He’s accuracy is greatly increased in melee combat, but s/he’ll be very unhappy if asked to carry a ranged weapon.
NAME has thick skin, dense flesh, and durable bones. S/He takes much less damage than other people from the same blows. S/He is extremely hard to kill.
→ Take 50% damage
–
Wimp
NAME is weak and cowardly. Even a little pain will immobilize her/him.
→ Pain Shock Threshold -60%, to 20% base. → -15% of the market value → Global Certainty Loss Factor x200%
→ Brawler
Skills
Name
Description
Effect
Conflicting Traits
Too smart
NAME is too smart for her/his own good. S/He learns everything much faster than everyone, but can be quite eccentric.
→ Global Learning Factor +75% → Mental Break Threshold +12% → Global Certainty Loss Factor x50%
→ Nerves spectrum traits
Fast learner
NAME has a knack for learning. S/He picks things up much faster than others.
→ Global Learning Factor +75%
→ Slow Learner
Slow learner
NAME is slow on the uptake. S/He picks things up much slower than others.
→ Global Learning Factor -75% → Global Certainty Loss Factor x50%
→ Fast Learner
Quick sleeper
NAME doesn’t need as much sleep as the average person. Whether s/he’s sleeping on a bed or on the ground, s/he will be fully rested in about two thirds the usual time.
→ +50% Rest Rate Multiplier
–
Great memory
NAME has a fantastic memory for detail. S/He will lose unused skills at half the rate of other people.
→ Skill loss rate x50%
–
Tortured artist
NAME feels alienated and misunderstood by other human beings. S/He will get a constant mood debuff, but gain a chance (50%) to get a creativity inspiration after a mental break.
→ Permanent -8 mood 50% chance of receiving the mental inspiration “Inspired Creativity” after a mental break ends. → Gains the Morbid meditation focus type.
–
Relationships
Name
Description
Effect
Conflicting Traits
Kind
NAME is an exceptionally agreeable and giving person. S/He never insults others and will sometimes offer kind words to brighten the moods of those around her/him. {PAWN_pronoun} also never judges people by their appearance.
→ Sometimes tells others Kind Words+5 mood bonus for anyone who has been told Kind Words by this colonist Will not Slight or Insult others → Opinion of other pawns not changed by beauty or on disfigured pawn → Global Certainty Loss Factor x200%
→ Abrasive → Psychopath
Abrasive
NAME always says exactly what’s on their mind, especially if it’s bugging HIM/HER. That tends to rub people the wrong way.
→ Has a tendency to slight and insult people-15% of the market value → Global Certainty Loss Factor x50%
–
Annoying voice
NAME’s voice has a particularly grating, nasal quality to it, and tends to talk in barked, garbled phrases. This predisposes others to dislike them.
→ -25 opinion from other colonists-20% of the market value
–
Creepy breathing
NAME breathes heavily all the time, and sweats constantly. People find it creepy.
→ -25 opinion from other colonists-10% of the market value
–
Misandrist
NAME really dislikes and distrusts men.
→ -25 opinion of men.
→ Psychopath
Misogynist
NAME really dislikes and distrusts women.
→ -25 opinion of women.
→ Psychopath
Asexual
NAME has no sexual attraction to anyone at all.
→ May not have romantic relationships with people.
→ Gay → Bisexual
Gay
NAME is romantically attracted to people of their own gender.
→ Will only have romantic relationships with people of the same gender.
→ Asexual → Bisexual
Bisexual
NAME is romantically attracted to both men and women.
→ Will have romantic relationships with people from either gender.
→ Asexual → Gay
Special RimWorld traits
Drug Desire
Name
Description
Effect
Chemical fascination
NAME is utterly fascinated with chemical sources of enjoyment. Consuming recreational drugs will create a good mood, while abstaining will lead to increasing frustration over time and possibly drug binges. S/He will ignore directives to not use recreational drugs, and will consume more than a normal person.
→ Has Chemical need, mood buff (up to +6) when satisfied and mood debuff (up to -12) when notWill ignore drug policies for recreational drugs (i.e. all drugs except for penoxycyline and luciferium) regardless of chemical need.
Chemical interest
NAME has an unusual interest in chemical sources of enjoyment. Consuming recreational drugs will create a good mood, while abstaining will lead to increasing frustration over time and possible drug binges. S/He will ignore directives to not use recreational drugs, and will consume more than a normal person.
→ Has Chemical need, mood buff (up to +3) when satisfied and mood debuff (up to -6) when notWill ignore drug policies for recreational drugs (i.e. all drugs except for penoxycyline and luciferium) regardless of chemical need.
Teetotaler
NAME abhors the idea of gaining pleasure from chemicals. S/He strictly avoids alcohol and recreational drugs.
→ Will not go on bingesCannot be directed to take non-medical drugs; force administering the drug will cause a -20 mood penalty → -25 opinion of any pawns with chemical interest or fascination
Industriousness
Name
Description
Effect
Industrious
NAME has an easy time staying on-task and focused, and gets things done much faster than the average person.
→ Global Work Speed +35% → -5 opinion of all colonists without the same trait
Hard worker
NAME is a natural hard worker and will finish tasks faster than most.
→ Global Work Speed +20% → -5 opinion of all colonists without the same or industrious trait
Lazy
NAME is a little bit lazy.
→ Global Work Speed -20%
Slothful
NAME loves idleness and hates anything productive. S/He moves slowly and rarely stays focused on a task.
