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 (max. up to -4) 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.

Willful Ignorance

You accept an erroneous bit of hearsay, folk wisdom, or a fictional "realism" as fact; e.g., "Blondes are dumb," "Dogs can't look up," or "A shotgun blast can knock down a man or clear an entire room." You should roleplay this misconception whenever it would come up, but it isn't a Delusion – you're misinformed, not crazy – and the GM has options besides reaction penalties under suitable circumstances: he may "blindside" you by assessing -1 or +1 (whichever would inconvenience you more!) to some key roll. In the examples, a blonde might get +1 to almost any IQ-based roll made against you, a guard dog might receive +1 to find your hiding spot, or you might suffer -1 to hit with a shotgun when you burst in on a room full of bad guys.

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.

Convictions

A passionate investment in an idea – be it trivial or grandly cosmological – makes an excellent quirk. Those who understand such convictions can often exploit them; many of the traits below offer examples of this. The GM may require a skill roll before permitting such manipulation, if the quirk's subject is sufficiently abstruse. This might involve Law or Philosophy for a formal code, Occultism or Theology for faith or superstition, or a Professional Skill or Savoir-Faire specialty for an outlook associated with an occupation. Weirder possibilities abound, such as Hobby Skill (B Movies) for someone who styles his life on bad action flicks!

These traits are self-imposed stances, not psychiatric foibles like those under Mental Quirks. Thus, you may freely replace them or buy them off if your experiences inspire you to revise your thinking.

Belief

You subscribe to a specific way of seeing the world. This might involve deities, the absence of deities, or manmade ideals.

Atheist

You neither believe in higher powers nor observe an organized religion. This quirk most often works like Shocking Affectation, earning -1 on reactions from people with disadvantages or quirks suggesting faith (e.g., Religious). Unlike other Beliefs, it's more a catchall than a unified school of thought, so only those aware of why you made this choice are likely to react especially well or receive bonuses to manipulate you.

Philosophical

You take a particular worldly philosophy seriously and strive to live according to its principles. People familiar with its precepts sometimes have +1 to manipulate you – or you might roll at -1 to resist their efforts, earn -1 on reactions from opposed movements, or suffer -1 to self-control rolls if submitting to a disadvantage would be consistent with your ideals. When dealing with the local philosophical community, you enjoy +1 on reactions from peers who share your quirk and from its leaders, where applicable.

Be specific. You might pick "Stoic," "Secularist," "Marxist," "Postmodernist," or any of hundreds of other things. Political philosophies count; quirks like "Anarchist," "Die-hard Republican," and "Monarchist" are entirely valid.

Religious

You don't have full-fledged Disciplines of Faith, Fanaticism, Intolerance (Religious), etc., but you take your faith seriously. You'll try to avoid work (including adventuring!) on holy days, respect the clergy, contribute to the temple, and so forth.

You always pray when expected.

Attempts to manipulate you through this behavior (e.g., to surprise you by attacking during prayer) – including almost any Influence roll made by a priest of your religion – are at +1. Alternatively, the GM may give you -1 on your roll to avoid this, especially if that's a self-control roll for a disadvantage that aligns with your beliefs (many faiths preach virtues such as Charitable and Honesty). However, clergy who know you well react to you at +1, as do other Religious people in your congregation.

Specify your belief system when you take this quirk: "Observant Jew," "Devout Catholic," "Cultist of Azathoth," etc.

Code of Honor

A minor Code of Honor can be a quirk, especially if it qualifies on one or more of the following counts:

Casual. Codes of conduct that apply only to sports, hobbies, or leisure activities – bowling, camping, ice hockey, poker, roleplaying, surfing, etc. – are always quirks.

Diluted. Selected aspects of disadvantage-level Codes (Gentleman's, Chivalry, etc.) – e.g., exhibiting "gentlemanly" behavior toward all women – are quirks in a society that doesn't expect such conduct of you. Many mercenaries dilute the fight-or-die loyalty of Code of Honor (Soldier's) to "Stays bought."

Low-risk professional. Code of Honor (Professional) is just a quirk if deviating from it carries no risk of legal action or losing the right to practice. Most informal Codes that amount to "do my job well" qualify; e.g., Code of Honor (Pizza Deliveryman's), unless you're Hiro Protagonist. Even a formal Code counts if straying from it brings no fallout worse than losing a single client or a little pay.

Narrow. The strictest Code is just a quirk if it almost never applies. "My word is my bond" could be a serious disadvantage – but if it holds only when you give your word to leaders of very high Rank or Status, then its value is -1 point.

Your Code must still require behavior from you to be worth a point. As with similar quirks, the GM can invoke this to justify the occasional small penalty; e.g., an honorable card-player might have -1 to notice cheating, while a “gentlemanly” fellow may earn -1 on reactions from some feminists.

Legalistic

Quirk-level Honesty – sort of. You must obey the letter of the law, though you may ignore the spirit to seek loopholes or suggest crimes to others, and you feel no obligation to keep your word unless contract-bound. To break a law outright, you must make a self-control roll at 12 or less; failure means that the consequences of disobeying worry you more than those of obeying, and you refuse.

This quirk is irrelevant in lawless settings!

Superstition

You truly believe that one particular small ritual or omen is lucky or unlucky. Spell it out: "Four-leafed clovers are lucky," "Smashing a mirror is unlucky," "Women are bad luck aboard ships," etc. This might even be true in a supernatural-tinged campaign – it doesn't have to be a Delusion. This has no effect on your actions until it crosses your path on an adventure ...at which point you'll spend more time looking for fateful coincidences than at what’s in front of you.

This gives you -1 to DX, IQ, Per, and skill rolls (but not Will or active defense rolls!) until the Superstition proves true. If it concerns good luck, you have to succeed at "long odds" (a task where your final effective skill is 6 or worse) or score a critical success. If it's about bad luck, you must fail at a "sure thing" (final effective skill of 14 or better) or roll a critical failure. Then the penalties vanish.

