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quirks

Quirks

Quirks help define particular interesting features about your character and their ship. These can be both positive things (which help your character and can be actively employed) and negative things (which hinder your character and may strike without warning).

They are purchased at Character Creation and can be both acquired and lost in play through various means (but not mechanically through Character Advancement).

At character creation you start with 1 point to spend on positive Quirks and may gain up to 4 in total by taking up to 3 negative Quirks. Unless specified, Quirks can only be taken once. If you want to take a Quirk or combination of Quirks in a certain way that you're unsure about, contact the GM team.


Ship Ownership

Owning a Ship in Princess is quite a big deal and an important decision to make when creating your character. As such, every character who owns a ship must take the following Quirk, “Own Ship”.

If you do not have this Quirk then you do not have a ship. You may not submit a ship as part of your character and cannot have any claim to ownership of a ship in the fleet. However, to travel with the rest of the fleet you must be on a ship: please tell us which this is. With the agreement of the PC in question, you can start on another PC's ship, or on any of the large NPC ships listed on the wiki. If, for some reason, you want to start on an NPC ship that isn't on the wiki let us know what type of ship you'd like to be on, but you will be at the mercy of the GMs.

Own Ship (+)

Kusuma grins as he walks onto the bridge of his ship, the crew standing to attention as he does so. He bids them sit down before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the key to the FTL Navigation Drive to begin the jump into the stars…

You have a ship to call your own – whether you bought it, inherited it, or… otherwise acquired it, it belongs to you. You may create a ship as part of your character submission and have claim to its ownership. A ship is a very powerful piece of technology to have at your disposal, but still carries risk of destruction or theft like any other possession (see also FAQ about Ship Destructability). You may take this Quirk multiple times.

Note that you do not necessarily need to be Captain of your own ship, this Quirk just means that you are the one to whom the Ship is registered.


Personal Quirks

These Quirks relate intrinsically to your character, their skills, physique and personality.

"...In Space" (+)

The weightless feeling hits once again and Julia swings her limbs carefully, each movement designed to lift her towards the grating above.

You have training in null gravity and therefore can survive and act in zero-G with ease. You can use your skills without hindrance in space. (Note: all characters are assumed to have access to EVA suits, but this skill will make life much easier once you're in one outside a spaceship.)

Bullet Magnet (-)

The loose bolt shoots forward, impaling itself in Hans's shoulder. “Why me?” he asks, for the third time this week.

You always seem to be the one who gets injured. Whether in a fight or just from doing some dangerous engineering works: why is it always you? Fortunately it hasn't been fatal yet, but the time you've had to spend in recovery is bordering on ridiculous.

Enemy (-)

Talya stared across the room, eyes frantically searching. She couldn't believe it: of all the people to make it off Earth, why did it have to be him?

Although everyone who made it off Earth has a common enough goal, rivalries and past deeds still stand. You've got an enemy out in the Fleet somewhere, and they will actively work against you.

Name your enemy and why they hate you so. The reason need not be world shaking, sometimes the most petty of grievances produce the bitterest enmities.

Favour Owed (+/-)

“Now, now, dearie, if I do this for you, you'll owe me… a favour”

You owe someone a favour that someday you'll need to repay and could be called in at any point. Specify who this is and what they did for you that means you owe them. (Note: if possible, please specify an existing NPC, or specify a type of person and the GM team will find you an applicable NPC to owe a favour to.)

Alternatively you did something for someone in the past and because of that they owe you a favour. This is one thing that you can call in at any point for them to try to accomplish. Specify who you owe and what you did for them that means they owe you. (Note: As above if possible, please specify an existing NPC, or specify a type of person and the GM team will find you an applicable NPC to owe a favour to.)

Famous/Infamous (+/-)

Aida walked along the corridors of the Slipstream, seeing heads turn and feeling eyes of the back of her neck as she passed.

For one reason or another you are well known in the fleet, about the level of a minor celebrity - this isn't necessarily a good thing. On one hand, if you're a philanthropist, well liked famous musician, or the like, you can expect a certain degree of respect and admiration from the other members of the fleet.1) On the other, if you were embroiled in a lengthy legal case where it was genuinely considered that you got away with murder (figurative or otherwise), you are likely to find people more reticent to help you.

