TEXT: ®
  POWER-UPS
  QUIRKS 6
  TM
  Reviewer: Steven Marsh
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  Written by SEAN PUNCH
  Illustrated by JOHN HARTWELL, SHEA RYAN, 
  DAN SMITH, and JASON WALTON 
  Additional Material by KENNETH HITE, JASON “PK” LEVINE, 
  STEVEN MARSH, PHIL MASTERS, DAVID MORGAN-MAR, 
  DAVID PULVER, MATT RIGGSBY, and WILLIAM H. STODDARD
  GURPS System Design T STEVE JACKSON
  GURPS Line Editor T SEAN PUNCH
  Managing Editor T PHILIP REED
  Assistant GURPS Line Editor T JASON “PK” LEVINE
  GURPS FAQ Maintainer T VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO
  Production Artist and Indexer T NIKOLA VRTIS
  e23 Manager T STEVEN MARSH
  Marketing Director T LEONARD BALSERA
  Director of Sales T ROSS JEPSON
  Prepress Checker T NIKKI VRTIS
  Page Design T PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT
   Art Direction T NIKKI VRTIS
  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
  Stock #37-0145
  Version 1.0 – May 2014
  
   INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  Publication History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  About GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  1. QUIRKY SUBJECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  Hard vs. Soft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  Quirky Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  Changing Quirks in Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
  Is Five Enough? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Afflicting Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  2. THE QUIRKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Quirky Names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Convictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  Disadvantage Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Exotic Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Power Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Looks and Mannerisms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Dress Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Mental Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Meta-Game Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Physical Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
  Preferences and Aversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Alternative Sexuality Quirks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
  Preoccupations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
  Alcohol-Related Quirks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
  Skill Quirks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Social Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
  Supernatural Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  QUIRK-LEVEL DISADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
  QUIRKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
  CONTENTS
  2
  CONTENTS
  
  Few things breathe life into a fictional person as surely as
  interesting peculiarities and foibles. In an RPG, however, not-
  ing such traits on a character sheet is dicey . . . if they’re inter-
  preted prescriptively, the hero can end up hamstrung by life’s
  smallest wrinkles and curveballs. Fortunately, GURPS
  accounts for this and provides a way to strike a balance: quirks.
  These colorful traits enable you to personalize PCs with
  aplomb, yet their modest price tag (-1 point apiece) formally
  excuses you from full-sized problems.
  Despite their light weight, quirks are heavy hitters. Hand a
  dozen players the same list of stats and ask each one to add five
  quirks (the recommended number), and you’ll see a dozen dis-
  tinctive characters in play! Being essentially player-defined,
  quirks are a potent customization tool. At the same time, their
  point cost is trivial enough for both GMs and players to feel
  comfortable prioritizing individuality over game balance,
  which isn’t true of big-ticket disadvantages.
  GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks opens with a few words
  underlining and expanding the role of quirks, and then launches
  into an extensive collection of worked examples. You can use
  these as written, adapt them to individual PCs, or simply peruse
  them for inspiration. They should provide you with endless ideas
  for memorable people to inhabit your game worlds.
  PUBLICATION HISTORY
  This is the first edition of GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks.
  It includes all the quirks defined as formal character traits in
  GURPS publications up to February 2013 – notably those from
  the GURPS Basic Set, GURPS Bio-Tech, the GURPS 
  Dungeon Fantasy series, GURPS Horror, GURPS Low-Tech
  Companion 1: Philosophers and Kings, GURPS Supers,
  GURPS Thaumatology, and Pyramid. These are relatively few
  in number; upward of 80% of this material is original. How-
  ever, NPCs found in GURPS publications as far back as 1986
  inspired many of the new quirks!
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Sean “Dr. Kromm” Punch set out to become a particle
  physicist in 1985, ended up the GURPS Line Editor in 1995,
  and has engineered rules for almost every GURPS product
  since. He developed, edited, or wrote dozens of GURPS Third
  Edition projects between 1995 and 2002. In 2004, he pro-
  duced the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition with David
  Pulver. Since then, he has created GURPS Powers (with Phil
  Masters), GURPS Martial Arts (with Peter Dell’Orto),
  GURPS Zombies, and the GURPS Action, GURPS Dungeon
  Fantasy, and GURPS Power-Ups series . . . among other
  things. Sean has been a gamer since 1979. His non-gaming
  interests include cinema, mixology, and Argentine tango. He
  lives in Montréal, Québec with his wife, Bonnie.
   INTRODUCTION
  INTRODUCTION
  3
  A quirk is a minor
  defining feature that
  makes a character seem
  real and unique.
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  Quirks web page is gurps.sjgames.com/power-ups6.
  Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibli-
  ographies, and we’re putting them online – with links to let
  you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each book’s
  web page and look for the “Bibliography” link.
  Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we
  do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata pages for all
  GURPS releases, including this book, are available on our
  website – see above.
  Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the
  GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that
  begin with B refer to that book, not this one.
  About GURPS
  
  A “quirk” is a minor feature that sets you aside from others.
  It has a negative point value, but it is not necessarily a disad-
  vantage. You may take up to five quirks at -1 point apiece . . .
  and if you do, you’ll have five more points to spend.
  While quirks have a small cost, they are a large part of what
  makes a character seem “real,” and merit no less thought than
  big-ticket items. A “valid” or “legitimate” quirk meets one of
  these criteria:
  • It occasionally requires you to make a specific choice, or to
  have your character engage in a particular action or behavior.
  This needn’t be especially inconvenient, but it must be some-
  thing that you have to do in the course of the game – it can’t be
  completely passive. Such quirks are nearly always mental in
  nature, and epitomize “not necessarily a disadvantage.”
  • It causes a small game-mechanical drawback very occa-
  sionally or when engaging in a narrow set of actions. This
  might be a penalty to a dice roll, but it need not be. Equally
  good possibilities include modest bonuses to rivals’ rolls,
  diluted effects taken from full-sized disadvantages, small
  expenditures of time or money, and meta-game restrictions
  (e.g., forbidden abilities or rules options). Quirks like this are
  minor disadvantages. A mental quirk might work this way;
  physical and social quirks always do.
  As quirks in the first category are a “roleplaying-only” con-
  cern rather than a matter of rules, they’re lightly represented in
  Chapter 2. The primary goal of GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks
  is to establish fair “mini-disadvantages.”
  QUIRKY EFFECTS
  What minor drawbacks are fair? That can be tricky to nail
  down, but here are some rough guidelines:
  Penalties to Success Rolls: -1 on the character’s rolls to act (e.g.,
  attribute, skill, or active defense rolls) or to resist something
  (Will rolls vs. Influence skills, self-control rolls for disadvan-
  tages, etc.) – or on allies’ rolls to assist him – in occasional
  circumstances.
  Reaction Penalties: -1 to reactions toward the character from
  a small class of people, or at most 1/3 of the time (e.g., 5-
  6 on 1d).
  Bonuses to Rivals’ Rolls: +1 to others’ Influence rolls on the
  character, or on attempts to identify or notice him, in occa-
  sional circumstances.
  Disadvantage Effects: Qualitative effects of full-sized disad-
  vantages, infrequently or in rare circumstances. Think in
  terms of applying divisors (to adjust for frequency of
  appearance, people affected, self-control roll, etc.)
  and limitations sufficient to cut disadvantage
  cost to -1 point.
  Social Inconveniences: Undesirable-but-minor
  social situations, significantly less serious than
  Dependents or Enemies, that arise on a 6 or
  less on 3d.
  Extra Contingencies: Uncommon external effects
  (e.g., magnetism or True Faith) or dice rolls
  that most other people don’t need to worry
  about do matter for the character. For a quirk,
  this means an additional minor headache on
  rare occasions, not serious harm or incapacity.
  Restricted Options: Required choices – much as
  for roleplaying-only quirks – worded in terms
  of actions, rolls, or rules options that are flatly
  forbidden but only occasionally relevant.
  Extra Expenses: Lost or wasted cash equal to
  about 10% of the character’s income, as a lump
  sum monthly or in smaller chunks whenever
  the quirk crops up. The figure can be much
  higher for mandatory expenditures on useful
  things he gets to keep.
  CHAPTER ONE
  QUIRKY
  SUBJECTS
  QUIRKY SUBJECTS
  4
  Hard vs. Soft
  Players will notice that roleplaying-only quirks have “soft” effects
  while minor disadvantages have “hard,” unavoidable ones. That isn’t
  a problem – nobody has to take any quirks at character creation, and
  players are welcome to avoid those that penalize or complicate
  actions. There are two things to remember, though.
  First, the player must roleplay “soft” quirks or receive fewer bonus
  character points (Enforcing Quirks, p. 5). Losing just one point this
  way compensates for the quirk left unplayed; missing several points
  makes the quirk a “hard” liability indeed. Roleplaying mini-disadvan-
  tages is encouraged, too, but the GM has the recourse of enforcing in-
  game effects (penalties, expenses, etc.) instead of meta-game ones
  (docking points). Thus, gamers who tend to forget quirks are better
  off choosing ones that have concrete drawbacks.
  Second, quirks can be acquired in play (Gaining New Quirks, p. 7).
  Such traits represent madness, injuries, curses, and other Bad Things.
  They’re meant to be disadvantageous and thus “hard,” not minor role-
  playing hooks. You can end up with these whether you like it or not!
  
  QUIRKY SUBJECTS
  5
  Extra Time: At least 10% more time to perform an occasional
  task, or a half-hour of study time unavoidably lost each day.
  Extra FP Costs: +1 FP to perform an occasional task that costs
  FP already.
  A quirk needn’t work the same way whenever it comes up.
  It can cause several effects by turns; e.g., -1 to the character’s
  own rolls or +1 to rivals’ rolls . . . or -1 to one of several rolls,
  depending on specific circumstances . . . or lost time in one sit-
  uation or -1 to a roll in another.
  Effects should be harsher if the quirk matters extremely
  rarely (say, every couple of adventures rather than every few
  game sessions). Handle this by increasing their size or number.
  For instance, a modifier might become -2 to self or +2 to oth-
  ers, or -1 to self and +1 to others, or -1 to several things at once
  (attribute, reaction, and self-control rolls); extra time or money
  might increase to 20%. If the quirk is a few-times-in-a-career
  sort of thing or essentially voluntary (concerns a skill nobody
  has to learn, gives “penalties” in the form of refused bonuses,
  etc.), then even -5 to a roll, or +50% to time or expense, might
  be warranted! More serious drawbacks also suit critical fail-
  ures on success rolls the quirk requires.
  A quirk can give its possessor a small benefit that’s the
  opposite of one of the above effects, somewhat like a
  perk. If so, the drawbacks should be larger. For instance,
  +1 to the occasional beneficial roll could justify -2 to
  something equally common.
  For examples of these options and more, see Chap-
  ter 2. When in doubt, model your quirk on an existing
  one. Quirk design is an art, not an accounting problem
  – the goal is to create quirks that feel fair, not to make
  each one precisely as limiting as the next.
  Enforcing Quirks
  Roleplaying-only quirks are easily enforced. When
  awarding bonus character points (pp. B498-499), the
  GM asks, “Did the player roleplay this quirk when he
  could have?” If the answer is a straightforward “no,” the
  GM subtracts a point from the award to send a message.
  If the player honestly forgot about the quirk, the GM
  might instead replace it with one that’s easier to remem-
  ber, or at worst spend the withheld point to buy it off;
  see Changing Quirks in Play (below). Conversely, if the
  player made a habit of deliberately ignoring or doing the
  opposite of the quirk, docking two points is warranted.
  Mini-disadvantages require more judgment. The GM has to
  be fair about invoking the game effects, taking to heart words
  such as “minor,” “occasional,” “rare,” “small,” and “trivial.” At
  the same time, he must ensure that the quirks come up, unless
  he wants them to be free points (that’s fine . . . if it’s inten-
  tional!). One principle in particular is vital:
  Quirks Don’t “Stack”: Most modifiers add up and apply
  cumulatively. Quirks don’t – they aren’t worth enough points
  for this to be fair. The GM who drags in multiple unrelated
  quirks in order to saddle players with crippling penalties is
  acting against the spirit of the game as surely as the player
  who views those quirks as free points. Invoke quirks one at a
  time. If several seem applicable, go with the one that seems
  most fun right now and save the others for later, except in the
  special cases discussed under Overlapping Quirks (below) and
  Intolerance (p. 26).
  Overlapping Quirks
  Several quirks might spring from the same origin; e.g.,
  Religious (p. 8) regarding a faith that expects temple contri-
  butions and a Vow (p. 9) to tithe, or a Code of Honor (p. 9)
  about being “gentlemanly” toward women and Willful Igno-
  rance (p. 9) to the effect of “women are weak.” Whenever pos-
  sible, the GM should strive to enforce just the trait that best
  fits the circumstances. However, he has leave to “stack” the
  effects of such quirks when there’s no doubt that they would
  all apply. A fair way to do so is to increase the odds of prob-
  lems that depend on dice rolls; see Odious Personal Habit
  (p. 20) for a simple method.
  If the GM foresees several quirks always cropping up
  together, he may ask the player to diversify more. If he allows
  the overlap, it’s only fair to discuss the synergy before the PC
  enters play. This gives the player an opportunity to better dif-
  ferentiate the quirks, or to merge them into one that has a sin-
  gle effect for a range of triggers (compare Idealistic, p. 19) or
  different effects that cannot be triggered simultaneously (as in
  External Mood Influence, p. 18).
  CHANGING QUIRKS IN PLAY
  Quirks needn’t be permanent fixtures. Like more serious
  traits, it’s possible to add, remove, and tweak them to reflect
  character experiences and evolution.
  Empty Quirk Slots
  Declaring even the most minor character traits before the
  campaign begins doesn’t suit every play style. Some players
  prefer to define their alter egos through roleplaying. Others
  like to adjust their characters on the fly to give them stronger
  “hooks” to the game world or other PCs. While full-sized disad-
  vantages are tricky as late-breaking additions, raising thorny
  questions about why they didn’t affect situations they should
  have, quirks are trivial enough to take time to emerge, making
  them the ideal tool for fine-tuning in play.
  Certain flaws are
  necessary for the whole. 
  It would seem strange if
  old friends lacked certain
  quirks.
  – Johann Wolfgang
  von Goethe
  
  To support this, the GM might allow players to hold open
  some or all of their five “quirk slots” at character creation, to be
  populated later. Although the Basic Set counsels filling these
  with minor personality traits that occur in the course of role-
  playing, that’s merely a guideline. If a PC suffers physical stress
  during the campaign’s early sessions – anything from drunken-
  ness, through severe exhaustion, to torture or injury – it would
  be reasonable to add a physical quirk (p. 22-25) as a memento.
  Similarly, mental quirks could arise from psychological 
  strain, and social quirks (pp. 32-33) from plot entanglements. 
  In particular, when PCs with unfilled slots
  experience traumas such as those noted
  under Gaining New Quirks (p. 7), the usual
  spectrum of quirks can result even if the rules
  don’t require it.
  When using empty slots, the GM is within
  his rights to set limits not only on the number
  of undefined quirks permitted but also on how
  many game sessions of grace are allowed.
  Waiting too long gives the GM carte blanche to
  specify the missing quirks. As these won’t be
  traits the player has agreed to roleplay, they’ll
  probably end up being ones with “hard” game
  effects, most often physical quirks. Alterna-
  tively, the GM may garnish bonus character
  points to pay off the debt, deleting empty slots
  at the cost of one earned point apiece. Either
  approach should give players an incentive to
  remember to define their quirks!
  Changing Existing Quirks
  Defining a quirk doesn’t mean being stuck
  with it forever. People change, and that goes
  double for interesting people like the heroes
  of RPG campaigns. When a PC experiences
  life-altering events – whether good (marriage,
  achieving a career goal, receiving therapy,
  etc.), bad (such as accidents, betrayals, and
  the traumas mentioned in Gaining New
  Quirks, p. 7), or neutral-but-memorable (e.g.,
  learning a previously hidden truth or being
  told a secret) – it can be fun to mark the occa-
  sion by altering a quirk.
  The Basic Set recommends limiting
  exchanges to mental foibles, but that’s hardly
  the only option. For instance, someone might
  see the mental quirk “Likes fast cars” turn
  into a Minor Handicap (p. 23) after a small-
  but-lasting injury suffered in a nasty automo-
  bile accident dampens his passion for speedy rides. It
  sometimes makes sense to change one physical quirk to
  another, too; e.g., that Minor Handicap could become Care
  (p. 22) or Minor Addiction (p. 29) as a consequence of medical
  procedures or drugs used to treat the injury. In short, players
  are encouraged to be creative – and the GM, to keep an open
  mind – when it comes to swapping quirks. Given the right
  events, nearly any quirk could supplant almost any other, pro-
  vided that everyone agrees that the replacement makes sense.
  QUIRKY SUBJECTS
  6
  Is Five Enough?
  Some players have difficulty remembering to roleplay more than a
  handful of personality traits. The GM may find recalling and enforcing
  several PCs’ quirks even trickier, and isn’t supposed to “stack” quirk effects
  (Enforcing Quirks, p. 5). Thus, there’s an argument to be made that per-
  mitting lots of quirks would lead to most of them being forgotten or pre-
  empted, making them free points – in which case it would be less
  complicated to set a maximum and increase the campaign power level.
  The suggested limit is five. The rules do provide for exceeding that num-
  ber (Gaining New Quirks, p. 7), but always in the context of genuinely
  troublesome mini-disadvantages that reduce point value. Nobody has to
  roleplay these; they’re extra drawbacks for the GM to invoke.
  Still, it’s presumptuous to assume that gamers can’t handle more than
  five quirks – especially when there’s no rule against having more than five
  full-sized disadvantages, provided that their point value doesn’t exceed the
  campaign’s disadvantage limit. And some players might find “You can
  define five quirks, but the GM can hit you with any number later on!”
  unfair. The GM who agrees with any of this may allow more quirks.
  Conversely, the GM of a campaign where quirks are unlikely to be role-
  played may set a lower limit. Good reasons for this include a focus on
  hack ’n’ slash (in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, for instance), a campaign
  that operates at a scale above that of individuals (as with GURPS Mass
  Combat), or a game where the players haven’t created their own charac-
  ters (e.g., at a convention) or are new to roleplaying.
  Whatever the situation, it may be useful to impose more restrictive lim-
  its on roleplaying-only quirks than on mini-disadvantages similar to those
  inflicted by Fright Checks and injuries. The exact numbers are up to the
  GM, who might say, “As many as three quirks from GURPS Power-Ups 6:
  Quirks and up to two others that can be as vague as you like,” “Five role-
  playing-only quirks, but mini-disadvantages are restricted only by the dis-
  advantage limit,” or almost anything else.
  Limits apply only to concurrent quirks. For successive ones, see Changing
  Existing Quirks (below) – and for a particularly balanced compromise
  between variety and manageability, try a Variable Quirk (pp. 21-22).
  If they all stood there and recited their histories and their 
  quirks and their crimes and their deviations – there was no doubt 
  in his mind that God himself would fall down in a swoon and 
  tear his hair.
  – Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary
  
  Gamers seeking specific examples should see
  Chapter 2. Many quirks there suggest evolutions of
  this sort, particularly Variable Quirk (pp. 21-22).
  Gaining New Quirks
  Some rules permanently afflict people with
  new quirks; e.g., Brainwashing (p. B182), Instant
  Learning (p. B295), Fright Checks (pp. B360-361),
  Drug Withdrawal
  (p. B440), and Fascinating
  Parachronic Disasters (p. B532). When this hap-
  pens, simply write the quirks on the character
  sheet and reduce point value accordingly. It is
  possible to end up with more than five quirks this
  way, and these don’t replace existing quirks or fill
  empty “quirk slots.” Most such quirks should be
  mini-disadvantages, since the player didn’t ask for
  them and might not feel comfortable being told to
  roleplay differently.
  On the other hand, if a PC weathers a trauma like
  this without acquiring any quirks – probably by suc-
  ceeding at whatever resistance rolls the rules allow –
  the player may opt to have the character “give in” anyway. The
  same goes for comparably stressful events that don’t involve
  rolling dice (e.g., a mild shock for which the GM requires no
  Fright Check). In that case, simply fill an empty slot with a suit-
  able quirk or change an existing one to commemorate the
  event. This kind of voluntary fallout doesn’t lower point value
  and cannot normally result in more than five quirks.
  The Road to Recovery
  When buying off a full-fledged disadvantage, it’s most
  believable and least disruptive to do so gradually: reducing the
  problem to lower levels, making its self-control roll less severe,
  and so on. A reasonable final step is a quirk left behind after
  paying off all but one point. Unless the GM rules otherwise,
  such traits count as “gained in play” and can lead to more than
  five quirks.
  Buying Off Quirks
  Quirks acquired in play – including ones inflicted by the
  rules (Gaining New Quirks, above), the vestiges of more serious
  problems (The Road to Recovery, above), and nearly anything
  else above and beyond the starting quirk limit – are really
  minor disadvantages. As usual with disadvantages, the GM
  may require in-game events, physical therapy, psychological
  counseling, etc. to justify getting rid of them; see pp. B291-292.
  If the GM agrees that you may do so, then simply pay a point
  and erase the quirk.
  The same goes for physical and social quirks chosen during
  character creation. Once you’ve addressed the health issue, set
  the paperwork straight, or done whatever the GM says is
  required, you can buy off the quirk for a point. This is also true
  for mental quirks that are more mini-disadvantages than role-
  playing choices; suitable psychotherapy may “cure” these, if
  you have the points.
  However, many starting mental quirks – especially of the
  pure-roleplaying variety – aren’t actually “problems” to
  solve. They’re part of what makes the character interesting!
  Buying off such personality traits is the player’s privilege but
  rarely the best idea, as it will make the PC flatter and less
  intriguing. If such a quirk isn’t fun, then it’s time for the
  player and GM to sit down and discuss one that is; see
  Changing Existing Quirks (pp. 6-7).
  QUIRKY SUBJECTS
  7
  In campaigns that feature superhuman abilities, ques-
  tions about Afflictions (pp. B35-36) that deliver quirks may
  arise. In general, the Disadvantage enhancement is allowed
  for quirks that behave like physical or non-self-imposed
  mental disadvantages. Thus, exotic (pp. 12-13), mental
  (pp. 17-20), physical (pp. 22-25), and supernatural (pp. 33-
  34) quirks are probably fine if they suit the target; e.g., Resid-
  ual Personality (p. 34) only affects shape-changers. The
  modifier is worth +1%, inflicts the quirk instead of stunning,
  and lasts a minute per point of failure on the resistance roll.
  These guidelines prohibit convictions (pp. 8-9), prefer-
  ences and aversions (pp. 25-27), and preoccupations
  (pp. 27-30) that aren’t watered-down versions of permitted
  mental disadvantages; disadvantage variations (pp. 9-12)
  on problems that aren’t themselves allowed; looks and
  mannerisms (pp. 13-16) that aren’t purely physical; 
  skill quirks (pp. 30-32) besides Cognition Quirks; and
  social quirks (pp. 32-33). Anything that permanently alters
  character points is definitely off-limits, forbidding Point-
  Spending Quirks (p. 21) and Trivial Destiny (p. 34). Effects
  that summon objects, even temporarily, are also out, elim-
  inating choices like Unwelcome Accessory and Cosmetic
  Eyeglasses (p. 13). Meta-game quirks (pp. 21-22) are left to
  the GM, who has the final say about any Affliction.
  Afflicting Quirks
  
  GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks describes over 150 quirks,
  many of them lengthy and with examples. Since most people
  dislike big lists, these have been sorted by type. While the cate-
  gories are somewhat arbitrary, the section intros suggest con-
  crete rules differences – be sure to read them. To find a quirk
  by name, consult the index (pp. 35-36).
  A few important notes on choosing quirks from this list:
  • Many quirks are diluted disadvantages. If a quirk is
  described as a “minor,” “quirk-level,” or “trivial” form of a dis-
  advantage, then that’s exactly what it is. No character can have
  both quirk-level and full-priced versions of a problem – choose
  one or the other.
  • If a disadvantage forbids a trait (advantage, another dis-
  advantage, etc.), then so does its quirk form.
  • If a trait (advantage, disadvantage, racial template, “taboo
  traits” feature, etc.) forbids a disadvantage, then it also forbids
  that disadvantage’s quirk form.
  Everything past this point is just a suggestion! Players are
  encouraged to dream up original quirks, and the GM is never
  required to permit the specific examples listed here.
  CONVICTIONS
  A passionate investment in an idea – be it trivial or grandly
  cosmological – makes an excellent quirk. Those who under-
  stand such convictions can often exploit them; many of the
  traits below offer examples of this. The GM may require a skill
  roll before permitting such manipulation, if the quirk’s subject
  is sufficiently abstruse. This might involve Law or Philosophy
  for a formal code, Occultism or Theology for faith or supersti-
  tion, or a Professional Skill or Savoir-Faire specialty for an out-
  look associated with an occupation. Weirder possibilities
  abound, such as Hobby Skill (B Movies) for someone who
  styles his life on bad action flicks!
  These traits are self-imposed stances, not psychiatric foibles
  like those under Mental Quirks (pp. 17-20). Thus, you may
  freely replace them or buy them off if your experiences inspire
  you to revise your thinking.
  Belief
  You subscribe to a specific way of seeing the world. This
  might involve deities, the absence of deities, or manmade ideals.
  Atheist
  You neither believe in higher powers nor observe an
  organized religion. This quirk most often works like Shock-
  ing Affectation (p. 15), earning -1 on reactions from people
  with disadvantages or quirks suggesting faith (e.g., Reli-
  gious). Unlike other Beliefs, it’s more a catchall than a unified
  school of thought, so only those aware of why you made this
  choice are likely to react especially well or receive bonuses to
  manipulate you.
  Philosophical
  You take a particular worldly philosophy seriously and
  strive to live according to its principles. People familiar with
  its precepts sometimes have +1 to manipulate you – or you
  might roll at -1 to resist their efforts, earn -1 on reactions
  from opposed movements, or suffer -1 to self-control rolls if
  submitting to a disadvantage would be consistent with your
  ideals. When dealing with the local philosophical commu-
  nity, you enjoy +1 on reactions from peers who share your
  quirk and from its leaders, where applicable.
  Be specific. You might pick “Stoic,” “Secularist,”
  “Marxist,” “Postmodernist,” or any of hundreds of other
  things. Political philosophies count; quirks like “Anarchist,”
  “Die-hard Republican,” and “Monarchist” are entirely valid.
  Religious
  You don’t have full-fledged Disciplines of Faith, Fanati-
  cism, Intolerance (Religious), etc., but you take your faith seri-
  ously. You’ll try to avoid work (including adventuring!) on holy
  days, respect the clergy, contribute to the temple, and so forth.
  You always pray when expected.
  Attempts to manipulate you through this behavior (e.g., to
  surprise you by attacking during prayer) – including almost any
  Influence roll made by a priest of your religion – are at +1. Alter-
  natively, the GM may give you -1 on your roll to avoid this, espe-
  cially if that’s a self-control roll for a disadvantage that aligns
  with your beliefs (many faiths preach virtues such as Charitable
  and Honesty). However, clergy who know you well react to you
  at +1, as do other Religious people in your congregation.
  Specify your belief system when you take this quirk: “Obser-
  vant Jew,” “Devout Catholic,” “Cultist of Azathoth,” etc.
  THE QUIRKS
  8
  Quirky Names
  Quirks from earlier GURPS publications (perhaps 1/5 of
  this collection) retain their original names for consistency’s
  sake. The rest sport utilitarian or whimsical monikers.
  There is no need to use these “official” labels! Many quirks
  require the player to come up with a specific instance and
  name it. Consider doing so for all quirks – it helps bring the
  character to life. Just be sure to tack on a brief note sum-
  marizing any important game effects; e.g., “Follower of
  Snarsh (-1 reactions from orc philosophers).”
  CHAPTER TWO
  THE QUIRKS
  
  Code of Honor
  A minor Code of Honor (p. B127) can be a quirk, especially
  if it qualifies on one or more of the following counts:
  Casual. Codes of conduct that apply only to sports, hobbies,
  or leisure activities – bowling, camping, ice hockey, poker,
  roleplaying, surfing, etc. – are always quirks.
  Diluted. Selected aspects of disadvantage-level Codes (Gen-
  tleman’s, Chivalry, etc.) – e.g., exhibiting “gentlemanly” behav-
  ior toward all women – are quirks in a society that doesn’t
  expect such conduct of you. Many mercenaries dilute the fight-
  or-die loyalty of Code of Honor (Soldier’s) to “Stays bought.”
  Low-risk professional. Code of Honor (Professional) is just a
  quirk if deviating from it carries no risk of legal action or los-
  ing the right to practice. Most informal Codes that amount to
  “do my job well” qualify; e.g., Code of Honor (Pizza Delivery-
  man’s), unless you’re Hiro Protagonist. Even a formal Code
  counts if straying from it brings no fallout worse than losing a
  single client or a little pay.
  Narrow. The strictest Code is just a quirk if it almost never
  applies. “My word is my bond” could be a serious disadvantage
  – but if it holds only when you give your word to leaders of very
  high Rank or Status, then its value is -1 point.
  Your Code must still require behavior from you to be worth
  a point. As with similar quirks, the GM can invoke this to jus-
  tify the occasional small penalty; e.g., an honorable card-player
  might have -1 to notice cheating, while a “gentlemanly” fellow
  may earn -1 on reactions from some feminists.
  Legalistic
  Quirk-level Honesty (p. B138) – sort of. You must obey the
  letter of the law, though you may ignore the spirit to seek loop-
  holes or suggest crimes to others, and you feel no obligation to
  keep your word unless contract-bound. To break a law out-
  right, you must make a self-control roll at 12 or less; failure
  means that the consequences of disobeying worry you more
  than those of obeying, and you refuse.
  This quirk is irrelevant in lawless settings!
  Superstition
  You truly believe that one particular small ritual or omen is
  lucky or unlucky. Spell it out: “Four-leafed clovers are lucky,”
  “Smashing a mirror is unlucky,” “Women are bad luck aboard
  ships,” etc. This might even be true in a supernatural-tinged
  campaign – it doesn’t have to be a Delusion (p. 17). This has no
  effect on your actions until it crosses your path on an adven-
  ture . . . at which point you’ll spend more time looking for fate-
  ful coincidences than at what’s in front of you.
  This gives you -1 to DX, IQ, Per, and skill rolls (but not Will
  or active defense rolls!) until the Superstition proves true. If it
  concerns good luck, you have to succeed at “long odds” (a task
  where your final effective skill is 6 or worse) or score a critical
  success. If it’s about bad luck, you must fail at a “sure thing”
  (final effective skill of 14 or better) or roll a critical failure.
  Then the penalties vanish.
  In a world where the Superstition is fact, all of this is in
  addition to its supernatural effects.
  Vow
  A trivial Vow (p. B160) – e.g., always hold to the letter or the
  spirit of a contract (not both!), never drink alcohol, or pay 10%
  of your income to your church (or donate 10% of your crime
  proceeds to charity, for that matter) – is a quirk.
  A Vow to avoid something that most ordinary people
  couldn’t or wouldn’t do is also trivial; in fact, it’s worth noth-
  ing unless it limits your career. For instance, “Never attack a
  dragon” would be reasonable for a fantasy knight, and
  “Never impersonate a law officer” would be valid for a con
  man, but not vice versa.
  Willful Ignorance
  You accept an erroneous bit of hearsay, folk wisdom, or a fic-
  tional “realism” as fact; e.g., “Blondes are dumb,” “Dogs can’t
  look up,” or “A shotgun blast can knock down a man or clear an
  entire room.” You should roleplay this misconception whenever
  it would come up, but it isn’t a Delusion (p. 17) – you’re misin-
  formed, not crazy – and the GM has options besides reaction
  penalties under suitable circumstances: he may “blindside” you
  by assessing -1 or +1 (whichever would inconvenience you
  more!) to some key roll. In the examples, a blonde might get +1
  to almost any IQ-based roll made against you, a guard dog might
  receive +1 to find your hiding spot, or you might suffer -1 to hit
  with a shotgun when you burst in on a room full of bad guys.
  DISADVANTAGE VARIATIONS
  Disadvantages are grist for the quirk mill. Many traits in
  GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks are adapted from them, and a
  large fraction of those examples fall into the broad categories
  below. If you can’t find the quirk you want, select the disadvan-
  tage that comes closest and keep reading . . .
  Disadvantage Embellishment
  A quirk can elaborate on how a full-blown disadvantage man-
  ifests. Additional detail is the most obvious possibility; e.g., “Par-
  ticularly curious about intellectual puzzles” for Curious, “Says
  the exact opposite of the truth” alongside Compulsive Lying, or
  “Refuses to admit when the weather is bad” with Stubbornness.
  Behavior that the disadvantage renders difficult but doesn’t
  forbid is also valid, and often more fun! Someone with Truth-
  fulness might have “Lies (poorly) about his past,” while an
  Indecisive person could suffer from “Tries to be a good leader
  – usually fails.” Such quirks suggest interesting triggers for
  your disadvantages.
  Yet another entertaining choice is conduct to avoid the disad-
  vantage. For instance, people with Secrets often follow many
  small rituals to avoid discovery, and the quirk “Carefully meas-
  ures all his drinks” commonly accompanies real-life Alcoholism.
  You may have up to one such embellishment per full -5
  points of disadvantage value. Each quirk gives the GM an
  extra “hook” where your problem is concerned. If you don’t
  play along, he may apply +1 or -1, whichever would be 
  more inconvenient, to rolls that play on that shortcoming.
  THE QUIRKS
  9
  Many quirks are adapted
  from disadvantages.
  
  For example, if you always say the exact opposite of the truth,
  then someone who hears several of your lies might get +1 to
  Detect Lies – or you might suffer -1 to Fast-Talk with him. This
  is above and beyond your disadvantage’s built-in effects.
  Example: You could gild Charitable (12) [-15] with “Always
  tosses coins to beggars,” “Gives free lollipops to kids,” and
  “Helps the elderly across the street,” and in effect get an extra
  3 points for your disadvantage. However, if you don’t do those
  things whenever the GM places beggars, children, or old folks
  in your path, the GM may give such NPCs +1 to use Fast-Talk
  or Pickpocket on you, or reduce your self-control number to 11
  where they’re concerned.
  Two common embellishments from fiction work slightly
  differently.
  Appearance Change
  Prerequisites: Antisocial disadvantage with self-control roll
  and Monstrous or better Appearance.
  You have a disadvantage that, when you give in, causes your
  Appearance to drop by one level while you act out on it –
  whether because you sneer evilly or are under a curse. This
  embellishment is traditional for Bad Temper, Bully, and Sadism,
  but the GM may allow it for other problems where submission
  doesn’t imply violence that would render reaction rolls irrelevant
  (ruling out Berserk, Bloodlust, and Uncontrollable Appetite).
  Involuntary Ability Use
  Prerequisites: Antisocial disadvantage with self-control roll
  and a suitable ability.
  You have a disadvantage that, when you submit, causes you
  to activate a disturbing or destructive advantage: Alternate
  Form, Innate Attack, Terror, etc. This isn’t grounds for Uncon-
  trollable (p. B116); injury, Fright Checks, and other mental dis-
  advantages cannot trigger your gift, and it doesn’t have a mind
  of its own. It’s just that when you give in to one specific prob-
  lem, you reflexively make a show of power.
  Easily Suppressed Disadvantage
  A -5-point mental disadvantage with a self-control roll of 15
  is worth -2 points. If the GM can “force” the problem on you
  only on a critically failed self-control roll (17 or 18), then it’s
  just a quirk. While unpleasant game-mechanical effects (bad
  reactions, wasted resources, etc.) depend on the dice like this,
  you’re expected to roleplay the behavior whenever appropriate.
  Failure to do so may result in “bad roleplaying” penalties.
  Some examples, with suggested names:
  Compulsive Carousing: “Enjoys carousing,” “Party animal,”
  “Social.”
  Compulsive Gambling: “Enjoys Gambling,” “Likes bets,” “Likes
  games of chance.”
  Compulsive
  Generosity:
  “Generous,” “Magnanimous,”
  “Munificent.”
  Compulsive Spending: “Big spender,” “Displays wealth ostenta-
  tiously,” “Shopaholic.”
  Compulsive Vowing: “Oath-taker,” or something colorful like
  “Swears by Allah’s beard” or “Swears on his father’s grave.”
  Curious: “Inquisitive,” “Nosy” (p. 20), “Prying.”
  Gluttony: “Fond of food and drink,” “Gourmand,” “Likes to eat.”
  Incurious: “Staid” (p. 20), “Unquestioning.”
  Loner: “Aloof,” “Keeps to self,” “Prefers being alone,” “Soli-
  tary,” “Uncongenial” (p. 20), “Unfriendly.”
  Nightmares: “Bad dreams.”
  Overconfidence: “Audacious,” “Bold,” “Confident.”
  Pyromania: “Firebug,” “Likes fire.”
  Selfish: “Conceited,” “Haughty,” “Pompous,” “Proud” (p. 20),
  “Snobby,” “Snooty,” “Status-conscious,” “Vainglorious” . . .
  this is a common quirk!
  Selfless: “Altruistic,” “Humble” (p. 19), “Unselfish.”
  Truthfulness: “Forthright,” “Ingenuous,” “Sincere.”
  The GM might allow this option even for disadvantages that
  don’t offer self-control rolls. Since such traits’ point values
  assume a problem that’s always inconvenient – not one that’s
  resisted with a self-control roll of 12 or less – a self-control roll
  of 15 (not the 16 implied above) is fairest here. Alternatively,
  weaken the disadvantage in other ways; for examples, see
  Congenial (p. 17), Determined (p. 18), Dorky (p. 18), Dull (p. 18),
  Insensitive (p. 19), Math-Shy (p. 31), and Responsible (p. 20).
  Extremely Limited Disadvantage
  Any disadvantage is worth just -1 point if the situations,
  actions, or people that trigger it are uncommon enough that
  it affects you only once every few play sessions. It’s good role-
  playing to talk about or pointedly avoid discussing the prob-
  lem (your choice). However, there are no game effects most
  of the time.
  This isn’t the same as Easily Suppressed Disadvantage
  (above), which rarely matters because you almost never give
  in. Your self-control roll here – for problems that allow one –
  is against 12. An Extremely Limited Disadvantage is a quirk
  because you rarely have to roll in the first place.
  For disadvantages that come in levels, such as Shyness,
  the effect is that of the mildest form. However, the GM may
  ramp up the severity in especially intense incidents. If the
  trigger is extraordinarily rare (once every few adventures), the
  GM is within his rights to enforce a higher level whenever the
  quirk arises.
  Examples:
  Absent-Mindedness: You don’t suffer the disadvantage’s general
  effects, just the IQ-2 roll to remember one particular thing.
  Be specific: “Forgets to reload his guns,” “Leaves doors
  unlocked,” “Misplaces car keys,” etc.
  Alcoholism: You overindulge under specific circumstances –
  binging and suffering the bad effects – but you don’t have to
  roll in the presence of all alcohol, for withdrawal, or for long-
  term decline. You may link this to events (“Hits the bottle
  after killing”) or a type of drink (“Gets drunk on good wine”).
  Amnesia: One specific memory is missing. Time limits like
  “Can’t recall the summer of ’67” are a common choice. For
  a memory that has been replaced, pick False Memory (p. 17)
  instead.
  Bad Smell: At quirk level, this gives -1 to reactions around peo-
  ple who dislike a scent that you happen to like; e.g., “Always
  wears perfume.” An odor that identifies you to others is a
  Dead Giveaway (pp. 13-14). You can have both!
  Bad Temper: Only toward those who comment on your bald-
  ness, height, weight, age, etc. (“Sensitive about her age”),
  point out a disadvantage (“Gets angry when treated differ-
  ently due to One Eye”), level a specific criticism (“Dislikes
  being called a liar”), flirt with you (“Reacts poorly to flirta-
  tion”), and so on.
  THE QUIRKS
  10
  
  Bloodlust: Only when seeking vengeance against someone who
  seriously wounded you (“An eye for an eye”).
  Bully: Only toward those who’ve wronged you in the past
  (“Holds a grudge”).
  Callous: Only toward people under 12 years of age (“Bad with
  children”), only toward those over 65 years of age (“Bad
  with the elderly”), etc.
  Compulsive Lying: Only about the time needed to do a task – a
  common quirk of starship engineers. At this level, your
  lying is more “fudging” or “bending the truth.”
  Cowardice: Only concerning one narrow class of foes or dan-
  gers: “Afraid of masters of Western Dragon kung fu,”
  “Apprehensive of steep climbs,” etc.
  Frightens Animals: Only affects one specific group, usually a
  single species: “Bad with dogs,” “Terrifies horses,” etc.
  Gluttony: Only with respect to a particular class of foodstuffs:
  “Consumes vast quantities of cheese,” “Likes good ale,”
  “Sweet tooth,” etc.
  Greed: Only regarding a particular treasure or form of payment
  (“Insists on being paid in gold”), only on the stock market, etc.
  Honesty: You feel compelled to obey specific laws; e.g., “Always
  obeys traffic regulations,” “Stickler about customs law,” or
  “Won’t violate Pyle County ordinances.” This is too narrow
  to earn a reaction bonus.
  Jealousy: Only where your current love interest is concerned,
  only with respect to one person whom you envy above all
  others, or only in one category (brains, speed, strength,
  wealth, etc.).
  Kleptomania: Only when it comes to snatching one specific
  item about as broad as a Like (p. 26): “Pockets candy bars,”
  “Shoplifts rock ’n’ roll discs,” “Steals knives,” etc.
  Miserliness: Only when shopping for a particular class of
  things; e.g., “Haggles over vehicles,” “Buys the cheapest
  ammo,” or “Won’t buy expensive computers.”
  No Sense of Humor: Only with respect to “lowbrow” physical
  humor and jackassery . . . or only regarding “highbrow” wit
  that requires a university degree to understand.
  Odious Personal Habit: A -5-point Odious Personal Habit is a
  quirk if it applies only in rarified situations but offends every-
  body when it does emerge. Specify the condition: “Laughs
  like a hyena at jokes,” “Pedantic about spelling,” etc.
  Overconfidence: Only toward unusual challenges (“Overesti-
  mates his skill at siege warfare”) or opponents with specific
  traits (“Underestimates those with Fanaticism”), or only
  regarding one specific task (“Overconfident driver,” “Over-
  confident sniper,” etc.).
  Pacifism: Only toward a specific group (“Won’t fight fellow
  West Point graduates”) or expressed in a narrow way (“Uses
  less-lethal weapons whenever possible”).
  Paranoia: Only with respect to a specific group: “Distrusts
  socialists,” “Doesn’t trust soldiers,” “Thinks snow-plow driv-
  ers are plotting against him,” etc.
  Phobia: Almost any Phobia counts if only a tiny subset of
  things can trigger it; e.g., fear of weapons is a disadvan-
  tage (Hoplophobia), but fear of poisoned arrows is a
  quirk. Contrast this with Dislike (p. 26), which is far
  broader but doesn’t cause Fright Checks.
  Selfish: Only concerning one specific facet of social domi-
  nance. The GM may insist that you have a hope in hell of
  achieving that goal – “Covets the throne” is a fair quirk for
  a Status 6 prince or even a Status 5 duke, but a Delusion
  (p. 17) for anyone else.
  Sense of Duty: Sense of Duty to an individual is worth -2 points.
  Halve this to a quirk if it’s qualified with something like
  “when it suits my interests” or “in combat.” The GM is free
  to penalize earned points when you don’t put that person
  first under the specified circumstances, but you may favor
  yourself or someone else the rest of the time.
  Shyness: Only around Attractive (or better) members of 
  one sex.
  Stuttering: Only around Attractive (or better) members of 
  one sex.
  Truthfulness: Only toward monarchs, presidents, and other
  national leaders.
  Unluckiness: Only in a specific sphere: “Bad luck at gam-
  bling,” “Star-crossed lover,” “Unlucky at driving,” etc.
  General Unluckiness can have an optional theme, but this
  is a hard-and-fast one that doesn’t often arise; you aren’t
  generally unlucky.
  Workaholic: Only on the clock – you take enough time off to
  avoid reaction penalties but always say “yes” to paid over-
  time, allowing your boss (played by the GM) to buy up to 4
  hours/day of potential study time off you for extra wages.
  Mirror-Image Disadvantages
  While you cannot have two full-sized disadvantages that are
  opposites – because one obviates the other – you can take such
  a pairing as a single quirk. This doesn’t work like Manic-
  Depressive or Split Personality, where serious problems take
  turns afflicting you; that’s worth more than a point. In this
  case, you normally experience no bad effects . . . but in a situ-
  ation where either disadvantage could apply, roll 3d. On 17-18,
  one facet gets out of balance (flip a coin or roll a die) and you
  suffer its effects, for good or for ill.
  Good examples would be “Mercurial ally” (Chummy/Loner)
  and “Self-centered and altruistic by turns” (Selfish/Selfless).
  Although pairs of -5-point disadvantages such as these work
  best, that isn’t a strict requirement.
  Mitigated Disadvantage
  A disadvantage negated completely by treatments avail-
  able anywhere in the setting at almost no expense and with
  negligible effort – conditions that go well beyond Mitigator
  (p. B112) – is just a quirk. This best suits backgrounds where
  ultra-tech or superscience has altered the drinking water or
  atmosphere, spread ubiquitous memes that cure mental con-
  ditions, etc., or where potent magic protects the whole world.
  THE QUIRKS
  11
  You have power over your
  mind – not outside events.
  Realize this, and you will 
  find strength.
  – Marcus Aurelius,
  Meditations
  