In a world where the Superstition is fact, all of this is in addition to its supernatural effects.

Vow

A trivial Vow – e.g., always hold to the letter or the spirit of a contract (not both!), never drink alcohol, or pay 10% of your income to your church (or donate 10% of your crime proceeds to charity, for that matter) – is a quirk.

A Vow to avoid something that most ordinary people couldn't or wouldn't do is also trivial; in fact, it's worth nothing unless it limits your career. For instance, "Never attack a dragon" would be reasonable for a fantasy knight, and "Never impersonate a law officer" would be valid for a con man, but not vice versa.

Willful Ignorance

You accept an erroneous bit of hearsay, folk wisdom, or a fictional "realism" as fact; e.g., "Blondes are dumb," "Dogs can't look up," or "A shotgun blast can knock down a man or clear an entire room." You should roleplay this misconception whenever it would come up, but it isn't a Delusion – you're misinformed, not crazy – and the GM has options besides reaction penalties under suitable circumstances: he may "blindside" you by assessing -1 or +1 (whichever would inconvenience you more!) to some key roll. In the examples, a blonde might get +1 to almost any IQ-based roll made against you, a guard dog might receive +1 to find your hiding spot, or you might suffer -1 to hit with a shotgun when you burst in on a room full of bad guys.

Disadvantage Variations

Disadvantages are grist for the quirk mill. Many traits in GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks are adapted from them, and a large fraction of those examples fall into the broad categories below. If you can't find the quirk you want, select the disadvantage that comes closest and keep reading...

Disadvantage Embellishment

A quirk can elaborate on how a full-blown disadvantage manifests. Additional detail is the most obvious possibility; e.g., “Particularly curious about intellectual puzzles” for Curious, “Says the exact opposite of the truth” alongside Compulsive Lying, or “Refuses to admit when the weather is bad” with Stubbornness.

Behavior that the disadvantage renders difficult but doesn’t forbid is also valid, and often more fun! Someone with Truthfulness might have “Lies (poorly) about his past,” while an Indecisive person could suffer from “Tries to be a good leader – usually fails.” Such quirks suggest interesting triggers for your disadvantages.

Yet another entertaining choice is conduct to avoid the disadvantage. For instance, people with Secrets often follow many small rituals to avoid discovery, and the quirk “Carefully measures all his drinks” commonly accompanies real-life Alcoholism. You may have up to one such embellishment per full -5 points of disadvantage value. Each quirk gives the GM an extra “hook” where your problem is concerned. If you don’t play along, he may apply +1 or -1, whichever would be more inconvenient, to rolls that play on that shortcoming.

For example, if you always say the exact opposite of the truth, then someone who hears several of your lies might get +1 to Detect Lies – or you might suffer -1 to Fast-Talk with him. This is above and beyond your disadvantage’s built-in effects.

Example: You could gild Charitable (12) [-15] with “Always tosses coins to beggars,” “Gives free lollipops to kids,” and “Helps the elderly across the street,” and in effect get an extra 3 points for your disadvantage. However, if you don’t do those things whenever the GM places beggars, children, or old folks in your path, the GM may give such NPCs +1 to use Fast-Talk or Pickpocket on you, or reduce your self-control number to 11 where they're concerned.

Two common embellishments from fiction work slightly differently.

Appearance Change

Prerequisites: Antisocial disadvantage with self-control roll and Monstrous or better Appearance.

You have a disadvantage that, when you give in, causes your Appearance to drop by one level while you act out on it – whether because you sneer evilly or are under a curse. This embellishment is traditional for Bad Temper, Bully, and Sadism, but the GM may allow it for other problems where submission doesn’t imply violence that would render reaction rolls irrelevant (ruling out Berserk, Bloodlust, and Uncontrollable Appetite).

Involuntary Ability Use

Prerequisites: Antisocial disadvantage with self-control roll and a suitable ability.

You have a disadvantage that, when you submit, causes you to activate a disturbing or destructive advantage: [[Alternate Form]], Innate Attack, Terror, etc. This isn’t grounds for Uncontrollable (p. B116); injury, Fright Checks, and other mental disadvantages cannot trigger your gift, and it doesn’t have a mind of its own. It’s just that when you give in to one specific problem, you reflexively make a show of power.

Easily Suppressed Disadvantage

A -5-point mental disadvantage with a self-control roll of 15 is worth -2 points. If the GM can “force” the problem on you only on a critically failed self-control roll (17 or 18), then it’s just a quirk. While unpleasant game-mechanical effects (bad reactions, wasted resources, etc.) depend on the dice like this, you’re expected to roleplay the behavior whenever appropriate. Failure to do so may result in “bad roleplaying” penalties.

Some examples, with suggested names:

Compulsive Carousing: “Enjoys carousing,” “Party animal,” “Social.”

Compulsive Gambling: “Enjoys Gambling,” “Likes bets,” “Likes games of chance.”

Compulsive Generosity: “Generous,” “Magnanimous,” “Munificent.”

Compulsive Spending: “Big spender,” “Displays wealth ostentatiously,” “Shopaholic.”

Compulsive Vowing: “Oath-taker,” or something colorful like “Swears by Allah’s beard” or “Swears on his father’s grave.”

Curious: “Inquisitive,” “Nosy” (p. 20), “Prying.”

Gluttony: “Fond of food and drink,” “Gourmand,” “Likes to eat.”

Incurious: “Staid” (p. 20), “Unquestioning.”

Loner: “Aloof,” “Keeps to self,” “Prefers being alone,” “Solitary,” “Uncongenial” (p. 20), “Unfriendly.”

Nightmares: “Bad dreams.”

