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Perks and Quirks
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Perks and Quirks (2nd Draft)

 

                A character in my game may build up 5 points worth of Quirks to pay for a) 5 points worth of Perks, b) 5 points worth of skills (on a 1 Quirk per 1 Skill rank basis), c) 5 points worth of feats (3 points worth of Quirks allow 1 new feat), d) +1 to any attribute which costs 5 Quirk points per +1 or e) any combination of the above. 

                Perks and Quirks should be looked on as both optional and temporary.  They are subject to change.  This is not an exhaustive list, and the rules governing Perks and Quirks are subject to alteration without prior notice.  New Perks and Quirks may be added (you can help with this) and old entries may be changed but only to benefit the game as a whole.  This is meant to be a balanced system where no Perk totally outweighs another of the same cost and no Quirk is more of a disadvantage than the next.  If we find this is untrue for various entries, then they will need to be altered.

                Additionally, the Perks and Quirks that you choose may change through the course of play.  You may be rich and ugly as sin now, but that doesn’t mean that someday you won’t be pretty and poor and no one really cares that you’re ambidextrous after something rips off your left arm.  Some Perks confer a greater bonus because they are meant to be temporary.  For instance, a character who buys Perk points in Status and Wealth, but later has their assets seized by a rival nation would forfeit most of the benefits conferred by those Perks, until, at some later time, he managed to retake the land.  Quirks may also be dropped although this will only happen with significant effort (role-play, pursuit of this goal in game) on the player’s part i.e. a player who goes out of his way to rid himself of a Quirk will eventually be rewarded for doing so.  Of course, a player may also rid himself of Quirks just by buying them off (see below).  Perks are likely to be added throughout the course of the game, as a reward to the players or through considerable effort on their part e.g. A character who goes out of his way to associate with and gain the trust of the local Thieves Guild may eventually win a Perk in that Order.  Quirks are less likely to be assigned and should never be used subjectively as a penalty.  If a character is assigned a Quirk as a result of play, then they should remember that this is only temporary and used to build the story.

                Buying Off Your Quirks - You can buy off quirks by sacrificing character points equal to what your Quirk would normally buy i.e. 5 points for a new attribute gets rid of 5 points of quirks.  One point for a new skill you would have gained gets rid of a one point Quirk.  If you are no longer enjoying the character’s flaws then they are easy enough to get rid of.  This may be done gradually (one skill point per level etc.) or all at once.

                When Your Mental Quirk Becomes Too Easy - when your WILL save for your mental quirk gets to be an adjusted 5 or greater, then your quirk is readjusted so that the difficulty is 5 more than before.  You were doing SO well, and then all of a sudden - RELAPSE.  This is so that the quirk never gets too easy and will stay with you until you buy it off or until the GM decides that you have conquered your psychological hang-ups.

 

Physical Perks:

·         Ambidexterity – you are equally adept at performing tasks with either hand.  You may ignore -2 points of penalties for performing actions with your “main hand,” and may alternate between main and offhand once per round.

·         Attractive - For every Perk level you buy (maximum of 2) you gain a +1 bonus to skill rolls where you are dealing socially with someone of your own race (OR a race related by blood ties, i.e. you could breed with them) and +2 if they are also of the opposite sex.  Appearance does nothing for your ability to intimidate others.

·         Big – although you’re not considered “Large Size” you certainly are big.  For one Perk point, you gain a +2 bonus to intimidation rolls against creatures of your own size category or smaller.  For two Perk points you are able to use weapons as if you were one size category larger than your race permits.  Hide checks are made at a -2 Penalty and items such as clothing, armor, mounts and furniture generally costs more because of your size (usually *1.5).  You may even have trouble fitting into magic items that are made to fit “normal sized” members of your race.  If you already have “Small Size” as a component of your race (or as a Quirk), you cannot take this Perk.

·         Eagle Eyes – You have sharp visual perception and gain +2 to offset range penalties for both “spot” Notice checks and ranged combat.

