Some Custom Quirks

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Both are too weak to be quirks. In fact, Always Wears Black is the canonical example in the Basic Set of what a quirk isn't! :)

True. On the other hand, if you really want a clothing-based quirk:

Always wears evening attire -- this means always. You'll even swim or sleep in a tuxedo/evening gown. This draws a -1 from the occasional person who sees you in such an inappropriate situation, as they're liable to think you're a little nuts.

Mourns her husband in traditional Victorian manner -- this would include not only black clothing, but a veil, if I remember correctly. It would be viable since it also requires a certain behavior pattern that can be roleplayed, and would definitely draw a reaction from those around her.

[The_Nightwatch]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Too strong! Anyone who knows the person now has an "off button" for them.[/i] :)

Yeah, I was too specific. The character in-game that I based this off of has to make a fright check whenever he hears Cthulhu cults casting spells. (We've established that their magic is audibly different.) Since that comes up about once every 2-3 years in the campaign (at which point that character has a problem), everyone's been comfortable with it being a quirk.

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Both are too weak to be quirks. In fact, Always Wears Black is the canonical example in the Basic Set of what a quirk isn't! :)

(shrug) It works for us. No one else has to use it...

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by The_Nightwatch

...
(shrug) It works for us. No one else has to use it...

It doesn't really matter, but this thread is about custom quirks more than custom RULES for quirks.

[Xilodel]

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 (weight, wrinkles, a facial scar, bad teeth, etc.). Negative comments or jokes about this aspect of the character's appearance cause him/her to lash out as though they had Bad Temper, with a self control roll equal to their Will.

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.

Talks to Himself/Herself You need to vocalize your thoughts, especially when working on something mentally taxing. People who aren't expecting it may react at -1, especially if they don't have this trait themselves.

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 ("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 underripe.")

Child at Heart Though you may physically look like you're 27, mentally, the maturity stopped somewhere around 10. You still enjoy fingerpainting, children's movies, playgrounds, and poop jokes even though you are full grown, and aren't afraid to admit it. The character gets a -1 penalty on reaction rolls from NPCs who put a premium on acting your age, but a +1 reaction bonus from little kids.

[The_Nightwatch]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It doesn't really matter, but this thread is about custom quirks more than custom RULES for quirks.

Sorry, I thought you were looking for ideas. My apologies for intruding. :(

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by The_Nightwatch

Sorry, I thought you were looking for ideas. My apologies for intruding. :(

Not intruding at all, and some of your ideas have been really good. It's just that "wears black" by itself doesn't fit the RAW, since:

1) It doesn't generally require any roleplaying on the part of the player any more than "has red hair" does.

2) There's no particular penalty for wearing black clothing, in and of itself.

A valid Quirk in 4e needs to cover at least one of these two points (penalty or roleplaying).

As Kromm stated in an earlier thread, if you have a REASON for always wearing black, that is a valid Quirk. "Wears black in solidarity with the oppressed people of the world," for example, gives you a cool roleplaying hook that can come out in your character's conversation and other actions. Likewise, if you are in a society where black is considered unlucky or the sign of a necromancer, wearing nothing but black could get you a small reaction penalty from the fearful or superstitious.

To draw an example from another thread: "Goes to church" by itself isn't a valid Quirk. "Devout Catholic" probably is (it's a weaker version of Disciplines of Faith). "Goes to daily Mass for two hours" may be a Quirk; there's going to be occasions where that's terribly inconvenient for an adventurer.

(And in retrospect, I'd like to withdraw one of my own ideas -- the evening dress Quirk is far too strong. It's closer to being a low-point Compulsive Behavior.)

[Sense of Duty (Kittens)]

Sarcasm Blindness Whenever somebody says something sarcastic to you, roll against IQ. Failure means you interpret the statement as literal.

[b-dog]

Rain Of Nuts Vulnerability: Any time the spell Rain of Nuts is cast upon you, you take an additional point of damage.

[AmesJainchill]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

"Wears black in solidarity with the oppressed people of the world," for example, gives you a cool roleplaying hook that can come out in your character's conversation and other actions.

Ah, yes, the *other* Man in Black.

[b-dog]

Long Handshaker: When your character shakes the hands of those he meets, he shakes their hand for an extremely long time making those meeting him uncomfortable and unwilling to shake his hand.

Friendly Comment Negater: Your character enjoys making friendly comments and then after the comment is made, he enjoys negating it. For example, "I have to say that you look very beautiful today!...NOT!!!" or "Let me help you with that!... NOT!!!"