Overconfidence: “Audacious,” “Bold,” “Confident.”

Pyromania: “Firebug,” “Likes fire.”

Selfish: “Conceited,” “Haughty,” “Pompous,” “Proud” (p. 20), “Snobby,” “Snooty,” “Status-conscious,” “Vainglorious”...this is a common quirk!

Selfless: “Altruistic,” “Humble” (p. 19), “Unselfish.”

Truthfulness: “Forthright,” “Ingenuous,” “Sincere.”

Extremely Limited Disadvantage

Any disadvantage is worth just -1 point if the situations, actions, or people that trigger it are uncommon enough that it affects you only once every few play sessions. It’s good roleplaying to talk about or pointedly avoid discussing the problem (your choice). However, there are no game effects most of the time.

This isn’t the same as Easily Suppressed Disadvantage (above), which rarely matters because you almost never give in. Your self-control roll here – for problems that allow one – is against 12. An Extremely Limited Disadvantage is a quirk because you rarely have to roll in the first place. For disadvantages that come in levels, such as Shyness, the effect is that of the mildest form. However, the GM may ramp up the severity in especially intense incidents. If the trigger is extraordinarily rare (once every few adventures), the GM is within his rights to enforce a higher level whenever the quirk arises.

Examples:

Absent-Mindedness:You don’t suffer the disadvantage’s general effects, just the IQ-2 roll to remember one particular thing. Be specific: “Forgets to reload his guns,” “Leaves doors unlocked,” “Misplaces car keys,” etc.

Alcoholism: You overindulge under specific circumstances – binging and suffering the bad effects – but you don’t have to roll in the presence of all alcohol, for withdrawal, or for longterm decline. You may link this to events (“Hits the bottle after killing”) or a type of drink (“Gets drunk on good wine”).

Amnesia: One specific memory is missing. Time limits like “Can’t recall the summer of ’67” are a common choice. For a memory that has been replaced, pick False Memory (p. 17) instead.

Bad Smell: At quirk level, this gives -1 to reactions around people who dislike a scent that you happen to like; e.g., “Always wears perfume.” An odor that identifies you to others is a Dead Giveaway (pp. 13-14). You can have both!

Bad Temper: Only toward those who comment on your baldness, height, weight, age, etc. (“Sensitive about her age”), point out a disadvantage (“Gets angry when treated differently due to One Eye”), level a specific criticism (“Dislikes being called a liar”), flirt with you (“Reacts poorly to flirtation”), and so on.

Bloodlust: Only when seeking vengeance against someone who seriously wounded you (“An eye for an eye”).

Bully: Only toward those who've wronged you in the past (“Holds a grudge”).

Callous: Only toward people under 12 years of age (“Bad with children”), only toward those over 65 years of age (“Bad with the elderly”), etc.

Compulsive Lying: Only about the time needed to do a task – a common quirk of starship engineers. At this level, your lying is more “fudging” or “bending the truth.”

Cowardice: Only concerning one narrow class of foes or dangers: “Afraid of masters of Western Dragon kung fu,” “Apprehensive of steep climbs,” etc.

Frightens Animals: Only affects one specific group, usually a single species: “Bad with dogs,” “Terrifies horses,” etc.

Gluttony: Only with respect to a particular class of foodstuffs: “Consumes vast quantities of cheese,” “Likes good ale,” “Sweet tooth,” etc.

Greed: Only regarding a particular treasure or form of payment (“Insists on being paid in gold”), only on the stock market, etc. Honesty: You feel compelled to obey specific laws; e.g., “Always obeys traffic regulations,” “Stickler about customs law,” or “Won’t violate Pyle County ordinances.” This is too narrow to earn a reaction bonus.

Jealousy: Only where your current love interest is concerned, only with respect to one person whom you envy above all others, or only in one category (brains, speed, strength, wealth, etc.).

Kleptomania: Only when it comes to snatching one specific item about as broad as a Like (p. 26): “Pockets candy bars,” “Shoplifts rock ’n’ roll discs,” “Steals knives,” etc. :[[Miserliness: Only when shopping for a particular class of things; e.g., “Haggles over vehicles,” “Buys the cheapest ammo,” or “Won’t buy expensive computers.”

No Sense of Humor: Only with respect to “lowbrow” physical humor and jackassery . . . or only regarding “highbrow” wit that requires a university degree to understand.

Odious Personal Habit: A -5-point Odious Personal Habit is a quirk if it applies only in rarified situations but offends everybody when it does emerge. Specify the condition: “Laughs like a hyena at jokes,” “Pedantic about spelling,” etc.

Overconfidence: Only toward unusual challenges (“Overestimates his skill at siege warfare”) or opponents with specific traits (“Underestimates those with Fanaticism”), or only regarding one specific task (“Overconfident driver,” “Overconfident sniper,” etc.).

Pacifism: Only toward a specific group (“Won’t fight fellow West Point graduates”) or expressed in a narrow way (“Uses less-lethal weapons whenever possible”). Paranoia: Only with respect to a specific group: “Distrusts socialists,” “Doesn’t trust soldiers,” “Thinks snow-plow drivers are plotting against him,” etc.

Phobia: Almost any Phobia counts if only a tiny subset of things can trigger it; e.g., fear of weapons is a disadvantage (Hoplophobia), but fear of poisoned arrows is a quirk. Contrast this with Dislike (p. 26), which is far broader but doesn’t cause Fright Checks.

Selfish: Only concerning one specific facet of social dominance. The GM may insist that you have a hope in hell of achieving that goal – “Covets the throne” is a fair quirk for a Status 6 prince or even a Status 5 duke, but a Delusion (p. 17) for anyone else.

