This should have approximately 500 quirks to choose from. Not mine, of course.
Eating Habits
• Vegetarian 2 days a week
• Craves red meat
• Sweet tooth
• Dislikes chocolate
• Hates broccoli (George Bush)
• Hates onions
• Really likes Ice cream
• Uses fork and knife only with his left hand
• Likes tea
• Lives on Italian food.
• Thinks that any restaurant that you can’t wear jeans to isn’t worth visiting
• Doesn’t drink alcohol
• Ethnic diet or religious diet.. Try eating stink fish some time, it can be more than a quirk, and a person who does eat ”eskimo” food, can smell different.
• Only loves one type of food. Such as Pizza and Beer.
• Won’t drink booze, but will usually taste any unknown substance
• Prefers to eat out every meal
• Hates chinese food
• doesnt like fish
• Always eats when working, always carry snacks (” This lock is darn tricky - here, I’ve got it! ”)
• only drinks tea
• sucks on lemon-flavored candy; offers some to people upon meeting.
• always carries an apple
• always <gulps> beer.
• Likes to suck back a pint of warm lard nightly.
• Looks for worms in all fruit.
• Won’t eat red vegetables.
• Won’t use artificial sweetener
• Can’t eat Bavarian cream pie without saying ”Mmmmmm Mmmmmm San Antone”!
• Forms dirty words in his alphabet soup.
• Eats potato-chip sandwiches (on white bread, yet).
• Cuts her dessert in half and pours pepper on one half so she won’t eat it all.
• Will wait for a booth at a restaurant rather than sit at a table or counter.
• Likes garlic and puts it in everything.
• Drinks beer with an egg in it
• Eats porridge for every meal.
• Hates to eat porridge
• Dislikes Strong Liquor
• Fond of Drink
• Strict carnivore
• Likes to taste new types of food
Sleeping Habits
• Like to sleep late
• Early riser
• Sleeps in the nude
• Sleeps in flannel pajamas
• Needs soft music in background to get to sleep quickly (probably TL6+)
• Likes to sleep
• Wakes at night to check on his equipment/horses/car/starship engines
• Always sleep with the windows wide open (bad in a horror campaign!).
• Sleeps with a teddy bear
• Sleeps a lot
• Needs milk and honey before sleeping
• Needs a story before sleeping
• He has nightmares (related to a phobia/mental disadvantages/recent shock)
Collections
• Collects baseball cards
• Collects stamps
• Collects teeth/claws/lock of hair/dna sample from slain opponents.
• Collects a weapon from defeated opponents.
• Collects [fill in the blank].
• Collects Royal Assassins, up to 13 so far.
• Collects firearms
• Keeps a collection of ”war trophies” from his/her conquests.
Apparel
• Always wears something red [or other color] (a common quirk)
• Never wears anything red [or other color] (another common quirk)
• Always wears boots
• Wears only name brand (expensive) apparel
• She wear trousers (medieval character)
• Can never find clothes that fit just right
• Wears red socks with everything
• Wears only gold (or silver or turquoise...) jewelry
• Always wears a watch
• Only wears rock band t-shirts
• Can’t figure out what color clothing matches
• Always wears boots
• Always wears thigh-length boots
• Always wears shorts, especially in Winter
• Always wears funny hats - jester hats, cat-in-the-hat hats, pith helmets etc.
• Likes to dress like people half his/her age - ”It’s hip”
• Always wears two different colored socks, and type..
• Always wear his ”lucky” jacket (or she wears her lucky jacket).
• Loves jewelry.
• Always wear a hat, never leaves without it (the Indiana Jones syndrom)
• Wear prop glasses, but has 20/20 visions;
• Always wear cheap clothes/ill-fitting suits/overalls (fun with Status or Wealthy)
• Always wears as little clothing as possible
• Always wear tattered clothes (even when he has money for good clothes)
• Always wear expensive clothes (even when he doesn’t really have money for it)
• Always cowled.
