Attributes are characteristics which improve a character's effectiveness in combat. Each profession has access to ten attributes, with nine being common across all professions and one being profession-specific.
Primary attributes increase automatically when a level is gained. All attributes can be increased by investing in traits, through wearing equipment and in PvE, through the use of consumables.
1 Primary attributes
All professions have four common primary attributes, two offensive and two defensive. Attributes grow with level, starting with 24 in each at level 1. Each level up through level 9 grants 4 points to each attribute; levels 10–19 grant 6 points each; 20–29, 8 points; ... 70–79, 18 points; 80, 20 points. The total by level 80 is 916 in each attribute for all professions.
In addition, primary attributes can be increased by spending points in a relevant trait line or from equipment.
* Power — every point increases attack by one point.
* Precision — increases critical hit chance.
* Toughness — every point increases armor by one point.
* Vitality — every point increases maximum health by ten points.
2 Secondary attributes
There are five secondary attributes common to all professions; three are offensive and two are defensive. In contrast to the primary attributes, secondary attributes do not automatically increase as characters gain levels. They can be increased by spending points in the relevant trait line or with equipment bonuses.
* Boon Duration — Improves the duration of all boons applied by the character.
* Condition Damage — Improves the damage done by conditions like burning, poison, confusion, and bleeding.
* Condition Duration — Improves the duration of all conditions inflicted by the character.
* Critical Damage — Improves the damage multiplier on critical strikes.
* Healing Power — Improves all outgoing heals that your character does, including self heals.
3 Profession attributes
There are eight profession specific attributes, which can be used only by characters of the corresponding profession. Similar to secondary attributes, profession attributes do not automatically improve as characters gain levels. They can be increased by spending trait points in a corresponding trait line.
* Virtue Recharge Rate — Reduces the recharge on all virtues; linked to Virtues.
* Burst Damage — Improves the damage of warrior burst attacks; linked to Discipline.
* Tool Belt Recharge Rate — Reduces the recharge on all tool belt skills; linked to Tools.
* Pet Attribute Bonus — Improves pet attributes; linked to Beastmastery.
* Steal Recharge Rate — Reduces the recharge of the steal ability; linked to Trickery.
* Attunement Recharge Rate — Reduces the recharge of the four elemental attunements; linked to Arcana.
* Shredding Recharge Rate — Reduces the recharge on all shatter skills; linked to Illusions.
* Life Force Pool — Increases the size of the necromancer’s life force pool; linked to Soul Reaping.