Sense of Duty: Sense of Duty to an individual is worth -2 points. Halve this to a quirk if it’s qualified with something like “when it suits my interests” or “in combat.” The GM is free to penalize earned points when you don’t put that person first under the specified circumstances, but you may favor yourself or someone else the rest of the time.

Shyness: Only around Attractive (or better) members of one sex.

Stuttering: Only around Attractive (or better) members of one sex.

Truthfulness: Only toward monarchs, presidents, and other national leaders.

Unluckiness: Only in a specific sphere: “Bad luck at gambling,” “Star-crossed lover,” “Unlucky at driving,” etc. General Unluckiness can have an optional theme, but this is a hard-and-fast one that doesn’t often arise; you aren’t generally unlucky.

Workaholic: Only on the clock – you take enough time off to avoid reaction penalties but always say “yes” to paid overtime, allowing your boss (played by the GM) to buy up to 4 hours/day of potential study time off you for extra wages.

Mirror-Image Disadvantages

While you cannot have two full-sized disadvantages that are opposites – because one obviates the other – you can take such a pairing as a single quirk. This doesn’t work like Manic- Depressive or Split Personality, where serious problems take turns afflicting you; that’s worth more than a point. In this case, you normally experience no bad effects...but in a situation where either disadvantage could apply, roll 3d. On 17-18, one facet gets out of balance (flip a coin or roll a die) and you suffer its effects, for good or for ill.

Good examples would be “Mercurial ally” (Chummy/Loner) and “Self-centered and altruistic by turns” (Selfish/Selfless). Although pairs of -5-point disadvantages such as these work best, that isn’t a strict requirement.

Mitigated Disadvantage

A disadvantage negated completely by treatments available anywhere in the setting at almost no expense and with negligible effort – conditions that go well beyond Mitigator (p. B112) – is just a quirk. This best suits backgrounds where ultra-tech or superscience has altered the drinking water or atmosphere, spread ubiquitous memes that cure mental conditions, etc., or where potent magic protects the whole world.

Exotic Quirks

Power Quirks

GURPS Powers describes “special effects” that amount to 0% modifiers for individual superhuman gifts as “quirks.” It also notes that exotic capabilities may have trivial drawbacks, giving the wielder a small penalty or his opponents a modest bonus when he activates them. These, too, are termed “quirks.” Neither sort of “quirk” is worth a point, as abilities are expected to have such features.

However, when advantages are grouped into a power, the entire assemblage might demonstrate a foible that’s neither specific to one ability nor triggered by use – a fulltime oddity that the wielder cannot avoid simply by not using his gifts. Serious drawbacks are grounds to incorporate a Nuisance Effect (p. B112) into the power modifier. Anything less is a quirk.

Examples:

• Aches and Pains (p. 22), Can Be Turned By True Faith (pp. 33-34), Compulsion (pp. 27-28), Damned (p. 34), Name-Bound (p. 34), Supernatural Dislike (p. 34), Supernatural Features (p. 34), Trivial Destiny (p. 34), and nasty mental quirks suit dark powers involving something like black magic or evil, representing costs to the user’s body, mind, or soul.
• Bulky Frame (p. 22), Cannot Float (p. 12), Clumsy Runner (p. 22), Dead Weight (p. 22), and Overweight (p. 23) befit supers with density-control powers.
• Eavesdropper (p. 28) is apropos for powers such as ESP and telepathy, provided that the intrusion is noticeable.
• External Mood Influence (p. 18) tied to the sea or the weather is a classic for people with water or air powers, respectively.
• Hungry (p. 23), Shaky Hands (p. 24), and Twitchy (p. 25) are common among super-speedsters.
• Obvious (above) is widespread among supers: a soft glow for light powers, an audible hum for sound powers, and so on.
• Photosensitivity (p. 24) and Sunburns Easily (p. 24) often accompany powers involving darkness or vampirism.
• Slightly Unusual Biochemistry (p. 24) and Tests Positive for (Condition) (p. 25) could result from any power with biological origins.

Such traits are as physical or as mental, and as mundane or as supernatural, as the associated powers. They’re also part of the power, shut down or amplified alongside it. Sometimes the power-user can buy them off as he gains experience with his gifts – but not always!

Not all Power Quirks fit into existing categories. If a Nuisance Effect is easily avoided, the GM may permit it only as a quirk. For instance, somebody with fire powers might have to roll vs. Will to avoid igniting anything Highly Flammable or Super-Flammable (p.B433) on contact. Since he never has to handle ether, dry tinder, etc. – and gets a Will roll even then – “Spontaneous combustion” is just a quirk.

These quirks are subject to the restrictions on exotic disadvantages (p. B120). Most have one of the following explanations:

• Hard-wired properties of a nonhuman racial template: alien, robot, undead, etc. In general, these can’t be bought off or replaced.
• Superhuman powers. Quirks in other categories may qualify, too; see Power Quirks (below) and Supernatural Quirks (pp. 33-34). Only people with suitable gifts can have them, and the GM may make some quirks mandatory with certain abilities, though experienced users might eventually buy them off.
• Ultra-tech, especially nanotechnology and cybernetics. The GM may allow – even require – ordinary humans to possess such quirks if they have suitable tech “built in.”

Affected by Magnetism

Unlike beings composed of meat, rock, pure energy, etc., you’re affected by influences such as junkyard magnets and magnetic super-powers. This implies many small side effects; e.g., you always set off metal detectors.

This quirk is for characters made of ferromagnetic metals: robots, vehicles, and so on. It’s more than a 0-point feature (unlike most “Affected by” traits) because magnetism has widespread technological applications.

Cannot Float

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

Nano-Fever

This is hot flushes and fatigue caused by two or more different sorts of nanomachines working and possibly interacting in your body. You become feverish whenever the GM rules that multiple varieties of nano must operate in concert, and will lose 1 FP per active nano type in excess of a GM-defined “safe level.” Fatigue Points lost in this way cannot be regained until the situation ends. Deactivating or removing the nanobots will end the bout of nano-fever.