• Always worried about latest fashions
• Always wears shirts that reveal buff stomach
• Dresses in suits
• Hates it when someone else wears black
• Can’t stand to wear ”frilly” clothes.
Fandom
• Fan of the Chicago Bulls (another example)
• Fan of Jenny Longitude, the Holovid Star (used in a Space campaign)
• Thinks college football is the most important sport. Roll tide! (that’s me!)
• Never misses an epsiode of ”Friends”.
• Always relates things to TV shows, movies, books, or songs.(Pick one or two.)
• Quotes song lyrics (especialy of a particular cult band.)
• Fascinated by end-of-the-world novels
• Has a favorite tv/radio show
• Roots for the predators on nature programs
• Loves mysteries.
• Loves the violin.
• A REAL BIG Village People fan
• Trivia student of pop culture
• Loves the Ballet, and traditional dance, but hates to admit it
• Gets up early to watch saturday morning cartoons
• Loves to Listen to Music
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Money and shopping
• Greatly enjoys free perks (one of my bosses)
• Dislikes malls and avoids them whenever possible
• Carries a $100 bill for emergencies (name withheld to protect the individual)
• Prefers small bills
• Carefully checks bills and/or coins for counterfits
• Loves garage sales
• Coupon clipper
• Thinks twenty coppers is better than a silver piece any day (for low IQ characters)
• Thinks 7 or 8 pennies is better than a dime any day (for low IQ characters)
• Prefers to work for room and board, cause he never misses a meal, but he often misses money...
• Won’t carry pennies; will toss them away in streets if he can’t spend them
• Always has to stop and shop, no matter the circumstances. (male or female).
• Carry wad of cash and counts it in public (for Wealthy+ characters);
• Hates carrying pennies and will happily toss them in the street.
Physical Quirks
(Anything that makes the character easy to identify in a police line-up is worth a quirk point)
• Noticeable Tattoo of [fill in blank] on [fill in body part]
• Noticeable scar on [fill in body part]
• Noticeable burn scar on [fill in body part]
• Pierced [fill in body part] (only allowed if noticeable and uncommon for the character’s culture)
• Hair dyed [fill in unusual or un-natural color]
• Extremely hairy arms
• Bald
• Noticeable birthmark
• Looks just like [fill in name of celebrity]
• His feet are incredibly bad-smelling
• No beard (male only) (Could grow a beard but shaves)
• Has allergies. Alot of sneezing on dry days in spring-fall. [To give more depth, give strong allergic reactions to the common nasty ones like nuts, bee stings, strawberries, MSG, cow’s milk, etc.]
• Hay fever
• Allergic to cats (others)
• Gaseous (and no, that doesn’t mean transparent or foggy).
• Always gets a sunburn
• Urinates frequently
• Sneezes extra loud
• Foams at the mouth when excited/angry
• Thrives in cold weather, hates warm weather. Comfortable in T-shirt and shorts in mid-50s weather; starts sweating when the temperature goes above 75.
• Loves to have pierced ears, nose, lip, or whatever.
• Loves to use body as a Tattoo Canvas.
• Large beard and proud of it;
• Incessently cracks knuckles
• Large burn scar on left forearm
• Drools.
Biscuit Related
• Insists only his biscuit process is correct
• Thinks that biscuits are cookies (low character IQ)
Vehicles
(If the campaign will involve active use of vehicles, vehicle quirks make sense)
• Bumper sticker that says [fill in blank]
• Unique vehicle decorations [give details]
• Won’t drive faster than 40 miles per hour
• Won’t ride in German cars (concentration camp survivor)
• Will not ride in anything Japanese (or non-american, or non-japanese,or what ever)
• Prefers to steal German cars over all others
Speech
• Irish brogue
• Accent [specify type of accent; Note that some accents could cause a social stigma disadvantage in some settings]
• Sometimes speaks of self in 3rd person.
• Mutters poetry under his breath
• Says ”Thwap” when he fires his bow.
• Uses big words to impress listeners
• Doesn’t talk much; uses short simple words when he does talk.
