Each character has four attributes, each with their own value. These attributes determine how well characters perform as the 
ruler and when appointed to 
positions and can also affect various events triggers and outcomes, with higher attributes almost always better. Each attribute has a base value that is mostly accumulated over the course of a character's childhood, though it can still change during adulthood through various events and mission tasks, and then are modified by a character's traits and character modifiers.
Martial
Martial represents the character's ability to fight and lead troops. Characters with high martial skills make excellent generals.
For each point of martial, a character gets the following bonuses:
Attraction as Heir: +2
Monthly Populares Conviction: +0.01
Monthly Oligarchic Conviction: +0.01
If the character is a Ruler (or co-ruler/consort with a higher attribute), the following bonuses are also applied to the country for every point of martial:
Manpower Recovery Speed: +1%
Army Morale Recovery Speed: +1%
If the character is a general, the following bonuses are also applied to the cohorts they command for every point of martial:
Assault Ability: +5%
Cohort Loyalty Gain Chance: +0.10
Enslavement Efficiency: +1%
If the character is a admiral, the following bonuses are also applied to the ships they command for every point of martial:
Ship Capture Chance: +0.5%- Enslavement Efficiency: +1%
Finesse
Finesse represents the character's skill in disciplines requiring a high attention to detail. High finesse characters make excellent governors.
For each point of finesse, a character gets the following bonuses:
Monthly Statesmanship: +0.025%- Attraction as Heir: +1
Monthly Boni Conviction: +0.01
Monthly Traditionalist Conviction: +0.01
If the character is a Ruler (or co-ruler/consort with a higher attribute), the following bonuses are also applied to the country for each point of finesse:
Build Cost: -2%
National Commerce Income: +2%
If the character is a governor, the following bonuses are also applied to their governorship region for each point of finesse:
Population Output: +2.5%
Governor policies are also scaled by the Governor's Finesse, according to the following formula:
- [math]\displaystyle{ \text{Effective Policy Modifier}=\frac{\text{Governor Finesse} + 1}{10} \cdot \text{Base Policy Modifier} }[/math]
Charisma
Charisma represents the character's ability to charm and persuade others. High Charisma characters often have an advantage when interacting with foreign countries.
For each point of charisma, the character gets the following bonuses:
Monthly Popularity: +0.025- Cohort Loyalty Gain Chance: +0.50
- Attraction as Heir: +2
- Monthly Populares Conviction: +0.01
Monthly Democratic Conviction: +0.02
If the character is a Ruler (or co-ruler/consort with a higher attribute), the following bonuses are also applied to the country for every point of charisma:
Claim Fabrication Speed: +0.20
Monthly Tyranny: -0.01
Zeal
Zeal represents the character's ability to inspire faith in other characters, and also in calling upon the favor of the gods.
For each point of zeal, the character gets the following bonuses:
- Attraction as Heir: +1
- Monthly Boni Conviction: +0.01
- Monthly Traditionalist Conviction: +0.02
If the character is a Ruler (or co-ruler/consort with a higher attribute), the following bonuses are also applied to the country for every point of zeal:
Monthly War Exhaustion: -0.01
Monthly Stability Change: +0.01
Other effects
Researchers
The effectiveness of researchers is determined by their attribute level in the field they are assigned to. Each corresponding attribute point that the researcher has will give a 
+10% research speed to progress in that field of advances, which can have a very significant effect on how quickly a nation's technology level advances.
Government Offices
Each government office is associated with a particular attribute, and the effectiveness of a character in that office depends largely on their skill in that attribute. Unlike other positions, this effectiveness is multiplied first by the character's statesmanship level, which means that a character with lower attributes but high can still outperform, at least in the short term, a character with higher attributes but lower statesmanship.
Tribal succession
Succession in a tribal country is determined by the attributes of the other 
clan chiefs when a ruler dies or is deposed. Each attribute has the following weight when determining a clan chief's succession score:
- Martial:
+2 succession support per point - Finesse: +1 succession support per point
- Charisma: +1.5 succession support per point
- Zeal: +1 succession support per point