Obvious

You stand out to one particular sense at all times, giving enemies +1 to Sense rolls or you -1 to Stealth rolls, depending on the circumstances. This is effectively a “half level” of Noisy (p. B146), generalized to senses other than hearing. A good example common to many animals would be “Musk,” affecting the sense of smell.

Pressure Intolerance

Your lungs and other organs can handle a narrower range of atmospheric pressures than an ordinary human’s. Referring to Atmospheric Pressure:

Low-Pressure Intolerance: Treat “thin” as “very thin,” and “very thin” or less as “trace.”

High-Pressure Intolerance: Treat “dense” as “very

dense,” and “very dense” or more as “superdense.” These quirks are almost always racial, and only allowed in campaigns where PCs are likely to visit places that have such atmospheres.

Unwelcome Accessory

Your body incorporates a troublesome Accessory that you cannot control or (easily) remove, and that occasionally interferes with your actions. It shouldn't be potentially lethal, like a bomb you can't defuse; if you could build it as a full-fledged disadvantage, do so. Save this quirk for inconvenient and embarrassing gizmos. Some examples:

• A defective Accessory with consequences equivalent to another quirk; e.g., a broken bullhorn that gives Loud Voice, faulty nanotech that periodically causes Nano-Fever, or a flickering light that renders you Obvious. Any busted gadget might hang there as Dead Weight, require Care to avoid real problems, or malfunction badly enough to lead to Aches and Pains or Minor Handicap.
• An article that enemies could use against you. Something like a big handle might give them +2 to ST rolls if they grapple you and +2 to Knot-Tying if they tie you up.
• Anything that would be illegal or immoral and that doesn’t do you any good: a gun that’s hopelessly broken, an embarrassingly large sex toy that you cannot conceal, etc. Model the effects on Distinctive Features (p. 14) or Shocking Affectation (p. 15).
• Something that interferes with your equipment, such as a magnet that throws off your compass or a jammer that blocks your radio.

Looks and Mannerisms

These traits affect others’ impressions of you – what they notice and how you come across, especially at first. Some would be equally at home under Physical Quirks, while others are mental in character, but that’s negotiable. Someone might don Cosmetic Eyeglasses and affect a Loud Voice out of habit, and bring both foibles along if his mind were placed in a new body; another person might have the same traits as genuine quirks of physiology. Specify this when you take the quirk!

For quirks affecting how others react to your social position rather than to how you present yourself, see Social Quirks.

Dress Codes

Unless your race doesn’t wear clothing, merely dressing doesn’t count as a quirk. As everybody has preferences, neither do habits such as “Wears black” (or blue, pink, or any other color) or “Tucks in his shirt.” To be worth a point, a sartorial preference must take the form of one of these quirks:

• Dead Giveaway (below). Examples: “Always dresses like a kandi raver, complete with glowsticks”; “Wears a jester’s outfit covered in bells.”
• Epitome (p. 14). Example: “Always dresses traditionally.”
• Expensive Habit (p. 28). Examples: “Clothes horse”; “Dresses like James Bond.” If your race normally goes naked, “Wears clothing” does count – you’ll end up spending money on something you don’t need!
• Overcautious Habit (p. 30). Example: “Never takes off his armor.”
• Risk-Taking Behavior (p. 30). Examples: “Never wears a helmet”; “Wears a cape, even though opponents could grab it.”
• Shocking Affectation (p. 15). Examples: “Dresses skimpily”; “Wears the robes of the Baby-Sacrificing Necromancer Lords.”
• Stereotype (p. 16). Example: “Dresses like hip-hop artists in music videos.”
• Token (p. 16). Example: “Always wears a lucky hat.”

You must always dress this way to claim a quirk. Anybody might have a fancy suit, traditional clothing, ninja pajamas, etc.; what makes you special is that you insist on wearing it! At a minimum, your preference should be serious enough to force associates to make regular Disguise rolls to undo its effects.

Dress implied by convictions (pp. 8-9) – e.g., the uniform of a soldier with Code of Honor or the vestments of a Religious priest – isn't a separate quirk unless it's remarkable even among those who share your outlook.

Bad Posture

You slouch and stomp around. This gives -1 to most applications of Sex Appeal. You also have -1 on all rolls made against Acrobatics, Combat Art, Dancing, Skating, Sports, etc. to impress others using physical grace, but not for practical uses such as Acrobatics for dodging or Skating for transportation. This isn't a physical quirk, but a bad habit you haven't bothered to remedy.

Cosmetic Eyeglasses

This cinematic quirk is common in action fiction: You wear glasses that don't seem to do much. If they're knocked off, you suffer the effects of Nearsighted or Farsighted for long enough to affect one important action. Then the problem conveniently vanishes until after the action is over, whereupon you'll don another pair and go on like nothing happened.

If you leave off the glasses to avoid future incidents, the GM can penalize you for bad roleplaying. The whole idea is to give the GM a “hook” for starting an action scene, with you at a small penalty. Don't take the quirk if you'd rather not face that! A small upside is that quite a few people have Preferred Looks (Glasses) – they think glasses make the wearer look smart, even sexy. You automatically benefit from this.

Dead Giveaway

You have a habit that would be harmless if it didn’t betray your efforts to be cautious or deceitful; e.g., “Bites fingernails when nervous,” “Cracks her knuckles before a fight,” “Gestures to cast spells, even when unnecessary,” “Hums subconsciously,” or “Wears Chanel No. 5.” Treat this as Obvious in situations where it would compromise concealment or surprise, or as Distinctive Features when it would mark you as a specific, known individual.

