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DataCygnus 4.5.24.6 “Corona Borealis” + WillpowerNov 23, 2026Tech tree 4.5.2 →

Stellaris 4.5.2 traditions

Stellaris 4.5.2 has 33 tradition trees with 168 traditions: 24 trees any empire may pick (some only for gestalt or other empire types) and 9 opened by ascension perks. An empire adopts up to 7; each tree has an adoption bonus, five traditions and a completion bonus, paid for with unity.

Tradition trees

Adaptability
Adopt: -10% Pop Housing Usage (Not: Wilderness empire), -10% Construction Time (Wilderness empire)
Enhanced RecyclingSurvival of the FittestEnvironmental DiversificationAdaptive EcologyAppropriation
Aptitude
Adopt: +1 Additional Leader Trait Options, Agenda: Leadership Conditioning
The Empire Needs You!Specialist TrainingPsychological ProfilingHealthcare ProgramChampions of the Empire
Archivism
Adopt: -50% Exhibit Unlocking Cost, +5% Anomaly Discovery Chance
Xeno-PaleontologyFrontier ArchaeologyExpert NegotiationFlawless DisplayExhibition Specialization
Commerce
Adopt: -20% Upkeep for Traders, Agenda: Open Markets
Trickle Up EconomicsCommercial EnterpriseAdaptive Economic PoliciesMarketplace of Better IdeasInsider Trading
Diplomacy
Adopt: -50% Diplomatic Agreement Influence Upkeep, -25% Diplomatic Influence Cost
The FederationEntente CoordinationDiplomatic NetworkingDirect DiplomacyEminent Diplomats
Discovery
Adopt: +20% Anomaly Research Speed, Agenda: Chart the Unknown
To Boldly GoDatabank UplinksScience DivisionPolytechnic EducationEntertainment Labs
Domestication
Adopt: +20% Resources Produced from Farmers, -10% Space Fauna Ship Cloning Cost
Containment ProtocolsBio-RepurposingAstrozoologyMetabolic RegulationKiller Instinct
Domination
Adopt: +5% Worker Pop Resource Output, +5% Job Efficiency for Slaves
Colonial ViceroysImperious ArchitectureJudgment CorpsPrivy CouncilWorkplace Motivators
Enmity
Adopt: +1 Maximum Rivalries, Agenda: Second Strike
Rise to the OccasionConsummate ContrarianMatchOutpaceEclipse
Expansion
Adopt: +25% Colony Development Speed (Not: Wilderness empire; Not: Nomadic empire), -20% Habitat Alloys Upkeep (Not: Wilderness empire; Not: Nomadic empire)
Reach for the StarsColonization FeverCourier NetworkGalactic AmbitionA New Life
Fortification
Adopt: +2 Station Capacity, +50% Station Upgrade Speed
Resistance is FrugalNever SurrenderBulwark of HarmonyDefensive ZealFortress Doctrine
Harmony
Adopt: -10% Pop Upkeep, Agenda: Inner Stability
Mind and BodyKinshipThe Greater GoodHarmonious DirectivesUtopian Dream
Logistics
Adopt: +5% Job Efficiency for Logistic Drones, Agenda: Open Markets
Nested CoordinationDistributed Delivery SystemsAutonomous MaintenanceGalactic Exchange EfficienciesPredictive Resupply Patterns
Politics
Adopt: +1 Envoy Capacity, Agenda: Pioneer Politics
Quid Pro QuoGravitasNational AgendaPersistent PetitionersExtraordinary Powers
Prosperity
Adopt: +20% Resources Produced from Mining Stations, Agenda: Favored Society
Administrative OperationsStandard Construction TemplatesThe Pursuit of ProfitInterstellar FranchisingPublic Works Division
Statecraft
Adopt: +50 Edict Fund, Agenda: Departmental Efficiency
Constitutional FocusInspiring AgendasImmutable DirectivesAmongst PeersShared Benefits
Subterfuge
Adopt: -25% Operation Infiltration Cost, +1 Codebreaking
Information SecurityOperational SecurityNon-Disclosure AgreementDouble AgentsShadow Recruits
Supremacy
Adopt: +20 Naval Capacity, +20% Army Damage
Master ShipwrightsFleet Logistics CorpsOverwhelming ForceWar GamesThe Great Game
Synchronicity
Adopt: -10% Pop Upkeep (Not: Wilderness empire), -10% District Upkeep (Wilderness empire)
Cloned OrgansSynchronized AgentsIntegrated PreservationFlexible Thought RoutinesCollective Reasoning
Versatility
Adopt: -10% Upkeep for Roboticists, Agenda: Self Maintenance
Universal CompatibilityAdaptive ProgrammingSpatial OptimizationMaterial AnalysisOperational Proxies
Modularity
Adopt: +0.1 Living Metal Produced per 100 Metallurgists, Agenda: Reshape Form
High-Speed ReplacementsLiquid Metal JointsPacification ModulesHigh-Level EnhancementsAdvanced Tools
Nanotech
Adopt: Agenda: Unstoppable Swarm, Available Buildings: Nanite Research Facility Available Starbase Buildings: Nanite Harvester
Aggregation SystemsMolecular ReconfigurationUnbridled ConsumptionFlood of SupremacyNanite Augmentations
Virtuality
Adopt: +2 Codebreaking, +2 Encryption
Clustered CapacityData-Driven Logic LoopsCapacity SynchronizationProductivity SimulationsAdvanced Server Maintenance
Tradition Dummy
Adopt: -10% Pop Upkeep, -10% Pop Amenities Usage
Environmental IntegrationHeightened AttributesArtificial PopulationSomatic SubversivenessImperfection RemediationBiochemical ComposureRegenerative CloningNucleotide Isolation