  It’s worth a point only if travel or imprisonment could isolate
  you from whatever masks your problem. Should that happen,
  the GM determines the condition’s severity.
  EXOTIC QUIRKS
  These quirks are subject to the restrictions on exotic disad-
  vantages (p. B120). Most have one of the following explanations:
  • Hard-wired properties of a nonhuman racial template:
  alien, robot, undead, etc. In general, these can’t be bought off
  or replaced.
  • Superhuman powers. Quirks in other categories may qual-
  ify, too; see Power Quirks (below) and Supernatural Quirks
  (pp. 33-34). Only people with suitable gifts can have them, and
  the GM may make some quirks mandatory with certain abilities,
  though experienced users might eventually buy them off.
  • Ultra-tech, especially nanotechnology and cybernetics.
  The GM may allow – even require – ordinary humans to pos-
  sess such quirks if they have suitable tech “built in.”
  Affected by Magnetism
  Unlike beings composed of meat, rock, pure energy, etc.,
  you’re affected by influences such as junkyard magnets and
  magnetic super-powers. This implies many small side effects;
  e.g., you always set off metal detectors.
  This quirk is for characters made of ferromagnetic metals:
  robots, vehicles, and so on. It’s more than a 0-point feature
  (unlike most “Affected by” traits) because magnetism has wide-
  spread technological applications.
  Cannot Float
  You always sink in water. This is most applicable to
  machines, but might also afflict fantasy races or result from
  a curse.
  Nano-Fever
  This is hot flushes and fatigue caused by two or more differ-
  ent sorts of nanomachines working and possibly interacting in
  your body. You become feverish whenever the GM rules that
  multiple varieties of nano must operate in concert, and will
  lose 1 FP per active nano type in excess of a GM-defined “safe
  level.” Fatigue Points lost in this way cannot be regained until
  the situation ends. Deactivating or removing the nanobots will
  end the bout of nano-fever.
  Obvious
  You stand out to one particular sense at all times, giving
  enemies +1 to Sense rolls or you -1 to Stealth rolls, depending
  on the circumstances. This is effectively a “half level” of Noisy
  (p. B146), generalized to senses other than hearing. A good
  example common to many animals would be “Musk,” affecting
  the sense of smell.
  Pressure Intolerance
  Your lungs and other organs can handle a narrower range
  of atmospheric pressures than an ordinary human’s. Referring
  to Atmospheric Pressure (pp. B429-430):
  THE QUIRKS
  12
  GURPS Powers describes “special effects” that amount
  to 0% modifiers for individual superhuman gifts as
  “quirks.” It also notes that exotic capabilities may have triv-
  ial drawbacks, giving the wielder a small penalty or his
  opponents a modest bonus when he activates them. These,
  too, are termed “quirks.” Neither sort of “quirk” is worth a
  point, as abilities are expected to have such features.
  However, when advantages are grouped into a power,
  the entire assemblage might demonstrate a foible that’s
  neither specific to one ability nor triggered by use – a full-
  time oddity that the wielder cannot avoid simply by not
  using his gifts. Serious drawbacks are grounds to incorpo-
  rate a Nuisance Effect (p. B112) into the power modifier.
  Anything less is a quirk.
  Examples:
  • Aches and Pains (p. 22), Can Be Turned By True Faith
  (pp. 33-34), Compulsion (pp. 27-28), Damned (p. 34), Name-
  Bound (p. 34), Supernatural Dislike (p. 34), Supernatural
  Features (p. 34), Trivial Destiny (p. 34), and nasty mental
  quirks suit dark powers involving something like black magic
  or evil, representing costs to the user’s body, mind, or soul.
  • Bulky Frame (p. 22), Cannot Float (p. 12), Clumsy
  Runner (p. 22), Dead Weight (p. 22), and Overweight
  (p. 23) befit supers with density-control powers.
  • Eavesdropper (p. 28) is apropos for powers such as
  ESP and telepathy, provided that the intrusion is noticeable.
  • External Mood Influence (p. 18) tied to the sea or
  the weather is a classic for people with water or air pow-
  ers, respectively.
  • Hungry (p. 23), Shaky Hands (p. 24), and Twitchy
  (p. 25) are common among super-speedsters.
  • Obvious (above) is widespread among supers: a soft
  glow for light powers, an audible hum for sound powers,
  and so on.
  • Photosensitivity (p. 24) and Sunburns Easily (p. 24)
  often accompany powers involving darkness or vampirism.
  • Slightly Unusual Biochemistry (p. 24) and Tests Posi-
  tive for (Condition) (p. 25) could result from any power
  with biological origins.
  Such traits are as physical or as mental, and as mun-
  dane or as supernatural, as the associated powers. They’re
  also part of the power, shut down or amplified alongside it.
  Sometimes the power-user can buy them off as he gains
  experience with his gifts – but not always!
  Not all Power Quirks fit into existing categories. If a
  Nuisance Effect is easily avoided, the GM may permit it
  only as a quirk. For instance, somebody with fire powers
  might have to roll vs. Will to avoid igniting anything Highly
  Flammable or Super-Flammable (p.B433) on contact.
  Since he never has to handle ether, dry tinder, etc. – and
  gets a Will roll even then – “Spontaneous combustion” is
  just a quirk.
  Power Quirks
  
  Low-Pressure Intolerance: Treat “thin” as “very thin,”
  and “very thin” or less as “trace.”
  High-Pressure Intolerance: Treat “dense” as “very
  dense,” and “very dense” or more as “superdense.”
  These quirks are almost always racial, and only
  allowed in campaigns where PCs are likely to visit
  places that have such atmospheres.
  Unwelcome Accessory
  Your body incorporates a troublesome Accessory
  (p. B100) that you cannot control or (easily) remove,
  and that occasionally interferes with your actions. It
  shouldn’t be potentially lethal, like a bomb you can’t
  defuse; if you could build it as a full-fledged disadvan-
  tage, do so. Save this quirk for inconvenient and
  embarrassing gizmos. Some examples:
  • A defective Accessory with consequences equiva-
  lent to another quirk; e.g., a broken bullhorn that
  gives Loud Voice (p. 16), faulty nanotech that period-
  ically causes Nano-Fever (p. 12), or a flickering light
  that renders you Obvious (p. 13). Any busted gadget
  might hang there as Dead Weight (p. 22), require Care
  (p. 22) to avoid real problems, or malfunction badly
  enough to lead to Aches and Pains (p. 22) or Minor
  Handicap (p. 23).
  • An article that enemies could use against you.
  Something like a big handle might give them +2 to ST
  rolls if they grapple you and +2 to Knot-Tying if they tie
  you up.
  • Anything that would be illegal or immoral and
  that doesn’t do you any good: a gun that’s hopelessly
  broken, an embarrassingly large sex toy that you can-
  not conceal, etc. Model the effects on Distinctive
  Features (p. 14) or Shocking Affectation (p. 15).
  • Something that interferes with your equipment,
  such as a magnet that throws off your compass or a
  jammer that blocks your radio.
  LOOKS AND MANNERISMS
  These traits affect others’ impressions of you – what they
  notice and how you come across, especially at first. Some would
  be equally at home under Physical Quirks (pp. 22-25), while oth-
  ers are mental in character, but that’s negotiable. Someone
  might don Cosmetic Eyeglasses and affect a Loud Voice out of
  habit, and bring both foibles along if his mind were placed in a
  new body; another person might have the same traits as genuine
  quirks of physiology. Specify this when you take the quirk!
  For quirks affecting how others react to your social posi-
  tion rather than to how you present yourself, see Social
  Quirks (pp. 32-33).
  Bad Posture
  You slouch and stomp around. This gives -1 to most appli-
  cations of Sex Appeal. You also have -1 on all rolls made
  against Acrobatics, Combat Art, Dancing, Skating, Sports, etc.
  to impress others using physical grace, but not for practical uses
  such as Acrobatics for dodging or Skating for transportation.
  This isn’t a physical quirk, but a bad habit you haven’t both-
  ered to remedy.
  Cosmetic Eyeglasses
  This cinematic quirk is common in action fiction: You wear
  glasses that don’t seem to do much. If they’re knocked off, you
  suffer the effects of Nearsighted or Farsighted (see p. B123) for
  long enough to affect one important action. Then the problem
  conveniently vanishes until after the action is over, whereupon
  you’ll don another pair and go on like nothing happened.
  If you leave off the glasses to avoid future incidents, the GM
  can penalize you for bad roleplaying. The whole idea is to give
  the GM a “hook” for starting an action scene, with you at a
  small penalty. Don’t take the quirk if you’d rather not face that!
  A small upside is that quite a few people have Preferred
  Looks (Glasses) – they think glasses make the wearer look
  smart, even sexy. You automatically benefit from this.
  Dead Giveaway
  You have a habit that would be harmless if it didn’t betray
  your efforts to be cautious or deceitful; e.g., “Bites fingernails
  when nervous,” “Cracks her knuckles before a fight,” “Gestures
  to cast spells, even when unnecessary,” “Hums subcon-
  sciously,” or “Wears Chanel No. 5.” Treat this as Obvious
  (p. 14) in situations where it would compromise concealment
  or surprise, or as Distinctive Features (p. 14) when it would
  mark you as a specific, known individual.
  THE QUIRKS
  13
  Dress Codes
  Unless your race doesn’t wear clothing, merely dressing
  doesn’t count as a quirk. As everybody has preferences, neither
  do habits such as “Wears black” (or blue, pink, or any other
  color) or “Tucks in his shirt.” To be worth a point, a sartorial
  preference must take the form of one of these quirks:
  • Dead Giveaway (below). Examples: “Always dresses like a
  kandi raver, complete with glowsticks”; “Wears a jester’s outfit
  covered in bells.”
  • Epitome (p. 14). Example: “Always dresses traditionally.”
  • Expensive Habit (p. 28). Examples: “Clothes horse”;
  “Dresses like James Bond.” If your race normally goes naked,
  “Wears clothing” does count – you’ll end up spending money on
  something you don’t need!
  • Overcautious Habit (p. 30). Example: “Never takes off his
  armor.”
  • Risk-Taking Behavior (p. 30). Examples: “Never wears a
  helmet”; “Wears a cape, even though opponents could grab it.”
  • Shocking Affectation (p. 15). Examples: “Dresses skimpily”;
  “Wears the robes of the Baby-Sacrificing Necromancer Lords.”
  • Stereotype (p. 16). Example: “Dresses like hip-hop artists
  in music videos.”
  • Token (p. 16). Example: “Always wears a lucky hat.”
  You must always dress this way to claim a quirk. Anybody
  might have a fancy suit, traditional clothing, ninja pajamas, etc.;
  what makes you special is that you insist on wearing it! At a min-
  imum, your preference should be serious enough to force associ-
  ates to make regular Disguise rolls to undo its effects.
  Dress implied by convictions (pp. 8-9) – e.g., the uniform of a
  soldier with Code of Honor or the vestments of a Religious priest
  – isn’t a separate quirk unless it’s remarkable even among those
  who share your outlook.
  
  What makes this one quirk rather than two is that it isn’t
  “always on.” Either it’s tied to an activity, such as spellcasting
  or fighting, or an ally could help you avoid it (remind you not
  to do it, offer you different clothing, etc.) without wasting
  appreciable time or rolling against a skill like Disguise. If both
  Distinctive Features and Obvious penalize you constantly, take
  those instead.
  For a supernatural variant, see Spell Signature (p. 34).
  Dishonest Face
  You look untrustworthy. This is unrelated to your attractive-
  ness, reputation, or how skeevy you really are! People who don’t
  know you tend to pick you out of a crowd as a potential crimi-
  nal or troublemaker; you’ll always be the person spot-checked by
  lawmen and security staff unless they’re truly choosing at ran-
  dom. You have -1 to Acting when your goal is to “act innocent.”
  This is the opposite of Honest Face (p. B101); you cannot
  have both.
  Distinctive Features
  You have an uncommon physical feature – e.g., “Brilliant
  blue hair,” “Dueling scars,” “Facial tattoo,” or “One ear” – that
  makes you stand out in a crowd. If you have several small
  peculiarities that collectively make it hard for you to blend in,
  record “Memorable Face” instead (this is the opposite of the
  Forgettable Face perk from GURPS Power-Ups 2). Whatever
  the explanation, this gives -1 to your Disguise and Shadowing
  skills, and +1 to others’ attempts to identify or follow you.
  Easily Mistaken Sex
  You’re often mistaken for a member of a biological sex differ-
  ent from the one with which you identify. This can mean turn-
  ing the wrong heads . . . or being barred from gender-segregated
  activities and places (from restrooms to religious spaces). In
  casual situations, conversation or a closer look clarifies matters
  at the cost of embarrassment – should you need that person’s
  help later on, you have -1 on reaction or Influence rolls. Inside a
  space segregated by law or custom, an unfavorable reaction roll
  might bring consequences as severe as arrest or assault.
  If your Appearance is above Attractive, either swap its two
  reaction modifiers or add Androgynous (p. B21). For instance, a
  woman who would qualify for Very Beautiful (+6 from people
  attracted to female features, +2 from those attracted to male
  ones) might instead have Very Handsome (+6 from people
  attracted to male features, +2 from those attracted to female
  ones) or its Androgynous analog (+4 from everyone). Such good
  looks are especially troublesome in flirtatious situations. Would-
  be romantic interests who confuse your sex, get corrected, and
  aren’t attracted to your actual sex ignore your Appearance bonus
  and react at -1, giving the net effect of a larger penalty.
  All of the above assumes that the other party cares about
  your sex. People with Broad-Minded (p. 17) or inclusive vari-
  eties of Alternative Sexuality (p. 26) won’t care. Even extremely
  conservative individuals may have Preferred Looks (p. 26) that
  favor you, or exhibit Literal-Minded (p. 19) or a variety of
  Philosophical (p. 8) that accepts “you are what you look like.”
  In any of those cases, your quirk has no effect at worst, earns
  you a small bonus at best. In the absence of such a mitigating
  trait, though, people who display Chauvinistic (p. 17) or the
  sorts of quirks or disadvantages that cause bad reactions to
  Alternative Sexuality always react badly if they notice you.
  As an upside, you have +1 to Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk,
  etc. to convince people that you’re a member of the sex you
  resemble, when convenient.
  Epitome
  You always dress, speak, and otherwise behave like an
  ideal member of a reasonably well-defined group: Canadians,
  necromancers, yuppies, etc. Whenever those people are sub-
  ject to prejudice, you’re included – and you suffer a further -1
  on reactions from the bigots because you exemplify every-
  thing they dislike!
  If you aren’t actually a member of that group, there are fur-
  ther effects. Your behavior gives you +1 on rolls to imperson-
  ate or pass as such a person. Should someone who’s the
  genuine article discover that you’re a sham, though, he’ll react
  at -1 to what he views as mockery. This assumes that you at
  least make an effort. If not, see Stereotype (p. 16).
  Fashion Disaster
  In social situations where it’s important to dress nicely –
  fancy clubs and restaurants, formal ceremonies, etc. – and
  you cannot fall back on a uniform or the assistance of an ally
  with Fashion Sense (p. B21), you invariably pick an unfortu-
  nate outfit: -1 to reaction rolls. The GM may extend this
  penalty to applicable Influence skills, most often Savoir-Faire
  or Sex Appeal.
  This is the opposite of Fashion Sense – you cannot have both!
  Inappropriate Manner
  Prerequisite: At least a point in the relevant Influence skill
  (which this quirk can pay for).
  You constantly use an Influence skill without realizing it.
  This is often inappropriate, so you’ll be making many Influence
  rolls at -1 to -10 (GM’s call), and likely failing and suffering
  “Bad” reactions. See Influence Rolls (p. B359).
  You can try to suppress this tendency if you don’t want to
  make an Influence roll or would like to use a different skill. The
  GM rolls against your unmodified “problem skill” while you
  roll against Will (for no Influence roll) or the desired skill (to
  try something else). If you tie or beat the GM, you catch your-
  self in time; when using a skill, use your margin for the
  Influence roll, too. If the GM wins in the Contest against your-
  self, he starts with the margin on the problem skill roll, sub-
  tracts any inappropriateness penalty, applies an extra -1 for
  your awkward behavior, and uses that for an Influence roll.
  THE QUIRKS
  14
  These people are
  absolute hell, they look
  like fashion victims.
  – Oscar de la Renta
  
  There are six mutually exclusive kinds of Inappropriate
  Manner:
  Aristocratic: You’re always flashing your Savoir-Faire (High
  Society), making those of merely average Status uncomfortable.
  Oily: You use Fast-Talk without thinking, leaving others
  with the impression that you’re untrustworthy.
  Pushy: You can’t shut off your Intimidation, even when that
  might earn you a punch in the face (or worse!).
  Salacious: You constantly ooze Sex Appeal, which is highly
  inappropriate much of the time (though it still garners a “Very
  Good” reaction when it works). Merely dressing suggestively is
  different; see Shocking Affectation (below).
  Scummy: Your Streetwise skill shows in your walk and talk,
  causing clerks to follow you around shops and cops to pick you
  for “random” questioning. If this is a matter of looks, not man-
  ner, take Dishonest Face (p. 14) instead.
  Wishy-Washy: You’re always using Diplomacy, and come
  across as a pushover when a little aggression is warranted. You
  don’t get the better of your result and a reaction roll if there’s
  so much as -1 for inappropriateness!
  Similar quirks could exist for other skills the GM allows for
  Influence rolls. If you always use Acting to be what other peo-
  ple expect you to be, repelling those who value honesty, you
  have Phony. Perpetual Savoir-Faire (Military) – “Sir, yes, sir!”
  and salutes all the time – would be appropriate around service-
  men, patriots, and anybody who likes being called “sir,” but
  antiauthoritarians, pacifists, and their ilk would find your
  Martial quirk highly inappropriate. And so on.
  Interviews Badly
  You do poorly when formally interviewed. This gives -2 to
  all skill rolls you make to impress your interviewers, follow-up
  rolls the GM makes to see if you closed the deal or got the job,
  and the rolls under Finding a Job (p. B518).
  This penalty is already worse than the -1 from most quirks
  because these situations are rare in most campaigns. If they
  don’t come up at all, Interviews Badly isn’t a valid quirk.
  Mind-Numbing Magnetism
  Certain qualities, while well-regarded in small doses, grate
  on many people: Cheerful, Enthusiastic, Gallant, Jovial, Opti-
  mistic, Pensive, Playful, Precise, Romantic, Talkative, and so
  on. In a social situation, tell the GM whether you’re “turning on
  the charm”; it’s good roleplaying to do so as often as possible.
  This is a gamble – and as you think your trait is a virtue, you’re
  blind to whether this is wise, so you don’t get any kind of roll
  to test the waters first.
  If the GM decides that your outlook matches the circum-
  stances (e.g., Romantic at a poetry reading or Talkative at a
  cocktail party for powerful businesspeople), you receive +1
  on reaction and Influence rolls in that scene. If your audience
  isn’t appreciative (e.g., Romantic at a frat party or Talkative
  at a funeral), your first such roll is at -1 and all later ones suf-
  fer a cumulative -1, to a floor of -4, as you grow progressively
  more annoying.
  You can shut up to avoid mounting penalties. In a large
  group, you also can delay the progression by switching conver-
  sation partners – but this merely puts off the cumulative
  penalty by one roll, after which you’ll be regarded as “flighty”
  or “shallow” and suffer growing penalties anyway. Either way,
  you’re unlikely to end up getting the information or aid you
  seek, whether because you aren’t asking or because you’re
  speaking with the wrong person.
  Shocking Affectation
  Conduct that elicits -1 to reactions from a small class of
  people (e.g., priests, high-Status “gentlemen,” or the elderly) is
  effectively a -5-point Odious Personal Habit with its point
  value divided by 3, as for a Reputation with such a class
  (p. B27). Treat this as a quirk that earns minor snubs, or stares
  and whispers, from those affected. It might concern your style
  of dress, manner of speaking, or beliefs as expressed through
  your actions – be specific!
  Some affectations give small bonuses but cause even larger
  penalties. For instance, “Skimpy dresser” might grant +1 on
  Sex Appeal rolls and to reactions from lechers, but -2 on reac-
  tions from individuals with prudish disadvantages or quirks.
  Something really obscure (e.g., swearing in the name of
  an ancient demon that a tiny handful of sages know about)
  is worth a point only if it produces a terrible reaction – at
  least -3.
  These general cases and the more specific ones below are
  all examples of Extremely Limited Disadvantage (pp. 10-11).
  For a habit that rarely matters because you can keep it in
  check rather than because most people don’t care, see Odious
  Personal Habit (p. 20).
  Amoral
  Your affectation is eschewing religious or traditional values
  in favor of a personal moral code or no moral code. This
  earns -1 to reactions from individuals with quirks or disadvan-
  tages favoring faith or tradition. It’s a common Disadvantage
  Embellishment (pp. 9-10) for Callous and Selfish.
  Missing Disadvantage
  Lacking a Code of Honor, Disciplines of Faith, Sense of
  Duty, or Vow disadvantage that’s expected of someone of your
  social station is a common Shocking Affectation. The affected
  group is your peers. Give the quirk an appropriate name:
  “Ungentlemanly,” “Faithless,” “Ignoble,” etc.
  Taunting
  Your affectation is mocking or insulting people who
  demonstrate a specific attribute or behavior; e.g., “Finds big
  moustaches silly,” “Likes to taunt Musketeers,” or “Thinks
  those who use guns instead of fists are wimps.” You can’t resist
  getting in a dig when the opportunity arises! The effect is a
  reaction roll at -1 from those you taunt; if the GM has already
  determined the NPC’s reaction, use the worse of the two. This
  won’t matter in combat, but can lead to a fight even when you
  don’t want one.
  Villain-Worshipper
  Your affectation is admiring a justifiably reviled person –
  someone with -4 or worse to reactions due to personal behavior
  (including Reputation, but never cosmetic features such as
  Appearance and Bad Smell). You get -1 to reactions from any-
  one that individual has wronged, directly or indirectly, person-
  ally or as part of a group. Your “hero” needn’t be alive! “Hitler
  was great” would be a Shocking Affectation today, over half a
  century after Hitler’s death.
  THE QUIRKS
  15
  
