VMS Help INITIALIZE, /QUEUE, Qualifiers, /CHARACTERISTICS  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

       /CHARACTERISTICS=(characteristic[,...])
       /NOCHARACTERISTICS (default)

    Specifies one or more characteristics for processing jobs on
    an execution queue. If you specify only one characteristic,
    you can omit the parentheses. If a queue does not have all the
    characteristics that have been specified for a job, the job
    remains pending. Each time you specify the /CHARACTERISTICS
    qualifier, all previously set characteristics are cancelled. Only
    the characteristics specified with the qualifier are established
    for the queue.

    Queue characteristics are installation specific. The
    characteristic parameter can be either a value from 0 to
    127 or a characteristic name that has been defined by the
    DEFINE/CHARACTERISTIC command.

    The /NOCHARACTERISTICS qualifier cancels any settings previously
    established by the /CHARACTERISTICS qualifier for that queue.