Quick Character Quirks and Qualities

Some players and referees enjoy adding additional substance to their characters to help flesh them out prior to beginning game play. This game aid provides a quick and easy method to help determine if a particular character has any additional benefits or qualities to bring to the adventuring party without the need to prolong character creation with feats, powers, skills, and other such traits to round out the characters. All that is required is a single roll of percentile dice prior to the purchasing of equipment and to consult the table provided below to determine the result of that roll. This roll is always unmodified and each character has an equal chance of possessing some quality or quirk that might assist their explorations and adventures. Simply note that quality on their character sheet and proceed to play as normal. The quirks and qualities on the table were generated with the rules of Labyrinth Lord (available from Goblinoid Games) in mind but may be used with almost any old school fantasy role-playing system with little or no adjustments by the referee. In addition, a second table is provided at the end of this game aid. This second table reproduces the primary table but leaves certain results blank so that the referee may add his own contributions to customize that table to his own desires and personal campaign world.

Table A: Character Quirks and Qualities

D% Roll 01-05 06-07 08-09 10-12 13-14 15-20 21-23 24-26 27-28 29-32 33-35 36-38 39-42 42-45 46-47 48-49 50-52 53-56 57-58 59-61 62-67 68-90 91-00 Quirk or Quality Possessed by the Character Eye for Horseflesh Eye for Irregularity Free Retainer Hard to Kill Heirloom I Know Something Inspires Loyalty Keen-eared Natural Climber Natural Linguist Oh Captain, my Captain Orienteering Outdoorsman Owed a Favor Resistance to Venoms Situational Awareness Swift Healing Swims like a Fish Weapon Adept Well-Read/Mind for Miscellany Windfall No Special Quality Roll Twice (Ignoring This Result Hereafter) or Choose One

Quirk and Quality Descriptions

Eye for Horseflesh: Character always purchases the best mounts & pack animals from the available stock. Horses bought by this character never possess negative traits and pack animals have a +10% bonus to their carrying capacities. Eye for Irregularity: The character receives a +1 bonus to notice secret doors or traps. This benefit is in addition to whatever racial bonuses the character might already receive. Thus a dwarf with this quirk would notice traps on a 3 in 6 and an elf would notice secret doors on a 3 in 6. Free Retainer: Character begins play with a (mostly) loyal retainer. Hard to Kill: Character is treated as being two levels higher when reduced to less than zero hit points (Im using Garys house rule that characters are dead when they reach negative hit points equal to their level or -10, whichever is lower). Heirloom: The character begins play with a small trinket of some special worth. Roll on the table below to determine what item the character begins play with. D6 Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6 Heirloom Potion of healing An arrow or bolt +1 Treasure Map (leads to cache of randomly determined treasure) Silver dagger Magic scroll (1 appropriate spell for clerics & magic users; protection scroll for other classes) Silver holy symbol

I Know Something: The character begins play with the knowledge of one absolutely true rumor, legend, or other bit of information about a local adventuring site. This piece of information should be determined by the referee and, while the information is true, it may lack certain other facts that obfuscate the actual legend in some manner. Inspires Loyalty: Character possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that makes his followers and employees more prone to follow his commands. All the characters followers, henchmen, and hirelings gain a +1 bonus to their morale. This bonus is in addition to any benefits provided by a high Charisma and can counteract the detrimental effects of a low Charisma score. Keen-eared: Gains a +1 bonus to Hear Noise Natural Climber: Has the ability to climb walls as a 1st level thief. This ability never improves. If the character is a thief, he gains a one-time +5% bonus to his Climb Walls ability. Natural Linguist: The character begins play with one additional language known.

Oh Captain, my Captain: The character has some prior experience in managing large vehicles of one particular type based on the circumstances of his or her upbringing, allowing him to serve in such a capacity without the need to hire professional help. Examples of such vehicles include ships, wagons, and trade caravans. Orienteering: The character has a keen sense of direction when traveling outdoors. As a result, the chances of the character and his party becoming lost while moving overland is reduced by 10%. If more than one character in the party has this quirk, the benefits are cumulative, but may never reduce the chance of becoming lost to less than 1%. Outdoorsman +1 bonus to outdoorsman checks (foraging, hunting, tracking, etc.). Owed a Favor: Somebody, somewhere, owes the character for some boon or service he or she provided in the past. At the start of the game, this boon should be left undefined as to what was done and who benefited from the characters assistance. At any time during the characters career, he or she may decide to call in that favor with the referees permission. Resistance to Venoms: Due to a hearty Constitution or previous exposure to toxins, the character receives a +1 bonus on all saving throws vs. poison. Situational Awareness: Character is only surprised on a 1 in 6 under most normal conditions. If alone or using the optional Individual Initiative rule, the character gains a +1 bonus to all initiative rolls. Swift Healing: The character gains a +1 bonus on all rolls to determine how many hit points are recovered from natural and natural only healing (regaining 1d3+1 hp for each full day of rest). As always, any interruption of this full day of rest results in no hit points being recovered. Swims like a Fish: Character is at home in the water. The character may swim while wearing leather armor without the need for a Constitution check each round. Swims at normal movement rate. Weapon Adept: Character gains a +1 bonus on either to hit rolls or damage rolls (determined randomly) with one specific type of weapon (daggers, long swords, spears, short bows, etc.). Well-Read/Mind for Miscellany: Character has a 3% chance per level of experience of knowing some minor fact or legend about a person, place or thing he/she has never personally seen. Windfall: Character begins play with x2 normal starting money.

Quick Character Quirks and Qualities was created by Michael Curtis for use with Goblinoid Games Labyrinth Lord without expressed consent. No infringement on intellectual property is intended. For more from this author, please visit The Society of Torch, Pole and Rope (http://poleandrope.blogspot.com).

Table B: Customizable Character Quirks and Qualities Table

D% Roll 01-05 06-07 08-09 10-12 13-14 15-20 21-23 24-26 27-28 29-32 33-35 36-38 39-42 42-45 46-47 48-49 50-52 53-56 57-58 59-61 62-67 68-70 71-73 74-77 78-79 80-82 83-85 86-88 89-90 91-00 Quirk or Quality Possessed by the Character Eye for Horseflesh Eye for Irregularity Free Retainer Hard to Kill Heirloom I Know Something Inspires Loyalty Keen-eared Natural Climber Natural Linguist Oh Captain, my Captain Orienteering Outdoorsman Owed a Favor Resistance to Venoms Situational Awareness Swift Healing Swims like a Fish Weapon Adept Well-Read/Mind for Miscellany Windfall

Roll Twice (Ignoring This Result Hereafter) or Choose One