Characters are prominent individuals within countries. Depending on their role, they can affect a country in various ways. Each character has an interest group they support, a personal ideology, a Popularity value, a culture (which determines their name), and a number of character traits. Once they reach a certain age, characters may die and be replaced by new characters.
Character roles
There are three prominent roles characters can serve in the country: rulers, interest group leaders, and commanders (generals and admirals). Rulers, heirs, and interest group leaders are also collectively referred to as politicians.
Rulers
A ruler is the country's head of state, its face. Whether a hereditary monarch or an elected president, a ruler's traits affect the country as a whole. Many laws increase government Legitimacy if the interest group the ruler supports is included in the government. The ruler's Popularity directly affects the amount of 
Authority the country has at its disposal. In monarchies, the ruler will have an heir apparent—a character that will become the new ruler once the current one dies. If there is no heir yet, there is a daily chance to generate one if the ruler is at least 20 years old (and the chance starts increasing after they turn 30). A ruler can also serve as a general.
Interest group leaders
Every interest group has a leader, who greatly affects how the interest group functions. The leader's traits and Popularity affect the interest group's pop attraction and political power, and even its approval. Furthermore, the leader's personal ideology becomes part of the interest group's ideologies for as long as they remain the leader. Many causes, such as communism or feminism, can only achieve support this way. Once a leader dies, the new leader is randomly generated.
Commanders
Generals and admirals command the country's battalions and flotillas, respectively. Their traits give various bonuses and penalties to combat when they are involved, and their Popularity affects the Morale Recovery of their units; these effects don't apply when a general commands units of another general in battle. The interest group a commander supports receives extra political power, which increases with the commander's rank (which also raises their command limit and 
Bureaucracy cost). If said interest group is part of a revolution, the commander, with all the troops they command, will support the revolution instead of the mother country. If a commander dies, a new one has to be manually recruited. They can also be retired early, at the cost of their interest group's approval.
Character traits
Personality traits
Every character (except young children) has at least one personality trait.
| Trait | Effects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | As Ruler | As Interest Group Leader | As Commander | |
| Direct | +15.0 Popularity | +25.0% Political Strength of  Officers
|
|
|
| Persistent | +10.0% Character Health | +25.0% Political Strength of  Bureaucrats
|
-1.0 Opposition Interest Group Approval | +50% Morale Damage Protection |
| Cautious | +20.0% Character Health |
|
|
|
| Arrogant | -25.0 Popularity | -10 Legitimacy |
|
|
| Bigoted | -35.0 Popularity |
|
|
|
| Reckless |
|
|
-2.0 Opposition Interest Group Approval |
|
| Tactful | — |
|
|
|
| Ambitious | +25.0 Popularity |
|
+10% Interest Group Political Strength |
|
| Imperious | -35.0 Popularity |
|
+25.0% Interest Group Pop Attraction |
|
| Wrathful | -5.0% Character Health |
|
-2.0 Opposition Interest Group Approval |
|
| Reserved |
|
— | — | — |
| Cruel | -50.0 Popularity |
|
+1.0 Government Interest Group Approval |
|
| Meticulous | — |
|
|
|
| Charismatic | +50.0 Popularity | +5%  Influence
|
+20.0% Interest Group Pop Attraction | +10% Morale Recovery |
| Romantic | — | +25.0% Political Strength of  Aristocrats
|
— |
|
| Brave | -5.0% Character Health |
|
+25.0 Popularity |
|
| Innovative | — | +10% Technology Spread | — | +100% Surprise Maneuver Chance |
| Hedonist | -15.0 Popularity | -10.0% Political Strength of  Clergymen
|
+1.0 Government Interest Group Approval |
|
| Pious | — | +10.0% Political Strength of Clergymen
|
— |
|
Conditions
Conditions can be acquired over the course of the game and are overall negative effects. Sometimes they may be lost via events.
| Trait | Effects | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | As Ruler | As Interest Group Leader | As Commander | ||
| Alcoholic |
|
+2% Influence
|
— | -10% Morale Damage | |
| Opium Addict |
|
+5.0% Opium Plantations building Throughput | — | — | |
| Cocaine Addict |
|
— | — | — | Requires Pharmaceuticals |
| Cancer | -80.0% Character Health | — | — | — | |
| Grifter | -25.0 Popularity | +1.0% Tax Waste | — | +5.0% Supply Consumption | |
| Scarred |
|
— | — | — | Replaces Wounded |
| Senile |
|
-5% Influence
|
— |
|
|
| Syphilis | -50.0% Character Health | -10% Influence
|
— | — | |
| Shell Shock |
|
— | — |
|
|
| Wounded | -30.0% Character Health | — | — | — | May progress to Scarred |
| Expensive Tastes | +25.0 Popularity |
|
— | — | |
| Kidney Stones | -20.0% Character Health | — | — |
|
|
| Psychological Affliction |
|
— | — | — | |
| Beetle Eared | -20.0% Character Health | — | — | — | Can only be acquired by events |
Skill traits
Skill traits can appear and level up over the course of the game, being overall positive effects. Characters tend to acquire skill traits befitting their role.