• Talks very softly, especially when involved in major arguments
• Never uses contractions
• Calls everyone (males and females) ”babe”
• Repeatedly states ”see, you really get it.” when conversing with someone.
• Says ”see I always knew this would happen” whenever something weird happens.
• Says ”Oh, crap, it’s gone south on me.” when something bad happens.
• In conversation, if a word has slipped his mind, he’ll stop and think and not give up until he finally recalls the right word.
• Puts hand on your hand/arm/shoulder/leg when talking.
• Distracted easily during conversation.
• Often seems to go out of his way to answer the exact question that was asked of him instead what the questioner obviously meant
• Calls everyone ”Darling”—even close friends
• Tells ”stories” with no point or conclusion
• Argues points with people who agree with him
• Uses lingo coined in books in regular speech (ie ”embleer”,”horrorshow”, ”grok”)
• Uses the word ”psychic” instead of psychological
• Is fond of malapropisms, or cannot help making them (e.g. psychotic for psychic)
• Drones when she talks
• Hates quiet pauses in conversations
• Hesitates before speaking; always considers his words first
• Nervous laugh before talking
• Always laughs at his own jokes
• Tells dirty jokes, even when not appropriate
• Off-color joker
• Makes goofy tv references for every ocassion
• Stutters when excited
• Poor vocabulary, spelling, & grammar
• Makes derogatory comments about people who aren’t there
• Voices gets higher when he/she drinks.
• Talks to inantimate objects
• speaks without an accent
• constantly interrupts others
• speaks with poetic flair
• Grunts for ”yes”, snarls for ”no”, shrugs for ”maybe”;
• Cackles;
• Talks to himself;
• Talks of objects as if they were people;
• Ends every sentence with the word ”dude”
• Always gives the vaguest possible answer to questions
• Always speaks at far to high a volume
• Conversations always turns to cats
• Never speaks unless spoken to
• Always answers a question with a question
• Always complains, starting with ”when I was young...”
• Always talks about his/her lost love
• Constantly tells jokes that aren’t funny
• Mispronounces names
• Calls all women mother
• ’erm..’s a lot
• Always speaks about [adj]ness of things (I know a guy who talks about the deadness of stones in a game of go, the buggedness of programs, beautifulness, and whatever else you can think of)
• Always answers a question with another.
• Tells children stories about the ”Children Hawk.”
• Tells people: ”I’ll learn ya!”
• Uses the word ”weasel” in conversation far too often.
• Rhymes peoples’ names: ”Well, hello there, Arthur-barthur! Saw Geno-jalapeno the other day, you know.”
• Mumbles/Mutters
• Calls anyone yonger than himself ”sonny” or ”my girl” (best for elderly characters)
• Always talk of ”the good old days” (ditto)
• Always opens conversation on a new subject with the same phrase (”Funny, I don’t know how I got to think of this, but ..”)
• Swears at the least opportunity - like when he grabs in the wrong pocket for his wallet etc.
• Mispronounces names
• Tags -[noun] onto the end of all sentences, i.e.: ”thats a rodger, rodger”, ”come in, bob, rodger” or ”I’d like coffe with that, rodger² (works well in fantasy games as well) ie: ”I’m from the OhClanahan clan, ahan”, ”I’ll have an ale, ahan”, ”Watch it, or I’ll swat ya with my shileighle, ahan”
• Says ”hoo hoo hoo” if poked in the stomach
• Says ”Thwap” when he fires his bow.
Religious
• Will not work after sunset on Friday. (Seventh day adventists for one example.)
• Frequently quotes scripture.
• Tithes regulary. (10% of all income might be more than a quirk in some campaigns!)
• Insists on a prayer before every meal. (Not a good quirk if the standard in the society.)
• Doesn’t drink alcohol (for religious reasons.)
• Carry bible and hipflask in coat pocket;
• Believes the Assassins’ Guild is a religious organization.
• Attempts to turn every discussion into a religious argument
Nervous Habits
• Rarely passes a mirror without checking his/her hair
• Scratches his nose
• Always drumming on things
• Fiddles with glasses when talking.
