Quirks

Quirks

List of Quirks
-1 point

A "quirk" is a minor feature that sets you aside from others. It has a negative point value, but it is not necessarily a disadvantage. For instance, a major trait like Greed is a disadvantage. But if you insist on being paid in gold, that's a quirk.

You may take up to five quirks at -1 point apiece...and if you do, you will have five more points to spend. You can also "buy off" a quirk later on by paying 1 point, but as a rule, you shouldn't do that. Quirks might have a small cost, but they are a big part of what makes a character seem "real"!

Quirks can be either mental or physical. This distinction implies for quirks exactly what it implies for advantages and disadvantages.

Appearance Quirks

Distinctive Features

You have a physical feature – e.g., "Brilliant blue hair" – that makes you stand out in a crowd. This gives -1 to your Disguise and Shadowing skills, and +1 to others' attempts to identify or follow you. Some Distinctive Features may stem from full-blown disadvantages. For instance, an albino (someone with no natural body pigment, resulting in pink eyes and pink white hair and skin) would also have Weakness (Sunlight). Compare Supernatural Features and Unnatural Features.

Hidden Scar

Prerequisite: Appearance of Attractive or better.

Your body has a noticeable and grotesque flaw, such as a huge scar or patch of severe skin disease, that is normally covered up by the regular, every-day clothing appropriate to your culture and social station. You can have any Appearance better than Average, but while you are naked or your flaw is otherwise exposed, you are temporarily treated as being three Appearance steps lower (e.g. Very Beautiful becomes Average, Beautiful becomes Unattractive, etc.).

The GM has the final say on what is noticeable and grotesque enough to impact your Appearance when it is visible. This Quirk typically negates the Bulletproof Nudity cinematic option.

Hollywood Homely

Prerequisite: Appearance of Attractive or better.

You are either completely unaware of how attractive you are or you don't really care about how you look. For all intents and purposes, you have a -1 to your Appearance bonus to your Reaction modifier, unless you take the time to dress in anything other than baggy or unflattering clothing, and hence revealing the inner hottie. (Even then, you may not realize how attractive you really are!)

This is incompatible with Sensitive About Appearance (below), as the latter assumes that you are aware of your own Appearance level.

Scruffy-Looking

The reverse of Sartorial Integrity. Your clothes are always at lest disheveled and often worse. If someone dresses you well, it may last a little while, then you revert to type. Gives -1 reactions from the grooming-conscious, which often include police and military types.

Sensitive About Appearance

The character has one aspect of his appearance that he or she is extremely self-conscious about. This must be an observable physical trait (height, weight, wrinkles, a facial scar, bad teeth, etc.), though it doesn't necessarily have to be bad enough to justify below average Appearance. Negative comments or jokes about this aspect of the character's appearance cause him/her to get upset and possibly lash out.

Unusual Body Shape

The shape of your body is unusual for your setting. This could be someone who is morbidly obese, or in some settings (particularly those filled with anthopomorphics) your neck or limbs are at an unusual angle compared to the rest of the body; for example, a vulture anthro could have his neck at a 90 degree angle compared to his shoulders. (It is also suitable for any character – male or female – drawn by Rob Leifeld.) This increases the cost of replacement clothing by +10% due to tailoring.

Vanity

You are obsessed with your good looks, to the point where you find any minor flaw to detract from them, especially if the flaw does not necessitate a reduction in Appearance (for flaws that can but are normally hidden, see Hidden Scar, above). This is the prototypical Mary Sue trait of that one minor flaw that you obsess over that no one else seems to care about or notice (in fact, some may even find the flaw attractive!), such as a small one centimeter long scar that's barely visible on that one corner of your mouth.

Mental Quirks

Mental quirks are minor personality traits. They are a contract between you and the GM: "I agree to roleplay these character foibles. In return, you agree to give me a few extra points to spend." However, you must roleplay them. If you take the quirk "Dislikes heights," but blithely climb trees and cliffs whenever you need to, the GM will penalize you for bad roleplaying. The points you lose this way will cost you much more than you earned for taking the quirk. So don't choose a quirk you aren't willing to roleplay!

