AI:L Quirk List

Return to Ascension Isle: Legacy

Quirks

General rules for constructing Quirks. Quirks should be things that encourage the player to play a character in a certain way (Personality Quirks), things that define a certain appearance or mannerism for the character (Style Quirks).

Personality Quirks offer the character bonus CP for acting in a certain way. An action that a character could conceivably do at least once a session and would have no serious downside is worth 1 CP at the end of the session. An action that incurs a penalty serious enough that it may cause the character to suffer harm or fail in a task is worth 2-3CP, depending in the level of harm. Alternately, an action that incurs a significant penalty could reward 1 CP every time it is performed, rather than once a session. An action that the character could only reasonably perform once in a campaign is worth 10 or more CP, or if that action could expose the character to serious jeopardy or even cause major objectives of the campaign to fail then it may be worth a Power Point.

All Personality Quirks should be constructed with an option that can be completed once per session, and then choose the level of seriousness of any secondary, higher reward. Personality Quirks with no practical downsides for the character should only have the simple 1 CP per session reward.

Style Quirks should give small Advantage bonuses to the character so long as they dress or act in a certain manner. Something that is distinctive but not detrimental to the character in any way (beyond possibly making them more identifiable) is worth 1 Advantage per scene. Something that is more onerous and forces the character to take a modest penalty, such as a -1 penalty to a whole scene, or a -5 penalty to one roll would be worth 2 advantage. Particularly detrimental penalties such as sacrificing an initiative round, or taking a global -2 penalty to the scene or a -5 penalty to one specific action for the scene would be worth 3 Advantage. The bonus for a Style Quirk cannot be claimed more than once a scene.

Style Quirks should have just one level of effect. They should not be constructed to allow a character to use varying levels of penalty. A character is not obligated to use their style quirk at all times, but failing to do so at any time in a session means no Advantage can be claimed from it for the remainder of that session. If a character goes more than three sessions without using their Style Quirk it is lost.

Multiple quirks can be "hung" on the same character element, for example a Pirate Lord could have a peg leg as a "War Wound", which also gives him the "Telltale" Style Quirk, announcing himself with ominous peg footsteps whenever he approaches, and a "Touchy" personality quirk that he threatens (or even enacts) violence against any who comment negatively on his disability. If all three Quirks all hang off the same character element, the character can take one additional unrelated quirk.

Personality Quirks

Appellomancer: You avoid calling people by their real names, using nick-names for them instead. Once per session you may gain a +2 to a one-liner rolls regarding someone you have nick-named in a previous session.

Spacey: Your character spaces out occasionally, sometimes at very inconvenient times. If you choose to automatically go last in the first round of a combat this session, gain 1 CP. If you choose to skip your action entirely (this does not prevent you taking defensive actions) gain 3 CP.

Cryptolingual: Your character is sometimes so confusing in their speech patterns that no one can understand what they are saying. Gain 1 CP if you force a character to ask you to "Repeat that in Jibrilese, please," or to just say, ". . .What?" at least once a session. Gain a 2 CP if you do this during a social conflict (taking a -5 communications penalty in the process) and STILL succeed in the roll, leaving characters saying "the crazy thing is it makes sense to me now!"

Moralist: Your character can get on their high horse sometimes and prevents them taking more expedient actions. Once per session gain 2 CP if you stop another character taking an action that would further one of your group’s goals with the words, “That’s not who we are,” or “Because otherwise we’d become like them,” or similar. Gain 10 CP if this leads to the escape of a named villain who can come back and plague the group in future.

Respected: Your character is widely respected in one or more of their social circles. Other members of their circle will automatically feel the “Respect” vibe on first meeting the character in a campaign. This does not prevent them losing that vibe due to subsequent actions.

Caring Commander: Your character hates to see any of their friends or followers die, and for them “zero” is the only acceptable number of (friendly) casualties. Once per session gain 1 CP if before a combat you say, “No one else dies today,” or “all of you are coming home,” and are able to end the fight without mook or character losses to your side.

Callous Commander: Your character cares only about the mission. Those who die to achieve it are acceptable losses. Once per session gain 1 CP if you remark callously on the amount of casualties forces under your command are taking, saying things like, “they should be proud to die for me,” or “we have reserves.”

Trustworthy: Your character has a reputation for keeping their word, and even their enemies trust their promises. Maintain a list of all significant promises made by your character. Every time you keep one of them under pressure gain +1 Social Advantage. This Advantage is cumulative and can be spent on any social action involving trust. Lose one advantage from this pool if you obviously prevaricate or dissemble, and the entire advantage pool will be lost the moment you are caught in an outright lie.

Untrustworthy: Your character has a reputation for never keeping their word. If you manage to convince some poor fool to actually trust you or accept an agreement with you, gain 3 CP if you break the agreement before they do, particularly if you do so while saying, “pray I do not alter it any further,” “only now, at the end, do you understand,” or “I lied,” or similar.