What makes this one quirk rather than two is that it isn't “always on.” Either it’s tied to an activity, such as spellcasting or fighting, or an ally could help you avoid it (remind you not to do it, offer you different clothing, etc.) without wasting appreciable time or rolling against a skill like Disguise. If both Distinctive Features and Obvious penalize you constantly, take those instead.

For a supernatural variant, see Spell Signature.

Dishonest Face

You look untrustworthy. This is unrelated to your attractiveness, reputation, or how skeevy you really are! People who don’t know you tend to pick you out of a crowd as a potential criminal or troublemaker; you’ll always be the person spot-checked by lawmen and security staff unless they’re truly choosing at random. You have -1 to Acting when your goal is to “act innocent.”

This is the opposite of Honest Face (p. B101); you cannot have both.

Distinctive Features

You have an uncommon physical feature – e.g., “Brilliant blue hair,” “Dueling scars,” “Facial tattoo,” or “One ear” – that makes you stand out in a crowd. If you have several small peculiarities that collectively make it hard for you to blend in, record “Memorable Face” instead (this is the opposite of the Forgettable Face perk from GURPS Power-Ups 2). Whatever the explanation, this gives -1 to your Disguise and Shadowing skills, and +1 to others’ attempts to identify or follow you.

Easily Mistaken Sex

You’re often mistaken for a member of a biological sex different from the one with which you identify. This can mean turning the wrong heads . . . or being barred from gender-segregated activities and places (from restrooms to religious spaces). In casual situations, conversation or a closer look clarifies matters at the cost of embarrassment – should you need that person’s help later on, you have -1 on reaction or Influence rolls. Inside a space segregated by law or custom, an unfavorable reaction roll might bring consequences as severe as arrest or assault.

If your Appearance is above Attractive, either swap its two reaction modifiers or add Androgynous (p. B21). For instance, a woman who would qualify for Very Beautiful (+6 from people attracted to female features, +2 from those attracted to male ones) might instead have Very Handsome (+6 from people attracted to male features, +2 from those attracted to female ones) or its Androgynous analog (+4 from everyone). Such good looks are especially troublesome in flirtatious situations. Wouldbe romantic interests who confuse your sex, get corrected, and aren’t attracted to your actual sex ignore your Appearance bonus and react at -1, giving the net effect of a larger penalty.

All of the above assumes that the other party cares about your sex. People with Broad-Minded (p. 17) or inclusive varieties of Alternative Sexuality (p. 26) won’t care. Even extremely conservative individuals may have Preferred Looks (p. 26) that favor you, or exhibit Literal-Minded (p. 19) or a variety of Philosophical (p. 8) that accepts “you are what you look like.” In any of those cases, your quirk has no effect at worst, earns you a small bonus at best. In the absence of such a mitigating trait, though, people who display Chauvinistic (p. 17) or the sorts of quirks or disadvantages that cause bad reactions to Alternative Sexuality always react badly if they notice you.

As an upside, you have +1 to Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk, etc. to convince people that you’re a member of the sex you resemble, when convenient.

Epitome

You always dress, speak, and otherwise behave like an ideal member of a reasonably well-defined group: Canadians, necromancers, yuppies, etc. Whenever those people are subject to prejudice, you’re included – and you suffer a further -1 on reactions from the bigots because you exemplify everything they dislike!

If you aren’t actually a member of that group, there are further effects. Your behavior gives you +1 on rolls to impersonate or pass as such a person. Should someone who’s the genuine article discover that you’re a sham, though, he’ll react at -1 to what he views as mockery. This assumes that you at least make an effort. If not, see Stereotype (p. 16).

Fashion Disaster

In social situations where it’s important to dress nicely – fancy clubs and restaurants, formal ceremonies, etc. – and you cannot fall back on a uniform or the assistance of an ally with Fashion Sense (p. B21), you invariably pick an unfortunate outfit: -1 to reaction rolls. The GM may extend this penalty to applicable Influence skills, most often Savoir-Faire or Sex Appeal.

This is the opposite of Fashion Sense – you cannot have both!

Inappropriate Manner

Prerequisite: At least a point in the relevant Influence skill (which this quirk can pay for).

You constantly use an Influence skill without realizing it. This is often inappropriate, so you’ll be making many Influence rolls at -1 to -10 (GM’s call), and likely failing and suffering “Bad” reactions. See Influence Rolls (p. B359).

You can try to suppress this tendency if you don’t want to make an Influence roll or would like to use a different skill. The GM rolls against your unmodified “problem skill” while you roll against Will (for no Influence roll) or the desired skill (to try something else). If you tie or beat the GM, you catch yourself in time; when using a skill, use your margin for the Influence roll, too. If the GM wins in the Contest against yourself, he starts with the margin on the problem skill roll, subtracts any inappropriateness penalty, applies an extra -1 for your awkward behavior, and uses that for an Influence roll.

There are six mutually exclusive kinds of Inappropriate Manner:

Aristocratic: You're always flashing your Savoir-Faire (High Society), making those of merely average Status uncomfortable.

Oily: You use Fast-Talk without thinking, leaving others with the impression that you're untrustworthy.

Pushy: You can't shut off your Intimidation, even when that might earn you a punch in the face (or worse!).

Salacious: You constantly ooze Sex Appeal, which is highly inappropriate much of the time (though it still garners a “Very Good” reaction when it works). Merely dressing suggestively is different; see Shocking Affectation (below).

Scummy: Your Streetwise skill shows in your walk and talk, causing clerks to follow you around shops and cops to pick you for “random” questioning. If this is a matter of looks, not manner, take Dishonest Face (p. 14) instead.

Wishy-Washy: You’re always using Diplomacy, and come across as a pushover when a little aggression is warranted. You don’t get the better of your result and a reaction roll if there’s so much as -1 for inappropriateness!