This doesn't mean the GM should be inflexible about mental quirks. A player should be allowed to change a quirk if something happens during play to justify a noticeable change in his character's personality. The GM should also allow players to leave a few of their five "quirk slots" open during character creation and fill them in after the first couple of play sessions. The most interesting quirks often emerge as the result of roleplaying!

To qualify as a mental quirk, a personality trait must meet one of two criteria:

• It requires a specific action, behavior, or choice on your part from time to time. This need not take hours, or be especially inconvenient, but it must be something that you can act out in the course of the game; it cannot be totally passive.
• It gives you a small penalty very occasionally, or to a narrow set of actions. Negotiate the game effects with the GM. You may take almost any mundane mental disadvantage at quirk level, in which case the rules for that disadvantage are used as guidelines, although the effects will be much less severe.

Example: "Wears black" is not a valid quirk – it is completely passive, and there are no negative side effects. "Dresses like the stereotypical necromancer" is a permissible quirk if the player and GM agree that it gives -1 to reactions from unusually pious folk.

Adrenaline Junkie

You crave excitement. You are not On the Edge (yet), as the risks you take are not normally life-threatening, if the properprecautions are taken – bungee jumping, skydiving, etc. This may be a Quirk-level Addiction to an activity.

Always Smiles

A trait appropriate for Ghurkas and other similar people. You can be ankle deep in bits of grue, coated in someone's blood, and under fire from a machine gun, and you'll still be smiling. The only times you stop are at funerals and other such events where it's expected that you'll be respectful.

Attentive

You tend to stick to one task until it's done. You get a +1 bonus when working on lengthy tasks, but -3 to notice any important interruption!

Bad With Names

You have a terrible time remembering the names of other people, and/or connecting them with faces. People you've met before look familiar to you, and you may even remember who they are and how you know them, but more often than not you don't remember their names. The more time that passes since last meeting with someone, the less likely you are to remember that person's name.

Blackouts

Whilst under altered mental states (drunk, under the effects of Bad Temper, Berserk, etc. pick one!) you often suffer memory loss; at any point more than a day beyond the event you must make a Will+1 roll to remember the basic scheme of events, whilst any memories which would normally take an IQ roll to recall are unrecoverable short of GM fiat or direct exposure to the cause of those memories (or part thereof).

Broad-Minded

A trivial form of Xenophilia. You get along well with other races and species, and strange looks rarely bother you.

Careful

A quirk-level version of Cowardice. You are naturally cautious, always on the lookout for danger. You dedicate extra time and money to preparations before venturing into a dangerous situation.

Chauvinistic

An extremely low level of Intolerance. You are always aware of differences in sex, skin color, etc. even if you do not actually react poorly to others. Thin-skinned individuals might occasionally react to you at -1 as a result.

Code of Honor

You may take a minor Code of Honor as a quirk. For instance, you might insist on exhibiting "gentlemanly" behavior toward all females, or spurning "chauvinistic" behavior from all males.

Congenial

This is a milder version of Chummy. You like company and you work well with others. You always choose group action over individual action.

Delusions

You may take a completely trivial Delusion as a quirk. This does not affect your everyday behavior, and is unlikely to be noticed by casual acquaintances, but you must believe it! Examples: "The Earth is flat." "The Pentagon controls the Boy Scouts and the health food stores." "Socks cause diseases of the feet."

Dislikes

You can have any of the Phobias on at the level of a mere "dislike." If you dislike something, you must avoid it whenever possible, but it does not actually harm you as a Phobia would. Dislikes don't have to be watered-down Phobias. There is a whole world full of things to dislike: carrots, cats, clowns, neckties, violence, telephones, telephone solicitors, income tax...

Distractible

Quirk-level Short Attention Span. You are easily distracted, and don't do well on long-term projects. You are at -1 when rolling to accomplish long tasks.

Dreamer

You have a -1 on any long task, because you tend to spend time thinking of better ways to do it, rather than working.

Dull

You are not quite Hidebound, but you tend to stick with tried and true methods.

Easily Seduced

1 point/level

As the name implies, you are easily swayed by attempts at seduction. You have a -1 to Will rolls per level of this quirk to resist seduction attempts.