  Speech Mannerisms
  Speaking oddly is grounds for many interesting quirks.
  Distinctive Speech
  The way you talk makes you easy to identify. You might have
  a distinctive accent, a fondness for particular expressions or
  quotations, quirk-level Disturbing Voice (p. B132) or Stuttering
  (p. B157), or an incontrovertibly sesquipedalian vocabulary – be
  specific. Whenever somebody is searching for you in particular
  and you can’t avoid speaking, you suffer -2 on rolls to pass as
  someone else and others have +2 to attempts to identify you.
  This is twice as bad as Distinctive Features (p. 14) because
  it doesn’t mark you until you open your mouth.
  Fast Talker
  This doesn’t mean you’re good at Fast-Talk – you just talk
  too fast. You have -1 to rolls against Administration, Leader-
  ship, and similar skills when speaking complex
  instructions (not when barking one-word orders),
  and give others -1 to their rolls to understand you,
  most often IQ rolls like those on p. B24.
  Forbidden Word
  Quirk-level Cannot Speak (p. B125). There’s one
  important word that you can’t utter, whether due to
  a psychological aversion or a supernatural curse.
  To make this relevant, the GM may have it crop up
  as a password, assess penalties to others’ rolls to
  understand you as you pussyfoot around the con-
  cept, or have enemies exploit this as a way to iden-
  tify you.
  Inaccessible Idioms
  You possess an ordinary voice – an exceptional
  one, if you enjoy the Voice advantage – but you’re
  out of touch with how ordinary people really com-
  municate. This is common among those who’ve
  grown up in enclaves or been imprisoned for a
  long time . . . not to mention old-timers, cold-
  sleepers (“One million dollars!”), time-travelers,
  and immortals. When you must “sell” an idea, typ-
  ically using Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, or Propaganda, you roll
  at -1 unless your audience shares your background.
  Involuntary Utterance
  Being unable to avoid a vocalization is a verbal version of
  Dead Giveaway (pp. 13-14), working like Distinctive Features
  (p. 14) and Obvious (p. 12) by turns. This could be a trivial
  Neurological Disorder (p. B144) or a symptom of a serious
  condition like the zombie plague (“Braaains!”).
  Loud Voice
  You may think you’re whispering into the throat mike or
  speaking sotto voce, but you aren’t – others can hear every
  word! This is a disadvantageous form of Penetrating Voice
  (p. B101) [1]. You get the benefits of that perk, but as you can’t
  turn it off, you also have a level of Noisy (p. B146) [-2]: -2 to
  Stealth whenever you must coordinate with allies by voice
  while being sneaky, or +2 to eavesdroppers’ Hearing when
  you’re conversing normally and don’t wish to be overheard. It
  all adds up to a quirk.
  Third Person
  You don’t seem to know the word “I”! You habitually call
  yourself by your name or an alias. The GM may occasionally
  assign -1 to others’ reactions or rolls to understand what you’re
  talking about. This is especially suited to silly campaigns.
  Stereotype
  You always dress, speak, and otherwise behave like a
  clichéd member of a group with a reasonably strong identity:
  African-Americans, jocks, Spartans, wizards, etc. Whenever
  you interact socially with a member of that group, you must
  roll against the lower of Acting or Disguise (both default 
  to IQ-5). Success means you seem amusingly eccentric; fail-
  ure gives -1 to all reaction and Influence rolls, and critical
  failure gives -2.
  If you’re actually good at this, use Epitome (p. 14) instead.
  You can’t have both.
  Token
  You have a prized possession that comforts you, be your
  investment in it emotional or superstitious. The actual quirk
  name should identify the item: “Always chews on a pipe,”
  “Carries a lucky charm,” “Has a favorite hat,” etc. This article
  need not be valuable, but it has to be yours – no generic items!
  It can be (and often is) Signature Gear.
  If your Token goes missing, you’ll be distracted: -1 on all IQ,
  Will, and Per rolls, skill rolls based on those scores, and self-
  control rolls, save for those that specifically concern recovering
  your possession. Signature Gear will find its way back to you
  in a day or two, erasing the penalties. For anything else, roll vs.
  Will daily; success lets you get over the problem, at which point
  you must buy off or replace Token.
  While a sneak thief can get the upper hand this way, no
  penalties apply if your Token is clumsily snatched, knocked
  from your grasp, etc. in plain view. You’ll simply make it your
  mission to get it back . . . If it’s broken in your sight, immedi-
  ately replace Token with another quirk – probably a somewhat
  dark one.
  THE QUIRKS
  16
  
  MENTAL QUIRKS
  This is a catchall category for minor personality traits and
  psychiatric problems that don’t fit neatly beneath Convictions
  (pp. 8-9), Looks and Mannerisms (pp. 13-14), Preferences and
  Aversions (pp. 25-27), Preoccupations (pp. 27-30), or Skill
  Quirks (pp. 30-32). Most are simply examples of Disadvantage
  Variations (pp. 9-12).
  All of these quirks go with the mind rather than the body,
  where important. They can be changed or bought off over
  time, but the GM might require psychotherapy or a major psy-
  chological shock before allowing this.
  Attentive
  You tend to stick to one task until it’s done. You get +1
  when working on lengthy tasks, but -3 to notice any important
  interruption!
  Broad-Minded
  Quirk-level Xenophilia (p. B162). You get along well with
  other races and species, and unusual looks rarely bother you.
  Anyone who seems to be foreign or alien gets +1 to manipulate
  you (for PCs, this often affects the rolls under Influencing the
  PCs, p. B359) and gives you -1 to rolls against Per and Detect
  Lies, for Empathy, etc. to divine devious actions on their part.
  You enjoy +1 on Fright Checks when meeting strange crea-
  tures, however.
  Careful
  Quirk-level Cowardice (p. B129). You’re naturally cautious,
  always on the lookout for danger. You should dedicate extra
  time and money to preparations before venturing into danger.
  If you don’t, only to find yourself caught unprepared in a situ-
  ation where someone with full Cowardice would have to make
  a self-control roll, your tentativeness gives you -1 to DX, IQ,
  Will, skill, and self-control rolls (but not Per or active defense
  rolls!) while you stick around.
  Chauvinistic
  An extremely low level of broad-based Intolerance
  (p. B140). You’re always aware of differences in sex, skin
  color, etc. even if you don’t actually react poorly to others.
  Thin-skinned individuals might occasionally react to you
  at -1 as a result.
  Congenial
  Quirk-level Chummy (p. B126). You like company and you
  work well with others. You always choose group action over
  individual action. When alone, roll 1d before you attempt any
  IQ-based task. On 5-6, your rolls for that task are at -1 because
  you feel unhappy and distracted.
  Equally good names for this quirk would be “Extrovert,”
  “Friendly,” and “Outgoing.”
  Cyclothymic
  Quirk-level Manic-Depressive (p. B143). Your moods swing
  between mild mania and depression. Roll 1d daily. On 1-3, the
  day brings Mind-Numbing Magnetism (p. 15) such as Enthu-
  siastic, Optimistic, or Talkative. On 4-6, you have a quirk-level
  Odious Personal Habit (p. 20) like Depressing, Melancholy,
  or Pessimistic.
  Decisive
  While you don’t suffer from Impulsiveness, you take charge
  and render judgment the moment you learn the details of a sit-
  uation. When working in a team of which you aren’t the legit-
  imate leader, teammates’ reactions toward you – and their
  self-control rolls for Bad Temper and Selfish where you’re con-
  cerned – are at -1. The actual leader has -2.
  On the upside, if you are the leader, your underlings’ loyalty
  checks (p. B519) under pressure are at +1.
  Delusion
  You may take a completely trivial Delusion (p. B130) as a
  quirk. This doesn’t affect your everyday behavior and isn’t
  likely to be noticed by casual acquaintances. However, 
  you must believe it and act accordingly when the subject
  arises – there’s no self-control roll! This merits the occa-
  sional -1 on reactions.
  Examples: “The Earth is flat”; “The Pentagon controls the
  Boy Scouts and the health food stores”; “Socks cause diseases
  of the feet”; “UFOs really exist.”
  Two special classes of quirk-level Delusions are common
  among adventurers.
  Delusional Competence
  Rather than having Incompetence (p. 31) at a skill and
  knowing it, you believe you’re an expert at a skill you lack. You
  must buy off this quirk in order to spend points on that skill.
  Someone who has Incompetence (Navigation) can’t learn Nav-
  igation and rolls at -4 on his default. Someone with Delusional
  Competence (Navigation) won’t “waste time” studying Naviga-
  tion – and while he enjoys his unpenalized default, he lies or
  refuses to talk about his imaginary skills.
  Any failed skill roll that affects NPCs – be it for a test, a job
  application, or practical use – is reasonable grounds for a reac-
  tion roll or a loyalty check (p. B519). When someone with
  Delusional Competence tries his default and fails, his lying and
  defensiveness about his proficiency give an extra -1 on these
  rolls, or -2 if he critically failed.
  Like Incompetence, this affects all specialties of a given skill
  and isn’t permitted for skills that aren’t relevant to the campaign.
  False Memory
  You have a fake memory that covers for a real one. This
  is trivial, obscuring a single, relatively minor incident; e.g.,
  you missed a test, your third-grade teacher’s name was Ms.
  Weishaupt, or you owned a tin model of the Roswell saucer
  as a kid in 1937.
  To make this Delusion relevant, the GM may have it crop
  up unexpectedly. It might trigger alarm bells while you’re
  being interviewed for a security clearance (-1 to rolls to pass
  the test), make you look crazy around old acquaintances (the
  usual -1 on reactions), or worsen a scary situation (not caus-
  ing a Fright Check, but giving -1 to one that affects every-
  body). If the GM can’t think of a way to use the memory, it
  isn’t a valid quirk.
  For more severe versions, see GURPS Horror, p. 24.
  THE QUIRKS
  17
  
  Determined
  Quirk-level Stubbornness (p. B157). You know what you
  want and do your best to get it. Roll 1d whenever you must
  reach a compromise with others. On 5-6, you’re a bit too
  assertive and suffer -1 to reactions.
  This quirk could also be called “Ambitious” or “Persistent.”
  Disciplined
  Quirk-level Pacifism (p. B148). You won’t ever start a fight,
  but that’s it. If someone else picks a fight with you or your
  allies, or your legitimate leader orders you into battle, none of
  Pacifism’s drawbacks apply – you have no penalties, may take
  the offensive and use deadly force against anyone on the other
  side, and suffer no regrets afterward.
  In an IQ 1-5 beast, this is better termed “Docile.” The ani-
  mal will let people poke and prod at it, but it won’t attack
  unless hurt or driven into battle by a handler.
  Disorganized
  It’s around here somewhere . . . but no, you don’t have a sys-
  tem. Now where is that?
  When the GM assesses a time requirement to organize per-
  sonal possessions – find your research notes, pack your camping
  gear, rummage through your pack or pockets, etc. – you need
  longer. If dice determine the necessary time, add +1 per die; e.g.,
  2d seconds becomes 2d+2 seconds. Flat times increase by 30%.
  This doesn’t affect the time to use gear rather than prepare
  it. You require no longer than anyone else to drink a potion,
  pick something up, ready or sheathe a weapon, write a note,
  etc. However, this does affect the time to don your armor,
  which is a rat’s nest of straps and buckles, small bits wedged
  inside larger ones.
  Distractible
  Quirk-level Short Attention Span (p. B153). You are easily
  distracted, and don’t do well on long-term projects. You’re at -1
  when rolling to accomplish long tasks.
  Dorky
  Quirk-level Oblivious (p. B146). Roll 1d whenever you
  attempt or resist an Influence roll. On 5-6, you’re just uncom-
  fortable enough to have -1 on your roll. Feel free to call this
  “Nerdy” or “Dweeby” instead!
  Dreamer
  You have -1 on any long task, because you tend to spend
  time thinking of better ways to do it, rather than working.
  Dull
  You aren’t quite Hidebound (p. B138), but you tend to stick
  with tried-and-true methods. Roll 1d before undertaking any
  task that requires creativity or innovation (Artist, inventing,
  etc.). On 1-3, you’re fine – but 4-5 gives -1 on that effort, and a
  6 gives -2.
  Alternative names for this quirk include “Boring” and
  “Unimaginative.”
  Easily Frustrated
  Quirk-level Low Self-Image (p. B143). If at first
  you don’t succeed . . . you lose self-confidence. When
  the GM assesses a penalty for repeated attempts
  (p. B348), you suffer an extra -1. If the task can be
  repeated indefinitely without penalty (e.g., trying to
  hit an opponent who keeps defending), then after
  three failed attempts you have a flat -1 on all later
  attempts. These penalties vanish once you succeed.
  Easily Influenced
  You resist one particular Influence skill at -1 and other peo-
  ple get +1 to use it on you. Lots of quirks work this way for all
  such skills under specific circumstances; these ones affect just
  one skill, but all the time. They’re valid for PCs only if the GM
  enforces Influencing the PCs (p. B359).
  Born Goon: You’re easily impressed by tough guys and
  mobsters. The affected skill is Streetwise.
  Cooperative: You seek compromise in all things. The
  affected skill is Diplomacy.
  Credulous: You tend to believe what you’re told. The
  affected skill is Fast-Talk. This could be seen as quirk-level
  Gullibility (p. B137).
  Desirous: You’re easily seduced. The affected skill is Sex
  Appeal. This isn’t the same as Flirtatious (p. 28) – you can
  have both!
  Posh: You have trouble resisting proper high-Status man-
  ners. The affected skill is Savoir-Faire.
  Timid: You’re conflict-avoidant, prone to caving in to threats.
  The affected skill is Intimidation. (This is a level of Fearfulness,
  p. B136, without Fright Check penalties.)
  If you use such a skill all the time, that’s Inappropriate
  Manner (pp. 14-15).
  External Mood Influence
  You don’t suffer from anything as severe as Lunacy
  (p. B143), but your moods mirror some changing aspect of
  nature – be specific. This can be cyclic (like tides or the
  moon’s phases) or random (like the weather), fast-changing
  (like the sun’s movement across the sky) or slow (like the sea-
  sons). Then pick a set of mental quirks that you acquire, one
  at a time, in response to current conditions. All of this counts
  as a single, complex quirk.
  Example: Someone might exhibit Congenial (p. 17) in sum-
  mer, seeking to share fair weather with others; Distractible
  (above) in autumn, preoccupied by thoughts of coming winter;
  Uncongenial (p. 20) in winter, desiring to be left alone like a
  bear in its den; and Dreamer (above) in spring, thoughts turn-
  ing to summer rather than any business at hand.
  This might be a quirk of psychology, but many fantastic
  beings are supernaturally attuned to phenomena that govern
  their moods.
  THE QUIRKS
  18
  These quirks can be changed by
  psychotherapy or a psychological shock.
  
  Forgetful
  You often forget some of your abilities or equipment, and
  thus fail to use them when they would be a good solution to a
  problem. This is only a quirk because it leaves the choice of
  when and what to forget at the player’s discretion, rather than
  slowing play down with extra dice rolls. On the other hand, the
  GM can certainly encourage a player who loses track of what’s
  on the character sheet to take this quirk!
  Glimpses of Clarity
  Quirk-level Flashbacks (p. B136). You occasionally recall
  things from your past (or a past life, if you’re reincarnated or
  undead) – and not helpful things. When you encounter a for-
  mer home, estranged loved one, old photograph, etc., the GM
  will roll 3d. On a 6 or less, you’re distracted and at -1 on all rolls
  to do anything (including DX, IQ, skill, and active defense
  rolls) for the next 1d seconds.
  Humble
  You tend to put the concerns of others, or of the group,
  before your own. As p. B164 suggests, this is Selfless (p. B153)
  as an Easily Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10).
  Idealistic
  You invest emotionally in your views of how certain things
  (name them!) should be, and respond irrationally when con-
  fronted with the fact that this isn’t how they are. You get +1 to
  reactions from people who share your ideals but -1 from those
  who hold the opposite view, which tends to cancel out. What
  makes this worth -1 point is that if reality thwarts an idealistic
  action, you suffer from an Extremely Limited Disadvantage
  (pp. 10-11) befitting the situation.
  Example: Lena lives in a sexist medieval society and is Ideal-
  istic about feminism and class equality. She gets +1 to reactions
  from strong-minded women and the poor, -1 from conservative
  men and landowners. If she cannot convince the baron to accept
  her into his army, or fails at an attempt to emancipate serfs, she
  might briefly suffer a bout of Bad Temper.
  This is one quirk no matter how narrow or extensive your
  ideals. You may also have a specific Belief (p. 8) to accompany
  it. If this still doesn’t feel like enough points, take a full-blown
  Delusion (p. B130) or self-imposed mental disadvantage
  (p. B121) instead of quirks.
  Imaginative
  You are a font of ideas, and are more than willing to share
  them with others! They may or may not be good ideas, of
  course . . .
  If the GM desires a game effect, then when you participate
  in planning with a group, they must decide whether to listen to
  you. If they do, roll 1d:
  1 – Inspiration! Roll at +1 for the affected task.
  2-4 – Nothing special. No modifier.
  5 – Bad idea, giving -1.
  6 – Colossally bad idea, for -2.
  This only becomes evident when the dice are rolled. It aver-
  ages out to a slight penalty for allies who listen to you.
  Impatient
  Quirk-level Impulsiveness (p. B139). You dislike inaction.
  You can force yourself to sit through talk and debate rather
  than haring off to do something, but you’re at -1 on all rolls for
  such “boring” tasks as Diplomacy to negotiate peace and Tac-
  tics to plan battle (though not to Diplomacy to defuse tensions
  at gunpoint or Tactics in battle!).
  Insensitive
  Quirk-level Callous (p. B125). You have no specific penalty to
  interact with others, but you tend to behave uncaringly. If you
  ever fail at an Influence roll – or at an attempt to treat or assist
  someone with Psychology, Teaching, a medical skill, or anything
  similar – then in addition to the usual bad effects, the subject
  will blame your insensitivity and react to you at -1 thereafter.
  Layabout
  Quirk-level Laziness (p. B142). You don’t work very hard.
  Whatever your profession, you earn 10% less monthly pay.
  Feel free to explain this as lost commissions or bonuses, tardi-
  ness penalties, fewer shifts worked, or unpaid gaps between
  low-end jobs.
  Literal-Minded
  Quirk-level Clueless (p. B126). If you can assume a literal
  meaning, you will, missing figurative intent. For instance, “That
  went right over your head, didn’t it?” causes you to glance
  upward, and “You don’t have a clue, do you?” elicits a response
  like “Not yet, but we’ve only just started the investigation.” This
  rarely causes bad reactions, but rivals get +1 to attempts to
  make you look unsophisticated or dumb, and you have -1 to
  use Acting, Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal, etc. specifically to come
  off as suave (but not in general).
  Methodical
  You have a “system” for everything you do. If a long task
  could receive a bonus for taking extra time (p. B346), you must
  work slowly enough to claim at least +1 (double time) or suf-
  fer -1 for breaking your system. This doesn’t affect split-second
  adventuring activities, only jobs where labor is measured in
  days, like major Carpentry or Research projects.
  There’s one small upside: If a task – long or not – could get
  time bonuses, you can go up to +6 for 60¥ the usual time (most
  people can do no better than +5 for 30¥ as long).
  You cannot have both this quirk and Disorganized (p. 18).
  Nostalgic
  You 
  aren’t
  necessarily Hide-
  bound or even
  Dull – you may
  be quite willing
  to try new things.
  However, 
  you
  favor the familiar. You’ll pick the trusty service revolver over
  the newfangled Glock pistol, or your granddad’s sword over a
  shiny new one, and suggest that meetings be at old, established
  places, even if that means paying more, having less security, or
  sleeping under leaky ceilings.
  THE QUIRKS
  19
  
  Whenever the GM assesses a penalty for unfamiliarity (see
  Familiarity, p. B169) with an item, place, or procedure, you
  take an extra -1. However, your sincerity about familiar things
  give you +1 to rolls to “sell” others on them – literally (as with
  Merchant skill) or figuratively (e.g., an Influence roll with
  Streetwise to convince Big Vito to meet at Hotel Fleabag, not
  the nice new place).
  Nosy
  You’re always poking your nose into corners and everyone
  else’s business (which is likely to result in a small reaction
  penalty once in a while). Per p. B164, this is Curious (p. B129)
  as an Easily Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10).
  Odious Personal Habit
  Any -5-point Odious Personal Habit (p. B22) is just a quirk
  if you can roll to keep it in check. Roll 1d whenever you inter-
  act with others. On 5-6, you get -1 to reactions.
  Give your problem an evocative name. Examples from
  GURPS supplements include Abrasive, Argumentative, Bitter,
  Blunt, Crude, Cruel, Cynical, Depressing, Fatalistic, Fickle,
  Foul-Mouthed, Gloating, Ironic, Melancholy, Mouthy, Pes-
  simistic, Prickly, Sanctimonious, Sarcastic, Scornful, Smug,
  Tactless, Treacherous, and Vindictive. Many quirk-level disad-
  vantages boil down to this; e.g., Depressing, Fatalistic, or
  Melancholy might describe trivial Chronic Depression, and lots
  of choices could sum up minor Bully or Sadism.
  If you have two or more such traits, roll just once, expand-
  ing the range on 1d by one per additional quirk: 4-6 for two, 3-
  6 for three, 2-6 for four, or 1-6 (constantly!) for five. Dedicating
  all five quirks to such problems amounts to selecting a
  painfully detailed -5-point Odious Personal Habit.
  A quirk-level Odious Personal Habit that cannot be
  avoided on a die roll is either an Extremely Limited Disad-
  vantage (pp. 10-11) and only apparent under specialized con-
  ditions, or a Shocking Affectation (p. 15) and only offensive
  to a narrow group. You may specify two of a roll, rare circum-
  stances, or a small subset of people, but then the quirk
  causes -2 to reactions. If all three apply, it gives -3.
  Perfectionist
  You insist on things being “just so.” Your work is perfect,
  naturally . . . but if another person uses your tools, tinkers with
  your project, or otherwise upsets your plans, you feel the need
  to fix it. This might add 10% to a task’s base time or earn -1 to
  reactions from the other party (GM’s decision).
  Personality Change
  Quirk-level Split Personality (p. B156). You suffer from a
  full-blown mental disadvantage, but only in circumstances that
  are normally under your control; e.g., Bad Temper when you
  stay up too late, Bully when you drink too much, or Pyromania
  when you cast your Create Fire spell.
  Proud
  Individual success, wealth, or social standing concerns you
  greatly. As suggested on p. B164, this is Selfish (p. B153) as an
  Easily Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10). NPCs with this quirk
  react at -1 to orders, insults, or social slights.
  Responsible
  Quirk-level Guilt Complex (p. B137). You take your obliga-
  tions seriously and accept blame when things go wrong. If
  someone who plays a significant role in your life (as defined by
  the disadvantage) suffers a mishap that’s clearly your fault,
  you’ll have -1 on all DX, IQ, Will, Per, skill, and self-control
  rolls for the next day.
  Responsive
  Quirk-level Charitable (p. B125). You’re able to imagine the
  feelings and motivations of others – and all other things being
  equal, you’re inclined to help them. Anyone who seems to be
  weak or in trouble gets +1 to manipulate you (for PCs, this
  often means the rolls under Influencing the PCs, p. B359) or
  gives you -1 to rolls against Per and Detect Lies, for Empathy,
  etc. to divine devious actions on their part.
  Secretive
  Regardless of whether you have actual Secrets, you act as
  though you do. Whenever you can use a “concealment skill”
  such as Acting, Camouflage, Disguise, Holdout, Smuggling, or
  Stealth (learned or by default) without drawing immediate
  comment, you will. When this forces someone to roll dice
  (against Per, Detect Lies, Interrogation, Observation, Search,
  etc.) merely to learn something that he has every right to know
  – and that most people wouldn’t hide – that NPC will react at -1
  under the circumstances.
  Serious
  Quirk-level No Sense of Humor (p. B146). You rarely laugh
  at jokes, and suppress playfulness to “get the job done.” You
  have -1 to Carousing. As well, roll 1d whenever you engage in
  relaxed social interaction (not business or life-or-death strug-
  gles); on 5-6, you’re a wet blanket and suffer -1 to reactions.
  The opposite of this trait, Playful, is a kind of Mind-
  Numbing Magnetism (p. 15); you can’t have both.
  Staid
  You’re likely to ignore matters that don’t immediately affect
  you. As p. B164 implies, this is Incurious (p. B140) as an Easily
  Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10).
  Suspicious
  Quirk-level Paranoia (p. B148). Your trust is hard to earn.
  Even the best-intentioned people must make an extra effort to
  rise above suspicion: presenting ID cards or photos, providing
  references, passing little tests, or winning Quick Contests of IQ
  with you (they can use a relevant skill if higher – Diplomacy in
  all situations, Diagnosis if they must convince you that you’re
  ill, Forensics to validate clues, and so on). Otherwise, you’ll
  believe them only after a grilling that earns you -1 to reactions
  . . . and the GM is free to have those who waste excessive time
  and money react at -1 regardless.
  Uncongenial
  You prefer to be alone. You always choose individual action
  over group action. Per p. B165, this is Loner (p. B142) as an
  Easily Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10).
  THE QUIRKS
  20
  