Similar quirks could exist for other skills the GM allows for Influence rolls. If you always use Acting to be what other people expect you to be, repelling those who value honesty, you have Phony. Perpetual Savoir-Faire (Military) – “Sir, yes, sir!” and salutes all the time – would be appropriate around servicemen, patriots, and anybody who likes being called “sir,” but antiauthoritarians, pacifists, and their ilk would find your Martial quirk highly inappropriate. And so on.

Interviews Badly

You do poorly when formally interviewed. This gives -2 to all skill rolls you make to impress your interviewers, follow-up rolls the GM makes to see if you closed the deal or got the job, and the rolls under Finding a Job (p. B518).

This penalty is already worse than the -1 from most quirks because these situations are rare in most campaigns. If they don’t come up at all, Interviews Badly isn’t a valid quirk.

Mind-Numbing Magnetism

Certain qualities, while well-regarded in small doses, grate on many people: Cheerful, Enthusiastic, Gallant, Jovial, Optimistic, Pensive, Playful, Precise, Romantic, Talkative, and so on. In a social situation, tell the GM whether you’re “turning on the charm”; it’s good roleplaying to do so as often as possible. This is a gamble – and as you think your trait is a virtue, you’re blind to whether this is wise, so you don’t get any kind of roll to test the waters first.

If the GM decides that your outlook matches the circumstances (e.g., Romantic at a poetry reading or Talkative at a cocktail party for powerful businesspeople), you receive +1 on reaction and Influence rolls in that scene. If your audience isn’t appreciative (e.g., Romantic at a frat party or Talkative at a funeral), your first such roll is at -1 and all later ones suffer a cumulative -1, to a floor of -4, as you grow progressively more annoying.

You can shut up to avoid mounting penalties. In a large group, you also can delay the progression by switching conversation partners – but this merely puts off the cumulative penalty by one roll, after which you’ll be regarded as “flighty” or “shallow” and suffer growing penalties anyway. Either way, you’re unlikely to end up getting the information or aid you seek, whether because you aren’t asking or because you’re speaking with the wrong person.

Shocking Affectation

Conduct that elicits -1 to reactions from a small class of people (e.g., priests, high-Status “gentlemen,” or the elderly) is effectively a -5-point Odious Personal Habit with its point value divided by 3, as for a Reputation with such a class (p. B27). Treat this as a quirk that earns minor snubs, or stares and whispers, from those affected. It might concern your style of dress, manner of speaking, or beliefs as expressed through your actions – be specific!

Some affectations give small bonuses but cause even larger penalties. For instance, “Skimpy dresser” might grant +1 on Sex Appeal rolls and to reactions from lechers, but -2 on reactions from individuals with prudish disadvantages or quirks.

Something really obscure (e.g., swearing in the name of an ancient demon that a tiny handful of sages know about) is worth a point only if it produces a terrible reaction – at least -3.

These general cases and the more specific ones below are all examples of Extremely Limited Disadvantage (pp. 10-11). For a habit that rarely matters because you can keep it in check rather than because most people don’t care, see Odious Personal Habit (p. 20).

Amoral

Your affectation is eschewing religious or traditional values in favor of a personal moral code or no moral code. This earns -1 to reactions from individuals with quirks or disadvantages favoring faith or tradition. It’s a common Disadvantage Embellishment (pp. 9-10) for Callous and Selfish.

Missing Disadvantage

Lacking a Code of Honor, Disciplines of Faith, Sense of Duty, or Vow disadvantage that’s expected of someone of your social station is a common Shocking Affectation. The affected group is your peers. Give the quirk an appropriate name: “Ungentlemanly,” “Faithless,” “Ignoble,” etc.

Taunting

Your affectation is mocking or insulting people who demonstrate a specific attribute or behavior; e.g., “Finds big moustaches silly,” “Likes to taunt Musketeers,” or “Thinks those who use guns instead of fists are wimps.” You can’t resist getting in a dig when the opportunity arises! The effect is a reaction roll at -1 from those you taunt; if the GM has already determined the NPC’s reaction, use the worse of the two. This won’t matter in combat, but can lead to a fight even when you don’t want one.

Villain-Worshipper

Your affectation is admiring a justifiably reviled person – someone with -4 or worse to reactions due to personal behavior (including Reputation, but never cosmetic features such as Appearance and Bad Smell). You get -1 to reactions from anyone that individual has wronged, directly or indirectly, personally or as part of a group. Your “hero” needn’t be alive! “Hitler was great” would be a Shocking Affectation today, over half a century after Hitler’s death.

Speech Mannerisms

Speaking oddly is grounds for many interesting quirks.

Distinctive Speech

The way you talk makes you easy to identify. You might have a distinctive accent, a fondness for particular expressions or quotations, quirk-level Disturbing Voice (p. B132) or Stuttering (p. B157), or an incontrovertibly sesquipedalian vocabulary – be specific. Whenever somebody is searching for you in particular and you can’t avoid speaking, you suffer -2 on rolls to pass as someone else and others have +2 to attempts to identify you.

This is twice as bad as Distinctive Features (p. 14) because it doesn’t mark you until you open your mouth.

Fast Talker

This doesn’t mean you’re good at Fast-Talk – you just talk too fast. You have -1 to rolls against Administration, Leadership, and similar skills when speaking complex instructions (not when barking one-word orders), and give others -1 to their rolls to understand you, most often IQ rolls like those on p. B24.

Forbidden Word

Quirk-level Cannot Speak (p. B125). There’s one important word that you can’t utter, whether due to a psychological aversion or a supernatural curse. To make this relevant, the GM may have it crop up as a password, assess penalties to others’ rolls to understand you as you pussyfoot around the concept, or have enemies exploit this as a way to identify you.