• Strokes head when thinking.
• Smiles nervously when pausing in a conversation.
• Rolls eyes when bored or annoyed.
• Stretches every time after standing, lifting something, during casual conversation, etc.
• Absently bounces leg while sitting.
• Contantly cracks knuckles, back, and/or joints.
• Combs hand through hair often, especially when nervous.
• Picks scabs.
• Bites finger nails
• Gratuitously pats other people’s necks
• Nosepicker (odious personal habit - more points?)
• Always smooths the wrinkles out of what he/she’s wearing
• Constantly tapping fingers or feet
• Calls home all the time to check in
• Nervous twitch.
• Grips genitals when nervous
• Fidgets with glasses when speaking.
• Smiles and pats his head durring lectures
• Chews fingernails
• Always drums a ruythm with fingers/hands on table/knees/thighs.
• Likes to twiddle his hair
• Is constantly chewing gum.
Other Habits
• Always carries a water bottle/flask, but hardly ever drinks from it
• Likes to make arcane references
• Always saying something like ”You know, I’m gonna quit this job any day now,” but never does
• Hugs all his friends.
• Chases dogs with electrical appliances.
• Always has a book under arm or in pocket.
• Carefully opens packages and saves wrapping paper (this is probably rather common in fantasy worlds).
• Always carries an umbrella
• Always remembers everyone’s birthday
• In spare time, whittles wood/carves small bones;
• Bums people for small change, even if there is no real need;
• Carries yo-yo and practices elaborate tricks/juggles/does coin tricks;
• Taunts foes.
• Affects a consumptive cough.
• Always looks around in a certain particular way.
• Follows orders in letter, not in spirit.
• Grins evilly.
• Laughs evilly.
• Carry a pack of sundry medications for heartburn, stomachache and headaches, and always complain of those selfsame afflictions;
• Always doublechecks everything;
• Pessimist - always assume nothing will work;
• Always looks around and gawks like a tourist, even in well known places;
• Won’t go out without an elaborate hairdo;
• Refuses to let anyone walk behind him/her if possible
• Likes to tie nooses in ropes.
• Can’t stop ”improving” on a good thing until it becomes a full-blown disaster: ”Yeah, three times the speed of light is OK, I guess, but let me bypass the flummery controller...... ”
• Has to critique everything: ”I’d say the battle was a dubious success. Though Rodin fought at nearly his full ability, Shila and Walt seemed to be holding back, possibly doubting their own abilities.”
• Shutterbug.
• Writes his name/initials/mark as grafitti everywhere. (mostly harmless, but probably a -15 point disad for a member of the Status
• Laughs to himself at intervals, for no apparant reason.
• Always identifies himself as ”a student”, though it’s 15 years since he dropped out of university.
• Always treats members of the opposite sex with courtesy
• Sharpens his knife, counting each stroke, for hours.
• Dances about falled foes.
• Likes to yell ”Splat” when assailants hit the ground
• Usually very happy, smiles a lot
• Squints a lot
• Listens to traveler’s tales at every opportunity (this explains his approach to PC group)
• Tries to impress the local girls
• Inspects and comments on horse shoes and other blacksmith work (his father was a blacksmith)
• Enjoys books - Lingers in libraries or book stores
Superstitious
• Thinks Friday the 13th is his lucky day (that’s the day his concentration camp was liberated)
• Believes in astrology
• Believes all animals can talk to each other
Mild Mental Disadvantages (Phobias, Manias, Delusions, Ineptitudes, etc.)
• Vindictive
• Thinks he is a great strategist
• Ineptitude for strategy (in the same character)
• Thinks mules are faster than horses
• Fears to suffocate
• Computer dyslexic
• Can never remember names
• Annoyed that he’s losing his hair.
• Lets women walk all over him.