  META-GAME QUIRKS
  If the GM wants, quirks can wax “meta,” affecting players’
  options when it comes to buying abilities for characters or
  spending bonus points to influence outcomes – or even chang-
  ing which rules apply to individual PCs. While most quirks
  demand relatively little GM oversight, these ones definitely
  need to be cleared with the GM.
  Extra Drawback
  One specific, detrimental
  optional rule that isn’t used
  campaign-wide applies to you;
  e.g., you require practice to
  keep your “edge” when the GM
  isn’t enforcing Maintaining
  Skills (p. B294), or you need
  extra time to stand in armor
  even though Changing Posture
  in Armor (p. B395) isn’t stan-
  dard. Such things don’t have to
  be meta-game constructs –
  those two examples could rep-
  resent bad retention or being
  unfamiliar with armor.
  Drawbacks affecting cinematic
  or supernatural capabilities should be specialized by ability.
  For instance, in a campaign where the GM doesn’t require
  material components for spells, it’s a quirk to need them to cast
  Fireball (needing them for all spells would be a Magery limita-
  tion!). To claim such a quirk, you must have at least two points
  in whatever it limits.
  The GM must take care to forbid potentially lethal choices.
  For example, Bleeding (p. B420) is an optional rule, but being
  subject to it in a campaign where it’s otherwise ignored is bad
  – that’s similar to lacking Injury Tolerance (No Blood) when
  everybody else has it, and more like a -5-point disadvantage
  than a quirk.
  Point-Spending Quirks
  If certain conditions require you to spend character points
  on one of the options from p. B347 or GURPS Power-Ups 5:
  Impulse Buys, that’s a quirk. You get your points’ worth as
  usual, but you’ll find long-term growth slowed by mandatory
  short-term purchases.
  Below are two examples. In both cases, you must specialize
  to a particular ability that requires a success roll. You can
  make an obscure choice to avoid excessive payouts – but if the
  GM requires a roll, you have to roll.
  Successful at (Ability)
  Whenever possible, you’ll spend any points necessary to buy
  success on the roll for a particular ability. For example, if you
  critically fail on a Traps roll but have Successful at Traps, you’ll
  make it a success by spending 3 points (if you have them).
  Unbelievable at (Ability)
  Similar to Successful at (Ability), except that whenever you
  succeed with a particular ability, you’ll spend the points required
  to buy a critical success. (You don’t have to spend points to
  ensure success in the first place, though!) This is less limiting
  at lower skill levels, because you’ll rarely roll a success and
  have to pay to upgrade to a critical success.
  It’s possible to combine the Successful and Unbelievable
  quirks. This means you’ll always spend the points needed to
  turn any roll for the ability into a critical success.
  Rules Exclusion
  Many optional rules change how GURPS
  works in particular situations. The major-
  ity are campaign options – either everybody
  uses them or nobody does. However, if the
  GM allows such a rule in the campaign but
  you are excluded, that’s a quirk.
  Examples include being unable to
  invoke Buying Success or Player Guidance
  (both p. B347), lacking one of the possibil-
  ities under Extra Effort in Combat
  (p. B357), not enjoying the protection of a
  specific option in Cinematic Combat Rules
  (p. B417), and having no access to an
  advanced rule from a book like GURPS
  Martial Arts or GURPS Thaumatology.
  You cannot take a quirk that affects abili-
  ties you lack; e.g., you must be a wizard
  with spells to claim a point for being denied
  a spellcasting trick. Even if you do have the right capabilities,
  the excluded option must be something the GM allows at no
  extra point cost to all PCs with such gifts or training.
  The GM has the final say, and may forbid anything that
  would get the PC killed. For instance, being excluded from
  Flesh Wounds (p. B417) might be fine in a cinematic-but-non-
  violent campaign, but would be a death sentence in a GURPS
  Gun Fu game!
  Taboo Traits
  As part of a racial template, a taboo trait (p. B452) is a 0-point
  feature. However, if you cannot acquire a set of related advan-
  tages that other members of your race can and often do gain in
  play, the GM may allow you to call it a quirk. For instance,
  somebody who’s worthless with languages might take “Taboo
  Trait (Languages)” and only ever know his native language.
  This quirk amounts to quirk-level Cannot Learn (p. B125).
  Variable Quirk
  Many quirks have variable effects, particularly Cyclothymic
  (p. 17), External Mood Influence (p. 18), and Mirror-Image
  Disadvantages (p. 11). However, these are all fixed traits that
  act like one of a small set of predefined quirks in response to
  specific game-world triggers. The GM may opt to permit more
  dramatic fluctuations.
  If the GM agrees, a player may select one “Variable Quirk”
  and work with the GM to define how often it changes (most
  often every session or every adventure) and what traits can
  occupy the “quirk slot.” Examples include the mental quirk of
  the week of the funny man in a comedy of errors, social quirks
  that serve as “hooks” in an episodic campaign with weak over-
  arching continuity, and serial Unwelcome Accessories (p. 13)
  for a robot whose efforts to solve design problems create new
  difficulties. In effect, the player has advance permission to
  invoke Changing Existing Quirks (pp. 5-7) at specific junctures
  in the campaign arc.
  THE QUIRKS
  21
  
  It should be obvious why this is a meta-game quirk: its trig-
  ger is a new game session, episode, or storyline – probably one
  that focuses on the quirk! It’s a great way to enable players to
  try out lots of quirks without having too many at once (see Is
  Five Enough?, p. 6).
  PHYSICAL QUIRKS
  These are physical disadvantages that are only mildly or
  rarely limiting. They don’t require roleplaying, but give spe-
  cific, minor penalties in play. Contrary to the Basic Set,
  physical quirks can be replaced, bought off, and dropped
  into empty “quirk slots”; they simply demand stronger
  rationalizations than mental ones. See Changing Quirks in
  Play (pp. 5-7).
  Aches and Pains
  Chronic Pain (p. B126) is worth just -1 point if it’s Mild (-2
  to DX, IQ, and self-control rolls), occurs on 6 or less on 3d on
  any given day, and lasts for only an hour. A trivial ache like
  this is effectively a quirk; give it a name like “Achy knee” or
  “Coffee headaches.”
  Allergy
  You have some sort of allergic reaction to a substance. 
  This is annoying but rarely dangerous. If exposed to the cause
  of your allergy, make a HT roll. Failure means you become
  miserable and suffer coughing or sneezing (p. B428), or itching
  (same game effect), for a number of minutes equal to the mar-
  gin of failure.
  Examples: Hay fever causing red eyes and sneezing; food
  allergies causing hives (could be quirk-level Restricted Diet,
  p. B151); insect bites causing severe itching.
  Treat severe allergies that can lead to injury or death as
  full-fledged Susceptible disadvantages (p. B158). Exception: A
  dangerous reaction to a substance so rare that an adventurer
  might encounter it just once or twice ever is still just 
  a quirk.
  Bowlegged
  You’re bowlegged. This doesn’t normally affect Move, but
  you have -1 to Jumping skill. This quirk may elicit -1 to reac-
  tions from those who think it looks funny.
  Bulky Frame
  You’re squarely built, almost to a fault. You have -1 on any
  task that involves fitting or squeezing into something, includ-
  ing nearly all Escape rolls, DX rolls to negotiate narrow open-
  ings, Disguise rolls to pass as someone who lacks this quirk,
  Armoury rolls to adjust armor to fit you, and even Merchant
  rolls to shop for clothing. This is above and beyond any modi-
  fiers that a person of your height and weight would have with-
  out Bulky Frame.
  Care
  Quirk-level Maintenance (p. B143). Either you require an
  expert to perform a minor medical procedure or repair every
  three months, or you need monthly work that even a non-expert
  could do for you. While Care is almost trivial, missing it spells
  HT loss and incapacity as surely as missed Maintenance!
  Clumsy Runner
  Whether due to poor balance or the inertia of high body
  weight, you “handle” poorly at a run. When running at speeds
  faster than half of your Basic Move – Move 3+ for the average
  man – you suffer -1 to rolls against DX and DX-based skills
  such as Acrobatics and Jumping to keep your footing (for
  instance, after suffering knockback) or perform stunts. This is
  cumulative with the -2 that Move and Attack (p. B366) gives
  such rolls, where applicable.
  Combat Hesitancy
  Quirk-level Combat Paralysis (p. B127). You’re no more
  likely than anyone else to “freeze up,” but you aren’t quick to
  “thaw.” You’re at -1 on rolls connected to surprise (p. B393):
  initiative rolls (if you’re the leader) and IQ rolls to recover from
  mental stun.
  Dead Weight
  Perhaps you’re Overweight, Fat, or Very Fat and it’s telling
  – or maybe your build is average, even Skinny, but you have
  bad muscle tone. Whatever you look like, you have Basic Lift/2
  lbs. of encumbrance that you can’t put down. This scales up
  with Basic Lift from both ST and Lifting ST; the only way
  around it is to lose the quirk.
  Dull Taste or Smell
  While you don’t suffer from No Sense of Smell/Taste
  (p. B146), you have problems in this regard. There are 
  three options:
  Dull Smell: -2 to Per and skill rolls for smell.
  Dull Taste: -2 to Per and skill rolls for taste.
  Dull Smell/Taste: -1 to Per and skill rolls for smell or taste.
  Easily Winded
  This is a lesser version of Unfit (p. B160) that gives no
  penalty to HT rolls; you can’t have both. When you expend FP
  for vigorous activity – e.g., climbing, digging, fighting, hiking,
  lifting, running, or swimming – add 1 FP to your cost. This has
  no effect on FP lost to attacks, cold or heat, dehydration or
  starvation, extra effort, missed sleep, or special abilities.
  Fatigues Easily Under Loads
  You aren’t built for carrying loads. Paced running or flying
  (p. B354) – choose one – costs you FP equal to your encum-
  brance level (minimum 1) every minute. A successful HT roll
  reduces this cost by 1.
  High Rejection Threshold
  Your body strongly rejects tissue transplants, cybernetic
  parts, undead limbs, and so on. If a roll is required for this, you
  have -3 where failure means rejection or +3 where success
  means rejection (as in GURPS Bio-Tech). If no roll is required,
  you must still fail a HT roll or the implant won’t “take.”
  This quirk is allowed only in settings where PCs can acquire
  such modifications.
  THE QUIRKS
  22
  
  Hungry
  This is a mild form of Increased Consumption (p. B139), for
  those who have neither that trait nor Reduced Consumption.
  You require an extra meal per day, which you can make up with
  snacks that increase the weight and cost of your provisions by
  just 10%. Leaving this out still counts as missing a meal, though!
  Limited Colorblindness
  You don’t have total Colorblindness (p. B127), but one of
  several varieties that cause trouble with specific colors. Before
  using a skill where color matters (Artist, Chemistry, Tracking,
  etc.), roll 1d. On a 6, those colors happen to be involved, giving
  you -1 to skill.
  Among humans, this variant is orders of magnitude more
  common than the total form!
  Limited Hearing Loss
  You don’t suffer from Hard of Hearing (p. B138), but fre-
  quency extremes cause you difficulty. The following cases are
  mutually exclusive:
  High-Frequency Hearing Loss: This most noticeably affects
  your ability to perceive consonant sounds and thus compre-
  hend speech – especially in noisy surroundings. You have -1 to
  Hearing rolls when significant background noise is present or
  several people are talking at once. Even in quiet surroundings,
  you’re at -1 to hear the sounds of small animals (cats, mice,
  many insects), squeaky equipment, etc.
  Low-Frequency Hearing Loss: You have difficulty detecting
  such sounds as running engines, factory machinery, and large
  appliances; explosions and thunder; and onrushing trains and
  elephant stampedes! If you can’t use vision, you must rely on
  vibrations in the ground. You also have trouble with the calls
  of large animals: cattle, moose, etc. You’re at -2 to Hearing to
  detect all of these things.
  In a cinematic campaign, the GM may permit humans with
  HFHL to buy Subsonic Hearing [5] and those with LFHL to
  buy Ultrahearing [5] to emulate some of the more far-fetched
  claims surrounding people with these disorders.
  Minor Handicap
  You may take most mundane physical disadvantages at
  quirk level; for instance, you could use a watered-down version
  of Lame for a “bum knee.” Difficulties rarely crop up, but are
  genuinely inconvenient when they do. If you have this kind of
  handicap, the GM may give you -1 to attribute, skill, or reac-
  tion rolls, as appropriate, in situations where it would logically
  interfere; e.g., a generic minor eyesight problem might give -1
  to Vision rolls (not DX, combat rolls, etc.) if you don’t take an
  extra second to focus.
  Missing Teeth
  Your mouth is a mess! If you have blunt teeth (like a human),
  you don’t have many left. You cannot “hang on” as a grapple
  after you bite, and gumming your meals takes 30 minutes extra
  each day, shaving half an hour off possible study time.
  If your race normally has Fangs, yours are snapped off and
  jagged, and count only as Sharp Teeth. If you ought to have
  Sharp Teeth, yours are worn-down and considered blunt. See
  Teeth (p. B91) for what this means.
  In cultures with good dental care, this trait is considered
  unappealing; consider taking below-average Appearance as well.
  Missing Toes
  You’re missing enough toes – perhaps thanks to frostbite or
  a land mine – that you’re even worse than most humans at per-
  forming fine motor tasks with your feet. Whenever you try,
  take whatever DX penalty the GM assesses and add another -5!
  This also acts as Distinctive Features (p. 14) if your bare feet
  are visible, but that’s easy to avoid.
  Neutered or Sexless
  You’re missing sex organs that someone of your race, sex,
  and age would normally possess – or perhaps you’re a gen-
  uinely sexless being that only looks like someone of a particu-
  lar race and sex. This might qualify you for Social Stigma,
  Unnatural Features, or reduced Appearance in some settings.
  However, there are minor benefits: you are immune to seduc-
  tion and will never accidentally become a parent.
  This is more than simple sterility (which is a feature worth
  0 points).
  Overweight
  You have approximately 130% of the average weight for your
  ST. You get -1 to Disguise – or to Shadowing, if you’re trying to
  follow someone in a crowd. However, your extra fat gives you +1
  to Swimming rolls, and +1 to ST when you resist knockback.
  Pain-Sensitive
  Quirk-level Low Pain Threshold (p. B142). You don’t suffer
  extra shock or easier knockdown in combat, but you must
  make a Will roll to avoid crying out if you suffer more than 1
  HP of injury. You also have -1 to resist physical torture and on
  Will rolls that anybody would have to make for pain.
  THE QUIRKS
  23
  You’ve got smokers cough
  from smoking, brewer’s droop
  from drinking beer
  I don’t know how you
  came to get the Bette Davis
  knees
  But worst of all young
  man you’ve got Industrial
  Disease
  – Mark Knopfler, 
  “Industrial Disease”
  
  Photosensitivity
  Your eyes are unusually light-sensitive. You have -1 to HT
  rolls to resist dazzling effects (flash-bang grenades, Flash
  spells, etc.). If you suffer even -1 to Vision due to bright light,
  add another -1; if the total penalty reaches -10, you’re effec-
  tively blind.
  You cannot have both Photosensitivity and Protected
  Vision (p. B78).
  Poor Night Vision
  Quirk-level Night Blindness
  (p. B144). In light dimmer than
  torchlight (-3 to Vision), you have
  trouble seeing. When darkness
  penalties are -4 to -8, yours are 
  -1 worse (-5 to -9); if they’re
  already -9, you’re effectively blind.
  You cannot take Dark Vision
  (p. B47), Infravision (p. B60), or
  Night Vision (p. B71) alongside
  this quirk.
  Restless Sleeper
  Quirk-level 
  Light 
  Sleeper
  (p. B142). Use the rules for that
  trait, but you have trouble falling
  asleep only on a critical failure on
  the HT roll. For characters with
  HT 7+, this amounts to an Easily
  Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10).
  Shaky Hands
  Perhaps you have a trivial Neu-
  rological Disorder (p. B144), or
  maybe you’re nervous or drink too
  much. Whatever the reason, you
  suffer -1 on any DX-based roll to
  do fine work using the skills listed
  under High Manual Dexterity
  (p. B59), and to Fast-Draw skill.
  This is quirk-level Ham-Fisted
  (p. B138); while it affects the same
  tasks, it’s too subtle to give a
  penalty to social rolls.
  Sleep of the Dead
  Like someone with Deep Sleeper (p. B101), you can fall
  asleep in all but the worst conditions, sleep through most 
  disturbances, and never suffer any ill effects due to the quality
  of your sleep. However, your IQ roll to notice disturbances and
  awaken is at -4, and you must roll at this penalty even if you
  have Combat Reflexes.
  Sleeptalker
  You occasionally talk in your sleep. When somebody else is
  present, roll 3d. On 6 or less, you divulge some secret or embar-
  rassing truth. This is mumbled or shouted, though; unless the
  dice come up 3-4, the listener must make a Hearing-2 roll to
  make sense of it.
  If you talk to yourself while awake, that’s a Dead Giveaway
  (pp. 13-14) instead. You’re unlikely to say anything important,
  but you won’t be very good at Stealth.
  Sleepyhead
  You have a “half level” of Extra Sleep (p. B136) – that is, you
  need 30 minutes more sleep than usual. For a human, this
  means 8.5 hours of sleep, giving you a
  15.5-hour day. The GM may opt to
  ignore this most of the time but invoke
  Missed Sleep (pp. B426-427) when an
  adventure calls for a sudden wake-up
  call. Otherwise, this quirk’s main effect
  is to subtract half an hour from daily
  study time.
  Slightly Unusual
  Biochemistry
  While your needs aren’t as bizarre
  as those of someone with Unusual
  Biochemistry (p. B160), you must still
  be careful. When you receive a drug
  intended for your species, roll 1d; on
  a 6, that particular substance simply
  doesn’t work. Drugs that circumvent
  this quirk are available at twice the
  usual cost.
  Slow Reflexes
  You have -1 to Basic Speed for the
  sole purpose of determining your place
  in the turn sequence (p. B363). This is
  only a quirk because if you take
  Enhanced Dodge [15/level] and Basic
  Move [5/level] out of Basic Speed
  [20/level], “who acts first” isn’t worth
  very much (mathematically, 0 points!).
  Sunburns Easily
  If you’re exposed to direct sunlight,
  roll against HT once per hour to avoid
  suffering -1 to DX for a day thereafter.
  Susceptible to (Item)
  One level of Susceptible (p. B158) to a class of things encoun-
  tered only occasionally in the environment – such as intestinal
  disease or ingested poison – is worth -1 point and gives -1 to HT
  rolls to resist. If the GM wishes, -1 to any DX, IQ, HT, Will, or
  Per roll made to resist a narrow group of effects is a valid quirk.
  For supernatural abilities, this category must be about as wide
  as a power (e.g., Susceptible to Telepathy) or a college of magic
  (e.g., Susceptible to Mind Control Spells).
  Exceedingly narrow, rare, or low-risk categories might be
  valid quirks if the penalty is more severe (-2 to -5); see the exam-
  ples below, Name-Bound (p. 34), and Spell Susceptibility (p. 34).
  Acceleration Weakness
  You are susceptible to the bad effects of extreme accelera-
  tion, and get -3 to HT rolls to avoid them.
  THE QUIRKS
  24
  