·         Enchanting Voice - You have a lovely voice and people (including yourself perhaps) love to hear you speak or sing.  This adds a +1bonus to skill rolls made in a social situations (where you are able to use your enchanting voice - including Perform) for a positive effect (not intimidation) and allows you +1 DC to any enchantment/charm spells that you cast which require a vocal command and allow a WILL save.

·         Extended Breathing – This is the ability to hold your breath longer than most.  For one Perk point, you are able to hold your breath twice as long as a normal human.   For 2 perk points, you may hold your breath 5x as long as a normal human.

·         Improved Dark Vision - you must all ready have the dark vision ability to take this perk.  This perk doubles your range with dark vision every time you buy the perk.  This cannot increase your dark vision past 120’.

  • Low Light Vision - humans may take this perk for 2 points, elves may take it for one point.  Humans, or those without low light vision to start, would gain low light vision as an elf normally has.  Elves would gain double range on their low light vision.
  • Low Metabolism - You only need to consume half the amount of food and water per day as a normal human and you suffer ill effects from hunger at half the rate of a normal human.

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Mental Perks:

  • Depth Sense: as the Dwarven ability in the PHB.
  • Eidetic Memory: This is only available as a +2 Perk.  You have a “photographic” memory and are able to recall details from the things you’ve seen with uncanny accuracy.  In game terms, you gain a +2 bonus to all Knowledge skill checks as well as any attempt to learn a new spell.  You also gain a +5 to any “memory” check where you are trying to recall what you have seen or read.
  • Lucky Item: You have some item which you place a superstitious importance upon.  This could be a lucky shirt, lucky dagger, lucky hat etc.  While wearing or using this item, you gain a +1 to all attack rolls.  If the item is able to be used in a particular skill, then you gain a +1 bonus to skill rolls when you use the item.  Unfortunately, if you should ever misplace or lose the item, you take a -2 to concentration and meditation rolls until you recover the item due to your own superstitious nature.  Note: this is a Mental Perk because the item is not actually magical.  The bonus comes from your own delusional confidence.
  • Mental Compass: You always know where true North is and this helps you when making Survival skill checks.  You gain a +5 to orienteering checks.  This Perk may only be purchased once.
  • Peace of Mind: You gain a +2 bonus to offset penalties to Concentration or Meditation skill checks.  For 2 Perk points, double this bonus.

 

Social Perks:

