Which starting traits are the most worthwhile?

[Baxter]

Title says it all, which traits were the ones that people found most useful in the long run?

I mean there's stuff like headhunter, mutation, quickness, fast learner, and endurance, which seem quite easy to tell the benefit of, but what about the stat skills like muscular/agile/etc.? Does having 2 extra points in something help later on? Does the 10 points of protection chitinous armor gives remain useful late game or does lategame armor exceed it massively? Do aggressive and/or martial training offer anything to a frontline character?

Interested in what people's experiences have been.

[MasterworkStone]

Mutation by far if you get good RNG.
From my experiences so far, there are no bad traits, it all depends on the situation.

[notreally]

Totally depends on the race and class.

Although I see no reason to pick the +2 vitality (+10 hp) over the +20 health trait. The vitality gives a bit of resistance though.
Same goes for the willpower trait.

Haven't tried it yet, but I imagine a dual-wielder with the aggresive trait gets a lot more benefit from it than a heavy weapon user because of many fast attacks.

Fast metabolism could be useful for mage, although being a lizard you'll have to somehow compensate the lower willpower.


The attribute traits are useful to kickstart your character, or compensate for some weakness. The late game benefit is negligible for virtually all traits I think.

[steelsoldier]

The +2 on Attributes tend to be worthwhile and the ones that give flat health or mana, but there are race traits that might be more valuable than others, and other very specialized traits that might be better depending on what you want to accomplish

[Vardis]

Mutation by far if you get good RNG.
From my experiences so far, there are no bad traits, it all depends on the situation.

Yeah. Doesn't work so well when your wizard skilled character gets +6 strength, but sometimes the dice just don't roll your way.

[steelsoldier]

I would love of the mutation from rat would let you pick an attribute every 3 levels, then I wouldnt mind it, otherwise I always feel like I am going to get awful rolls

[Dematto]

Headhunter, Mutation, and the Lizard Resistance racial blow everything else out of the water in terms of value.

The remaining traits all seem to have values that are finely balanced against one another, making each a competitive choice. That having been said, I have a difficult time justifying +5 Protection or +25 Resistance. I am uncertain about the extent to which this is a result of superior racial variant selections and an individual playstyle difference.

[Cronicler]

TBH, I think that compared to a limited selection of choices, most of the basic +2 stat* perks as well as +25 resist 1 perks are not worth picking up. Same goes for perks like Agressive, Aura, Weapon Specialization and Tough.
Only evasive provides a better bonus than it's skill counterpart and depending on how it's calculated, that bonus is either a +2% or +1% percent chance to evade.
(Compared to nearly every other perk, "Skilled" really shines as it allows a bigger or equivalent bonus as well as letting you grab the skill based perks, giving a huge boost to otherwise humdum Humans.)
The only common pool perk that breaks the mold is the "Endurance". Not because of the food consumption (unless you stash most of your food (due to weight) somewhere inaccessible for that moment, there is generally more than enough food available.) but mostly due to the extra 25kg carry weight allowance which is the equivalent of a whopping 8.3 points of str!
Most of the race specific perks on the other hand are quite good and at least enough to be over the "Endurance" in the order of utility. Sure, the exact order of perks depends on your party composition and roles as a medicore (for all other classes) perk coupled with class abilities can mean seriously enhancement of that perk but most of the time with the exception of "Skilled" and "Endurance" there isn't much reason to take the common pool perks.

Here is a min-max party I've been toying with lately:
Mino Barbar, Head Hunter&Aggressive, +2 Dex +5 Str +3 Vit, Heavy Weapons & Armour.
Forex, Lizardman perks Endure Elements and Fast Metabolism (while being one step better than their common perk pool equivalents) are not really exciting or game breaking when you look at them. However, once you pair them with a battlemage, (Dex-Vit, light weapons, armour, concentration) results in a frontline meatshield with 70% Resists with a decent hp pool, halved healing costs and doubled healing and lastly dependable if medicore dps output (as well as utility spells and dispel)
Of course, if you are going to use this Lizard Battlemage as your other front liner, then an Insectoid Knight, which is a niche min-max build option, (Cithin and Natural) becomes a sub par third wheel for the party and I would advise you to kit your Insectoid as a Str-Dex Alchemist with quick and endurance perks (Alchemy, 3 Dodge, 3 Armour, lastly Firearms) for a pack mule / thrower character.
Ratling Illiterate Ubermage! Basically a Ratling peasant with Mutation who eats her way into godhood. Thanks to the synergy between mutation and extra levels from the peasant, you simply end up with a , Fire 5, Air 4+, Armour 2, Concentration 3+, Water 1, Earth 1, Dodge 3 monster after 6 or 7 maps, even if you do not savescumm for double food drops or abuse the herder den.


Croniclers List of better perks, without an order of importance,
Skilled (Human)
Quick (Insectoid)
Head Hunter (Minator)
Endure Elements (Lizard)
Fast Metobolism (Buzzard)
Mutation (Ratling)

Endurance (Common)

[Saice]

Mutation by far if you get good RNG.
From my experiences so far, there are no bad traits, it all depends on the situation.

I agree with this. Even with terrible luck you are bound to get at least 2-3 points in your stat of choice by end game making it on par with all the other stat boosting traits. With the side benefit of just getting other stats along the way.

Most games your going to net 14 stat points from Mutation by end game. Does not matter where they end up that is 14 points with all stats having at least limited used to all characters Even a wizard can use some extra carry weight or health.

[sapientCrow]

I most definitely put endure elements on the top of the list. With a Lizard already born with 25% resist adding another 25% leads to an almost immune character to the really painful fights. Which imo are the really harder fights.

I also really liked fast metabolism. I had an alchemist with a fairly large number of speed and rage pots. With fast metabolism my champ can go for the entirety of a long fight with the potion still active. Protection Speed and Rage. Which is awesome for those fights you get stuck going toe to toe melee style.

And Mutation is fantastic. Yes it is random but it feels random in a way that suits the Ratling and what one would often pick as a Ratling. If that makes any sense.

If I play Human I always pick fast learner. Which is kind of frustrating but if you do skilled as well it translates into 2 extra skill points perhaps 3.

Mino Head Hunter is obvious and so obvious I do not even play the race anymore. I really would of liked to see other races get something like this. Then again I suppose Mutation Fast Learner and Endure Elements is that. I think Insectoid quick does not really translate well unless you go rogue with dodge with bracelet of tirin. Minute cool down reductions do not show well unless they are stacked together.

Stat bonuses imo are not that worth it as with an alchemist I had near 25 to 30 crystal flowers by end game. Well I had 2 alchemists so divide that.

I tend to set up my traits for the harder battles in game.

Final boss x2
Elementals