Ideal Number of Quirks

[Sindri]

So what do you think the ideal number of quirks is? Is it 5 or is it something else?

[johndallman]

Five seems to be a fairly good number, but I doubt that a limit of 4 or 6 would make much difference. Some characters of mine have had more due to failed Fright Checks, but never so many that I forgot them regularly.

[LemmingLord]

5 does seem an arbitrary limit. I would say that it should be the minimum.

[Dinadon]

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

5 does seem an arbitrary limit. I would say that it should be the minimum.

Not really. As Power Ups:6 notes, like other disadvantages Quirks shouldn't get forgotten. 5 is thus a reasonable (pentaphilic) number of traits for a player to remember.

But PU:6 also notes that the limit only applies to player chosen quirks. Quirks from plot shouldn't count.

[Ji ji]

Five is a perfect number.

Quirks are a genial mechanic: the character gets a little reward for defining who he is with a little net traits. Obviously I would allow any number of quirks, but no more than five cp for them.

[LemmingLord]

In the usa we remember 7 digit numbers easily enough.. And most of us get to refer to our character sheets constantly. Ill say 7 quirks allowed for rural players, 10 for those in cities with multiple area codes.

[Sindri]

Originally Posted by Dinadon

Not really. As Power Ups:6 notes, like other disadvantages Quirks shouldn't get forgotten. 5 is thus a reasonable (pentaphilic) number of traits for a player to remember.

But PU:6 also notes that the limit only applies to player chosen quirks. Quirks from plot shouldn't count.

And pentaphilia is dumb. Five is clearly not an obviously bad number to limit quirks to but freed of pentaphilia perhaps another number allows for the most characterization stuffed in while limited to what people will actually remember to do.

Personally I feel that quirks that are basically one point disadvantages should just be treated as that and use the quirk limit for soft quirks that are treated with more leniance than one point roleplaying disadvantages but that's somewhat seperate from what the quirk limit should be.

[aesir23]

When I design characters, I often come up with only 3 or 4 appropriate quirks--then I have to stretch for the last one or two or leave them to be filled in later.

So maybe 4 is a better number than 5 for me. I expect that this is very, very subjective.

[Not]

Two. .

[Kromm]

You can find my opinion in Is Five Enough? (GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks, p. 6).