  • Friends - It is understood that you have a powerful friend who will help you out from time to time when you get in a jam.  This person need not be a high level adventurer, but might rather wield a great deal of political clout, able to marshal a small army or an elite force to aid you in times of trouble.  You may spend up to 2 points on the same Friend perk and or you may purchase this perk more than once.  Your Friend will come to your aid once per year per point you put into friends and this is either because YOU asked for the aid, or because the GM felt your friend might know you were in a bind.  You may be able to persuade additional assistance from your friend through role-play and proper use of CHR based skills, but this is between you and the GM.
  • High Status – People in your homeland treat you differently.  You may be a member of local nobility or have some other amicable position of authority in your society.  You (likely) own land, and may own slaves and servants (although you make nothing off of the land without also taking the “Wealth” perk and your servants stay home unless you take the Retainer Perk).  You are allowed to hunt on certain territory which is restricted only to nobles.  Merchants will cut you special deals to gain your favor.  In general, you gain a +1 bonus to social interactions to those who respect your nobility (your homeland, its allies and its enemies).  Commoners may give you gifts to curry favor and you are able to request free lodging for the night from anyone in your homeland (to deny you would be extremely poor etiquette from another noble and punishable by death from a commoner).  For 2 points you may be in line to the throne, a duke, duchess or other high standing royal, but never the highest authority in your country.  Status may seem like quite a boon or a cruel penalty to those without it, however, bear in mind that status is limited to your local.  The denizens of the underworld care little that you are a prince (unless they feel they can get a ransom for your release), nor does a Dwarven mining team care that in your homeland, you are a slave, and the lion who is about to eat you couldn’t care less whether or not you own the land.
  • Mentor - a mentor is an advisor, a teacher, and a family-figure in your character’s life.  The mentor guides your character and determines his training.  For every perk point you buy of Mentor, you are allotted an extra skill point per level, starting at first.  The GM determines where this, and one more skill point per perk purchased, is spent.  This benefit is only conferred for levels where your mentor is around to train you.  If the two of you have a falling out, or your mentor has important business to attend to elsewhere, then you do not gain additional skills for his tutelage.  In essence, buying the mentor skill gives you extra skill points, but gives partial creative control of your character over to the GM.  There is one more drawback to this ability.  Your mentor and you are connected.  Others know that you are his student and he, your teacher.  The GM must assume that the mentor has at least 3 quirks which would affect his student through proxy.  Good examples of such include: enemy, hunted, ward (the mentor pawns his ward off on you for the day), unlucky (you aren’t directly unlucky, but you are with the guy who has the bad luck), poverty (you don’t pay your mentor, but you do end up paying for his care), etc.  Your mentor may, at some point, decide that you have surpassed his training and you are ready to take on the world on your own.  This will never happen before 3rd level and when your mentor leaves you, others may still associate you as being his pupil i.e. hold you guilty for your mentor’s sins. 
  • Order - This is a group of people to which you belong.  It can be your trade union, a guild composed of those from your same class, or perhaps a religious or military organization.  It is assumed that you are a privileged member of this group and depending on the number of points you spend, you have greater access to the rewards which this group can offer.  The group should be such that anyone might be a member, but not everyone has access to the full benefits of membership.  You will need to work out the exact perks with your GM, however some examples are provided here for more accurate gauging.  Mages’ Guild - one point provides full access to the library so that you are able to learn any spell contained within with no additional fees.  Two points might give you special tutoring, access to special private libraries of the more prestigious members, and possibly access to the guild store with no special costs, because you are so well favored.  Thieves’ Guild:  One point - immediate respect from the other rogues, better assignments (richer loots, and or less likelihood of imminent doom), and perhaps cut rates on stolen items.  Two points - connection sharing from the more prominent members, access to highly illegal goods and services such as drugs and poisons, free legal council (and if that fails, the gang is guaranteed to come break you out if you fall victim to the long arm of the law).
  • Pet – Similar to a retainer, an animal companion comes without some of the responsibility.  For a one point Perk, your Pet may be any typical creature with average attributes and hit dice/level ability equal to your own.  The creature gains experience at the rate of +1level/three that you attain.  For a two point Perk, your pet may either be extraordinary or exotic.  An extraordinary creature has average attributes +10 (points to allot to attributes at the rate of 1 for 8-14, 2 for 15-16, 3 for 17-20 and 4 per point beyond that) and may start out with 2 hit dice.  It still gains one level per 3 that you attain.  An exotic creature has average attributes for that creature type and gains levels at the rate of one per three that you obtain.  The GM may rule out any type of exotic creature.  Exotic creatures that are not present in the game gain an automatic disqualifier.  Your pet does not come trained.  It will (likely) stick around because you feed it, but it is by no means responsible for answering your commands.
  • Retainer - You have a very loyal friend or servant who journeys with you and respects you highly.  For one Perk point, your retainer is of a NPC class such as Soldier, Tradesman or Noble.  They are created with 24 attribute points and advance in levels at the rate of one/three levels that you attain.  You may be asked to control your retainer(s) during combat.  For the two point Perk, your retainer may be of any player class character, is based on 29 attribute points and advances one level per two that you acquire.  You may choose Perks and Quirks for your retainer(s), but a retainer is never allowed to choose the “Retainer” Perk.  You may have multiple retainers.  You are expected to care for your retainer(s).  Frequent mistreatment of them may find you alone.  Retainers also are not telepathic and are frequently as dumb as paint, so you must (usually) tell them what you want them to do.  Your retainers never figure into the community chest.  They don’t get a share of the loot.  They get part of YOUR share of the loot, if any.  That decision is up to you.  In addition, you are responsible for your retainer as if they were property.  Someone who abuses them must answer to you.  If the answer is weak, others may feel as though they can take what they want from you.