If you think that your character would require both the positive and negative versions of this quirk, you had better specify a good reason for it.

FTL Sickness (-)

The jump subsided, and Adnan buckled over in the corner of his living quarter. He'd rather be sick than dead, of course, but that doesn't make the ordeal any less awful.

You don't deal well with the physical ordeal of going through a Faster Than Light jump. It takes you a couple of days after a jump to get your senses back and quell the horrible feelings of nausea. It doesn't completely kill your ability to get stuff done, but any tasks you have - especially physical - become that much harder.

Illness (-)

Maiara stopped and stared at the cold white wall of her ship, as if she could see all of the universe array just behind the opaque plastic. The dull, throbbing pain in her head increased and her eyes watered.

You have an ongoing illness or physical disability that causes you problems. Perhaps you are missing a leg, or perhaps you are suffering from increasingly bad lung problems. This may be something that would have been quite manageable back on Earth, with access to hospitals and all the medicines available, but is going to cause you significantly more problems out in the depths of space. Define what your illness is.

Mental Resilience (+)

The shadowy figure stalked down the corridor, gun raised. While their companions buzzed and panicked, Suraj found themselves clear headed and unruffled.

You've seen your share of horrifying things in your time and consequently it takes a bit more to scare you than average. Things that would terrify the average person have a considerably deadened effect on you, though the chinks in your armour are still as likely to be effective as anyone else's.

Multiple Fears (-)

Haruko woke in a cold sweat. It was The Dream again: the one that had plagued her since she was young. She dragged herself out of bed, resigned to a day of sleep deprivation.

You have multiple Deep Dark Fears (an additional one for each time you take this quirk). The problematic nature of this ought to speak for itself.

Nervous Disposition (-)

Adrenaline began to pump through Sofia's body as she heard the ringing sounds of foot on metal getting closer. Her hands quake, her breath becomes fast and shallow, and every cell in her body screams at her to run.

You're particularly easy to scare, and will be more likely to freak out in stressful situations - even those that don't press your particular buttons. While people are able to calm you down you still will end up being less capable once you've been pushed over the edge. This won't give you a full panic attack but will mean you won't keep as cool a head as others.

Oops (-)

Elim's reverie ended to find himself staring at a garbled bunch of symbols. His eyes widen slightly as he slowly lifts his hands off the keyboard, “What the…”

Computer interfaces are boring, aren't they? You're prone to getting distracted when using them, and sometimes come back from a daydream to find that, instead of the 'forward' button, you've pressed the 'backward' one. Or, that one time, the 'vent cargo hold' one…

Rapport (+)

Pyotr swaggered onto the St. Nikolaos: names and descriptions flooding his brain as he looked around at the workers filling the market.

You have built up a rapport with a group of people and they will likely treat you preferably , and may even go out of their way to help with specific tasks. Pick a group of people (usually a subset of the population of a ship) and explain why you get on with them so well.

Example groups include:

  • The library crew on the Memorandum, who are grateful for that time I helped clear out vermin from their food supply and will find bits of information out for me when I need it.
  • The hangar engineering team on the Hephaestus, who are simply pleased I take the time out of my day to stop and chat while my ship is docked, and will happily chat to me about what work they've been doing on other people's ships.
  • The fuel transfer oversight corps on the Princess, who appreciated my telling Cpt. Holttmann to back off about fuel transfer times. When they've got nothing else to do, they're happy to come shift cargo for me from time to time.

Possessions

These Quirks define things that your character calls their own. These can be lent to (or stolen by) other Characters.

Luxury Items (+)

The crate squeaked unsettlingly as Delize drew it across the floor. It wasn't the most pleasant storage method but, knowing what's inside, she preferred being the only person to know about it.

Supplies are running low in the Fleet and most people are eating disgusting, demoralising paste-based rations, drinking ten-times recycled water and distilled engine fuel. You, on the other hand, stowed away some particularly nice supplies from Earth and have a few remaining. These are highly desirable and could significantly improve the quality of someone's life for a while.

Specify what luxury you have access to. (Examples include: A case of Champagne, a few boxes of frozen sausages, silk sheets, a musical instrument)

Own Ship (+)

Personal Assistant (+/-)

A small, pre-recorded statement rings out from Mimi's pocket. She brings out a handheld communicator, with a connection to her personal assistant, and peers at it curiously.