Enamored

You are smitten with a person who may or may not be aware of your affections. You will do what you can within reason to be with or near this person whenever possible.

Forgetful

You often forget some of your abilities, skills, or equipment, and thus fail to use them when they would be a good solution to aproblem. This is only a Quirk because it leaves the choice of when to forget an ability at the player's discretion, rather than slowing down play with extra dice rolls. On the other hand, the GM can certainly "award" this Quirk to a player who consistently loses track of what's on the character sheet!

Habits or Expressions

Saying "Jehoshaphat!" or "Bless my collar-button" constantly...or carrying a silver piece that you flip into the air...or never sitting with your back to the door.

Habitual Bargainer

You don't always bargain, and you don't shop around for the best deal, but when the opportunity arises to haggle you won't turn it down.

Humble

A weak form of Selfless. You tend to put the concerns of others, or of the group, before your own.

Imaginative

You are a font of ideas, and are more than willing to share them with others! They may or may not be good ideas, of course...

Immodest

You have no sense of modesty. This commonly means you walk around the house completely naked, talk crudely, etc, whenever you have the opportunity. You have enough common sense in order to "fake" modesty around others; if you do not have this common sense, consider taking Odious Personal Habits instead.

Incompetence

You are inept at one specific skill. You cannot learn that skill, and your default is at an extra -4. You cannot be incompetent in a single specialty of a skill; if you are incompetent with Guns, for instance, you are incompetent with all guns. The GM may disallow Incompetence if the skill would be irrelevant to a given character, or is unlikely to play a role in the campaign.

Incorrigible Flirt

You flirt with anyone you find attractive. This isn't truly Lecherousness, as you are not actually serious about the passes you make, and nine times out of ten the flirting doesn't lead to anything besides harmless fun in a social situation. Still, it may give -1 to Reaction rolls when dealing with people who are socially repressed, or who have an emotional investment in the people you're flirting with.

Likes

If you like something, you will seek it out whenever possible. Gadgets, kittens, shiny knives, ceramic owls, fine art...whatever. This is not a compulsion – just a preference.

Loud Singer

The shower is your amphitheater! Whether or not you have points in Singing – or the Incompetence Quirk for Singing, for that matter – any time you burst into song, you sing loud enough to wake up the neighborhood.

Mild OCD

You have a low-grade form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. You tend to ruminate on things when under stress and perform minor rituals to take your mind off whatever is bothering you (compulsively cleaning, talking the situation out over and over again, checking everything three times, etc.). This occasionally imposes a -1 penalty on reaction rolls if onlookers find the obsession totally strange or unwarranted.

Minor Addiction

You may take Addiction as a quirk, if you are addicted to a drug that causes psychological dependency and works out to 0 points under the Addiction rules.

Never Smiles

This is the opposite of Always Smiles, above. No matter your own emotions, you always have a perpetual scowl – or at best a neutral expression – on your face. (This is the most common trait for any character drawn by Rob Leifeld...besides the lack of realistic body proportions, that is, but there's a Quirk for that, too! See Unusual Body Shape, above.)

No Sex Drive

Also known as "Sexual Orientation (Asexual)" (see below). You still possess the normal reproductive organs of your gender and race. However, you completely lack the desire to find companionship, whether in your own or the opposite gender. While this gives you a +2 bonus to resist seduction attempts, it also results in a -2 reaction penalty from those who are trying to flirt, entice, or possibly even get your attention as well as those, at least those who also lack this Quirk, who witness any said attempts.

Nosy

A lesser version of Curious. You are always poking your nose into corners and everyone else's business (which is likely to result in a small reaction penalty once in a while).

Not Until My First Cup!

Regardless of what time it is when you wake up or your normal personality, you're a total grouch to everyone until you get at least one cup of coffee (or other drink of your choice, e.g. tea or cola) in you. Until you finish that first cup of coffee, you react to everyone as if you had Bad Temper.

Obsessions

You may take an almost-rational and not especially unusual Obsession as a quirk, to reflect a minor goal. For instance, you hope to get just enough money to buy a farm (or boat, or spaceship, or castle) of your own.

OUCH!