 

Supernatural Perks

  • Affinity – Choose a particular creature type (Fey, Beasts, Undead, Aberrants etc.).  You have a supernatural affinity for dealing this type of creature and for reasons unknown, they tend to cozy up to you.  Creatures of this type will not attack you unless you threaten them.  At the worst, they will simply ignore you and go about their business, assuming that you do nothing to provoke them.  Social rolls for dealing with this creature type gain a +1 bonus.  For the 2 point Perk, add an additional +1 to this bonus.  Taking two points of Undead Affinity may not seem worthwhile when dealing with zombies, but when the Vampire Lord drains your party dry but spares your life just because he likes you, then who has the last laugh?
  • Danger Sense – You have an uncanny ability to determine when defecation is about to connect with the rotary oscillator.  Your Danger Sense doesn’t sweat the small stuff.  It only activates when real and possibly permanent physical danger is imminent.  In such cases, you are entitled to a WIS check, DC 15.  Success give you advance warning to the peril and its general direction.  You often have time to perform one swift action (start running, cast a spell, draw your weapon etc.)  In any event, you gain +2 to any skill roll to avoid being caught flatfooted.  Having Danger Sense doesn’t mean you can’t be surprised.  It just makes it more likely that you are able to avoid such problems.  Buying this ability at +2 Perk Points means that you gain an additional +1 to surprise checks and +2 to your WIS check for Danger Sense.
  • Intuition - You are highly intuitive and tend to make sound decisions in your life.  Once per game session, when faced with a choice, you may use this perk.  The GM is honor bound to tell you the correct decision or at least, the one which is most likely to be highly fortuitous, in particular, to you.  For a second point, you may use this ability twice per game session.  Others who know of your wisdom may come to you for advice and you may be consulted by friends whenever they have a heavy decision to make. 
  • Lucky - once per game session you may request to re-roll something.  When you do so, you are allowed one extra roll and you take the higher of the two.  This could be any roll - skills, attack, damage, whatever.  Nice things seem to happen to you more often than other people and the GM should try to remember this.  This doesn’t mean that nothing bad ever happens but rather, that you are more likely to have friends who offer you tickets to some event because they are unable to attend, be seated across from a very attractive member of the opposite sex at a banquet, find a gold coin on the street when you are needing to make ends meet, etc.  For two perk points of Luck, you are able to use this ability twice per game session.
  • School Defense - You are adept at defending against a particular school of magic.  For each time you buy this perk you gain +1 to any saving throw you roll against spells from this school.
  • Sixth Sense – Call it ESP, body language or aura reading, but you are able to tell more about a person just by looking at them than most people are able to get through social interaction.  For one Perk point, you are allowed a WIS check (DC 15) to determine the general mood of a person, assuming that you have at least one round to carefully observe or interact socially with them.  This also allows you a +2 bonus on Sense Motive and Notice checks for dealing with the target of your Sixth Sense.  For people that you are quite familiar with (family, friends, your adventuring party etc.) you gain this bonus without the full round of inspection.  You may not even need to roll to determine their general mood (GM’s option).  In addition, you gain your +2 bonus for Search checks with regards to these people.  For 2 Perk Points, the bonus is a +4 and you often find yourself finishing people’s sentences for them.
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General Perks:

  • Artifact - You have a magical item at your disposal at the time you start play.  You must figure out how you came to possess this item (family heirloom, found it on the street, inherited from a recently departed favorite uncle who was an adventurer, etc.)  The item should be something which is, for one point, not too tough.  Something which is not disposable, like a potion, but is of about the same value as a magic +1 long sword.  For two points, you can have something which is a little more interesting, but nothing which is more powerful than a +2 long sword, or a ring of protection +2.
  • Trained Resistance - For one point you gain a +2 to saves against a particular set of circumstances, but not against an entire save category.  For instance, you might take Trained Resistance to Disease (Fortitude save) and gain +2 to any save which pertains to diseases.  Other examples include electricity, fire, cold, poison, acid, falling, charm, fear, sleep, polymorph, etc.
  • Wealth - for one perk point you can are allowed 150gp plus your starting equipment as designated by the GM.  You can spend this on any normal equipment from the 3rd Ed. PHB.  Any money which is left over is assumed to be yours, and you receive a monthly dividend of 1d4 gold coins due to whatever assets you have which continue to generate money.  Filthy Rich - you are quite well off and for 2 perk points, you are assumed to have 500 gold coins worth of liquidated assets with which to buy equipment from that listed in the 3rd Ed. PHB.  It is also assumed that you have assets which allow you a monthly dividend of 3d4 gold coins.
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Physical Quirks:

  • Distinctive FeaturesSomething about you is memorable.  People you have social interaction with often remember your appearance, if not your name and can give a fairly accurate description to anyone who would ask.  It could be that you have a tail, an extraordinarily big nose, a jutting jaw, tattoos all over your body, strange hair and eye color etc.  It could also be some combination of several different features that add up to a distinctive look.  In game terms, you suffer -2 to disguise checks for 1 level of this Quirk and -4 to disguise checks for the +2 Quirk.
  • High Metabolism - you go through food and water very quickly.  You must consume twice the normal amount of food and water per day as a normal human and you suffer ill effects from hunger in half the time of a normal human.
  • Lame - You have a bad leg or some other problem which disallows your full movement.  For one quirk point, you have -5 to your base movement and suffer a -1 penalty for Athletics (Jump and Climb) skill checks.  For two points, you move at -10 to your base movement or at half the normal rate (whichever is better for you).  Skill checks for Athletics are at a -2 penalty.
  • Small SizeAlthough you are not a member of a “small size” race, you are considerably smaller and lighter than the average member of your own.  You gain all of the disadvantages and benefits of this smaller size.  This counts as a +1 Quirk and cannot be taken more than once.
  • UglyYou’re none too easy on the eyes.  For one Quirk point, this entails a -1 penalty to social skill rolls where people can see you.  Oddly, those of the opposite sex have no more aversion to you than those of your own gender.  This penalty does not apply to your intimidation skill.  For an additional Quirk point, the penalty is raised to -2 and you are truly hideous.  Others may avoid you just because of your appearance. 
  • Weak Senses - This is a hodgepodge of several different quirks all of which deal with some sensory disability.  This quirk is never worth more than one point and you may take it multiple times for different sensory problems.  Near Sighted – Range increments are halved for you.  You are -4 to make Spot checks at range.  Things that aren’t close up seem blurry and distorted.  Far Sighted - You can’t read or write without the aid of “glasses” or prestidigitation (which would magnify the page to you).  This can potentially make you bound to a prop and if your glasses every break, you are in big trouble until you find new ones.  You also have trouble distinguishing features when they are close up.  You might actually mistake a friend for a foe, or vice versa, in the right circumstances.  Poor Hearing - you take -4 to listen checks and friends grow tired of hearing you say “What?”  No sense of smell or taste - This is more of a role-playing quirk than a physical quirk, but it still has some merit as a problem which your character will need to deal with.
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Mental Quirks:

  • Character Flaw - You have some quirk that applies when you role-play your character.  The degree to which you must obey this quirk is determined by the number of points you obtain from taking it.  For one point, you are able to resist your quirk when it comes up.  If the GM deems it necessary, he will allow you a WP save with a 15 difficulty to resist temptation.  Saving means that you are fine for that encounter and you do not have to give in to your inner demons unless you want to.  Failing the save means that you give in and just can’t help yourself.  For 2 points, you never resist your quirk.  The GM might give you a roll if it is vital that you refrain (DC 20), but this is never required of the GM and will only be done out of kindness to you.  Some examples of character flaws include - curiosity, greedy, lecherous, impatience, stubbornness, shyness, overconfidence, bad attitude, blood lust etc.  You may take this quirk multiple times for one or two points. 
  • Mental Illness - Something is terribly wrong with your head.  For one point, this is something which you may resist (DC 15), and it does not plague you frequently, perhaps once every few game session at the GM’s discretion.  For a two point quirk, you mental illness is devastating, hard to resist (DC 20) and occurs at the drop of a hat (GM’s option, but not more than once per game session).  The problem is something which is arresting and takes control away from the character.  Some examples include - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Paranoid Schizophrenia, Amnesia, Narcolepsy (catatonic seizures), Multiple Personality Disorder (you think you are someone else) etc.  Some examples of Mental Illnesses which are better suited to other quirks - Kleptomania (Obsession - theft), Pathological Lying (Obsession - lies), Nymphomania (Character Flaw - lecherous), Megalomania (Obsession - control) etc.
  • Obsession - You are obsessed with something, either a tangible thing such as a spouse, gambling, theft, or carousing, or an ideal such as vengeance, lies, danger or justice.  Similar to the Character Flaw quirk, you may take this Quirk for one or two points.  The one point variety allows a DC15 save to avoid following your obsession whenever you want to resist it.  For 2 points, you must give in whenever the object of your Obsession presents itself, however, the GM may still allow you a DC20 (or higher) save when they feel that your obsession comes into conflict with other duties e.g. you promised your party that you would guard the prisoner but you’re obsessed with gambling and you know of a high stakes game going on elsewhere.
  • Phobia - This is much like the Character Flaw quirk above in that you are able to resist, for a one point quirk, whatever you are afraid of or, for a two point quirk, you completely cave in to your fear.  If there is no way out or if you are surprised by the presentation of your fear, then you are paralyzed and can’t act until the stimuli is removed or at least for quite some time (GM’s option - eventually you will pull yourself together though).  In most other cases you will run like a little girl full haste to the farthest place from your fear until the GM agrees that you feel safe.
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Social Quirks:

