Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

"It gives you a small penalty" is one of the canonical options for mental Quirks. The other is that it requires some "specific action, behavior or choce 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." (B163)

This is where Figleaf's text reference to how Quirks are "not necessarily a disadvantage" (B162) comes into play. If you read the details, you essentially get three categories:

1) Mental quirks that are actively (and occasionally) played roleplaying tags, such as a liking for redheads, a dislike of cats, or a tendency to quote from the Holy Book of M'garath to make your points. (Not pushed to an OPH, of course.)

2) Mental quirks that are extremely minor disadvantages, such as being a male chauvinist, or leaving a silver bullet as a trademark, or vowing to donate a tithe of what you make to your church.

3) Physical quirks that are extremely minor disadvantages, such as having a "trick knee" that occasionally causes problems, or a tendency to get badly hung over after drinking.

So quirks can be roleplaying tags, and can be minor disadvantages. The one thing they can't be is passive -- it has to either require roleplaying, or be a drawback, or both. "Always parts his hair on the right" is not a quirk because it requires nothing from the player and has no negative side-effects. "Makes himself look exactly like Clark Kent," is, since it'll occasionally draw some odd reactions from people who suddenly realize why the guy looks so familiar. Though he's likely to be very popular at comic-book conventions ...

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Like Mina Harker's throat scars in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? (The graphic novel, not the crappy movie.)

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Cracks knuckles. Just not often enough to qualify as an OPH. A turn-off to some.

Never smiles. Well, hardly ever.

Slowly I Turn... Quirk-level Bad Temper; you're the nicest person but ONE thing always sets you off.

...Until my first cup! Bad Temper with Accessibility (mornings only), Limited Use (1/day), and Mitigator (caffeine)*.

Hates dressing up. T-shirt and jeans will do fine, thank you!

Willfully anachronistic. You are capable of using equipment to your Tech Level, you just won't for some reason (usually financial). For example, you disdain Facebook and smartphones for e-mail and regular "dumb" cellphones.) Usually limited to a few device types.

(*IDHMBWM, so be nice...)

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Always Smiles: A trait appropriate for Ghurkas. You can be ankle deep in ****, coated in someone's blood, under fire from a machinegun, 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.

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Or neck. I've gotten some stares, but the discomfort doesn't go away until the vertebrae are made to echo.

The more threads I read, the lower my personal point total goes. :)

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Counterpoint Man You always take the back row if possible.

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Two related quirks, that may be the same thing. I'm subject to both, which is why I thought of them.

Bad Timing Boy/Girl - Your sense of timing is off just enough that it makes life inconvenient for you. Little things happen that you have no control over, and you find yourself saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time. Example: The moment you step into the shower, the Jehovah's Witnesses will knock on your door.

Realistic Weirdness Magnet - If something possible but improbable is to happen, it happens to you. This is majorly inconvenient, and can cause headaches. Example: You get a job on a help desk, and are told that the majority of your calls will be 'routine' 'how do I...?' calls, 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.

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

The example provided seems like a quirk-level Bad Serendipity-like Disadvantage, instead of something caused by the character's sense of timing. Not sure which is more what you're aiming for, but a Bad Serendipity Quirk would be funny.

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Yeah; I sometimes wonder if the hive mind's got cameras in my house. :)

Re: New and Custom Quirks?
 

Just remember to unplug your web-cam, and carefully check the documentation of repairmen and like visitors, and you should be fine :)