| Trait | Role | Effects | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | As Ruler | As Interest Group Leader | As Commander | ||||
| Supply Requisitions Expert | General | — | — | — |
|
||
| Pillager | General | — | — | — |
|
||
| Surveyor | General | — | — | — |
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||
| Woodland Combat Expert | General | — | — | — | +25.0% Defense in Forested Terrain | ||
| Open Terrain Commander | General | — | — | — | +25.0% Offense in Flat Terrain | ||
| Mountain Combat Expert | General | — | — | — | +25.0% Defense in Elevated Terrain | ||
| Artillery Commander | Artillery Commander | General | — | — | — |
|
Requires Artillery |
| Experienced Artillery Commander |
|
Requires and replaces Basic Artillery Commander | |||||
| Expert Artillery Commander |
|
Requires and replaces Experienced Artillery Commander | |||||
| Defender | Stalwart Defender | General | — | — | — |
|
Requires Field Works |
| Trench Rat |
|
Requires and replaces Stalwart Defender | |||||
| Defense in Depth Specialist |
|
Requires and replaces Trench Rat | |||||
| Offensive Planner | Offensive Planner | General | — | — | — |
|
Requires Napoleonic Warfare |
| Experienced Offensive Planner |
|
Requires and replaces Basic Offensive Planner | |||||
| Expert Offensive Planner |
|
Requires and replaces Experienced Offensive Planner | |||||
| Defensive Strategist | Defensive Strategist | General | — | — | — |
|
Requires Military Drill |
| Experienced Defensive Strategist |
|
Requires and replaces Basic Defensive Strategist | |||||
| Expert Defensive Strategist |
|
Requires and replaces Experienced Defensive Strategist | |||||
| Naval Commander | Naval Commander | Admiral | — | — | — |
|
Requires Admiralty |
| Experienced Naval Commander |
|
Requires and replaces Basic Naval Commander | |||||
| Expert Naval Commander |
|
Requires and replaces Experienced Naval Commander | |||||
| Convoy Raider | Convoy Raider | Admiral | — | — | — | +50.0% Convoy Raiding Efficiency | Requires Admiralty |
| Experienced Convoy Raider | +100.0% Convoy Raiding Efficiency | Requires and replaces Convoy Raider | |||||
| Expert Convoy Raider | +200.0% Convoy Raiding Efficiency | Requires and replaces Experienced Convoy Raider | |||||
| Famous Commander | Traditionalist Commander | Any | — | +5.0% Prestige | — | +10.0% Command Limit | |
| Popular Commander | +20.0% Command Limit | +10.0% Prestige | +2% Interest Group Political Strength | — | Replaces Traditionalist Commander | ||
| Celebrity Commander |
|
+15.0% Prestige | +5% Interest Group Political Strength | — | Requires and replaces Popular Commander | ||
| Dockyard Organizer | Admiral | — | — | — | -25.0% Supply Consumption | ||
| Diplomat | Diplomat | Any | +10.0 Popularity | +5% Influence
|
— | +25% Morale Recovery | |
| Experienced Diplomat | +25.0 Popularity | +10% Influence
|
+50% Morale Recovery | Requires and replaces Basic Diplomat | |||
| Masterful Diplomat | +50.0 Popularity | +20% Influence
|
+100% Morale Recovery | Requires and replaces Experienced Diplomat | |||
| Colonial Administrator | Colonial Administrator | Ruler | — | +10% Colony Growth Speed | — | — | Requires an active colony |
| Experienced Colonial Administrator | +20% Colony Growth Speed | Requires and replaces Basic Colonial Administrator | |||||
| Expert Colonial Administrator | +40% Colony Growth Speed | Requires and replaces Experienced Colonial Administrator | |||||
| Political Operator | Political Operator | Politician | — | +5% Authority
|
+5% Interest Group Political Strength | — | |
| Experienced Political Operator | +10% Authority
|
+10% Interest Group Political Strength | Requires and replaces Basic Political Operator | ||||
| Expert Political Operator | +20% Authority
|
+20% Interest Group Political Strength | Requires and replaces Experienced Political Operator | ||||
| Orator | Inspirational Orator | Any | +25.0 Popularity | — |
|
— | |
| Demagogue | +35.0 Popularity |
|
|||||
| Firebrand | +50.0 Popularity |
|
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| Explorer | Commander/Ruler/Heir |
|
|
— | — | ||
| Bandit | Any | -50.0 Popularity |
|
|
+10% Morale Damage | ||