Ascension trees

Trees whose conditions name an ascension perk: they open with that ascension path.

Cloning
Adopt: Agenda: Replication Initiative
Evolutionary ExtrapolationSomatic SynthesizationFlexible Tradition IFlexible Tradition IIIFlexible Tradition II
Needs the Biomorphosis perk
Cybernetics (base)
Adopt: Agenda: Cybernetic Advantage, Starts a Situation to grant the founding species the Cybernetic trait
Transubstantiation SynthesisMetabolic ReprocessingIntegrated AnatomyAugmentation OverloadModular Cybernetics
Needs the The Flesh is Weak perk
Cybernetics (assimilator)
Adopt: Agenda: Cybernetic Advantage, Assimilating Organic Pops now generates Engineering Research. Resources generated from Assimilating Organic Pops are increased.
Inevitable AssimilationMetabolic ReprocessingIntegrated AnatomyAugmentation CentersModular Cybernetics
Needs the The Flesh is Weak perk
Genetics
Adopt: Agenda: Genetic Pursuit, Clone Vats produce an additional +1.5 Monthly Organic Pop Growth, with a corresponding increase in Upkeep.
Genetic ResequencingEngineered GenesisAllelic ExpressionRetroviral ManipulationStem Cell Stimulation
Needs the Biomorphosis perk
Mutation
Adopt: Agenda: Divergence Directive, Founder Species gains the Adaptive Mutations Species Trait
Flexible Tradition IPlanned PolymorphismFlexible Tradition IIFlexible Tradition IIIUnnatural Selection
Needs the Biomorphosis perk
Psionics (base)
Adopt: Agenda: Psionic Supremacy, All pops from your primary species will gain the Latent Psionic trait.
Psi CorpsMind ReadersGreat AwakeningBreach the ShroudShrouded Communications
Needs the Mind Over Matter perk
Psionics (shroud)
Adopt: Agenda: Psionic Supremacy, Starts a Situation to grant the founding species the Psionic trait.
Psi CorpsGreat AwakeningTelekinesisClairvoyancePsychometry
Needs the Mind Over Matter perk
Purity
Adopt: +20% Leader Lifespan, Agenda: Perfection Protocols
Genotype RegenerationExemplary GeneticsFlexible Tradition IFlexible Tradition IIFlexible Tradition III
Needs the Biomorphosis perk
Synthetics
Adopt: Agenda: Synthetic Yield
Maintenance ProtocolsOptimization AlgorithmsTransubstantiation SynthesisEfficient Power SystemsPrefabricated Components
Needs the Synthetic Evolution perk
BiomorphosisThe Flesh is WeakOrgano-Machine InterfacingOrgano-Machine InterfacingMind Over MatterSynthetic EvolutionSynthetic Age

What a tradition costs

Our reading of the formula the game's defines spell out in a comment: cost = 300 + (8 × traditions taken)^1.8 unity (TRADITION_COST_AMOUNTS, TRADITION_COST_TRADITION, TRADITION_COST_TRADITION_EXP), then +0.2% per point of empire size above the base (EMPIRE_SIZE_TRADITION_COST_PENALTY) and the galaxy's tradition cost setting.

How it's counted

Whether adoptions count among the traditions taken is not said.

Traditions takenNext costs (unity, base)
0300
1342
51,065
102,964
155,827
209,577
2514,163
3019,548
3525,703
4032,605
4540,234

Traditions: questions

How many tradition trees can you have in Stellaris?

7 (TRADITION_CATEGORIES_MAX, Stellaris 4.5.2). Every finished tree's completion bonus also opens an ascension perk slot.

How much do traditions cost?

By the defines' formula, 300 unity for the first and 2,964 after ten, before empire size (+0.2% per point above the base) and the galaxy setting.

Source: common/tradition_categories, common/traditions, common/defines, Stellaris Cygnus v4.5.2 (9776).

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