• Loathes confrontation and will do anything to avoid it
• Thinks New Year’s is on the 4th of July
• Hates leaving the house (not a very good one for most PCs)
• Tries to make everyone fall in love with her
• Wants everyone to be his friend; tries too hard
• Sees the world in a negative light
• Worries about making her boyfriend jealous by just saying ”Hi” to another guy
• Refers to his black cat as ”a matching accessory” at least twice an evening.
• Always exasperated
• Everything’s a joke
• Takes him/herself very seriously
• Big ego
• Has trouble saying ”no”
• Thinks he/she can sing
• Sings to himself, but can’t actually sing, and doesn’t know the words
• Insists on discussing things he doesn’t know about
• Relates every new experience back to childhood ones, whether or not it’s appropriate
• Concerned about going bald
• Takes everything personally
• Can never remember own age
• Can’t spell for sh*t
• Reads and quotes Dr. Seuss
• Fasciated by the Unnatural
• Secretive about Past
• Vain
• Convinced that cars are ”people” too and can talk. They are usually just to shy to respond.
• Considers himself a ladies man (rarely true, however)
• Holds a grudge
• Fancies himself a forgery expert (its untrue)
• Becomes obsessed with whatever mission he is on.
• Believes magic is the supreme power.
• Believes purple rays emanate from his eyes.
• Believes the Soul resides in human blood!
• Couldn’t care less about politics.
• Doesn’t take no for an answer.
• Drawn to the moon.
• Fancies himself a lord.
• Has a certain obsession with spores.
• Likes to torture people.
• Likes to watch torture.
• Lusts for an Elvish maiden.
• Obeys all orders unquestioningly.
• Obsessed with cavalry tactics.
• Poisons small animals.
• Practices puches and kicks on hanging meat.
• Pretentiously spiritual about his sword.
• Respects the Undead!
• Sensitive about the appearance of his beard.
• Vengeful.
• Will not turn his back on a boiling pot.
• Mentally types out thoughts with his toes.
• Put things in his pockets and forget them (”What’s this? My lunch from last tuesday? So that’s where it went!”)
• Mildly Overconfident
• Mildly Paranoid
• Shy with Women
• Suspicious of Men
• Chauvinistic
• Mildly fanatical about whatever he happens to be doing.
• Somewhat afraid of windows.
• Broadminded
• Proud
• Suspicious of Women
• Thinks He’s Lucky
• Messing with angels makes you tired, got to rest and pray a bit.
• Asks angels not to drop victims onto houses
• Imaginative
• Very panicky
• Mild fear of dogs
• Thinks beer is inherently magical
• Wanderlust
• Very Mild Pyromania
• Curious about new insects
Goals and Self-Improvement
• Wants to learn to read
• Wishes he could become more zen-like.
• Wants to be a pimp someday
• Wants to become a bartender someday
• Plans to return home after proving himself
• Wants to earn the respect of his [high school, swordsmanship, etc.] teacher
• Wants to get enough money to retire comfortably
• Wants to find and marry a man who is her equal with a sword
• Wants to find and marry a woman who is healthy, beautiful, smart and faithful.
Weapon Related
• Names her/his weapons.
• Calls his halberd ”Hal”
• Red fletching is his trademark
• Doesn’t like fine weapons. (Sells it if he gets one.)
• Conceals minimum of x knifes/guns/small weapons on his person; carries them at all times.
• Collects weapons of fallen foes.
• Has memorized the statistics for most 20th century guns.
• Wants to handle new weapons that he sees.
• Prefers to use a crowbar as his weapon of choice. (The character was named ”Thud”.)
Miscellaneous (no categories—yet)
• Listens to organ music on the stereo while he/she vacuums the house
• Loves the sea and the ships
• Walks very fast (a 4’10 tall 150 lbs character)
• Prefers the Pru to the Hancock. (For you fellow Bostonians)
• Spends most of his work day frittering away time on the Net.
• Enjoys being left alone (gotta have common quirks too!
• Enjoys thunderstorms, and finds them quite relaxing.
• Is consistently two to three hours late anyway
• Walks with an unusually quick pace. Once, after breaking his toe,
• discovered that he could hobble faster than most people walked.
