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Welcome to the ESO Trait Research Guide. Trait research unlocks craftable sets and the ability to transmute gear to different traits.
Update 49 reduced total research time by ~50%, dropping the maximum from 30 days to 9 days per trait with crafting skill line passives. This guide shows you how to complete trait research across all crafting lines.
What Is Trait Research in ESO?
Trait research in The Elder Scrolls Online involves destroying items with specific traits to learn those traits permanently. Once learned, you can craft items with that trait or transmute existing gear to use it.
Trait research serves four purposes:
1. Craftable Set Requirements
Most craftable sets in ESO require you to know a specific number of traits before you can craft them. 
Hunding's Rage requires 6 traits researched. Law of Julianos requires 6 traits. This requirement applies per crafting line (Blacksmithing, Clothing, Woodworking, Jewelry Crafting)
2. Trait Selection When Crafting
To craft an item with a specific trait, you must have that trait researched for that item type. If you want to craft a Divines chest piece, you need Divines researched on chest armor.
3. Transmutation and Set Reconstruction
ESO Transmutation Stations let you change traits on any item you own, but you can only transmute to traits already researched for that item type. Trait knowledge is required to reconstruct items from your Set Collections (Sticker Book).
Master Writ Eligibility
Trait knowledge increases your chance to receive Master Writs from daily crafting writs. Master Writs reward Writ Vouchers, which exchange for exclusive furnishings, patterns and materials. More traits known = better Master Writ drop rates in Elder Scrolls Online.
Browse the full craftable sets database to plan your research around gear you actually want to craft.
How Research Time Works in ESO
Research time in ESO increases exponentially with each trait researched on a single item. First trait on a sword: 1h 21m. Ninth trait on that sword: 9 days.
Update 49 Changes: Research times were reduced by 50% across the board. Maximum research time per trait dropped from 30 days to 10 days (9 days for 9th trait with max passives). Times based on PTS testing in Elder Scrolls Online.
Research Time Per Trait in ESO
| Trait Number | With Max Crafting Passives (25% reduction) | Without Crafting Passives |
| 1st | 1h 21m | 1h 48m |
| 2nd | 2h 42m | 3h 36m |
| 3rd | 5h 24m | 7h 12m |
| 4th | 10h 48m | 14h 24m |
| 5th | 21h 36m | 1d 4h 48m |
| 6th | 1d 19h 12m | 2d 9h 36m |
| 7th | 3d 14h 24m | 4d 19h 12m |
| 8th | 7d 4h 48m | 9d 14h 24m |
| 9th | 9 days | 19d 4h 48m |
| Total | 26 days (~634 hours) | 35.2 days (~845 hours) |
These times assume you have ESO Plus active. Without ESO Plus (10% additional reduction), the total time is slightly higher.
Ways to Reduce Research Time
Several methods reduce trait research time in ESO. You can stack crafting passives, ESO Plus membership and Research Scrolls to make the research times as short as possible.
Crafting Passives (25% reduction, multiple simultaneous slots)
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Metallurgy (Blacksmithing): Research 3 traits at once, 25% faster research
-
Stitching (Clothing): Research 3 traits at once, 25% faster research
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Carpentry (Woodworking): Research 3 traits at once, 25% faster research
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Lapidary Research (Jewelry Crafting): 1 trait at a time, 25% faster research
ESO Plus (10% reduction)
ESO Plus stacks with crafting passives.
Research Scrolls (Crown Store and Rolis Hlaalu)
Research Scrolls in ESO reduce the time by 1-15 days when used. Crown Store scrolls have no cooldown. Scrolls bought from Rolis Hlaalu (Master Writ Vendor) have a 20-hour cooldown.
Total Traits and Items to Research in ESO
There are 3 different types of traits in The Elder Scrolls Online. One for armor, one for weapons and one for jewelry. Each of them has 9 different traits that need to be researched on each piece!
