Trait

Fawning, a Trait.

Traits, introduced in Plunder, are effects that modify default behavior of a Kingdom pile they are attached to.

Traits are not Kingdom cards.

There are 15 Traits, any number of which may be used in a game of Dominion, though Donald X recommends not using more than two total Landmarks, Events, Projects, Ways and Traits. When choosing a random Kingdom, the Traits may be shuffled into the randomizer deck; any Traits that are dealt once 10 Kingdom cards have also been dealt will be included in the game.
At the start of a game with a Trait, you randomly pick which eligibile pile (only Action and Treasure piles) is modified, and the Trait card can slide under the pile, leaving the text showing and the name on the sides. Hence the layout.

List of Traits

Cheap, Cursed, Fated, Fawning, Friendly, Hasty, Inherited, Inspiring, Nearby, Patient, Pious, Reckless, Rich, Shy, Tireless

Official Rules

Plunder has Traits, which are a new kind of landscape card that affects a single Action or Treasure pile. At the start of a game with a Trait, choose a random Action or Treasure Kingdom card pile to put the Trait on; then during that game, cards from that pile are affected as indicated on the Trait.

• Traits are not Kingdom cards, and are never bought or gained.
• Traits only go on Kingdom cards, not on e.g. Silver or the Ruins pile (from Dark Ages).
• Don't put two Traits on the same pile.
• Traits refer to the pile using the name of the Trait; for example Pious refers to "Pious cards." That just means, any card from that pile.
• A Trait on a split pile (from Empires and Allies) affects all of those different cards.
• Traits continue to affect the cards from a pile even after the pile is empty.

Preparation

• Events and Traits can be shuffled into the randomizer deck (despite having a different back). They are not part of the 10 Kingdom cards used in a game; when an Event or Trait is turned over, put it on the table but keep turning over cards until you get 10 Kingdom cards. For normal play we recommend using at most 2 such cards; with other expansions that includes Events, Traits, Landmarks, Projects, and Ways. Skip any further landscape cards turned over. Also skip Events and Traits when using a randomizer card to determine whether or not to use Platinum/Colony (from Prosperity), or Shelters (from Dark Ages) in a game, or to determine the bane for Young Witch (from Cornucopia). Another approach some people may prefer is to shuffle Events and Traits (and Landmarks, Projects, and Ways) separately into their own deck, and always play with one or two of them.
• In games using a Trait, pick a random Treasure or Action from the dealt-out Kingdom cards and put the Trait under it, so the text is showing; do not put two Traits on the same pile.

Card gallery

Trivia

Preview

Plunder has a new kind of landscape, Traits. These modify a pile. They only modify a kingdom card pile (not e.g. Gold), and only Action and Treasure piles. Technically they don't "modify" the pile, they just refer to it somehow, but the pile will feel modified, take it from me. At the start of a game with a Trait, you randomly pick which eligibile pile is modified, and the Trait card can slide under the pile, leaving the text showing and the name on the sides. Hence the layout. Well man let's see some of these.

—Donald X. Vaccarino, * Plunder Previews #2: Durations & Traits *

Secret History

So these started as Goods in Allies. They were all rules of the form, "when you gain a treasure, thing." I liked them, Matt not so much. Allies had too much stuff, so I saved them for the next set (dropping "when you gain a Treasure, +1 Favor"). Now I called them Cargo. Sir Martin complained that they made him fill his deck with treasures that didn't do anything. Then there was always the issue of Copper being a treasure. Sometimes you could make the rule happen a bunch and it mattered. I considered triggering on just Gold, or modifying Gold a variety of ways, but well I had Loot. But well, actions are fun, why not modify actions? At first the idea was to only modify actions; then I expanded it to, actions or treasures. Some ideas wouldn't work on treasures but that was fine, I could use other ideas. I never quite wanted them to just work on kingdom card piles, given what I'd be ruling out and how little I'd be getting out of that.

—Donald X. Vaccarino, The Secret History of Dominion: Plunder

In other languages

• German: Merkmal