  Nervous Stomach
  You have -3 to HT rolls to avoid illness (typically in the form
  of attribute penalties or vomiting) brought on by rich or spicy
  food, strong drink, etc.
  Substance Intolerance
  One specific drug with potentially unwelcome conse-
  quences (hallucinations, reduced Will, unconsciousness, etc.)
  affects you more strongly than usual. You have -2 on HT rolls
  to resist its effects – although for a substance less widely used
  than, say, alcohol or marijuana, the GM may rule that -3 to -5
  to HT is needed for a valid quirk.
  For a specific example, see Alcohol Intolerance (p. 29).
  Temperature Intolerance
  Your temperature “comfort zone” is 10°F smaller than the
  norm. For humans, who normally have a zone between 35°F
  and 90°F, two versions are common:
  Cold Intolerance: Your “comfort zone” is between 45°F and
  90°F.
  Heat Intolerance: Your “comfort zone” is between 35°F
  and 80°F.
  These traits are mutually exclusive with Temperature Toler-
  ance (p. B93) – but it’s possible to take both quirks for a zone
  between 45°F and 80°F!
  Tests Positive for (Condition)
  You test as having some sort of disturbing condition,
  though this is invisible and you aren’t contagious (where appli-
  cable). Common possibilities include “false positives” for infec-
  tious diseases, genetic markers for bloodlines hated or feared
  by people likely to test you, and misleading magical auras.
  Typical consequences are some combination of blackmail (if
  the condition is embarrassing), quarantine (if it’s dangerous),
  or abuse (if it’s loathed).
  This quirk is valid only in settings where technology or
  superhuman gifts can confirm it – and only if the GM intends
  to incorporate such testing into adventures. Tests Positive for
  Zombie Plague would work in a zombie apocalypse, and Tests
  Positive for Demonic Ancestry would fit most fantasy, but few
  things would qualify in nonmagical, low-tech worlds.
  This amounts to Social Disease (p. B155) as an Extremely
  Limited Disadvantage (pp. 10-11).
  Thin Skull
  Humans and most other creatures with heads get DR 2
  (Partial, Skull, -70%; Tough Skin, -40%) [2] for free. An implicit
  DR 1 (Partial, Skull, -70%; Tough Skin, -40%) [1] would be a rel-
  ative -1-point disadvantage. Thus, if your skull has a mere DR 1,
  that’s a quirk.
  This can be a perfectly mundane trait. It might result from
  prior injury or a condition that causes bone loss.
  Tiny Hands
  Your hands are unusually small. You have -1 to ST for the
  sole purpose of assessing penalties for insufficient ST to use
  weapons; e.g., ST 11 and Tiny Hands would let you wield a
  broadsword (ST 10) just fine, but give you -1 to use an axe (ST
  11). This never affects melee damage!
  The GM may assess other small modifiers as appropriate –
  say, -1 to ST to break free when your hands are grappled, but
  +1 to Escape skill against handcuffs.
  Tone-Deaf
  You can’t distinguish pitch well or at all. This doesn’t penal-
  ize your base skill level with Musical Instrument and Singing, or
  give you Incompetence (p. 31) at those things – if you play from
  sheet music, using an instrument tuned by someone else, you’re
  fine. However, you’re at -4 to “play by ear” or tune an instru-
  ment, and to all uses of Group Performance (Conducting).
  Twitchy
  You’re constantly on edge. In any situation where either
  variety of surprise (p. B393) would apply, roll vs. DX. A roll of
  14+ fails regardless of your score.
  Failure means you startle. If you’re holding something, you
  drop it; if you aren’t, you knock something over (coffee, meet
  keyboard), tumble from your chair, or suffer another effect
  worthy of Klutz (p. B141). Critical failure is bad: you jerk the
  trigger of your gun (9 or less chance of shooting a friend – or
  your foot), strike your head for 1 HP of injury and must roll vs.
  HT to avoid knockdown, etc.
  This is in addition to any surprise effects. However, the sur-
  prise itself needn’t affect you. You might have Combat Reflexes
  and avoid mental stun . . . but nerves are nerves, and you
  momentarily “spaz out.”
  PREFERENCES AND AVERSIONS
  In the eyes of many people, nothing defines someone so
  strongly as what he loves and loathes, adores and avoids.
  Such inclinations are classic quirks! Unlike Mental Quirks
  (pp. 17-20) – which are broad and often vague personality
  traits – preferences and aversions concern specific activities,
  people, and things.
  Observing someone, interviewing him or his close associ-
  ates, etc. is likely to reveal these kinds of quirks. If they aren’t
  obvious at the moment, the GM might require a skill roll to
  gather information (using Interrogation, Observation, etc.)
  and/or analyze it (often against Psychology or Intelligence
  Analysis). Success opens up the possibility of taking advantage
  of the subject by dangling the object of his preference or aver-
  sion in front of him, or placing him in a situation where his
  predictable behavior works against him.
  Optionally, the GM may permit exploitation of any psycho-
  logical quirk, although fuzzier ones like Disciplined (p. 18),
  Dreamer (p. 18), and Staid (p. 20) might always require obser-
  vation and a skill roll first.
  Admiration
  Inordinate fondness for an established NPC or even another
  PC – it must be someone who would appear in the campaign –
  can be a quirk. The person with the quirk has -2 to resist all
  Influence rolls attempted by the individual he admires (use
  Influencing the PCs, p. B359, as applicable) and on self-control
  rolls for disadvantages where this paragon is concerned (Gulli-
  bility means falling for his lies more easily, Impulsiveness leads
  to hasty agreement with his decisions, etc.). An NPC with this
  quirk also reacts at +2 toward his idol.
  THE QUIRKS
  25
  
  The two most common examples are Crush (the admirer has
  a romantic interest in the subject of his quirk) and Hero Worship
  (the admirer strives to emulate that person in all things).
  Dislike
  You can have any Phobia (pp. B148-150) – or Squeamish
  (p. B156) – at the level of a mere “dislike.” Dislikes don’t have
  to be diluted disadvantages, though. There’s a whole world full
  of things to dislike: carrots, cats, neckties, violence, telephones,
  telephone solicitors, income tax . . .
  If you dislike something, you must avoid it whenever possi-
  ble, but it doesn’t actually harm you as a Phobia would. The
  game effect is that someone who knows about your Dislike can
  distract you with it (e.g., if you don’t like cats, he might have
  Muffy in the room when you visit), gaining +1 on his rolls or
  giving you -1 to yours in the encounter, which most often influ-
  ences social interactions. You might get the occasional -1 in
  other circumstances, too – if everyone must attempt a Fright
  Check for horrifying wailing, “Dislikes loud noises” could give
  you -1. Dislikes directed toward people amount to quirk-level
  Intolerance (below), and typically earn reaction penalties from
  the affected group instead.
  Repeated, traumatic exposure leads to immunity, however.
  An enemy can blare your Dislike to the world, but if several
  rivals in rapid succession taunt you with it, you may replace it
  with another quirk; e.g., an Extremely Limited Disadvantage
  (pp. 10-11) such as “Sadism toward the idiot who did this.”
  For vampires with garlic aversions, faeries who avoid iron,
  etc., use Supernatural Dislike (p. 34) instead.
  Intolerance
  Intolerance (p. B140) is merely a nasty quirk if you rarely
  encounter the target group. Ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex,
  social class, and species aren’t your only options. For instance,
  “Can’t stand drunks” is a quirk unless you work at a drinking
  establishment, as is “Dislikes communists” in a place with no
  appreciable communist presence.
  Intolerance assumes unwarranted prejudice. If a group treats
  almost everyone poorly enough to justify near-universal fear or
  loathing, then being more negative toward them than usual is
  just a quirk, however often you encounter them. The salient dif-
  ference between a person with “Hates cannibals” and one with-
  out is who the cannibals eat first . . .
  In either case, all the rules for the full disadvantage apply.
  They just don’t come into play often.
  Broad-based quirk-level Intolerance is Chauvinistic (p. 17).
  You can combine this with the above options. If you do, any
  resulting reaction penalties are cumulative – an exception to
  quirks not “stacking.”
  Like
  If you like something, you’ll seek it out whenever possible:
  gadgets, kittens, shiny knives, ceramic owls, fine art . . . what-
  ever. This doesn’t have to be a thing – perhaps you never miss
  a chance to cook, read, or snap photos, or to watch (or play) a
  particular sport. Yet another possibility is to invert a Phobia
  (pp. B148-150) to get a quirk-level “mania.” Whatever the case,
  this isn’t a compulsion, just a preference.
  If the GM desires a game effect, people aware of your Like
  might bribe or influence you with it, gaining +1 to their attempt
  or giving you -1 to resist. You may earn the occasional -1 on your
  own merits, too, whether that penalizes a skill (such as Mer-
  chant when hunting for bargains, if you’re fond of something
  pricey) or a reaction roll (e.g., “Likes rock ’n’ roll” leads to loud
  rock ’n’ roll, and “Likes shiny knives” is gen-
  uinely unsettling).
  While Likes are always specific, it would
  be reasonable to treat Hedonist (p. 28) as a
  broad-based exception.
  Preferred Looks
  You find a particular ethnic background,
  hair color, build, or other trait inordinately
  appealing. Word this interestingly: “Digs
  girls in glasses,” “Likes musclemen,” “Sucker
  for redheads,” etc. In your eyes, the Appear-
  ance of these gods or goddesses increases by
  a level. This aids suitable Influence skills they
  use on you – especially Sex Appeal. To make
  this worth a point, the GM shouldn’t miss an
  opportunity to use Influencing the PCs
  (p. B359) around such people.
  You can instead dislike certain looks,
  perceiving the Appearance of those who
  have them as one level lower. You may try
  to hide this, but your quirk means that
  you’re bad at it – your preference is effec-
  tively a Shocking Affectation (p. 15) where
  such people are concerned, earning -1 to
  reactions from them.
  Preferred Tactics
  Due to training, honor, or personal preference, you favor a
  particular move in combat. Examples include “Always circles
  opponents,” “Kicks more often than he punches,” and “Prefers
  spells to weapons.”
  THE QUIRKS
  26
  Alternative Sexuality Quirks
  If the individuals to whom you’re sexually attracted – or the acts you get
  up to in private – place you in a minority in a society where this isn’t
  grounds for a full-fledged Social Stigma, you may claim a quirk. It’s worth
  a point because even if you don’t experience widespread discrimination,
  you’ll suffer up to -3 to reactions from certain people if they find out. 
  The usual suspects are those with moralistic and religious varieties of
  Fanaticism and Intolerance (even at quirk level).
  Taking such a quirk means that you’re “out” as gay in a predominantly
  straight society (or vice versa), exclusive about gender and/or activity in a
  pansexual one, asexual in a remarkably promiscuous one, or something sim-
  ilar. In a setting with multiple sapient species, openly preferring a species dif-
  ferent from your own may count, whether you’re a human who pursues
  Martians or a god who lusts after mortals. For a “closeted” sexuality, take a
  Pretense (p. 33) that transforms into this quirk once you “come out.”
  The issue of whether this is a learned preference, an inborn mental
  quirk, or a hard-wired physical trait is a sensitive one. The choice is left
  to the player. For instance, cross-dressing because that’s your sexual iden-
  tity is an Alternative Sexuality quirk, but doing so strictly as a matter of
  fashion – independent of how you conduct your love life – is a Shocking
  Affectation (p. 15).
  
  You should strive to make this true as soon as the opportu-
  nity arises; in the examples above, you might take a Move
  maneuver when you could attack, kick on two turns in a row,
  or Concentrate on a spell at sword’s point. When you do, the
  GM will give you -1 to one active defense or resistance roll
  against an opponent who could have noticed your predictable
  or ill-suited choice. This will remind you of your bad habit, and
  you’ll either curtail it or be less “telegraphic”; you won’t suffer
  the penalty again until the next fight.
  If you don’t submit to your quirk as soon as you have the
  chance, your heart won’t be in it. Foes will get +1 on all active
  defenses and resistance rolls against your efforts until you do!
  (Thus, it’s better to be predictable as soon as possible.)
  Self-Imposed Limit
  You aren’t generally risk-averse, but there’s a particular line
  you dislike crossing. If a rule lets you voluntarily accept a vari-
  able penalty, you won’t willingly cross the halfway mark in that
  area. This quirk is permitted only if there’s a range of options
  with an upper limit and your aversion would affect more than
  one skill or attribute.
  Examples:
  Dislikes haste. You’ll never go all the way to 90% off the
  usual time for haste (see p. B346), which gives -9; at most,
  you’ll shave off 40%, for -4 to skill.
  Strikes with precision, not speed. One can normally reduce
  combat skills to 10 with Deceptive Attack (p. B369). You won’t
  ever go that far. Someone with Karate-16 could take -2, -4,
  or -6, but since -3 is the halfway mark, you would stop at -2.
  Won’t carry a load. Encumbrance ranges all the way up to
  Extra Heavy, giving -4 to Dodge and certain skills, but you’ll
  only go as far as Medium (-2).
  Soft Spot
  You like a specific, reasonably narrow group of people
  enough that it’s a problem for you when they’re genuine ene-
  mies. While there’s no effect in combat against them, you
  have -1 on all rolls to realize that they’re up to no good in social
  situations, or to convict or punish them. Superiors who notice
  this (make a Per roll) react to you at -1 in matters of trust, giv-
  ing you -1 to rolls for promotion.
  However, you get +1 on all rolls to argue the case of your
  favored group, and +1 to reactions from those people if they
  learn that you’ve done so.
  Example: A WWII British soldier with Soft Spot (German
  Soldiers) believes that his enemy counterparts are mostly
  “good chaps.” He suffers -1 to Interrogation vs. German pris-
  oners, -1 to Intimidation when shouting at them, and -1 on any
  roll for promotion as a military policeman or intelligence offi-
  cer. However, if he “goes to bat” for mistreated prisoners,
  and it’s his word against a Callous guard’s, he’s at +1 in the
  Quick Contest. Should a prisoner hear of this, he’ll react to
  the sympathetic soldier at +1.
  In a situation without a clear enemy, you can also use
  this quirk to indicate respect for a group to which you
  belong; e.g., a policeman with Soft Spot (Blue Brother-
  hood) might overlook misconducts by fellow cops. In that
  case, it’s usually a disciplinary division or external author-
  ities that will react badly. Call this a Code of Honor (p. 9)
  if you prefer, but don’t take it twice.
  PREOCCUPATIONS
  A preoccupation is an obsessive preference. The advice
  under Preferences and Aversions (pp. 25-27) for handling the
  discovery and exploitation of quirks still applies. The differ-
  ence is that here the emphasis is on the behavior as much as
  the thing – all of these quirks could be seen as facets of an
  “addictive personality.”
  Collector
  You have a trivial Compulsive Behavior (p. B128) when
  it comes to collecting a particular class of things, whether
  that’s taxidermized cats, comic books, or vintage sports cars
  (Wealth permitting). It’s good roleplaying to spend extra time
  and money on this activity, but you never have to do so unless
  tempted with a rare collectable. Then roll 3d. A 17-18 means
  you must give in – although for a “Holy Grail” (e.g., mint-con-
  dition, 1939-original Detective Comics #27 at 10% of the esti-
  mated auction price, which is still well over $100,000!), the GM
  may lower the self-control roll to 15.
  Compulsion
  You have a very minor form of Compulsive Behavior
  (p. B128) that isn’t covered by another quirk like Collector
  (p. 27), Easily Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10), Expensive
  Habit (p. 28), or Hoarder (p. 28). In a situation that’s unlikely
  to arise – or, alternatively, not likely to matter – during the aver-
  age game session, this can compel you to specific, minor action
  without allowing a self-control roll.
  This quirk is characteristic of many supernatural crea-
  tures; e.g., the ghost with “Must ring any church bell he sees
  on a Sunday” or the golem with “Observant of Jewish ritual
  law.” If such a being is kept from fulfilling its Compulsion, it
  suffers from Unluckiness (p. B160) until this is remedied. This
  is often a Disadvantage Embellishment (pp. 9-10) on Repro-
  grammable (p. B150).
  THE QUIRKS
  27
  I may chance have some
  odd quirks and remnants of
  wit broken on me, because 
  I have railed so long against
  marriage: but doth not the
  appetite alter?
  – William Shakespeare,
  Much Ado 
  About Nothing
  
  However, many ordinary humans have odd habits such as
  “Doodles,” “Picks up any dropped coin he sees,” or “Constantly
  checks the time.” Being prevented from doing this triggers a
  temporary mental problem that would be worth -10 points:
  Bad Temper (12), Confused (12), etc. Choose this when you
  specify the quirk.
  This might seem severe, but it shouldn’t come up often. 
  The GM may opt to roll 3d each game session and work it into
  events on a 6 or less.
  Daily Ritual
  You engage in something like an exercise regimen or medi-
  tation each day. Nobody requires this of you, but you’ll never
  willingly skip it. The net effect that you have half an hour less
  time each day for study (though the GM may let it count as
  half-speed study of Sports, Meditation, etc.). If forced to go
  without, you’ll feel out-of-sorts for an hour around when you
  would normally engage in that activity: -1 to IQ, IQ-based
  skills, and self-control rolls.
  If missing your daily ritual would anger a god, cost you your
  powers, etc., then it’s a full-fledged Disciplines of Faith or Vow
  disadvantage, not a mere quirk.
  Eavesdropper
  You make a habit of listening in on conversations and
  glancing sideways at what others are doing. Roll a Quick Con-
  test with your target(s) whenever you have a chance to do this.
  You may use basic Per, Lip Reading, or Observation. They may
  use Per or Observation – and if several people are involved, use
  the highest score among them.
  If you win you may learn what’s going on, which is rather
  dull most of the time; the GM is free to say, “Boring chatter.”
  A tie means nothing happens. If you lose, the other party
  notices you before you learn anything and the GM will make a
  reaction roll at -1, though consequences worse than scowls or
  a terse “Mind your own business!” are rare.
  This is just a quirk because it covers an activity that most
  adventurers engage in. The difference here is that you can’t opt
  out – you don’t even know you’re doing it.
  Expensive Habit
  A basically harmless, even good habit is a small drawback if
  it costs excessive money or time. Specify one moderately nar-
  row category – clothing (not armor), dining out, gift-giving,
  lodging while on the road, transportation, etc. – where you
  insist on “the best.” If it’s something money can buy, you’ll
  always spend at least twice as much whenever you purchase
  that thing. If that doesn’t fit the habit or you lack sufficient
  funds, you’ll invest double the time instead.
  For instance, “Buys the latest fashions” means paying 100%
  extra for trendy clothes, while “Impeccably groomed” leads to
  taking twice as long to make yourself presentable if you fore-
  see social interaction (buying overpriced hair products or
  makeup would be good roleplaying, too!). Other examples
  include “Always travels first class,” “Drives expensive cars,”
  and “Insists on five-star hotels.”
  This can be a headache if applied to essential adventuring
  gear – but if you have the money, why not? “Prefers fancy
  weapons” or “Decorates armor” means adding gems, precious
  metals, custom tooling, etc. sufficient to double the cost of
  your favorite toy. If you insist on spare or more functional gear,
  that’s an Overcautious Habit (p. 30).
  Leaning toward expensive tastes in all things is Compulsive
  Spending as an Easily Suppressed Disadvantage (p. 10).
  Flirtatious
  Quirk-level Lecherousness (p. B142). You go out of your
  way to interact with people who attract you. You might be coy
  or brazen, but you don’t have to make a “pass.” In the presence
  of an appealing member of the sex you find attractive, you’re
  distracted and at -1 on rolls for the task at hand, unless that’s
  impressing whoever caught your eye.
  This trait isn’t the same as Salacious (p. 15) or Desirous
  (p. 18), which concern active manipulation by you or by oth-
  ers. Flirtatious is a passive tendency – you’re compelled to look,
  not to seduce or submit, and may well regard flirting as inno-
  cent but seduction as sinful!
  Hedonist
  You seek pleasure. This isn’t a cocktail of Easily Suppressed
  (p. 10) and Extremely Limited (pp. 10-11) varieties of Compul-
  sive Carousing, Compulsive Spending, etc. – you would happily
  pass up a lame party or expensive-but-boring things to experi-
  ence genuine pleasure. Those who offer pleasure get +1 to
  influence you or give you -1 to resist partaking.
  Other names include “Epicure,” “Sensualist,” and
  “Sybarite.” Students of traditional Hedonism or Epicureanism
  should take Philosophical (p. 8).
  Hoarder
  You have a minor Compulsive Behavior (p. B128) or Obses-
  sion (p. B146) concerning a particular useful commodity –
  usually ammunition, food, or fuel. It’s good roleplaying to
  acquire reserves of this stuff whenever possible, but you
  never have to do so unless genuine shortage looms. Then roll
  3d. A 17-18 means you must give in, and the GM may lower
  the self-control roll to 15 if the crisis is dire or the chance to
  stock up is especially good.
  As an upside, you’ll almost always have a supply of some-
  thing genuinely useful on hand!
  Ill-Advised Hobby
  A hobby that could endanger or inconvenience you without
  being a full-on Addiction or Secret is a quirk. While there’s no
  specific game effect, the GM can use it to cause physical or
  social trouble for you whenever it fits the story (or on a roll of
  6 or less on 3d in a given play session, if it hasn’t mattered for
  a while). You’re welcome to buy off or replace the quirk after
  each incident . . . but some people never learn!
  Examples: “Breeds tigers” (your pets could attack you or
  someone else, escape, lead to costly permits, etc.), “Eats
  fugu” (a poisonous fish that’s usually prepared to be safe),
  “Likes kinky porn” (all fun and games until an enemy black-
  mails you), and “Reanimates corpses for fun” (leaves you
  tired from casting Zombie spells, and walking dead aren’t
  exactly popular).
  Even normal hobbies sometimes count as “ill-advised” for
  adventurers. Below is one of the classics.
  THE QUIRKS
  28
  
  Record-Keeper
  Many people keep a journal, photo album, or other
  record of events in their life. This is unwise if you
  engage in crime, black ops, undercover investigations,
  or similar – what if someone were to steal, copy, or
  just get a good look at your memoires? If you have a
  quirk like “Keeps a journal” or “Photographs his
  work,” the GM has leave to introduce events that
  make this a problem for you once in a while. Docu-
  mentation secret or secure enough that this could
  never happen isn’t worth a point!
  Minor Addiction
  You may take Addiction (p. B122) as a quirk if
  you’re dependent on a substance that works out to 0
  points under the rules. There’s no need to record the
  mechanical details. A smoker whose habit is casual
  rather than highly addictive might have “Smokes
  cigars”; a devout coffee drinker, “Coffee addict”; and a
  stuntman with an old injury, “Pops over-the-counter
  painkillers.” Such quirks are more colorful and con-
  cise than fussy notation like “Addiction (Tobacco;
  Cheap; Legal),” “Addiction (Caffeine; Cheap; Legal),”
  and “Addiction (Pain pills; Cheap; Legal).”
  Physiological dependency is a physical quirk,
  while psychological dependency is a mental one. Not
  all psychological dependency involves drugs. Some-
  one who becomes irritable when deprived of pornog-
  raphy, soap operas, video games, etc. – or who blows
  excessive time or money on such things – might fol-
  low the rules for Daily Ritual (p. 28), Expensive
  Habit (p. 28), or Ill-Advised Hobby (pp. 28-29) but
  note Minor Addiction on his character sheet, if the
  player likes the sound of that better. Just don’t count
  it more than once!
  As with full-fledged Addiction, alcohol presents a
  special case; see Minor Alcoholism (see boxed text).
  Obsession
  You may take an almost-rational and not especially
  unusual Obsession (p. B146) as a quirk, to reflect a
  minor goal. For instance, you hope to get just enough
  money to buy your own farm (or boat, or spaceship,
  or castle), you dream of starting a band, you want to
  visit a hard-to-reach country (or planet), or you seek a
  specific job.
  “Almost-rational” and “minor” are relative. If
  you’re a wealthy 17th-century French nobleman,
  “Hopes to save enough to buy a farm” wouldn’t count
  – you could buy a farm outright! “Dreams of joining
  the Musketeers” would work, though. For a poor
  métayer (sharecropper), the farm would be a fair
  Obsession; becoming a Musketeer would not.
  A quirk-level Obsession mainly affects choices
  (roleplay it!), but if others learn of it, they get +1 to
  attempts to manipulate you using it or give you -1 to
  resist or detect such manipulation (GM’s choice). For
  instance, Greed (12) alongside that Obsession about
  owning a farm means rolling at 11 or less to resist
  shady deals involving farmland.
  THE QUIRKS
  29
  Alcohol-Related Quirks
  No intoxicant is as storied as alcohol. Drunkenness and alco-
  holism are fertile ground for quirks, provided that the gaming
  group is comfortable with stories that include these themes. Spe-
  cific examples appear below, and several other quirks could be
  adapted to the cause: drinking can exacerbate Nervous Stomach
  (p. 25), trigger Personality Change (p. 20), and eventually cause
  Shaky Hands (p. 24); a common Vow (p. 9) is never to drink alco-
  hol; and Alcoholism can be Extremely Limited (pp. 10-11) and
  support all manner of Disadvantage Embellishments (pp. 9-10).
  The GM should review Alcoholism (p. B122) and Drinking and
  Intoxication (pp. B439-440) before allowing these quirks. Similar
  traits might exist for other intoxicants.
  Alcohol Intolerance
  Alcohol “goes right to your head.” You become intoxicated
  much more quickly than normal. You get -2 on any HT roll
  related to drinking.
  Former Alcoholic
  You used to have Alcoholism, but you’ve shed the addiction so
  successfully that you don’t have to roll to resist booze if it’s
  offered – you really have learned to handle things. However,
  being teetotal is sometimes socially inconvenient, and you may
  get slightly twitchy or terse in the presence of drink (-1 to self-
  control rolls).
  Friendly Drunk
  Whenever you’re tipsy (p. B428), instead of applying the -1 to
  IQ to your Will when you resist Influence rolls, apply the same -2
  you have on self-control rolls. When you’re drunk, Will to resist
  others’ manipulations is at -4 rather than the usual -2. The deeper
  you are into your cups, the more trusting you are of others – even
  relative to other drunks.
  Horrible Hangovers
  You suffer an additional -3 to any penalties the GM assesses
  for excessive drinking the previous evening, and add three hours
  to hangover duration.
  Minor Alcoholism
  By the book, Alcoholism is worth -15 or -20 points. Yet count-
  less fictional characters drink too much with few effects beyond
  joviality. In a larger-than-life campaign, the GM might permit a
  cheap, legal Addiction without the special -5 points for “insidi-
  ous” or the assumption that the drinker always drinks to incapac-
  itation (although booze has its usual effect if he does!) – it mostly
  leads to spending too much on liquor, an Expensive Habit (p. 28).
  Give the resulting quirk a euphemistic name like “Hits the bottle,”
  “Likes his drink,” or “Lush” to distinguish it.
  Sleepy Drinker
  Booze makes you fall asleep. Whenever you drink, you must
  make a Will roll alongside each HT or Carousing roll. Failure
  means you fall asleep, and will stay that way until awakened or
  you get a full night’s sleep.
  