Trait Categories
| Weapon Traits | Armor Traits | Jewelry Traits |
| Powered | Sturdy | Arcane |
| Charged | Impenetrable | Healthy |
| Precise | Reinforced | Robust |
| Infused | Infused | Triune |
| Defending | Invigorating | Infused |
| Training | Training | Protective |
| Sharpened | Well-Fitted | Swift |
| Decisive | Divines | Harmony |
| Nirnhoned | Nirnhoned | Bloodthirsty |
Items Per Crafting Line
Blacksmithing (14 items = 126 traits total)
- Weapons: Greatsword, Battle Axe, Maul, Sword, Axe, Mace, Dagger
- Heavy Armor: Chest, Sabatons, Gauntlets, Helm, Greaves, Pauldrons, Girdle
Clothing (14 items = 126 traits total)
- Light Armor: Robe, Shoes, Gloves, Hat, Breeches, Epaulets, Sash
- Medium Armor: Jack, Boots, Bracers, Helmet, Guards, Arm Cops, Belt
Woodworking (5 items = 45 traits total)
- Weapons: Fire Staff, Frost Staff, Lightning Staff, Bow
- Armor: Shield
Jewelry Crafting (2 items = 18 traits total)
- Ring, Necklace
ESO Trait Research Priority
Not all traits in The Elder Scrolls Online are equally useful. Research the most useful traits first so you can use them when crafting item-sets or constructing gear at a Transmutation Station.
High-Priority Traits in ESO (Research First)
Armor Traits:
- Divines: Increases Mundus Stone bonus in ESO (best general-purpose armor trait)
- Infused: Increases enchantment effectiveness (best for large pieces: chest, legs, head)
- Sturdy: Reduces block cost (used by tanks)
- Training: Increases experience gain in ESO (leveling alts and grinding skills)
- Well-Fitted: Reduces dodge roll and sprint cost (useful for PvP and sometimes tanks builds)
Weapon Traits:
- Precise: Increases critical chance in ESO (strong DPS choice)
- Nirnhoned: Increases weapon damage (competitive with Precise)
- Infused: Increases enchantment effectiveness (best for backbar enchants with weapon damage glyph)
- Charged: Increases status effect chance (for builds using a lot of status effects)
Jewelry Traits:
- Bloodthirsty: Increases damage against low-health targets in ESO (best trait for DDs)
- Arcane: Increases max magicka in The Elder Scrolls Online (simple stat boost for magicka builds)
- Infused: Increases enchantment effectiveness (used by tanks)
Medium-Priority Traits in ESO (Research After High-Priority)
Armor Traits:
- Reinforced: Increases armor value in The Elder Scrolls Online (tank trait)
- Impenetrable: Reduces critical damage taken in PvP (useful only in PvP)
Weapon Traits:
Jewelry Traits:
Low-Priority Traits in ESO (Research Last)
These are used relatively rarely as their effects are quite small and often you get them from other sources already. Research last unless needed for specific builds.
- Healthy: Increases max health in ESO
- Robust: Increases max stamina in ESO (simple stat boost for stamina builds)
- Invigorating: Increases health recovery
- Defending: Increases armor/spell resistance
- Protective: Reduces damage taken
- Decisive: Reduces Ultimate cost
Special Traits (Cannot Be Researched)
Trait Bonuses by Quality
Trait effectiveness in The Elder Scrolls Online scales with item quality. Gold-quality items in ESO provide maximum benefit. Values shown are for Champion Point 160 (max level) items.
Armor Traits
| Trait | Effects | Normal | Fine | Superior | Epic | Legendary |
| Divines | Increases Mundus Stone Effects by: | 5.1% | 6.1% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| Infused | Increase Armor Enchantment effects by: | 9% | 13% | 17% | 21% | 25% |
| Invigorating | Increases Magicka, Stamina and Health Recovery by: | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| Impenetrable | Reduces item’s durability damage by 50% and increases Critical Resistance by: | 116 | 119 | 122 | 124 | 127 |
| Nirnhoned | Increases Spell and Physical Resistance by: | 220 | 229 | 238 | 244 | 253 |
| Reinforced | Increases Armor by: | 12% | 13% | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Sturdy | Reduces Block Cost by: | 2% | 2.5% | 3% | 3.5% | 4% |
| Training | Increases Experience gained from kills by: | 7% | 8% | 9% | 10% | 11% |
| Well-Fitted | Reduces the cost of Sprinting and Roll Dodge by: | 1.2% | 2.4% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 6% |
Jewelry Traits
| Trait | Effects | Normal | Fine | Superior | Epic | Legendary |
| Arcane | Increases Max Magicka by: | 767 | 797 | 827 | 847 | 877 |
| Robust | Increases Max Stamina by: | 767 | 797 | 827 | 847 | 877 |
| Healthy | Increases Max Health by: | 844 | 877 | 914 | 932 | 965 |
| Protective | Increases Physical and Spell Resistance by: | 1053 | 1091 | 1128 | 1153 | 1190 |
| Triune | Increases Max Health, Stamina, & Magicka: | 422 384 384 | 438 399 399 | 455 414 414 | 466 424 424 | 482 439 439 |
| Infused | Increases Enchantment Effectiveness by: | 24% | 33% | 42% | 51% | 60% |
| Swift | Increases Movement Speed by: | 3% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| Harmony | Increases Synergy Effectiveness by: | 12% | 14% | 16% | 18% | 20% |
| Bloodthirsty | Increases Weapon and Spell Damage against enemies under 90% Health by up to: | 70 | 140 | 210 | 280 | 350 |
Weapon Traits
Weapon trait bonuses apply per weapon. Dual-wielding two weapons doubles the bonus (except where noted). Two-handed weapons count the bonus twice automatically.
