Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical Traits Guide – Choose Your Musical Flavor

The traits system in Stray Gods: A Roleplaying Musical offers many reasons to replay the game. A rocker, Grace, is far different from a compassionate, indie Grace. You can even change the rhythm and direction of a song based on a trait.

You can select two traits during the game, so knowing what they are and how they impact the game is essential.

Bottom Line Up Front – Are You a Smooth-Talker, Punk, or Sly Fox?

Traits can determine whether Grace leans into her rocker side or channels her poetic indie-folk roots. They’re also influential in the choices you make.

Take a look to see what traits are possible for Grace and how others view those traits.

Trait	Color/Symbol	Description	Characters Most Effected By Trait
Charming	Green Star	Smooth-talker, people-pleaser, compassion, kindness	Pan, Calliope, Freddie, Persephone, Apollo, Medusa
Kickass	Red Devil Horn’s Fist	Punk, independent, aggressive, argumentative, combative	Pan, Persephone
Clever	Blue Lightbulb	Witty, intelligent, rational, cunning, sneaky	Athena, Pan, Calliope, Freddie

Grace’s Traits – What Do They Do and How Do They Work?

There are three traits in Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical. They’re called Charming, Kickass, and Clever. You can think of them as Grace’s personality or nature.

Choosing a particular trait becomes Grace’s cornerstone. Her personality reflects that trait when she speaks to others. The trait also appears during dialogue options. It can help influence another character to react one way or another.

They’re also part of musical sections. While you can only access your chosen trait in dialogue, that isn’t the case when you’re singing. All traits are accessible then. The trait that you select when singing influences the genre of the song. You can turn something moody into something punk, for example.

The mechanic runs deep in the game, so let’s examine each further.

1. Charming – Rely on Compassion and Kindness to Win Idols Over

• Trait Attributes: Compassion, kindness, empathy
• Symbol: Green Star
• Likes: All
• Dislikes: No One

The Charming trait uses a green star symbol. You can think of it as Grace’s heart. It covers compassion, empathy, kindness, and sensitivity. You’re a smooth-talker, but it comes from an open and authentic heart. You genuinely want to help people.

I think Charming is an excellent trait for players who want to create strong, emotional ties with others. You encourage them to tap into their compassionate sides when making decisions.

The Charming trait builds on the other character’s rhythm and song during musical numbers. It’s the perfect trait for cohesive duets. It’s nothing flashy or aggressive. You’re just harmonizing and complementing the other singer’s song.

Charming is also an excellent catch-all for romances. All the romanceable characters–Pan, Apollo, Persephone, and Freddie–get along well with a Charming Grace. She encourages people to open their hearts instead of building walls around them.

So, if you’re looking to romance a problematic character, relying on the Charming trait could be helpful.

2. Kickass – Never Apologize for Who You Are

• Trait Attributes: Aggression, passion, independence
• Symbol: Red Fist Making Devil Horns
• Likes: Persephone, Pan
• Dislikes: Apollo, Freddie

The Kickass trait is Grace’s inner rockstar. It’s an easy trait to play wrong, so you must commit to spreading aggression if you want to use it. You’ll know you’re using the right trait if you see a red fist doing the devil horns.

It covers emotions like anger and passion but also symbolizes independence and self-reliance. I like to think of it as Grace’s chaotic soul. Grace doesn’t let others push her over if this is her cornerstone. That said, it also leads to verbal and physical fights. Not too many characters will look fondly at that reaction.

During dialogue, Kickass responses tend to intimidate, threaten, and push the other character. When singing, it takes on a more aggressive, rocker, style. You’re looking to dominate the other singer when choosing this trait.

Because of its aggressive nature, it isn’t easy to romance many characters with it. Your best bet is Persephone and Pan. Persephone appreciates a person who can stand up for themselves. Pan loves passion. Apollo and Freddie might be too sensitive to react positively.

The Kickass trait is the perfect choice for a Grace who walks her own path and doesn’t care who she hurts.

3. Clever – Witty Retorts Are Your Middle Name

• Trait Attributes: Intelligence, wittiness, cunning, sneakiness
• Symbol: Blue Lightbulb
• Likes: Persephone, Pan, Freddie
• Dislikes: Apollo (at times)

The Clever trait uses a blue lightbulb symbol. It covers cunning, intelligence, wittiness, critical thinking, and rational thought. This is the trait for all the intelligent Graces who rely on their brains more than anything else.

Grace is a bit less emotional when this is her cornerstone. She trades passion and empathy for rationale and sharp thinking.

During dialogue, the Clever trait allows you to put pieces together to form a rational conclusion. Considering that the game is basically a murder mystery, that’s a pretty helpful trait to have. You can glean information from certain dialogue choices that might otherwise pass you by with the other traits.

In a musical number, the Clever trait allows Grace to make witty lyrics. She turns the song on the other person or uses it to put puzzle pieces together. I would say that Clever Graces treats the musical numbers as more of a game she’s trying to win.

While the Clever trait isn’t as abrasive as the Kickass trait, some characters may not appreciate just how clever Grace is all the time. Pan will appreciate her wittiness. Even Persephone and Freddie may enjoy just how brilliant Grace is. Used at the wrong moment, it’s easy to turn them away from you because it relies on the brain rather than the heart.

If solving the murder and investigating is essential to you, then a Clever Grace may be who you want to play.

How Many Traits Can You Choose in Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical?

While the game has three traits, you can only access two of them.

The first trait you can choose is right at the beginning of the game. After speaking with Calliope, you’ll be able to pick the trait you’ll use the most in the game. This choice is crucial because you won’t gain your second trait until the end of Act II.

It’s also important because you’ll lock in your romance in Act I. Choosing a trait that makes you offend the person you want to romance may not be a great option.

When choosing your first trait, consider what you want Grace’s cornerstone to be. What is her core personality? You can always do another playthrough later and choose a different trait to see how it changes the story.

The second trait you unlock is at the end of Act II. I like to think of this trait as reflective of Grace’s journey. Who is she now, days after becoming an Idol? How has her journey changed her? Keep those questions in mind when choosing the second trait.

When you unlock the second trait, you can select either option during a dialogue scene. As always, you have access to all the traits when you’re singing.

Which Is the Best Trait for Grace?

While there isn’t the best trait for Grace regarding winning the game, there are specific traits for certain playstyles.

• The Charming trait is the ideal one to choose for players who want to win over other characters. If you want to succeed in your romance, Charming is likely the best one to choose. It’s also the most peaceful trait since it’s based on persuading others through kindness and compassion.
• The Kickass trait is ideal for players who want to forge their own path. If you don’t want to romance anyone and focus on an independent Grace, this is the easiest trait to accomplish that goal. While you can romance the characters with the Kickass trait, the journey there might be a bit rougher.
• The Clever trait is for the investigators—those who want to dive deep into the mystery and discover everyone’s secrets. I like to think that Clever sits between Charming and Kickass on Grace’s personality spectrum. You’re still mindful of the feelings of others, but you hold your own, too. Romancing characters is pretty straightforward, but you must find the characters who appreciate your witty comebacks and rational thought.

Decide Who Your Grace Is

Traits are a fun mechanic that allows you to explore different aspects of Grace’s personality. They help figure out information and push other characters to reveal clues. Since each trait can influence the conversation or song a certain way, replaying Stray Gods is a brand new experience every time. Choose your trait and see how it impacts your next playthrough.

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