Whenever your character suffers a minor injury, dealing no more than 1 point of damage (e.g. paper cuts, a bonk on the head, stepping on a tack), or any open wound is being treated, he must make a Will roll or cry out as if he had Low Pain Threshold. This is not incompatible with High Pain Threshold. (For example, think of any cinematic hero who can take bullets and third degree burns without flinching, but then cries like a little girl when antiseptic is rubbed on a minor scratch.)

Personality Change

This is quirk-level Split Personality. You suffer from a full-blown mental disadvantage, but only in circumstances that are normally under your control; e.g., Bully when you drink too much, or Pyromania when you cast your Create Fire spell.

Picky Eater

You prefer most of the food you eat to be prepared or presented in a certain way, and aren't shy about letting people know when something isn't up to your standards. Characters with this Quirk who eat out will almost always annoy their servers and cooks with highly specific orders. (e.g. "Can you make sure the bread is warm, but not toasted?" "This is medium, I specifically asked for medium well." "I can't eat bananas this under ripe.")

Proud

This is Selfish at quirk level. Individual success, wealth, or social standing concerns you greatly. NPCs with this quirk react at -1 to orders, insults, or social slights.

Rapid Talker

You talk a mile a minute. This occasionally causes a -1 reaction penalty as others attempt to follow what you're saying, and you are often asked to slowly repeat yourself.

Republic Senator

You argue solely because you love to argue! Any chance you get, within reason, you find an opposing viewpoint to someone and debate it with them. Note that you don't necessarily have to believe the viewpoint you're taking! This can be considered a Quirk level Compulsive Behavior (Debating).

Name taken from Star Wars, but can apply just as easily to the Roman Republic, British Parliament, US Congress, or a high school/collegiate debate team captain. Another name could be "Devil's Advocate."

Responsive

A mild case of Charitable. You are able to imagine the feelings and motivations of others – and all other things being equal, you are inclined to help them.

Rule-Breaker

The adage "rules are meant to be broken" is more than just a phrase to you. While you won't intentionally do anything that harms anyone else, you're the kind to carry a cell phone in school, drive without a license, and cut across other people's property instead of using a sidewalk. This gives a -1 reaction penalty from those with Honesty, but on occasion your blatant disregard for the rules comes in handy.

Sexual Orientation

Your sexual orientation is not a standard orientation in your setting. The most common options are Heterosexual (attracted to the opposite gender), Homosexual (attracted to the same gender), or Bisexual (attracted to both the same and opposite genders). Races with more than two genders may have additional orientations. (Asexual orientation is more commonly handled using the No Sex Drive Quirk above.) Note that in many cases this historically led to Social Stigmas – Second-Class Citizen, Minority Group, Excommunicated, and Disowned are most common; some might even go so far as to grant Criminal Record (e.g. many homosexuals were imprisoned in the 1950s under anti-sodomy laws).

Please note that some historical cultures embraced variant orientations; the ancient Greeks, for example, did not shun homosexuality or bisexuality.

Show-Off

You like the attention your activities bring you, and you try to do things with a flair and a touch of theatrics.

Simply Not Funny

Similar to No Sense of Humor, but milder. You get jokes and laugh at them, but you don't understand how to tell them. Every one of your quips, jokes, and witticisms falls flat.

Slowly I Turn

Similar to Not Until My First Cup! above, but different in that the Bad Temper is triggered by one very specific pet peeve rather than mitigated by a substance.

Speed Freak

You like to go fast. Fast cars, fast airplanes, fast motorcycles, roller coasters, fast skis; the means does not matter, so long as you're able to feel the wind in your face or push the envelope of your vehicle to where it threatens to shake itself apart.

Staid

You may take this very low level of Incurious as a quirk. You are likely to ignore matters that don't immediately affect you.

Stop Having Fun, Guys!

The adage "it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game" is definitely not true for you. When engaged in a sport, game, or other competitive activity, you don't play for fun. You play to win.

Note that this has the potential to become a full-fledged Odious Personal Habit, so be careful with how it's played.

Teetotaler

You avoid alcoholic beverages on general principles, whether due to religious reasons, you're a recovering alcoholic, or simply because you don't care for the taste. Note that if you take this to an extreme and try to tell others not to drink, you're edging into an Odious Personal Habit.