  Feel free to word this as “Daydream,” “Dream,” “Goal,”
  “Hope,” “Want,” “Wish,” etc. to distinguish it from a patholog-
  ical Obsession that requires self-control rolls.
  Overcautious Habit
  Adventurers often cultivate habits that they feel will help
  them avoid trouble. When these are unequivocally good, they’re
  Standard Operating Procedure perks (see GURPS Power-Ups
  2). Not all such practices are without downsides, however. One
  that comes with a significant drawback counts as a quirk.
  One common downside is a situational -1 to reactions. For
  example, “Never stands in front of a door when opening it” lets
  you avoid the occasional trap, but at the expense of -1 to reac-
  tions when greeting visitors or police. “Meets all questions with
  a blank stare” might force others to contest your Acting with
  Detect Lies even when you didn’t specify that you were being cir-
  cumspect, but also gives -1 to reactions in casual conversation.
  Drawbacks need not be social. Rare penalties avoided by
  accepting equal-sized but slightly more common ones are fine,
  as are completely qualitative downsides that occur more often
  than the upsides. Some examples:
  Careful planner. You’re exempt you from the occasional -1
  for missing items or haste when putting plans into action, but
  mission prep takes you twice as long without giving you the
  corresponding +1 (to Intelligence Analysis, Tactics, etc.) for
  extra time.
  Carries backup weapons. Like Blackbeard the pirate with his
  half-dozen pistols, you always carry spare weaponry. Having
  extra weapons is the benefit, but you must spend twice as much
  on armaments to ensure this, and then carry their weight.
  Details are up to you; you might accompany a $600 sword with
  a cheap sword worth $240, a $40 hatchet, and two fine large
  knives worth $160 apiece . . . or word this as “Carries two swords
  in case one breaks” ($600 for a second sword).
  Clean freak. You reflexively clean, disinfect, and polish. You
  receive +1 to HT rolls against contact disease, and never leave
  gratuitous fingerprints or suffer social penalties avoidable by
  grooming, but you display visible disgust that elicits -1 on reac-
  tions from those who do dirty work, anyone who hasn’t had
  time to tidy up, and the sick.
  Doesn’t trust banks. You carry or hide all your money.
  You’ll never have to hunt for an ATM or wait for a bank to
  open, and you won’t be at the mercy of bank robbers, but you
  stand to lose everything if you’re mugged or your hideout
  burns down.
  Never raises voice. You avoid -1 to reactions from NPCs who
  dislike loud people, as well as Stealth penalties for speaking to
  coordinate with allies when skulking about, and you give
  eavesdroppers -1 to Hearing – but others have -1 to hear your
  cries for help, and you’re at -1 to Intimidation, Leadership,
  Public Speaking, etc. in noisy situations.
  Sharpens weapons at every opportunity. Your cutting
  weapons avoid -1 to damage from blunting but have +1 to odds
  of breakage as their edges wear thin.
  As with all quirks, it’s bad roleplaying to try to weasel out of
  the drawbacks. For an indisputably good habit, buy a perk!
  Practical Joker
  Use the rules for Trickster (p. B159), but replace the need to
  fool dangerous foes with a propensity to play jokes on friendly
  acquaintances whom you believe will “appreciate” the humor
  and laugh with you. Not all of them will, of course – even Allies
  might react at -1 or worse after such an episode! When you
  need to resist this urge, your self-control roll is 15.
  This amounts to Trickster (15) (Accessibility, Only on harm-
  less people, -80%) [-1].
  Risk-Taking Behavior
  A desire to use your skills or resources in high-stakes situa-
  tions – even when no one is asking you to take the risk, or the
  approach isn’t absolutely necessary – is a valid quirk because it
  exposes you to needless dangers. Good examples are “Hires
  criminal thugs,” “Likes to drive fast,” “Prefers to walk point on
  patrol,” and “Prone to using explosives.” When the act in ques-
  tion is unavoidable or the risks are trivial, this is a pure role-
  playing matter. However, if your favorite activity is just one
  possible solution to the problem at hand, and not the least-
  risky one, you must either act on your impulse (just as if you
  had Impulsiveness) or argue interminably (treat as Stubborn-
  ness) – your choice.
  Tattletale
  You’re a schoolyard-grade stoolie. You won’t get anybody
  into real trouble – such as with a violently jealous spouse or the
  law – but if you can reveal a minor indiscretion in a way that
  embarrasses someone or makes you look good, you will. You
  only have to do this on a roll of 16-18 on 3d, but it’s good role-
  playing to do so more often. Think of this as Honesty (15)
  (Accessibility, Only for trivial things, -80%) [-1].
  Trademark
  A quirk-level Trademark (p. B159) takes almost no time to
  leave, cannot be used to trace your identity, and can be over-
  looked when inconvenient.
  SKILL QUIRKS
  These traits limit skills or groups of skills. Any quirk might
  give occasional penalties to skill rolls, but these ones represent
  full-time flaws in specific areas, most often due to inadequate
  instruction or an “anti-Talent.”
  Unless the GM rules otherwise, changing or removing these
  quirks requires remedial education. Skill-affecting quirks that
  can’t be “cured” this way have been placed in other categories.
  THE QUIRKS
  30
  The desire for safety
  stands against every
  great and noble
  enterprise.
  – Tacitus, Annals
  
  For instance, Delusional Competence (p. 17) and Inappropri-
  ate Manner (pp. 14-15) usually call for psychotherapy or pub-
  lic embarrassment, College Incompetence (p. 34) and Rule of
  15 (p. 34) often demand supernatural remedies, and buying off
  Point-Spending Quirks (p. 21) is a matter of getting the GM’s
  permission to spend one extra point.
  Can’t Read Music
  Prerequisite: At least one point in Singing or Musical Instru-
  ment.
  Like languages, music can be read and written. In societies
  that have written music, learning to sing or play an instrument
  normally includes learning musical notation. A musician can
  sight-read a new piece with a Singing or Musical Instrument
  roll at -2. One with the quirk Can’t Read Music can only learn
  new pieces by ear. Musicians from cultures without musical
  notation always have this quirk, and need to memorize tunes.
  Cognition Quirks
  You have difficulty understanding and manipulating a
  specific kind of information. In all cases, you may compen-
  sate for the skill penalty by taking extra time (p. B346). These
  traits differ from both the associated full-sized disadvantages
  and Incompetence quirks (p. 31) in that they don’t prevent you
  from learning the penalized skills. You might even have a Tal-
  ent for them that you can “activate” by replacing your quirk!
  Math-Shy
  Quirk-level Innumerate (p. B140). You suffer -1 on all rolls
  for quantitative tasks, notably Mathematics, sciences such as
  Astronomy and Physics, non-administrative uses of business
  skills such as Accounting and Finance, and many applications
  of Engineer.
  Mild Dyslexia
  Quirk-level Dyslexia (p. B134). You suffer -1 on rolls involv-
  ing text: nearly all uses of Writing, most applications of
  Research, written Poetry, any roll the GM requires for book-
  learning, and tasks that require charts, forms, manuals, and
  the like (if such documentation is optional and gives a bonus,
  you suffer no penalty but receive no bonus). You cannot learn
  the Speed-Reading skill.
  Symbol-Shy
  Quirk-level Non-Iconographic (p. B146). You have -1 on
  all rolls involving abstract images and symbols, including
  most applications of Cartography, Heraldry, and Symbol
  Drawing; computer or magical skills where symbols are con-
  cerned; and any task where you must use a digital readout or
  a map (if such gear merely gives a bonus, you suffer no
  penalty but get no bonus).
  Incompetence
  You’re inept at one specific skill. You cannot learn that skill,
  and your default is at an extra -4. You cannot be incompetent
  in a single specialty of a skill; if you’re incompetent with Guns,
  for instance, you’re incompetent with all guns. The GM may
  disallow Incompetence if the skill would be irrelevant to a
  given character, or is unlikely to play a role in the campaign.
  Wizards may have a special form of this quirk; see College
  Incompetence (p. 34).
  Lazy Skill
  Prerequisite: At least one point in the affected skill.
  You have the wrong idea about how one of your skills
  works. Pick an attribute that’s lower than the one that normally
  controls that skill (if you don’t have such a score, this quirk
  isn’t valid). When you use that skill, it’s based on the chosen
  score, giving you an effective penalty. Some examples:
  DX-based skills often move to ST for people who lack finesse
  (“Escape based on ST”), or to IQ as they overthink what should
  be reflexive (“Karate based on IQ”).
  IQ-based skills for crafts sometimes slip to ST for people
  who like hitting things (“Carpentry based on ST”), or to DX for
  those who believe that enough jiggling can substitute for tech-
  nique (“Lockpicking based on DX”).
  HT-based skills end up based on DX for those who are more
  frenetic than athletic (“Swimming based on DX”), or on IQ
  when people believe that it’s better to be a wit than fit (“Sex
  Appeal based on IQ”).
  Will-based skills end up HT-based when practiced by people
  who equate willpower with shouting loudly (“Exorcism based
  on HT”) or tolerating pain (“Power Blow based on HT”).
  Per-based skills that involve close examination are prone to
  being reduced to poking and patting with DX (“Search based
  on DX”), while long-ranged ones lead many people into the
  trap of using IQ to guess at what’s there (“Observation based
  on IQ”).
  This affects routine skill use but doesn’t override a GM- or
  scenario-mandated roll based on a specific attribute (see
  p. B172). For instance, if an adventure calls for a Per-based
  Lockpicking roll, your roll is Per-based even if you have “Lock-
  picking based on DX.”
  Be sure to specialize by skill and attribute, as in the examples.
  If you ever improve the controlling attribute to the point where
  this quirk is no longer disadvantageous, you must replace or buy
  off the quirk and base the skill on its proper attribute.
  Overspecialization
  Prerequisite: At least one point in the affected skill.
  You’re so specialized in an area that you’ve forgotten gen-
  eral principles. To take this quirk, you must have a skill that
  allows Optional Specialties (p. B169) and possess such a spe-
  cialty. The skill is still a step easier for you, but the general ver-
  sion defaults to it at -5, not the usual -2, and this extra -3 also
  reduces related skill defaults.
  Example: Chemistry is IQ/H, but you may learn Chemistry
  (Analytical) as though it were IQ/A. Normally, general Chem-
  istry defaults to Chemistry (Analytical)-2, while Metallurgy,
  which defaults to Chemistry-5, defaults to Chemistry (Analyt-
  ical)-7. With Overspecialization (Analytical Chemistry), gen-
  eral Chemistry defaults to Chemistry (Analytical)-5, while
  Metallurgy defaults to Chemistry (Analytical)-10!
  The GM may opt to limit each character to one Overspe-
  cialization, which must be in a skill that’s central to his role
  in the campaign.
  THE QUIRKS
  31
  
  Show-Off
  You must specialize in a skill with clear non-adventuring
  uses (which eliminates combat skills, though not Sport or Art
  versions). Your quirk affects all specialties of the skill. When
  using the skill in a safe and stress-free situation, you’ll intro-
  duce enough stress and danger to keep things “interesting.”
  This prevents you from ever receiving positive task difficulty
  modifiers (p. B345). People endangered by your action – and
  authorities who witness it – will react at an extra -1, although
  impressionable fools and adrenaline junkies might react at +1.
  Examples: Show-Off (Driving) means you suffer no extra
  penalty when engaging in a high-speed car chase, but receive no
  bonus when driving down an empty street, because you’ll do so
  by steering with one knee while speeding! If you have Show-Off
  (Guns Sport) and are shooting at a familiar course with range
  markers (normally +4), you’ll use exaggerated actions and
  flashy movements that eliminate the bonus, though you may
  still aim, use rangefinders, etc. – and in a shooting competition,
  referees will react to you at -1. 
  SOCIAL QUIRKS
  Unlike most quirks, these are imposed from without. Some-
  body dislikes you or wants something from you, or would act
  that way if the truth came out. In most cases, changing such
  traits requires you to negotiate with others – you can’t simply
  wake up and decide that you no longer owe a favor, or that no
  one will treat you differently after you reveal a secret.
  Social quirks are “story hooks” that cause fewer disrup-
  tions than full-blown Duties, Dependents, and Enemies, and
  that don’t force the GM to puzzle out how NPCs react to a
  group of PCs with mixed Reputations and Social Stigmas.
  Although quirks that aren’t foibles of mind or body might
  seem odd, they’re often better characterization aids than “tra-
  ditional” quirks.
  Checkered Past
  Your past was a bit rough and isn’t a closed book. Be spe-
  cific: “Former mercenary,” “Ran with a gang,” “Took lots of
  lovers,” etc. The GM will use the mechanics for Secret
  (p. B152) to determine when this comes up. Each time it does,
  a suitable NPC from back in the day (e.g., a fellow merc or
  gang member, or an ex-lover) reenters your life.
  This turn of events won’t cause massive inconvenience – at
  worst, -1 on reactions from “proper” folk who see you
  together, or to rolls for jobs or promotions, until you deal
  with the hassle. Murder is an option, but a bit extreme. An
  expense equal to 10% of monthly income or 1% of campaign
  starting wealth, or a small favor such as an all-day road trip
  or an introduction to your boss, will do. Anything bigger
  would be Favor Owed (below).
  In effect, this is a disadvantageous 1-point Claim to Hospi-
  tality (p. B41): others come looking for your hospitality, but
  don’t return it.
  Complicated
  Some aspect of your personal life is ridiculously busy or
  complex: “Has a long string of boyfriends,” “Perpetually on the
  phone,” “Promises to be in two places at once,” etc. The GM
  can use this to throw social curves your way when that fits the
  story (or just on a roll of 6 or less on 3d in a given game ses-
  sion). Common effects include angry NPCs, missed messages
  and obligations, phone calls at inopportune moments, and
  expensive last-minute gifts and taxi rides.
  If you iron out this wrinkle, you might buy off the quirk –
  but it’s more fun to replace it with Checkered Past (p. 32) if old
  complications haunt you, Methodical (p. 19) if you react by
  getting too organized, or a Trivial Reputation (p. 33) among
  those you offended.
  Favor Owed
  You have a one-off obligation that you can’t escape (if you
  could, it wouldn’t be a quirk!). Create a Dependent, Duty, or
  Enemy with an appearance roll of 6 or less and a final value
  between -5 and -9 points. Duty on 6 or less is worth just -2 points,
  so it will have to be either Extremely Hazardous or Involuntary.
  Each game session, the GM will roll 3d. On 6 or less, you
  must honor the terms of your disadvantage until you discharge
  it. Dependents always need help, Duties come with tasks or
  missions, and most Enemies want hush money or unwilling
  favors. This due must be serious: a side quest, cash equal to
  50% of your starting money, etc.
  After you do the favor, you’re off the hook – the quirk van-
  ishes and your point value goes up by one (a “bonus character
  point” for your little adventure).
  Grudge
  You’re on chilly terms with a medium-sized group – city
  department, spirits of one specific forest, everybody who
  works for a particular corporation, etc. – who should be neu-
  tral, even friendly toward you. This gives you a minor Rival
  (see Enemies, p. B135) rather than a reaction penalty (that
  would be a Trivial Reputation, p. 33).
  Day to day, this group leaves you alone. Members don’t seek
  you out; you may even interact with them socially. However,
  should you ever require their professional services and they
  know you are asking, they’ll avoid helping if that’s legal,
  respond slowly if it isn’t. The fire department won’t let you die
  in a fire, but they won’t save your house!
  Grudge guarantees an automatic “Bad” reaction on com-
  mercial transactions (if held by a corporation, every shop in a
  small village, every pub in a large city, etc.), requests for aid
  (for a group like city guardsmen, firemen, or spirits), or
  requests for information (if the group’s commerce or assis-
  tance involves information) – specify which. It has no effect on
  other reactions. Reactions predetermined as part of a plot, and
  those of mind-controlled NPCs, may override your quirk.
  THE QUIRKS
  32
  I hate a guy that does 
  a lot of show-off tricky 
  stuff on the dance floor.
  – J.D. Salinger, 
  The Catcher in the Rye
  
  Hated by (Group)
  You belong to a segment of society toward which another,
  tiny group of people react at -1. A good example would be
  hailing from one sept of a clan that’s hated by another sept of
  the same clan. This is effectively a -5-point Social Stigma
  with cost divided by 3, much as for a Reputation with such a
  class (p. B27).
  If the hateful group is really small, such as people with a
  specific quirk of their own, then this is a valid quirk only if it
  results in a seriously bad reaction – at least -3. For an example
  of this, see Alternative Sexuality Quirks (p. 26).
  This is another example of an Extremely Limited Disadvan-
  tage (pp. 10-11). If the bad reaction is due to something spe-
  cific to you rather than the group to which you belong (e.g.,
  that clan sept hates you because you stole from them), use
  Trivial Reputation (below) instead.
  Red Tape
  You’ve been denied one specific social privilege: driver’s
  license, firearms license, passport, etc. This isn’t because you’re
  underage, a criminal, or anything similar – that would be a full-
  fledged Social Stigma (p. B155). It’s the result of a persistent fil-
  ing or computer error affecting one specific dispensation. If you
  remedy this, you must replace or buy off your quirk.
  To be worth a point, the privilege must be one that would
  be handy to have on your adventures, the lack of which means
  . . . more red tape. The GM is free to reject irrelevant quirks,
  like “Cannot get a fishing license” in a campaign of interna-
  tional intrigue.
  Trivial Reputation
  Rather than do the detailed calculation under Reputation
  (pp. B26-28), just treat -1 to reactions from a specialized group
  of people (e.g., “Priests of St. Thomas’ Church”) as a quirk.
  Trivial Secret
  Not every Secret (p. B152) explodes into -10 to -60 points in
  disadvantages if found out. If the replacement traits would be no
  worse than -5 points, it’s just a quirk. Several examples appear
  below. Treat these like any Secret (appears in play on 6 or less
  on 3d, offers a chance to cover it up, etc.) except as noted.
  Dual Identity
  Quirk-level Secret Identity (p. B153). Your true identity isn’t
  a secret – anyone who wants to learn it can do so. Yet you
  maintain two separate identities, probably at some expense.
  This especially suits the super who has a code name and
  dresses distinctively in his “heroic” identity, but who wants to
  be treated “just like everybody else” in his “civilian” one.
  Positive Secret
  You want to hide something that most people would
  admire, such as an achievement or a privileged background;
  e.g., you’re wealthy, a college graduate, or a medal winner. This
  is because you worry that others will brand you a snob or
  hound you for handouts or interviews. As the truth is essen-
  tially good (barring the reactions of the envious few), it merely
  becomes another quirk if revealed – the value doesn’t double.
  For instance, you might become Humble (p. 19) to downplay
  it or Uncongenial (p. 20) to avoid people who ask about it.
  Pretense
  You deny a truth about yourself (“Pretends not to have
  Hard of Hearing”), maintain a facade (“Tells people he’s a
  mage”), or pay lip service to a belief, usually a religion or a phi-
  losophy (“Claims to be Christian, but doesn’t actually practice”).
  However, this isn’t a sign of Compulsive Lying, Delusions, or
  similar mental problems, even at quirk level. It’s a calculated
  face-saving mechanism, a Secret maintained less because oth-
  ers would care than because you care.
  If this kind of Secret is revealed, it doesn’t double in value.
  Instead, you acquire a replacement quirk such as Bad Temper
  regarding your exposed Pretense (an Extremely Limited
  Disadvantage, pp. 10-11) or a Trivial Reputation (above).
  A Pretense must be something that most people wouldn’t
  care about if revealed. A whopper such as “Is actually the king
  in disguise,” “Impersonates a police officer,” or “Lies about his
  faith in a fundamentalist state” would be a full-blown Secret!
  Secret Powers
  You have a superhuman ability, like psi powers, and fear
  society’s reaction, which should be relatively mild (if it isn’t,
  you have a serious Secret). The GM decides what the conse-
  quences are, most commonly Hated by (Group) (above) or
  Trivial Reputation (above), and definitely nothing worse than
  a -5-point disadvantage.
  SUPERNATURAL QUIRKS
  These quirks concern matters such as chi, psi, magic, and
  higher powers. Standard explanations are:
  • Curses. A curse might inflict many other quirks besides
  those below – for instance, Distinctive Features (p. 14), False
  Memory (p. 17), or Forbidden Word (p. 16) – or show up as
  Tests Positive for (Condition) (p. 25). Casting off cursed quirks
  traditionally calls for a quest.
  • Drawbacks of supernatural abilities. Quirks in other cat-
  egories may qualify, too; see Exotic Quirks (pp. 12-13) and
  Power Quirks (p. 12), and also Involuntary Ability Use (p. 10)
  and Personality Change (p. 20). The GM decides what short-
  comings accompany what gifts, and whether they can be
  removed with practice.
  • Racial traits for faeries, werewolves, zombies, etc. Again,
  other quirks may count. Magical races often suffer from
  Appearance Change (p. 10) tied to racial disadvantages, odd
  Compulsions (pp. 27-28), and External Mood Influences
  (p. 18); zombies have Glimpses of Clarity (p. 19) regarding
  their former lives, and Involuntary Utterance (p. 16). Racial
  quirks are normally permanent.
  Neither Superstition (p. 9) nor Token (p. 16) qualifies, how-
  ever – these are about belief, and any supernatural side would
  be a separate quirk or disadvantage.
  Can Be Turned By True Faith
  You’re an abomination against the gods or the natural
  order, which enables people with True Faith (p. B94) to “turn”
  you. This can have major drawbacks when it happens, but
  True Faith is a rare gift that requires its user to do little in com-
  bat but pray; invoking it effectively takes him out of the fight
  while denying you one target. Thus, this trait is just quirk-level
  Dread (p. B132) of an exceedingly rare thing within a yard. 
  THE QUIRKS
  33
  