Taken positively, you made the wise decision of installing a simulated personal assistant on a server that will helpfully keep track of you and do simple administrative tasks for you, wherever you are in the Fleet.

Taken negatively, you made the terrible mistake of installing a simulated personal assistant on a server that quickly became the bane of your existence with how “helpful” it tries to be, wherever you are in the Fleet.

Be sure to name your Personal Assistant!

(Note: this is not an intelligence equivalent to a human, or even most fictional AIs: think of it as a friendly paperclip that just wants to make your life better…)

Pet (+/-)

Dave stood awkwardly before the captain. “What do you mean you let a cat on this ship?!”

You have a small animal as a pet. This could be a benefit (for instance, a trained ferret capable of crawling through small ducts) or a pain in the behind (for instance, a cat with no training and a penchant for sitting on the control panel (i.e. a cat)). Specify what pet you have - making sure it is a domesticable real animal you could reasonably keep on a spaceship - and what its name is.

Passengers (+/-)

Delilah looked down from the bridge, to the gaggle of people lying on makeshift sleeping mats in the hold. With a wince and a sigh, she flicked on the tannoy…

Your ship has passengers. Whether they are a bunch of refugees you picked up during the devastation of Earth, or some high class guests that were employing you to chauffeur them around the known galaxy, they now depend on you to keep them alive and with what little remains of humanity. If you're lucky - and have taken the positive version of the quirk - they will listen to you and help you out to the best of their abilities. If they are a flaw, they will be unhelpful and demanding, and quite a lot of hassle to keep in order.

Something to Remember Me By (+/-)

Alex clutches the photo close to their chest: in these darkest times the only thing keeping them going are memories of happier times.

When everybody left Earth, there was panic. Friends were lost, families torn apart, and most never found each other again. However, despite the chaos, you were able to bring something with you that reminds you of a loved one. Taken positively, this is something that you can look to in the darkest times to bring you hope against fear and the void of space. Taken negatively, this is something that will remind you of an even darker time when you lost everything you cared about.

Specify what this item is and who it reminds you of.

Example items: a framed picture of my fiancé, a laminated finger painting by my 5 year old daughter, my grandmother's pocket watch.

Sweet-ass Kit (+)

R.A.L.P.H. trundled through the halls of the spaceship, collecting interesting detritus and lost items.

You have a piece of kit that's particularly awesome. This could be some sort of laser gun, advanced repair tool, etc, etc. Specify what it is to the GMs.

Example items include:

  • My laser-precision astronomical sextant which helps me more precisely determine the location of obstacles that appear unreliably on the radar.
  • My plasma chainsword - like a chainsaw, but a sword and capable of cutting through sheet metal.
  • My EVA suction boots that make it simple to traverse the outside of a ship by sucking onto the exterior hull.
  • R.A.L.P.H. - a small robot that follows me around and picks things up when I drop them.

Note: items are subject to GM approval!


Playstyle Quirks

These are Quirks that primarily affect how your character may act in an ambiguous situation during Downtime. They cost nothing to have but you may only have one of them. You do not have to take one!

Cautious (0)

You are particularly cautious. When faced with a dangerous situation, you will act in a way least likely to risk yourself or your ship. It doesn't necessarily mean you are cowardly, but you are less likely to do something if you're not sure it will be safe.

For instance: “when faced with a nearly impossible to navigate minefield, Jeff chooses to look for a different way round instead, even if it will take a lot longer. It's just not worth the risk.”

Risktaker (0)

You prefer to throw caution to the wind and take chances in life. When faced with a dangerous situation, you will act in the way most likely to bring about success: even if it means putting your life on the line. It doesn't necessarily mean you are foolish, but you are more likely to do something if it furthers your goal, even if the stakes are high.

For example: “when faced with a nearly impossible to navigate minefield, Jeff chooses to gamble and try to navigate it anyway to get to the other side as fast as possible. Never tell me the odds!”


???

We're not telling you anything about these Quirks. Take them at your own risk!

Mystery Flaw #4 (-)

This is a Flaw. (No, you're not missing flaws 1-3)

1) Don't push your luck though, public opinion is a fickle mistress
quirks.txt · Last modified: 2016/04/22 13:32 by gm_tom