Third Person

You don't seem to know the words "I" or "me", and possibly also "my" or "mine"! You habitually call yourself by your name or alias. This is especially suited to campaigns that have a distinct "campy" style, but some characters with Megalomania or a lower than average IQ have this regardless of genre.

Examples: Julius Caesar, characters from Puppet Master RPG.

Tone Deaf

1 point/level

Each level gives a -1 modifier to musical ability rolls, including the Musical Instrument and Singing skills. Note that this is not Incompetence, and you may still possess high levels of these skills.

Trademark

A quirk-level Trademark takes almost no time to leave, cannot be used to trace your identity, and can be overlooked when inconvenient.

Traditional/Ethnic Diet

Whether due to upbringing or conscious choice, you follow the traditional or ethnic diet of a particular region or population group. This may be following kosher Jewish dietary laws, traditional Chinese or Japanese food preparation, or similar. This is only a quirk if the rules you follow are not the norm in your game setting.

Uncongenial

A lesser version of Loner. You prefer to be alone. You always choose individual action over group action.

Willfully Anachronistic

You are fully capable of using equipment to your Tech Level, you just won't for some reason (usually financial, but can be a simple dislike for such things). For example, you disdain Facebook and smart-phones for e-mail and regular "dumb" cellphones.) Usually limited to a few device types.

Vow

A trivial Vow – e.g., never drink alcohol, treat all ladies with courtesy, or pay 10% of your income to your church – is a quirk.

Physical Quirks

Physical quirks are physical disadvantages that are only mildly or rarely limiting. They do not require roleplaying, but they give specific, minor penalties in play.

Unlike mental quirks, you cannot normally change physical quirks – that would make no more sense than exchanging One Eye for One Hand, under most circumstances. Also, you must define physical quirks when you create your character; you cannot use them to fill open "quirk slots" once the campaign begins.

Acceleration Weakness

You are susceptible to the bad effects of extreme acceleration, and get -3 to HT rolls to avoid them.

Alcohol Intolerance

Alcohol "goes right to your head." You become intoxicated much more quickly than normal. You get -2 on any HT roll related to drinking.

Bowlegged

You are bowlegged. This doesn't normally affect Move, but you have -1 to Jumping skill. This quirk may elicit a -1 reaction from those who think it looks funny.

Cannot Float

You always sink in water. This is most applicable to machines, but it might also afflict fantasy races or result from a curse.

Horrible Hangovers

You suffer an additional -3 to any penalties the GM assesses for excessive drinking the previous evening, and add three hours to hangover duration.

Minor Addiction

You may take Addiction as a quirk, if you are addicted to a drug that causes physiological dependency and works out to 0 points under the Addiction rules.

Minor Handicaps

You may take most mundane physical disadvantages at quirk level; for instance, you could use a watered-down version of Lame for a "bum knee." Difficulties rarely crop up, but are genuinely inconvenient when they do. If you have this kind of handicap, the GM may give you -1 to attribute, skill, or reaction rolls, as appropriate, in situations where it would logically interfere.

Nervous Stomach

You have -3 to HT rolls to avoid illness (typically in the form of attribute penalties or vomiting) brought on by rich or spicy food, strong drink, etc.

Neutered or Sexless

You are missing sex organs that someone of your race, sex, and age would normally possess – or perhaps you are a genuinely sexless being that only looks like someone of a particular race and sex. This might qualify you for reduced appearance, Social Stigma, or Unnatural Features in some settings. However, there are minor benefits: you are immune to seduction and will never accidentally become a parent. This is more than simple sterility (which is a feature worth 0 points).

Supernatural Quirks

Realistic Weirdness Magnet

If something possible but improbable is to happen, it happens to you. This is very inconvenient, and can cause headaches, but is never life-threatening or even dangerous. Example: You get a job at a help desk call center and are told that the majority of your calls will be 'routine' 'how do I...?' calls; while this is often true for your coworkers, you won't get a 'routine' call except once in a blue moon! If a call comes in that there is no procedure for, it'll invariably come in on your phone. This is inconvenient, headache-inducing, never life-threatening, and can trigger Bad Temper self-control rolls, but never anything more than that.