Passive bonuses that you must quest for.

ArenaNet is doing a lot to make sure that Guild Wars 2 is not just a great MMO but also a great RPG. And great RPGs have great character customization. That's where traits come in, which were announced today via the Guild Wars 2 website.

Traits are passive bonuses that can be slotted into a trait line whenever your character is not involved in combat. Some increase  your damage, the duration of an effect and many other things. They're a way to further customize your character and with over 100 traits available to each profession, you're going to have to pick and choose which ones you want to use to augment your play style.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about traits is the way you get them. Each profession, or class, has unique quests or challenges that earn you traits. One example told of a Warrior challenging a legendary swordsman to a duel and, upon defeating him, learning his flawless sword technique trait. Or an Elementalist will convince someone to tell her where an ancient tome of magical knowledge is located. The traits themselves are themed to your character's profession, and the quests and tasks you must accomplish to get said traits are as well. Warriors bash things, Elementalists study things and both the gaining and the using of your profession's traits will make you feel more like you're playing your chosen profession.