  • Code of Conduct – You follow a code which guides your life.  Examples: Religion, Heroes’ Code, Chivalry, Bushido, Pirate’s Code etc.  Similar to a vow, this guides your conduct in at least one particular way.  There is some behavior, dictated by your Code of Conduct that you just will not do (of your own volition).  For a one point Quirk, your Code of Conduct is fairly simple.  It specifies just one particular thing that you won’t do.  Example: Pacifist’s Code – will not start an attack.  For two points, your code dictates two or more particular activities.  Example: Heroes’ code – sworn to defend the meek, always respond to a call for help.
  • Dark Secret - You have a secret which others must not learn.  If the wrong people knew that you know what you know, you might be imprisoned or worse still, dead.  This could be something you have done or possibly something which someone else has done (and if they knew that you know, they would be quite upset).  For one quirk point revelation of your secret to the authorities would most definitely get you incarcerated pending trial, or cause the person whose secret you are keeping to become violent toward you (hunting you and hiring others to do the same i.e. this quirk can be traded for a hunted quirk if the character ever wishes to make the trade).  For two points, the secret could get you killed by the authorities, possibly killed on sight.  This gives a great deal of power to anyone who learns of your secret.  The GM should work to keep the secret fresh and alive in your mind and in the game.
  • Enemies - You have a powerful foe who would like to make your life miserable.  An enemy is someone who is much more powerful than you and or who wields great political clout.  Your enemy will show up once per year, completely at the GM’s discretion, per quirk point you obtain from them.  The enemy’s main goal is to make you suffer and so, they seldom wish to kill you right away.  The GM may use your enemy in any way they see fit and his interference in your life may become a recurring theme in the campaign, although he will seldom be directly involved in your misfortune. 
  • Hunted - For whatever reasons, you have someone on your tail and they aim to kill you, kidnap you or bring you to justice.  Killing them will only make new enemies or cause another hunted quirk to spawn, say, perhaps, the hunter’s bigger brother.  For one point, this is simply one person, of slightly higher level than you.  For two points, this is a group of people, all at your own level or slightly higher.  It’s no fun to kill a character with the Hunted quirk - well, not right away at least, so the GM may want to come up with some interesting contingencies for you if you are by some twist of fate, apprehended by the hunter.
  • Low Status - Someone who earns 1 point from having the Low Status Quirk may be prohibited by law from entering some important places (court house, public baths, guild houses, libraries etc.) or certain areas frequented by nobility (country club, posh restaurants and hotels, etc.).  You may be denied the right to vote in democratic elections, may be charged more for items, may be refused business due to your social stigma (and may have to do business only with those who share the same status), may be denied the right to marry outside of your social caste etc.  In general you suffer a -1 penalty to social rolls when dealing with strangers who know of your lowly status.  Someone who earns 2 points from status may have to show a symbol of their low status (such as a collar, armband or scarlet letter A) at all times.  They may be prohibited from carrying money or doing trade with all but the kindest sympathizers (who run great risks by helping you), and may be asked to leave town or surrender their property and possessions at any time.  They may be killed (legally) for meeting the gaze of a noble, etc.  They suffer a -2 penalty to social skill rolls involving those of higher status (but only if that person knows of their Low Status).  All of the above may apply, or your GM may tailor the quirk to fit his game world and your character’s race.
  • Vow - truthfulness, chastity, poverty, silence, to name a few.  A vow is a promise you make to yourself, your order, your deity or a combination of these, which you intend to keep at all costs.  A vow of vengeance would be an Obsession (see above) unless it was a vow to avenge every wrong which you came across in your travels.  A vow only rewards the character with one quirk point, however vow may be taken multiple times.  When you break your vow you have 2 choices:  keep the vow you have and try to perform some kind of penance so that you can stop feeling guilty over your weak moment, OR trade in your vow on a new one.  The second option does not come lightly and you will still have to perform some task in order to feel better about yourself.  Optionally, the GM may decide to give you one less skill point when you attain your next level (and pay off your vow with that).
  • Ward - You have a special charge which you must take care of.  The quirk points for this charge are determined by their amount of nuisance to you and inability to defend or take care of themselves.  For one quirk point, your ward is a tag along with abilities befitting a competent youth.  They may be considered a 0 level character from any of the classes listed in the PHB or as a NPC class character of 1st level.  They start with base 10 in all stats and +5 to ability scores.  Wards may have up to 2 points of perks and quirks.  For 2 points, your ward is in some way an invalid, either a small child or an elderly person.  They need constant protection and care.  Your ward is SOLELY your responsibility.  Either no one else wants them, or perhaps there simply IS no one else to take care of them.  Either way, once you take the quirk, you are stuck with them.   Abusing your ward is a good way to lose experience you might have gained through role-playing for that session.
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Supernatural Quirks:

