Traits can be found on dropped items, and the best traits are found from Dungeon drops.
To craft a trait, you must 1st learn that trait for that type of item which takes some time. The more you attempt to learn traits a from a specific item type, the longer it takes....so start learning early to take advantage of the specialized crafting stations around the maps.
A trait and Enchant is different, so don't get them mixed up.
Traits are permanent bonuses, unlike enchants that run out of charge & must be recharged with Soul gems.

For example, a trait could be increased armor value of a piece of gear, ignoring xx% of enemy armor etc etc.

Honn wrote: »

Traits can be found on dropped items, and the best traits are found from Dungeon drops.
To craft a trait, you must 1st learn that trait for that type of item which takes some time. The more you attempt to learn traits a from a specific item type, the longer it takes....so start learning early to take advantage of the specialized crafting stations around the maps.
A trait and Enchant is different, so don't get them mixed up.
Traits are permanent bonuses, unlike enchants that run out of charge & must be recharged with Soul gems.

For example, a trait could be increased armor value of a piece of gear, ignoring xx% of enemy armor etc etc.

thanks i can finally understand this now

Elshiro wrote: »

So from what I understand, you research an item to learn its trait. But what are the items I find/deconstruct such as Emerald which is labeled as a "Armor Trait" item? Do I first need to learn the emerald's trait from researching, then use the emerald in crafting?

You get an item either a drop or one bought from another crafter, and research it. Its trait will be categorized under specific headings. For example, extra damage might be under the heading of "Sharpened" etc.
Now that you know the trait, you can craft an item, but only the type that you researched ( I.E one handed sword). This means that you cannot add this trait to a bow, because the bow trait was not researched, only the one handed sword.

I don't know which materials are needed to craft each trait, but yes, the trait will cost a material item to craft it, like the Emerald that you mentioned. These items can be found throughout the world, and randomly obtained via deconstructing items. You have a better chance of obtaining crafting items if you invest skill points into the craft in question. They may also be purchased from the crafting merchant (if Im remembering correctly).

so in short...
1) Aquire item
2) Research
3) Obtain required material
4) Craft new item (same as the one you researched) with the trait.

Note: The best traits are apparently on Dungeon drops, but the best stats on gear is from crafted gear. So its going to be a choice on whether the trait is more worth while than the stats for your purposes.
Dungeon drops can be improved via crafting, but will not be as good as improved crafted stats. Also, crafted traits are not as good as Dungeon drops.

I hope this answers your questions. If not, I suggest you google Elderscrolls online Traits and browse through the sites it pulls up.

Each trait type, there are like 8 have to be researched for each item individually, the reason for this seems pretty obvious, to make sure people specialize. You could learn all traits in all crafting but it would take an enormous amount of time.

FYI, I believe you'll need to know specific traits to craft set items.

csillver_ESO wrote: »

Traits effect the process youre doing as long as you are using the item correct? i.e. damage reduction vs fire, speed boost etc? Do they stack? Speed boost gloves with speed boots greaves?

You seem to be talking about enchantments, but yes, both traits and enchantments stack without restriction, as far as I know. And you have to wear an item to gain its bonuses, whatever they are.

when I have researched traits on a specific item (say a greatsword) and am crafting that item, I can create it but there is an "x' in the traits spot and no apparent way to access and select a trait or traits for that item. I realize it must be the same item that was researched but nothing I do accesses researched traits..what am I doing wrong? (E.G. I get "sturdy" from a pair of iron sabotons but when i go to make iron sabatons (boots) the "sturdy" trait doesn't show up anywhere...:(

Since I made that post, I realized needing a gem, however, now I see the gem location and type but if I don't have it, then it is blacked out. That said, now how do I find more and a variety of gems besides deconstructing items with those characteristics, which is a needle in a haystack approach...I like a well rounded character so spending skill points to improve my blacksmithing is a dime-in-a-candy-shop sort of issue (that dates me)....any and all suggestions welcome!

I have put points into all the passives associated with black smithing, and am at the level where I can craft using orichalcum. When I try to craft a level 26 weapon (3 levels above my current level), and put a trait on it, I am unable to do so- all traits are blacked out and the comment "must be researched" beneath. My problem is that I have researched at least 2 traits for every weapon, and I have in the bank the appropriate gemstone for each trait. I have no idea why I cannot add any trait. I had no trouble adding a trait to a weapon of my level, so I'm wondering of that is the issue, but I can't imagine that crafters would be restricted to only crafting for their own level or lower. Any ideas?

Tirocupidus wrote: »

FYI, I believe you'll need to know specific traits to craft set items.

I have traits researched in a scatterbrained manner and I have not had any troubles creating set items at locations provided I meet the minimum number of traits researched count.

beryllium wrote: »

Since I made that post, I realized needing a gem, however, now I see the gem location and type but if I don't have it, then it is blacked out. That said, now how do I find more and a variety of gems besides deconstructing items with those characteristics, which is a needle in a haystack approach...I like a well rounded character so spending skill points to improve my blacksmithing is a dime-in-a-candy-shop sort of issue (that dates me)....any and all suggestions welcome!

There should be somewhere on the crafting UI that you can check "Have Items". This way, it will only show which items you can craft as you have the necessary materials on hand or in your bank.

Trait stones are obtained a variety of ways. Thus far, the ones I have come across are listed below:

Refining materials - gives both weapon and armour trait stones.
Looting Heavy Sacks - random chance of looting trait stones among other crafting materials, so this is not a sure fire way of obtaining them.
Deconstructing traited items - seems to only give the trait stone associated with the trait on the item, and even then not every time.

Heavy sacks can be found in places such as dungeons and battlefields, usually hidden although some are in plain sight. If you tend to loot everything you see, you will begin to notice spawn locations for them.

As I harvest just about every node I come across, refining has been my most reliable source of trait stones. Granted, the stones received are random and it is unpredictable if I will receive any at all, but nonetheless it's something to consider.

Elshiro wrote: »

Note: The best traits are apparently on Dungeon drops, but the best stats on gear is from crafted gear. So its going to be a choice on whether the trait is more worth while than the stats for your purposes.
Dungeon drops can be improved via crafting, but will not be as good as improved crafted stats. Also, crafted traits are not as good as Dungeon drops.

That explains why I am having difficulty finding certain traits, I don't visit group dungeons at all aside from the public ones. Thank you for that insightful post.

Do not mix terms either.

Trait is an inherent modifier on the item that is added by crafting (there are 8, they add different perks)

Enchantment is a damage/armor, skill or stat modifier that is added to the item with a Glyph (typically flame/frost etc. damage, additional armor, +magick/stam/hlth)

Set Bonus is a bonus you gain from having X items with that set ability, 3 or 5, like Warlock, Ashen Grip, etc.