→ Global Work Speed -35%
Speed Traits
Name
Description
Effect
Jogger
NAME always moves with a sense of urgency – so much so that others often fail to keep up.
→ Move speed +0.4 c/s
Fast walker
NAME likes to be where s/he’s going. S/He walks quicker than most people.
→ Move speed +0.2 c/s
Slowpoke
NAME is always falling behind the group whenever s/he goes anywhere.
→ Move speed -0.2 c/s → Disallows Go Frenzy inspiration.
Base Mood
Name
Description
Effect
Sanguine
NAME is just naturally upbeat about HER/HIS situation, pretty much all the time, no matter what it is.
→ Permanent +12 mood bonus
Optimist
NAME is naturally optimistic about life. It’s hard to get HER/HIM down.
→ Permanent +6 mood bonus
Pessimist
NAME tends to look on the bad side of life.
→ Permanent -6 mood penalty
Depressive
NAME is perennially unhappy. S/He has trouble sustaining a good mood even when everything is fine.
→ Permanent -12 mood penalty
Nerves
Name
Description
Effect
Iron-willed
NAME’s will is an iron shield. S/He keeps going through thick and thin, when others broke down long before.
→ Mental Break Threshold -18% → Global Certainty Loss Factor x25%
Steadfast
NAME is mentally tough and won’t break down under stresses that would crack most people.
→ Mental Break Threshold -9% → Global Certainty Loss Factor x50%
Nervous
NAME tends to crack under pressure.
→ Mental Break Threshold +8% → Global Certainty Loss Factor x200%
Volatile
NAME is on a hair-trigger all the time. S/He is the first to break in any tough situation.
→ Mental Break Threshold +15% → Global Certainty Loss Factor x300%
Neurotic
Name
Description
Effect
Neurotic
NAME likes to have things squared away. S/He will work harder than most to attain this state of affairs, but HER/HIS nerves can get the better of HER/HIM.
→ Global Work Speed +20% → Mental Break Threshold +8%
Very neurotic
NAME feels constantly nervous about everything that has to get done. S/He will work extremely hard to attain this state of affairs, but HER/HIS nerves can easily get the better of HER/HIM.
→ Global Work Speed +40% → Mental Break Threshold +14%
Shooting Accuracy
Name
Description
Effect
Careful shooter
NAME takes more time to aim when shooting. S/He shoots less often than others, but with more accuracy.
→ Aiming Time +25% → Shooting Accuracy +5
Trigger-happy
Pew! Pew! Pew! NAME just likes pulling the trigger. S/He shoots faster than others, but less accurately.
→ Aiming Time -50% → Shooting Accuracy -5
Beauty
Each point of beauty corresponds to +20 opinion from other colonists (A colonist with 2 beauty will have +40 opinion, while another with -1 beauty will have -20).
Name
Description
Effect
Beautiful
NAME is exceptionally beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze. People are attracted to her/him before s/he even opens her/his mouth.
+2 beauty
Pretty
NAME has a pretty face, which predisposes people to like HER/HIM.
+1 beauty
Ugly
NAME is somewhat ugly. This subtly repels others during social interactions.
-1 beauty
Staggeringly ugly
NAME is staggeringly ugly. HER/HIS face looks like a cross between a drawing by an untalented child, a malformed fetus in a jar of formaldehyde, and a piece of modern art. Others must exert conscious effort to look at HIM while conversing.
-2 beauty
Psychic Sensitivity
Name
Description
Effect
Psychically hypersensitive
NAME’s mind is like a psychic tuning fork. S/He is extremely sensitive to psychic phenomena.
→ Psychic Sensitivity +80%
Psychically sensitive
NAME’s mind is unusually sensitive to psychic phenomena.
→ Psychic Sensitivity +40%
Psychically dull
NAME’s mind is psychically out of tune with others. S/He isn’t as affected by psychic phenomena.
→ Psychic Sensitivity -50%
Psychically deaf
NAME’s mind works on a psychic frequency different from everyone else. S/He just isn’t affected by psychic phenomena.
→ Psychic Sensitivity -100%
Immunity
Name
Description
Effect
Super-immune
NAME has a naturally powerful immune system. S/He will gain immunity much faster than a normal person would, and can survive illnesses that would kill others.
→ Immunity Gain Speed +30%
Sickly
NAME has an awful immune system. S/He gets sick more often than usual, frequently with illnesses that nobody in the colony has been afflicted by.
→ Medicine skill +4 → Randomly catch diseases independently from rest of the colony, on average once every 30 days
And that is all you need to know about all the traits in RimWorld. Check out other interesting RimWorld guides, news, and articles:
5+ years of professional gaming journalism | 1000+ guides published since 2021
Adrian Oprea is the Founder and Head Writer of Raider King, specializing in complex RPGs and grand strategy games since 2021. With over 1000 published guides, Adrian provides in-depth walkthroughs for titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Warhammer 40K, Pathfinder series, and Paradox grand strategy games. His hands-on approach involves hundreds of hours testing different builds and strategies to deliver experience-based recommendations. Based in Bucharest, Romania, Adrian founded Raider King in 2022 to bring honest, detailed gaming content to players worldwide.
Credentials: Founder of Raider King (2022-Present) | Expert in CRPGs & Grand Strategy Games | 1000+ Published Guides | Specialist in Baldur's Gate 3, Pathfinder (Kingmaker & WOTR), Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, Crusader Kings 2/3, Europa Universalis 4/5, Hearts of Iron 4
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
