Making a character is hard as hell. You have to figure out who they are, where they come from, where they’re going, what they want, what drives them, and that’s in addition to actually building their character sheet and making sure the character on the page matches the capabilities of the character that lives in between your ears.

A good character, though, needs a little bit of garnish to really finish them off. A spritz of lemon, perhaps, or a little extra sauce. Perhaps a cherry or two on top. And these finishing details are their character quirks.

Whether it’s an unusual mark the character tries to keep hidden, an odd vocal tic that’s instantly recognizable, an odd way of walking, or even something more extreme, all of these things can be considered character quirks. You should feel free to add as many or as few of them as you want to really round off your character, but there are two things to keep in mind before dipping into the following list. First, make sure the quirks aren’t going to make your character frustrating to play with for the other players, or for the Game Master. And second, quirks don’t come out of nowhere, so really think through the quirk, when your character picked it up, and what it represents to them.

To use the list, either roll d100 for a random result or select appropriate ones manually.

Here are some sample results:

60. Catchphrase: The character is known for a particular term or phrase they often say. It might be one of their filler words, a religious script they quote or even something they say to their enemies before delivering a death blow. This could be something as corny as the fighter dropping something that sounds like an action movie one-liner, or it might be a repeated phrase like the halfling cleric saying, “Pray for spices, but hunt your own meat,” in response to a task becoming more difficult or dangerous. This quirk often develops accidentally as a story goes on, but doing it on purpose can be even more satisfying.

61. Pierced: This character has piercings, visible or otherwise. The question that should be asked, in addition to where they are and what they look like, is what the significance of said piercings are… both to the individual, and to the cultures they’re a part of. If the character has their ears pierced, for example, is it because that’s an easy way to carry wealth while they travel? Do piercings like this prevent sea sickness (supposedly, at least)? Do they have their nipples or their nose pierced? Was this just a personal decision, a fashion trend or were piercings like this a mark of reaching adulthood, or a sign of monetary success that you can afford to decorate yourself like this? This quirk can go as deep, or remain as shallow, as you want it to.

62. Silver Smile: This character has one (or even several) artificial teeth. Whether they’re silver, gold or some magical or sci-fi replacement, this adds a distinctiveness to the character’s appearance, along with the potential for additional backstory. Did the character take a wound in battle which had to be repaired afterward? Did they trade a tooth to the fey? Or did they replace their natural teeth with sharp, steel fangs to use as a weapon? This could get fairly extreme, if you decide to go that route.

Released: 17th October 2026 Pages: 21

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