  • Cursed - some ancient and seemingly permanent curse has fallen upon you.  For one point, this quirk does not affect your attributes in any way, but rather, is a roll playing obstacle for your character.  Some good examples would be: lovelorn curse - cursed never to find true love, curse of impotence – you’ve got bigger problems than finding “true love,” curse of misplacement - cursed to lose items repeatedly, you start off each new game with a missing item, which you may or may not find before the end of the game session, curse of conformity - you are cursed never to be a leader, you must never disagree with your roll playing group and you always go with the flow, Bundy curse - cursed never to rise above mediocrity.  Although a Remove Curse spell may free you of your curse for the rest of the game session (optionally, for a certain number of sessions), your curse always comes back on you because it is a “family curse,” and will actually extend to your descendants.  For 2 points - your curse actually affects your attributes in some small way, or may be quite debilitating from time to time.  Examples include: thin man’s curse - you never seem to have enough food and your hunger makes you weak (-1 STR), fat man’s curse - you just can’t help yourself, every ounce you eat goes straight to your jelly rolls and this causes some problems with your physique (-1 DEX).  Curse of Lycanthropy (GM’s choice of were-critter) - under a full moon you become a foul beast (you must learn to control this curse because when you start play, it controls you).  It may seem extremely limiting to take a curse which penalizes your attributes, but remember that you can eventually buy this curse off if you feel the need.
  • Enmity – Choose a creature type when taking this Quirk.  For unknown reasons, your encounters with members of this creature type seldom go well.  For one Quirk point, you are -1 on social interaction with these creatures.  At two Quirk points the penalty goes to -2.  In general they dislike and distrust you and they don’t really need a reason to attack you.  If you and a friend were suddenly dropped into a room full of them, the majority would attack you unprovoked.  Warriors may see this Quirk as an advantage until they and their friend really are suddenly dropped into a room full of that creature type and their friend can’t scrape together the cash for a resurrection spell.
  • Load Stone - you are highly aligned with the forces of magic.  When you attempt to use modern technology, it often fails.  Once per game session, when you are using some form of modern convenience (telegraph, train, rifle, etc.) it will break down and cease to run until you are removed from the scene.  This seldom happens in a positive manner and you may be completely unaware of your own plight.  For two points, this happens whenever you try to use modern conveniences, but not when it is to your advantage i.e. not when you are trying to wrestle your opponent's rifle from him.
  • Mystic Pariah - like the load stone, only it applies to magic.  For two points, anytime you attempt to use magic or magic items, you will fowl the aura of that item until you leave the scene.  For one point, this only happens once per session.
  • Susceptibility – Some particular substance or situation causes an allergic reaction in you.  You must decide what the substance is and what exactly it does when you come in contact with it.  Typically the substance confers an instantaneous affliction once per round and does damage to either your hit points or attributes.  You must also explain why this substance affects you so.  Examples: Fae Blooded – cold iron (unrefined iron) causes 1 damage/round of bare flesh contact (although cold iron is common, the bare flesh contact necessity makes this a 1pt. Quirk), Cheap Date – causes an additional -1WIS for each 8oz. alcoholic drink you imbibe.  For a 2pt. Quirk, the substance is quite common, difficult to avoid or causes double the damage when you contact the object of your Quirk.
  • Unlucky - Bad things always seem to happen to you.  It’s like you are a magnet for cosmic ire.  For a one point quirk, once per game session, the GM can force you to re-roll one roll which they do not like.  You must re-roll and take the lower of the two rolls.  This could be any roll of the dice.  For a 2 point quirk, the GM can do this to you twice per game session.  Also, the world has placed a kick me sign on your back, and if anything bad is going to happen to you and your friends, it happens first and foremost to you.  This doesn’t mean that your life is a living hell, but rather that you are more likely to have poor luck than the guy standing next to you and you must learn to depend upon skill and self reliance rather than random chance...  Examples might include - having your pockets picked, being blamed for a crime or getting bad food at a restaurant.  My advice to you is, avoid games of chance.
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General Quirks:

  • Cursed ArtifactYou start the game with some kind of cursed item.  The actual effects of this item determine how many Quirk points you make off of carrying this around.  For whatever reasons, you just can’t seem to get rid of it.  It may be an item that was in the family forever and possibly passed down to you or it could be something you happened to pick up on the way to the dungeon…
  • Poverty - A one point poverty quirk means you start the game with nothing but what god gave you on your birth.  For whatever reason, you are left buck naked, without food, water, shelter, or a weapon.  You certainly don’t start with a spell book, although you may know certain spells when you start the game.  For two points of Poverty, you have agreed that your character will always be kept poor for some reason or another.  You may find riches untold at the end of one adventure, but by the next time you start the game, you have squandered all of this away and can’t really fully recall where it all went.  Maybe you have a gambling addiction or maybe you are just an easy mark.  Perhaps you have a vow of poverty (+1 Perk point) and feel the need to give as much money away as you possibly can, forgetting to save some for yourself.
  • Vulnerability – There is some narrow category of attack to which you are vulnerable.  Whenever you must save against this particular type of damage, you suffer a -2 penalty to the roll.  For an additional Quirk point, you are especially vulnerable and suffer a -4 penalty.  Some examples of damage types include: fire, cold, acid, charm, fear, sleep, disease, traps, etc.  Quirk Example: sickly (1pt. Quirk) you incur a -2 penalty to saves vs. Disease, highly flammable (2pts.) -4 vs. fire, weak willed (2pts.) -4 vs. charm.

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