Code of Conduct: Your character follows a strict code which provides them with a source of guidance. List three tenets of this code and gain a +3 social edge bonus to perform or resist social actions related to this code. Every time the character violates one of the tenets of this code, the bonus decreases by one. The bonus can be regained by following the code without claiming its bonus three times per lost point, but if the edge bonus ever reaches 0 this quirk is lost.

Obvious Villainy: You cannot resist making extreme threats as a solution to any situation, even when more peaceful options are possible. Gain 1 CP every time you resolve a social situation by making extreme threats. Gain 10 CP if in following through on these threats you personally execute an allied character, while saying "Do not fail me again," or "Apology accepted," or similar.

Psychopath: Your character has poor impulse control and very little empathy, and others should be wary in their social interactions. Once per session gain 1 CP if you initiate combat against another character who annoys or frustrates you, either by conducting a social action against you, or defeating one of your own, but is otherwise non hostile. Gain an additional 1 CP if this combat results in their death.

Unhealthy Obsession: Your character is obsessed about some item, event or person - probably more than is strictly healthy. So long as they remain in the presence of the object of their obsession for the entire session (or interact with it at least once in the case of an event) they gain 1 CP. To qualify for this quirk the object of obsession cannot be trivial, but must be the subject of one of the adventure themes.

Lethal Obsession: Your character is obsessed about some item, event or person - to a murderous degree. Any damage or disruption to the object of their obsession will send them flying into a killing fury. Gain 2 CP per combat where your character kills or incapacitates another character for doing so.

Common Addiction: Your character is addicted to a narcotic substance, such as cigarettes, coffee, alcohol, or hemp-flavoured bubblegum. So long as the character makes reference to partaking in their addiction of choice at least once as session they gain 1 CP. Once per session the character can also gain an additional 1 CP for suffering a -2 edge penalty to a combat or conflict due to the effects of their addiction, either from over-indulgence or withdrawal.

Critical Addiction: Your character is critically addicted to some substance, without which they will suffer severe penalties potentially including death. The character normally has sufficient stocks of this substance, but the player can opt to have their character suffering from withdrawal for additional CP. If the character takes a -3 edge penalty for the session they gain 2 CP at its end. If they take a -5 edge penalty they gain 3CP. On top of these penalties, if they decide (or are forced) to go cold turkey they take a -1 edge penalty and lose one entire Health Level for 1d6 sessions and gain 10CP, losing this Quirk at the end.

Coldhearted: Your character strives for emotional detachment, and others think their heart is ice cold. Once per session gain 1 CP if you respond in a cold, overly rational or distant manner to an emotionally charged situation. Because your character still has emotions but bottles them up, gain an additional 2 CP if you respond with a flash of emotion to something you have spent at least two previous sessions acting cold towards. You must then deny or downplay this outburst.

Chivalrous: Your character is unfailingly polite and correct, following the ideals of noble decorum. Gain 1 CP if you respond to a heated event with haughty politeness. Gain 2 CP if your character spends the time before a fight starts to challenge their foes with a one liner.

Style Quirks

Telltale: When stealthily entering a scene your character always announces their approach in some audible manner, whether it be cheery whistling, the clatter of utter clumsiness, or an eerie compulsion to scrape claws down screechable surfaces. The character must still make an initial stealth roll, but if after succeeding they immediately give their enemy a hint of their presence (suffering a -5 edge penalty to their next stealth roll), they gain a +2 Advantage due to ominousness, anticipation, or just general confusion.

Honorable: Your character hates to act dishonorably, such as stabbing another in the back, lying to the people, or striking down an unarmed foe. When faced with the ability to take a dishonorable action, if your character sacrifices their chance to act, such as by refusing to strike in a surprise round, saying nothing in response to an accusation for fear of harming another, or letting a downed adversary regain their feet and claim their sword, they gain +3 Advantage.

Unruffled: It takes a lot to ruffle your character. When everyone else is screaming and yelling and diving for cover, your character stands and calmly surveys the situation. If you spend the first round of any combat or conflict calmly assessing the situation rather than taking any offensive or defensive action you gain +3 Advantage.

Dapper: Your character is always well dressed and invariably makes an impression, gaining +1 Advantage at the start of any social conflict.

Dressed to the Nines: Your character loves extravagantly flamboyant clothes, and is instantly recognizable on a battlefield or ballroom. Once per combat or conflict your character can substitute the Physique Stat and/or the Graces Skill to perform a Leadership or One Liner roll. The character cannot be under cover or otherwise hidden from view when they perform this roll.

Uncanny: Your character has the aura of the uncanny around them, and instantly strikes others with their otherworldliness. Other characters gain a +3 edge bonus to notice this character or pick them out from a crowd, however their closeness to the veil and general freakishness gives the character a +1 to all Sorcery and Intimidate rolls.