Trait

In the SPECIAL character system, Traits are optional character modifictions that affect the player character. Traits modify different aspects of gameplay, including (but not limited to): Main Statistics, Derived Statistics and Skills. Traits always have both positive and negative results. Fallout 3 is the first SPECIAL game, where there are no traits, as they were rolled into Perks. In games where Traits exist, one can choose up to two traits when designing a character (the player might also choose no trait at all). Choosing the Mutate! perk lets the player change one of his traits. Note that if you chose no trait at character creation, you cannot fill the empty slot with this perk.

In Fallout Tactics, where characters of different races can be created, traits also have different racial requirements. In Lionheart, a fantasy game which used the SPECIAL system, a different approach to racial traits was chosen. For each race one was free to choose (or not) any of the regular list of traits, but if the character belonged to one of the "tainted" races (i.e. everyone except pureblood humans), the player had to choose one of the list of racial traits available to their race. These traits were the only thing that distinguished the races from humans, and often had no penalty other than marking the character as tainted.

List of traits
See: Category:Traits for alphabetically ordered list of traits from all SPECIAL games.

Universal traits
Traits which appear in every SPECIAL game so far except Fallout 3:
 * Fast Metabolism
 * Finesse
 * Gifted
 * Good Natured
 * Heavy Handed
 * One Hander
 * Skilled
 * Small Frame

Fallout
Universal traits and the following:
 * Bloody Mess
 * Bruiser
 * Chem Reliant
 * Chem Resistant
 * Fast Shot
 * Jinxed
 * Kamikaze
 * Night Person

Fallout 2
The same as in Fallout, except that Night Person is replaced with Sex Appeal

Fallout Tactics
The same as in Fallout and the following added:

Super mutant traits

 * Ham Fisted
 * Vat Skin

Ghoul traits

 * Fear the Reaper
 * Glowing One
 * Tech Wizard

Deathclaw traits

 * Domesticated
 * Rabid

Robot traits

 * Beta Software
 * EMP Shielding
 * Targeting Computer
 * Tight Nuts

Van Buren

 * Bruiser
 * Chem Reliant
 * Clean Living
 * Fast Shot
 * Feral Kid
 * Finesse
 * Gifted
 * Good Natured
 * Increased Metabolism
 * Kamikaze
 * Night Person
 * One Hander
 * One In a Million
 * Red Scare
 * Skilled
 * Small Frame

Bloody Mess, Heavy Handed, Jinxed and Sex Appeal were removed.

Optional Traits
Universal traits and the following:
 * Ascetic
 * Arrows for Words
 * Nasty Disposition
 * Renaissance Man
 * Studious Tinkerer
 * Thick Skinned

Demokin traits

 * Acid Blood
 * Bloody Talons
 * Demonic Frenzy
 * Diabloism
 * Forked Tongue
 * Infernal Quickness
 * Lucky Devil
 * Scaly Hide
 * Shroud of Darkness
 * Vampiric Fury

Feralkin traits

 * Beast of Burden
 * Chameleon
 * Eagle Eye
 * Elephant Hide
 * Monkey Brains
 * Rabid Fervor
 * Regeneration
 * Serpent's Tongue
 * Tusks
 * Wolf Hide

Sylvant traits

 * Bond of Nature
 * Dark Gift
 * Earth Ancestry
 * Fiery Ancestry
 * Frost Ancestry
 * Gossamer Skin
 * Polyelemental Ancestry
 * Skin of Thorns
 * Storm of Arrows
 * Wind Ancestry

TORN
The following TORN Traits were revealed before the game was cancelled:
 * Brutal
 * Unidextrous
 * Lone Wolf
 * Impetuous