| Trait | Effects | Normal | Fine | Superior | Epic | Legendary |
| Charged | Increases chance to apply Status Effects by: | 200% | 210% | 220% | 230% | 240% |
| Decisive | Chance to gain 1 additional Ultimate anytime that Ultimate is gained by: | 19.1% | 21.2% | 23.3% | 25.4% | 27.5% |
| Defending | Increases total Physical and Spell Resistance by: | 1428 | 1485 | 1542 | 1580 | 1638 |
| Infused | Reduces Enchantment cooldown by 50%Increases Weapon Enchantment effect by:(doesn’t count double for 2H) | 10% | 15% | 20% | 25% | 30% |
| Nirnhoned | Increases Weapon Damage by:(doesn’t count double for 2H) | 11% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 15% |
| Powered | Increases Healing done by: | 2.5% | 3% | 3.5% | 4% | 4.5% |
| Precise | Increases Weapon and Spell Critical values by: | 1.6% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 3.6% |
| Sharpened | Increases Armor and Spell Penetration by: | 1428 | 1485 | 1542 | 1580 | 1638 |
| Training | Increases Experience gained from kills by: | 2.5% | 3% | 3.5% | 4% | 4.5% |
Special Traits (Cannot Be Researched or Crafted)
Trait Materials and Crafting
After researching a trait in The Elder Scrolls Online, you need specific materials (trait-stones) to craft items with that trait. Each trait requires a different material.
How Trait Materials Work in ESO
When crafting an item with a trait, the recipe requires standard materials plus one trait material. Crafting Divines chest in ESO requires normal materials (Ancestor Silk, Embroidery) plus one Sapphire.
Where to Get Trait Materials in ESO
- Deconstructing Items with Traits (Divines item returns a Sapphire and a precise weapon returns a Ruby)
- Refining Raw Materials (ore, wood, leather, fibers, dust) have a chance to yield trait materials when refined.
- Daily Hireling mail includes trait materials
- Guild Traders
How to Start Researching Traits in ESO
Starting trait research in The Elder Scrolls Online is simple once you have an item with the trait you want to learn.
- Acquire an item with the desired trait. Any level, any quality, any style. Only the trait matters.
- Visit the appropriate crafting station. Go to a Blacksmithing, Clothing, Woodworking or Jewelry Crafting station.
- Open the Research tab. Click Research in the crafting menu (top-right corner).
- Select the item type you want to research
- Select the trait you want to research
- Choose the item from your inventory and confirm (it will be destroyed)
- Wait for research to complete. Research continues in real time whether you're online or offline. Research cannot be cancelled once started.
Where to Get Items for Research
- Loot drops from enemies, chests, containers
- Guild traders (search by trait)
- Guildmates or friends can craft items with specific traits for you
- Overland zone sets drop frequently with random traits
How to Manage Research Items in ESO
- Store research items in your bank so all characters can access them
- If your bank is full, use a dedicated alt character to hold pending research items
- Create a spreadsheet to track which traits you have available across characters (or use addons)
- Research high-priority traits first, even if you have other traits available
Best Research Strategy
Spread Trait Research Across Multiple Items
Don't complete all 9 traits on a single item before moving to the next. Research the first trait on multiple items instead. Six different items with one trait is faster than six traits on one item.
Example: Research Divines on chest, legs, head, shoulders, hands, feet before starting the second trait on chest.
Use All Available Trait Research Slots
Blacksmithing, Clothing, and Woodworking each allow 3 simultaneous research slots with passives. Keep all three slots active at all times.
Prioritize based on your role
Don't waste early research slots on traits your role might not use.
- Damage dealer: prioritize Divines, Precise/Nirnhoned, Bloodthirsty
- Tank: prioritize Sturdy, Reinforced, Infused
- Healer: prioritize Infused, Powered, Arcane
Save Research Scrolls for Long Timers
The 8th and 9th traits take the longest, so use your Research Scrolls on them.
