Traits

The Trait list on your character sheet includes all your advantages (p. B32) and disadvantages (p. B119).

Master Library

GCS includes hundreds of official traits in the Master Library that are taken from GURPS books and other supplements. See Library Explorer for more details.

You can also create your own custom traits.

Trait list

The trait list on your character sheet includes the following columns. Select a column heading to sort ascending or descending .

Column	Description
Trait	The trait name and any notes or control rolls. Select the notes icon to open or close the notes for this trait.
Pts	Total character point cost for the trait.
	Page reference for the trait. See Page References for more details.
	Tracks whether the trait matches the official Master Library. See Master Library Syncing in Character Sheet Overview.

Tip

From the character sheet toolbar, you can quickly expand or collapse traits and notes:

• Expand/Collapse All shows or hides all traits within containers.
• Open/Close All Notes shows or hides all embedded Notes.

Adding traits

To add an advantage or disadvantage:

1. Open a Trait library from the Master Library.
2. Choose the trait you want.
3. Add the trait in one of two ways:
   • Drag it from the library to your sheet, or
   • Right-click it and select Copy to Character Sheet.

You can also create a new custom trait:

• On your character sheet, go to Item > New Trait.

When you add a trait:

• GCS highlights the block where it can be dropped. No matter where you drag it, it goes to the right location.
• The Points block updates automatically:
  • Advantages subtract from unspent points.
  • Disadvantages (negative points) add to unspent points.
• Some traits include substitutions (for example, @details@). You can set these when first adding the trait, or later with Set Substitutions in the toolbar or by editing the notes directly in the Trait Editor.
• Some traits support multiple modifiers. When you first add a trait that has modifiers, GCS prompts you to select them. You can select one, several, or none. If you skip this step, you can add or edit modifiers later in the Trait Detail Editor. See Trait Modifiers for more details.

Managing traits

You can change traits on your sheet in a few ways.

Increasing or decreasing a trait’s level

To increase a trait’s level:

• Right-click the trait on your character sheet and select Increment, or
• Go to Edit > Increment.

To decrease a trait’s level:

• Right-click the trait and select Decrement, or
• Go to Edit > Decrement.

GCS automatically recalculates the total point cost when you increase or decrease a level.

Organizing traits with containers

You can group traits (advantages, disadvantages, etc.) into Containers for easier management.

For example:

• Put Combat Reflexes and High Pain Threshold into a “Combat Traits” container.
• Use Alternate Abilities or Meta-trait container types to apply special grouping rules.
• You can also use containers when building Character templates to require a user take a certain point value of advantages and disadvantages.

Deleting a trait

To delete a trait:

• Right-click it and select Delete, or
• Go to Edit > Delete.

Editing traits

You can edit a trait in a few ways:

• Double-click it to open the Detail Editor for traits.
• Right-click it and select Open Detail Editor.
• Select a trait and go to Edit > Open Detail Editor.

Save your changes when you're done from the Trait toolbar (see below).

Trait Detail Editor fields

The Trait Detail Editor includes the following fields:

Trait Editor Field	Description
Name	The trait's name.
Notes	Notes about what the trait does. These appear below the trait in the list. Select the Scripting Guide for instructions on how to include JavaScript. Supports Markdown.
VTT Notes	Notes for use in your Virtual Tabletop system. See your VTT’s documentation.
User Description	Additional notes for your reference. These appear as a tooltip when you hover.
Tags	Comma-separated Tags to help organize traits.
Enabled	If checked, the trait applies to your sheet.
Point Cost	Ready-only. Total cost of the trait, with levels and modifiers applied.
Round Down	If checked, rounds the total point cost down.
Base Cost	The cost before modifiers or levels.
Levels	If checked, the trait uses levels.
Cost Per Level	Point cost per level.
Self-Control Roll	The self-control roll to resist (p. B120). The CR rating will show in parenthesis on your character sheet.
Self-Control Adjustment	Adjustments tied to self-control rolls, such as reaction or fright check penalties.
Frequency of Appearance	Sets how often the trait’s subject (such as an Ally, Contact, or Enemy) appears in play (p. B36).
Page Reference	Page number for the trait. See Page References for details.
Page Highlight	Text to highlight in the PDF. Leave blank unless the default highlights fail.
ID	The trait’s unique ID.
Source ID	The trait’s unique ID in the source library.
Source Library	The name of the source library.
Source Path	The path to the source library.
Prerequisites	Any requirements for this trait. See Prerequisites.
Features	Lists attribute, conditions, skill, spell, reaction, or weapon changes applied by the trait. See Features.
Trait Modifier	Modifiers that apply to the trait. You can enable a modifier to apply it to your sheet. See Trait Modifiers.
Melee Weapon Usage	Lists melee weapon statistics (p. B268), including skill defaults. See Melee and Ranged Weapons.
Ranged Weapon Usage	Lists ranged weapon statistics (p. B268), including skill defaults. See Melee and Ranged Weapons.
Study	Allows you to track study time for this trait. See Study time.

Trait toolbar

The toolbar above the Trait Editor gives you quick access to common actions:

Button	Name	Description
	Help	Opens the help page from the User Guide.
100%	Zoom	Adjusts the display size of the Trait Editor.
	Apply Changes	Saves and closes the Trait Editor.
	Discard Changes	Exits without saving changes.
	Set Substitutions	Lets you enter values for traits with placeholders in their notes. For example, for Enemy you can replace @enemy@ with the foe's name.

Note

When you first add a trait with substitutions, a pop-up appears for you to fill them in. If you skip it, you can set them later with Set Substitutions or by editing the text directly in the notes field.

Customizing the Trait Layout

You can change how traits are displayed by editing the block layout in your sheet settings. See Sheet Settings.

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