• Refuses to delete the body of long posts when replying
• Easily confused by game rules
• Makes up characters who can’t work with the party
• Can’t say no to players who make up characters that can’t work with the party
• Talk to people in other states or countries via the internet more than to people he sees face-to-face
• Won’t see movies that were entirely plotted out in the preview, unless they’re not going to be really plot-heavy anyway
• Perfectly groomed nails
• Calm under pressure
• Has a unexplained dislike for a particular organization. Not quite a prejudice, just not-explained.
• I can run down a list, but, I might dup something..
• Likes building elaborate dwellings underground via earth spells
• Likes to help underdogs
• Loves Potions and unknown liquids in flasks
• Alternately Callous then Tender
• Likes the cold
• Likes to befriend children
• Likes to play matchmaker
• Loves doing yard work
• Prefers moonless nights
• Admires professionalism
• Thinks americans are lazy dogs
• Loves heights but cant climb
• Believes he is smarter than the average bear
• Prefers to be called by last name
• Likes to pretend to be lost
• Likes to sneak up on people
• Likes to be a mount for others when in tiger form
• Likes to associate with mages .... the sillier the better
• Always trying to set up his own private deal
• Resents being confused with Michaelites
• Tries to determine origins via accents
• Considers horses superior to commoners
• Always sucks on this huge smokepipe and use it to point at things;
• Carries extraneous amount of ID on his person - old credit cards, library cards, fan club cards...
• Often tries to open ”push” door by pulling, and vice-versa;
• Smiles when angry or annoyed (a great characterization);
• Always quotes some obscure personnage (great if you run off at the mouth when you roleplay).
• Always, always exceedingly polite and formal in all dealings and situation (”I’m afraid you will have to remove yourself from the premisse, sir, for if not I will threaten you with bodily harm.”);
• Has this huge watch; always check what time is it;
• Smokes only particularly foul cigars, or drinks only this one brand of cheap whisky - and enjoys it;
• Likes to smoke a pipe.
• Only wears black (or other color) clothes
• Likes to run a little, instead of walk normally
• Always carries ground glass.
• Always goes for leg shots: likes to watch ’em limp!
• Always wears heavy armour.
• Aspires to be eternally young.
• Carries a sap, knife and garotte he has no skill with.
• Has little use for honour codes.
• Hates civilization.
• Hates puns.
• Kicks dogs.
• Knowledge-hungry.
• Makes small-talk with foes in battle.
• Matter-of-fact about everything.
• Nominal Satanist.
• Outspoken.
• Smiles like a goon all of the time.
• Sombre.
• Spiteful.
• Stares obsessively at hooks and spikes.
• Takes a good sniff of his boot from time to time.
• Total atheist.
• Likes signing name
• Won’t travel without going to the bathroom first
• Smokes cigarettes backwards (lit part resting on tongue).
• EXTREMELY brand name conscious.
• Actively hates fads.
• Morbid sense of humor.
• Whiner
• Quo police force in a time travel campaign
• Fickle about his health - always worrying wether he has dressed warm enough etc.
• Enjoys sent of own armpit.
• His shield is solid red.
• Fond of cats
• Likes blood
• Likes to punch things
• Dislikes mages
• Enjoys eye shots
• Combat should always be at 10 yards or more
• Uncomfortable around humans
• Tries to intimidate people (when default skill 5)
• Hates being small
• Crafts small trinkets for the ladies in town
• Irritated by children
• Dislike of magic
• Always uses Illusion Disguise; likes to look flashy
• Likes to cast spells drunk
• Will try any drug that isn’t likely to kill him
• Trademark: black ’D’ symbol
• The Ice Man Cometh (character is an Ice Mage)
• ”Revenge is a dish best served - Frozen!”
• Wears all white, black top hat, round black buttons
• Insists only his biscuit process is correct.
• Always saying something like "You know, I'm gonna quit this job any day now," but never does
• Listens to organ music on the stereo while he/she vacuums the house