  It imposes no special susceptibility to ordinary prayer, religious
  symbols, holy water, etc.; for that, take full-strength Dread.
  College Incompetence
  Prerequisite: Magery or similar broad spellcasting ability.
  The GM may allow a wizard to take Incompetence (p. 31)
  with respect to a whole college of spells, but never for a single
  spell – that’s too narrow to be meaningful. Nobody can have
  Incompetence with more than one college. If a spell also falls
  under another college, the GM decides whether the wizard can
  learn it. This depends mostly on the extent to which it fits with
  the prohibited college’s “style.” It should usually be possible to
  learn a spell that’s part of several other colleges, however.
  Damned
  This is as bad as it sounds: You’re going straight to Hell
  when you die. Until then, the only effect is that for-
  tunetellers dramatically recoil from you on occasion.
  Thus, it’s just a quirk. The game effect is that you can-
  not be resurrected, meaning that it’s only worth a point
  in a campaign where someone of your ilk is likely to be
  raised from the dead (e.g., GURPS Dungeon Fantasy).
  Name-Bound
  You have a “true name” which can be incorporated
  into supernatural spells and rituals of summoning,
  binding, and control, giving you -5 to resist. Severe sus-
  ceptibility to such a broad category is just a quirk
  because this name is initially known to no one (not even
  you, if you wish!).
  Residual Personality
  Prerequisite: Ability to change forms.
  Quirk-level Split Personality (p. B156). You’re a
  shape-changer whose other form bleeds through a bit.
  You display all of its mental disadvantages – personal
  and racial – at quirk level.
  If you take this quirk on your base form, all your
  forms may share it. However, it can be particular to
  one form; e.g., a werewolf could display slightly lupine
  behavior in human form. If you have more than two
  forms, specify which personality bleeds through in each case.
  The GM may also allow this quirk to people who’ve been
  possessed, brainwashed, etc.
  Restricted Casting Style
  Prerequisite: Magery.
  If more than one “style” of magic is generally available in
  the campaign, all the offered varieties use the same type of
  Magery, and many mages actually use more than one kind,
  then being constrained to make a single choice at character
  creation is a quirk.
  Rule of 15
  Prerequisite: At least one applicable skill at 16+.
  The Rule of 16 (p. B349) applies a level sooner for one class of
  resisted supernatural skills, such as Enthrallment skills, skills
  acquired through Trained by a Master, or spells of one college.
  You still roll against your full level, but are capped at 15 for the
  purpose of overcoming resistance.
  Spell Signature
  Prerequisite: Spellcasting ability.
  This is a supernatural Dead Giveaway (pp. 13-14), and
  uses the rules for that quirk. When you work magic, you pro-
  duce a minor side effect that’s unique to you; e.g., the sound
  of phantom laughter, the scent of flowers, or glowing eyes as
  you cast. This isn’t a habit you can break, but part of your
  supernatural makeup.
  Spell Susceptibility
  You’re susceptible to a specific, resistible magic spell
  among the hundreds known. You resist that one spell at -5.
  Supernatural Dislike
  Many supernatural beings exhibit
  quirk-level Dread (p. B132) or Revul-
  sion (p. B151) toward a substance: col-
  orful thread, garlic, silver, wax candles,
  etc. Whenever that thing is within one
  yard and detectable to your senses, you
  must make a Will roll or a HT roll –
  specify which when you take the quirk.
  Failure means discomfort, giving -1 to
  DX, IQ, Per, and skill rolls (but not Will
  or active defense rolls!). These penal-
  ties end instantly if the distance
  increases to greater than a yard or you
  can no longer perceive the object of
  your Supernatural Dislike.
  Mundane characters should use
  Dislike (p. 26) instead.
  Supernatural Features
  Supernatural Features (p. B157)
  that manifest only under easily reme-
  died conditions and that require close or
  extended examination to detect are just a
  quirk. No Reflection, No Shadow, and Pallor are visible to any-
  one – but No Body Heat requires close contact, so “No body heat
  except after feeding” is a valid quirk for a vampire who can steal
  blood or life force. Other examples would be “No pulse except
  after feeding” and “Temporarily ages a year per day without
  feeding” (observers would need days, even weeks to notice this).
  Such quirks still give -1 on reaction rolls and +1 to rolls to
  deduce the possessor’s secret if they’re noticed.
  Trivial Destiny
  You have a very minor, negative Destiny (p. B131). This
  quirk causes a single critical failure when the GM feels that
  would be genuinely inconvenient – e.g., when using your best
  skill to solve a serious problem – after which it vanishes, rais-
  ing your point value by one. In effect, you gain a character
  point for agreeing to let the GM hose you mercilessly at a time
  of his choosing. The nature of such a Destiny is secret; it
  emerges when the GM chooses to reveal it.
  THE QUIRKS
  34
  
  Advantages, quirk versions,
  30, 32.
  Alcohol-related quirks, 9, 10,
  29.
  Aversions (quirks), 25-27.
  Belief quirks, 8.
  Claim to Hospitality, quirk
  version, 32.
  Clothing quirks, 13.
  Cognition quirks, 31.
  Conviction quirks, 8-9.
  Disadvantage variations, 9-12;
  see also Quirk-Level
  Disadvantage index.
  Dress-code quirks, 13.
  Exotic quirks, 12-13.
  GURPS, 3, 8, 20, 21; Basic
  Set, 3, 6, 22; Bio-Tech, 3,
  23; Dungeon Fantasy, 3, 6,
  34; Horror, 3, 17; Low-
  Tech Companion 1:
  Philosophers and Kings,
  3; Supers, 3;
  Thaumatology, 3, 21;
  Martial Arts, 21; Mass
  Combat, 6; Powers, 8;
  Power-Ups 2: Perks, 14,
  30; Power-Ups 5: Impulse
  Buys, 21; Gun Fu, 21.
  Looks-related quirks, 13-14.
  Magic-related quirks, 33-34.
  Mannerisms-related quirks,
  13-14.
  Mental quirks, 17-20.
  Meta-game quirks, 21-22.
  Mini-disadvantages, compared
  to roleplaying-only quirks,
  4; definition, 4; effects, 4-5;
  enforcing, 5; limiting
  number, 6.
  Physical quirks, 22-25.
  Point-spending quirks, 21.
  Power quirks, 12.
  Preference quirks, 25-27.
  Preoccupation quirks, 27-30.
  Pyramid magazine, 3; see also
  GURPS.
  Quirks, acquired in play, 4; as
  disadvantage variations,
  9-12; buying off, 7;
  changing, 5-7; definition, 4;
  disadvantage buy-off and, 7;
  effects, 4-5; empty slots, 5-6;
  enforcing, 5; gaining new, 7;
  naming, 8; number of, 6;
  overlapping, 5; stacking, 5;
  see also specific quirk
  categories and quirk
  indexes.
  Racial quirks, 12-13, 18, 
  33-34.
  Roleplaying-only quirks,
  compared to mini-
  disadvantages, 4; definition,
  4; effects, 4; enforcing, 5;
  limiting number, 6.
  Sexuality quirks, 14, 15, 18,
  23, 26, 28.
  Skill quirks, 30-32, Influence
  skill-related, 14-15, 18.
  Social quirks, 32-33.
  Standard Operating
  Procedure, quirk version,
  30.
  Supernatural quirks, 33-34.
  INDEX
  35
  INDEX
  Absent-Mindedness, 10.
  Addiction, 28, 29.
  Alcoholism, 10, 29;
  disadvantage
  embellishment, 9.
  Amnesia, 10.
  Bad Smell, 10.
  Bad Temper, 10; disadvantage
  embellishment, 10.
  Bloodlust, 11.
  Bully, 11, 20; disadvantage
  embellishment, 10.
  Callous, 11, 19; disadvantage
  embellishment, 15.
  Cannot Learn, 21.
  Cannot Speak, 9.
  Charitable, 20; disadvantage
  embellishment, 10.
  Chronic Depression, 20.
  Chronic Pain, 22.
  Chummy, 11, 17.
  Clueless, 19.
  Code of Honor, 9.
  Colorblindness, 23.
  Combat Paralysis, 22.
  Compulsive Behavior, 27, 28.
  Compulsive Carousing, 10.
  Compulsive Gambling, 10.
  Compulsive Generosity, 10.
  Compulsive Lying, 11;
  disadvantage
  embellishment, 9.
  Compulsive Spending, 10, 28.
  Compulsive Vowing, 10.
  Cowardice, 11, 17.
  Curious, 10, 20; disadvantage
  embellishment, 9.
  Deep Sleeper, 24.
  Dependent, 32.
  Destiny, 34.
  Disturbing Voice, 16.
  Dread, 33-34.
  Duty, 32.
  Dyslexia, 31.
  Enemy, 32.
  Extra Sleep, 24.
  Fearfulness, 18.
  Flashbacks, 19.
  Frightens Animals, 11.
  Gluttony, 10, 11.
  Greed, 11.
  Guilt Complex, 20.
  Gullibility, 18.
  Ham-Fisted, 24.
  Hard of Hearing, 23.
  Hidebound, 18.
  Honesty, 9, 11, 30.
  Impulsiveness, 17, 19.
  Increased Consumption, 23.
  Incurious, 10, 20.
  Innumerate, 31.
  Intolerance, 26.
  Jealousy, 11.
  Kleptomania, 11.
  Lame, 23.
  Laziness, 19.
  Lecherousness, 28.
  Light Sleeper, 24.
  Loner, 10, 11, 20.
  Low Pain Threshold, 23.
  Low Self Image, 18.
  Lunacy, 18.
  Maintenance, 22.
  Manic-Depressive, 17.
  Miserliness, 11.
  Neurological Disorder, 16, 24.
  Night Blindness, 24.
  Nightmares, 10.
  No Sense of Humor, 11, 20.
  No Sense of Smell/Taste, 22.
  Non-Iconographic, 31.
  Obsession, 28-30.
  Oblivious, 18.
  Odious Personal Habit, 11, 20.
  Overconfidence, 10, 11.
  Pacificism, 11, 18.
  Paranoia, 11, 20.
  Penetrating Voice, 16.
  Phobia, 11, 26.
  Pyromania, 10.
  Reputation, 33.
  Reprogrammable,
  disadvantage
  embellishment, 27.
  Restricted Diet, 
  quirk level, 22.
  Revulsion, 34.
  Sadism, 20; disadvantage
  embellishment, 10.
  Secret, 28, 33; disadvantage
  embellishment, 9.
  Secret Identity, 33.
  Selfish, 10, 11, 20;
  disadvantage
  embellishment, 15.
  Selfless, 10, 11, 19.
  Sense of Duty, 11.
  Short Attention Span, 18.
  Shyness, 11.
  Social Disease, 25.
  Social Stigma, 33.
  Split Personality, 20, 34.
  Squeamish, 26.
  Stubbornness, 18;
  disadvantage
  embellishment, 9.
  Stuttering, 11, 16.
  Supernatural Features, 34;
  example, 12.
  Susceptible, 24-25, 34.
  Trademark, 30.
  Trickster, 30.
  Truthfulness, 10, 11;
  Disadvantage
  Embellishment, 9.
  Unfit, 22.
  Unluckiness, 11.
  Unusual Biochemistry, 24;
  example, 12.
  Vow, 9.
  Workaholic, 11.
  Xenophilia, 17.
  QUIRK-LEVEL DISADVANTAGES
  
  For a quirk that shares 
  the same name as a disad-
  vantage, see the Quirk-Level
  Disadvantage index on p. 35.
  Abrasive, 20.
  Acceleration Weakness, 24.
  Aches and Pains, 22; example,
  12.
  Admiration, 25-26.
  Affected by Magnetism, 12.
  Alcohol Intolerance, 29.
  Allergy, 22.
  Alternative Sexuality, 26.
  Ambitious, 18.
  Amoral, 15.
  Appearance Change, 10.
  Argumentative, 20.
  Aristocratic, 15.
  Atheist, 8.
  Attentive, 17.
  Bad Posture, 13.
  Bitter 20.
  Blunt, 20.
  Boring, 18.
  Born Goon, 18.
  Bowlegged, 22.
  Broad-Minded, 17.
  Bulky Frame, 22; example, 12.
  Can Be Turned By True Faith,
  33-34; example, 12.
  Can’t Read Music, 31.
  Cannot Float, 12; example, 12.
  Care, 22.
  Careful planner, 30.
  Careful, 17.
  Carries backup weapons, 30.
  Chauvinistic, 17.
  Checkered Past, 32.
  Cheerful, 15.
  Clean freak, 30.
  Clumsy Runner, 22; example,
  12.
  Cold Intolerance, 25.
  Collector, 27.
  College Incompetence, 34.
  Combat Hesitancy, 22.
  Complicated, 32.
  Compulsion, 27-28; example,
  12.
  Congenial, 17.
  Cooperative, 18.
  Cosmetic Eyeglasses, 13.
  Credulous, 18.
  Crude, 20.
  Cruel, 20.
  Crush, 26.
  Cyclothymic, 17.
  Cynical, 20.
  Daily Ritual, 28.
  Damned, 34; example, 12.
  Dead Giveaway, 13-14, 34;
  examples, 13, 16, 34.
  Dead Weight, 22; example, 
  12.
  Decisive, 17.
  Delusion, 17.
  Delusional Competence, 17.
  Depressing, 20.
  Desirous, 18.
  Determined, 18.
  Disadvantage Embellishment,
  9-10; examples, 9-10, 15,
  27, 29.
  Disciplined, 18; options, 25.
  Dishonest Face, 14.
  Dislike, 26.
  Dislikes haste, 27.
  Disorganized, 18.
  Distinctive Features, 14.
  Distinctive Speech, 16.
  Distractible, 18.
  Docile, 18.
  Doesn’t trust banks, 30.
  Dorky, 18.
  Dreamer, 18; options, 25.
  Dual Identity, 33.
  Dull, 18.
  Dull Taste or Smell, 22.
  Dweeby, 18.
  Easily Frustrated, 18.
  Easily Influenced, 18.
  Easily Mistaken Sex, 14.
  Easily Suppressed
  Disadvantage, 10;
  examples, 19, 20, 24, 28.
  Easily Winded, 22.
  Eavesdropper, 28; example,
  12.
  Enthusiastic, 15.
  Epicure, 28.
  Epitome, 14; example, 13.
  Expensive Habit, 28;
  examples, 13, 29.
  External Mood Influence, 18;
  example, 12.
  Extra Drawback, 21.
  Extremely Limited
  Disadvantage, 10-11;
  examples, 15, 20, 25, 33.
  Extrovert, 17.
  Faithless, 15.
  False Memory, 17.
  Fashion Disaster, 14.
  Fast Talker, 16.
  Fatalistic, 20.
  Fatigues Easily Under Loads,
  22.
  Favor Owed, 32.
  Fickle 20.
  Flirtatious, 28.
  Forbidden Word, 16.
  Forgetful, 19.
  Former Alcoholic, 29.
  Foul-Mouthed, 20.
  Friendly, 17.
  Friendly Drunk, 29.
  Gallant, 15.
  Glimpses of Clarity, 19.
  Gloating, 20.
  Grudge, 32.
  Hated by (Group), 33.
  Heat Intolerance, 25.
  Hedonist, 28.
  Hero Worship, 26.
  High-Frequency Hearing Loss,
  23.
  High-Pressure Intolerance, 13.
  High Rejection Threshold, 22.
  Hoarder, 28.
  Horrible Hangovers, 29.
  Humble, 19.
  Hungry, 23; example, 12.
  Idealistic, 19.
  Ignoble, 15.
  Ill-Advised Hobby, 28-29.
  Imaginative, 19.
  Impatient, 19.
  Inaccessible Idioms, 16.
  Inappropriate Manner, 14-15.
  Incompetence, 31; magic
  college, 34.
  Insensitive, 19.
  Interviews Badly, 15.
  Involuntary Ability Use, 10.
  Involuntary Utterance, 16.
  Ironic, 20.
  Jovial, 15.
  Layabout, 19.
  Lazy Skill, 31.
  Legalistic, 9.
  Like, 26.
  Limited Colorblindness, 23.
  Limited Hearing Loss, 23.
  Literal-Minded, 19.
  Loud Voice, 16.
  Low-Frequency Hearing Loss,
  23.
  Low-Pressure Intolerance, 13.
  Martial, 15.
  Math-Shy, 31.
  Melancholy, 20.
  Methodical, 19.
  Mild Dyslexia, 31.
  Mind-Numbing Magnetism,
  15.
  Minor Addiction, 29.
  Minor Alcoholism, 29.
  Minor Handicap, 23.
  Mirror-Image Disadvantages,
  11.
  Missing Disadvantage, 15.
  Missing Teeth, 23.
  Missing Toes, 23.
  Mitigated Disadvantage, 11-12.
  Mouthy 20.
  Name-Bound, 34; example, 12.
  Nano-Fever, 12.
  Nerdy, 18.
  Nervous Stomach, 25.
  Neutered, 23.
  Never raises voice, 30.
  Nostalgic, 19-20.
  Nosy, 20.
  Obvious, 12; example, 12.
  Oily, 15.
  Optimistic, 15.
  Outgoing, 17.
  Overcautious Habit, 30;
  example, 13.
  Overspecialization, 31-32.
  Overweight, 23; example, 12.
  Pain-Sensitive, 23.
  Pensive, 15.
  Perfectionist, 20.
  Persistent, 18.
  Personality Change, 20.
  Pessimistic, 20.
  Philosophical, 8.
  Phony, 15.
  Photosensitivity, 24; example,
  12.
  Playful, 15.
  Poor Night Vision, 24.
  Posh, 18.
  Positive Secret, 33.
  Practical Joker, 30.
  Precise, 15.
  Preferred Looks, 26.
  Preferred Tactics, 26-27.
  Pressure Intolerance, 12-13.
  Pretense, 33.
  Prickly, 20.
  Proud, 20.
  Pushy, 15.
  Record-Keeper, 29.
  Red Tape, 33.
  Religious, 8.
  Residual Personality, 34.
  Responsible, 20.
  Responsive, 20.
  Restless Sleeper, 24.
  Restricted Casting Style, 34.
  Risk-Taking Behavior, 30;
  examples, 13.
  Romantic, 15.
  Rule of 15, 34.
  Rules Exclusion, 21.
  Salacious, 15.
  Sanctimonious, 20.
  Sarcastic, 20.
  Scornful 20.
  Scummy, 15.
  Secret Powers, 33.
  INDEX
  36
  QUIRKS
  
  Secretive, 20.
  Self-Imposed Limit, 27.
  Sensualist, 28.
  Serious, 20.
  Sexless, 23.
  Shaky Hands, 24; example, 12.
  Sharpens weapons at every
  opportunity, 30.
  Shocking Affectation, 15;
  examples, 13, 20, 26.
  Show-Off, 32.
  Skimpy dresser, 15.
  Sleep of the Dead, 24.
  Sleeptalker, 24.
  Sleepy Drinker, 29.
  Sleepyhead, 24.
  Slightly Unusual
  Biochemistry, 24; 
  example, 12.
  Slow Reflexes, 24.
  Smug, 20.
  Soft Spot, 27.
  Speech Mannerisms, 16.
  Spell Signature, 34.
  Spell Susceptibility, 34.
  Staid, 20; options, 10, 25.
  Stereotype, 16; example, 13.
  Strikes with precision, not
  speed, 27.
  Substance Intolerance, 25, 29.
  Successful at (Ability), 21.
  Sunburns Easily, 24; example,
  12.
  Supernatural Dislike, 34;
  example, 12.
  Superstition, 9.
  Susceptible to (Item), 24-25,
  34.
  Suspicious, 20.
  Sybarite, 28.
  Symbol-Shy, 31.
  Taboo Traits, 21.
  Tactless, 20.
  Talkative, 15.
  Tattletale, 30.
  Taunting, 15.
  Temperature Intolerance,
  25.
  Tests Positive for (Condition),
  25; example, 12.
  Thin Skull, 25.
  Third Person, 16.
  Timid, 18.
  Tiny Hands, 25.
  Token, 16; example, 13.
  Tone-Deaf, 25.
  Trademark, 30.
  Treacherous, 20.
  Trivial Destiny, 34; example,
  12.
  Trivial Reputation, 33.
  Trivial Secret, 33.
  Twitchy, 25; example, 12.
  Unbelievable at (Ability), 21.
  Uncongenial, 20.
  Ungentlemanly, 15.
  Unimaginative, 18.
  Unwelcome Accessory, 13;
  example, 22.
  Variable Quirk, 21-22.
  Villain-Worshipper, 15.
  Vindictive, 20.
  Willful Ignorance, 9.
  Wishy-Washy, 15.
  Won’t carry a load, 27.
  INDEX
  37
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/GURPS [multi]/4th edition/GURPS 4e - Power-Ups 6 - Quirks .pdf