Inaccessible Idioms

You possess an ordinary voice – an exceptional one, if you enjoy the Voice advantage – but you’re out of touch with how ordinary people really communicate. This is common among those who’ve grown up in enclaves or been imprisoned for a long time . . . not to mention old-timers, coldsleepers (“One million dollars!”), time-travelers, and immortals. When you must “sell” an idea, typically using Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, or Propaganda, you roll at -1 unless your audience shares your background.

Involuntary Utterance

Being unable to avoid a vocalization is a verbal version of Dead Giveaway (pp. 13-14), working like Distinctive Features (p. 14) and Obvious (p. 12) by turns. This could be a trivial Neurological Disorder (p. B144) or a symptom of a serious condition like the zombie plague (“Braaains!”).

Loud Voice

You may think you’re whispering into the throat mike or speaking sotto voce, but you aren’t – others can hear every word! This is a disadvantageous form of Penetrating Voice (p. B101) [1]. You get the benefits of that perk, but as you can’t turn it off, you also have a level of Noisy (p. B146) [-2]: -2 to Stealth whenever you must coordinate with allies by voice while being sneaky, or +2 to eavesdroppers’ Hearing when you’re conversing normally and don’t wish to be overheard. It all adds up to a quirk.

Puppet Talk*

Houserule. An odd variation of the Third Person, below. I dreamed being a Star Wars Sith character who talked like this. I'm not quite sure how to translate.

"Tää vaatii nyt parhaan sviitin tästä hotellista ja tää ottais pullon Alderaanin samppanjaa jäissä tän huoneeseen." (toista äänekkäämmin, jos mitään ei tapahdu)

"This demands now the best suite from the hotel and this would take a bottle of Alderaan champagne in ice in this's room." (repeat louder, if nothing happens)

"Tää tekis nyt force pushin tonne tän vihollisten keskelle."

"Jos ne ei pudota aseita niin tää tappais ne kaikki heti."

Third Person

You don’t seem to know the word “I”! You habitually call yourself by your name or an alias. The GM may occasionally assign -1 to others’ reactions or rolls to understand what you’re talking about. This is especially suited to silly campaigns.

Stereotype

You always dress, speak, and otherwise behave like a clichéd member of a group with a reasonably strong identity: African-Americans, jocks, Spartans, wizards, etc. Whenever you interact socially with a member of that group, you must roll against the lower of Acting or Disguise (both default to IQ-5). Success means you seem amusingly eccentric; failure gives -1 to all reaction and Influence rolls, and critical failure gives -2.

If you’re actually good at this, use Epitome (p. 14) instead. You can’t have both.

Token

You have a prized possession that comforts you, be your investment in it emotional or superstitious. The actual quirk name should identify the item: “Always chews on a pipe,” “Carries a lucky charm,” “Has a favorite hat,” etc. This article need not be valuable, but it has to be yours – no generic items! It can be (and often is) Signature Gear.

If your Token goes missing, you’ll be distracted: -1 on all IQ, Will, and Per rolls, skill rolls based on those scores, and selfcontrol rolls, save for those that specifically concern recovering your possession. Signature Gear will find its way back to you in a day or two, erasing the penalties. For anything else, roll vs. Will daily; success lets you get over the problem, at which point you must buy off or replace Token.

While a sneak thief can get the upper hand this way, no penalties apply if your Token is clumsily snatched, knocked from your grasp, etc. in plain view. You’ll simply make it your mission to get it back...If it’s broken in your sight, immediately replace Token with another quirk – probably a somewhat dark one.

Mental Quirks

(Power-Ups 6: Quirks, page 17 onward)

Preferences and Aversions

Alternative Sexuality Quirks

If the individuals to whom you’re sexually attracted – or the acts you get up to in private – place you in a minority in a society where this isn’t grounds for a full-fledged Social Stigma, you may claim a quirk. It’s worth a point because even if you don’t experience widespread discrimination, you’ll suffer up to -3 to reactions from certain people if they find out. The usual suspects are those with moralistic and religious varieties of Fanaticism and Intolerance (even at quirk level).

Taking such a quirk means that you’re “out” as gay in a predominantly straight society (or vice versa), exclusive about gender and/or activity in a pansexual one, asexual in a remarkably promiscuous one, or something similar. In a setting with multiple sapient species, openly preferring a species different from your own may count, whether you’re a human who pursues Martians or a god who lusts after mortals. For a “closeted” sexuality, take a Pretense (p. 33) that transforms into this quirk once you “come out.”

The issue of whether this is a learned preference, an inborn mental quirk, or a hard-wired physical trait is a sensitive one. The choice is left to the player. For instance, cross-dressing because that’s your sexual identity is an Alternative Sexuality quirk, but doing so strictly as a matter of fashion – independent of how you conduct your love life – is a Shocking Affectation (p. 15).

Preoccupations

Flirtatious

Quirk-level Lecherousness. You go out of your way to interact with people who attract you. You might be coy or brazen, but you don't have to make a “pass.” In the presence of an appealing member of the sex you find attractive, you’re distracted and at -1 on rolls for the task at hand, unless that’s impressing whoever caught your eye.

This trait isn’t the same as Salacious or Desirous, which concern active manipulation by you or by others. Flirtatious is a passive tendency – you’re compelled to look, not to seduce or submit, and may well regard flirting as innocent but seduction as sinful!

Hedonist

You seek pleasure. This isn’t a cocktail of Easily Suppressed (p. 10) and Extremely Limited (pp. 10-11) varieties of Compulsive Carousing, Compulsive Spending, etc. – you would happily pass up a lame party or expensive-but-boring things to experience genuine pleasure. Those who offer pleasure get +1 to influence you or give you -1 to resist partaking.

Other names include “Epicure,” “Sensualist,” and “Sybarite.” Students of traditional Hedonism or Epicureanism should take Philosophical (p. 8).

Supernatural Quirks

This page has not been finished up!

See Also

• 500 Quirks