Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only .

NPC Quirks

By Dawn Ibach
 Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

It’s funny how just a simple quirk can make an NPC more memorable and fun to role-
play. Even if you’re not good at accents or funny voices, these noticeable quirks will
catch on quickly with the players. Pick out your favorites and keep them in mind!

Here are more than 200 quirks for your NPCs!

Use them individually or mix and match them.

You say a picture is worth a thousand words?

There are close to 60 NPC face portraits with inspiring poses for instant description!

By Dawn Ibach

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the
Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under
the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2016 by Jeff & Dawn Ibach and published under the Community Content Agree-
ment for Dungeon Masters Guild. Version 1.0

2
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

NPC Quirks Clumsy

Combs hair with fingers
Complains of heartburn
Accent
Conceited
Acne
Coughs regularly
Always eating or drinking
Covered with road dust
Always late
Crumbs in beard and clothes
Always out of breath
Dark tan
Always wears ‘lucky’ hat, scarf, ring
Denies gossiping and proceeds to gossip
Always wears favorite color
Dressed in formal attire
Always wears thick, leather gloves
Dressed in furs or leather
Animal bite or claw scar
Dressed in silks and lace
Archaic speech
Dresses colorblind
Arm in sling
Exotic weapon
Asks often about their appearance
Eye tic
Asks rhetorical questions and answers
Facial piercing
Avoids crowds
Falsely claims he is an adventurer too
Bad cook, begs PCs to eat
Fascinated by fire
Bandaged extremity
Fascinated by non human races
Belches loud and often
Fidgets
Bites fingernails
Flatulent
Bites lower lip
Flips key ring with finger
Blatantly pouts
Food stained face
Blind
Foreign clothing
Blinks often
Freckles
Bows before speaking and after
Gaps between teeth
Braggart
Gestures wildly with hands
Bruised extremities
Giggles, inappropriately
Bucktoothed
Gives a different name every meeting
Calls PCs by wrong names
Greatly exaggerates
Carries cloth covered basket
Hacking cough
Carries crumbs to feed birds
Hair dye covering collar
Carries satchel filled with junk
Hairless
Carries small snake, mouse, or lizard
Hand covers mouth while speaking
Chews grass, stick, or leaves
Hands coppers to beggar children
Chews on braid or lock of hair
Hard of hearing
Claps hands often
Has arthritis in hands
Closely examines everything
Has black eye
Clothes have bulging pouches
Has hiccups
Clothes rumpled and unkept
Has leaves in hair or clothing

3
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

Has long, lacquered nails Pathological liar

Has one or more gold teeth Picks at scabs or loose skin
Has paint stained hands and clothes Picks ears
Has vampire bite scars on neck Picks lint off clothes, his and PCs
Has wart on hand, covers it always Picks nose
High squeaky voice Picks teeth with knife or fingernails
Holier than thou attitude Plays with charm on necklace
Hooks thumbs in belt and bounces Pockmarked skin
Instructs PCs on latest fashion Polishes brooch or buckle often
Intoxicated or acting Polishes spectacles, never wears them
Jingles coins in pocket or pouch Pregnant woman
Keeps arms folded Quotes famous poet, regularly
Keeps hand on PCs shoulder Quotes religious text
Keeps hand on weapon Rash
Keeps hands in pockets Refers to good old days often
Lazy eye Refers to self in third person
Limp Regularly blows stray hair out of eyes
Lisp Rings or bells in hair or beard braids
Loses items and asks PCs to help look Rings sewn on clothes with fetishes
Makes puns Rolls “R’s” while speaking
Many hair or beard braids Rope burns around neck or wrists
Military manner Rubs back of neck
Mismatched eyes Rubs calluses on palms with thumb
Missing limb, joints, fingers, teeth Rubs chin
Mixes gibberish with words Rubs eyes often
Mixes languages Rubs hands together
Mole Rubs large belly often
Monocle Rubs luckstone or fetish
Mute, speaks through sign language Rubs old knee injury
Never looks anyone in the eye Rubs palms on thighs
Nods often Runny nose
Nose bleeds Says “hmm – hmm” often
Obvious cosmetics Scratches
Offers exotic beverages or foods Seems cold or hot
Ogles opposite sex openly Serious burn scar
Oily skin or hair Sharpens knife with whetstone
Only eats meat Shaving cuts on face
Overweight Single hair or beard braid
Paper cuts and ink stained fingers Sketches PC while talking
Pasted on moustache or beard Sleepy

4
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

Smacks palm with fist Tongue tied

Smells like alcohol Toothless
Smells like cedar wood Trims or cleans nails with long knife
Smells like cheap cologne Tugs on ear
Smells like dogs Twirls coin between fingers
Smells like expensive cologne Twirls hair with finger
Smells like horses Twists ring
Smells like lavender Underweight
Smells like roses Unusual jewelry
Smells like soap Uses a parasol
Smells like sweat Uses foul language
Smells like tobacco Uses long words incorrectly
Sneezes often Vegetarian
Sniffs often Very pale
Snorts while laughing Walks like a sailor
Speaks to ‘spirits’ Wandering eye
Speaks to animals like people Watering eye(s)
Spit polishes thick, fancy bracelet Waxed facial hair
Spits when talking Wears ancient fashions
Spotless, glossy boots Wears armor covered in runes
Squints Wears clothes too big or too small
Stretches often Wears flower in hair or clothing
Stutters Wears foreign style clothes
Sucks on teeth Wears heart shaped beauty mark
Sunburn and peeling skin Wears notched belt
Superstitious Wears obvious wig
Survived torture, has no fingernails Wears scarf around ankles or wrists
Sweats profusely Wears vest with bell buttons
Talks in rhyme Wears well tended ancient weapon
Talks loudly Whispers
Talks of health problems Wine colored birthmark
Taps foot incessantly Wine stained ‘moustache’
Taps fingers Writes down everything PC says
Tattoo Yawns often

5
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

6
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

7
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

8
 Also from Toolbox Publishing...
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . NPC Quirks

CREDITS—TOOLBOX PUBLISHING
Written by Dawn Ibach
Editing and Layout: Jeff Ibach
Cover art royalty-free image, Interior Art: WotC DMs Guild stock art
used with permission

Contact: jeffibach.DM@gmail.com

Jeff and Dawn are the ENnie-award winning authors behind AEG’s
Toolbox (2002) and Ultimate Toolbox (2009).
Dawn also has written nearly a dozen “Miscellaneous Mishaps” arti-
cles for Dragon & Dungeon Magazines between 1997 and 2003.

“MGG VENTURES”
This book is part of a new imprint focusing on quality, imaginative
PDF support for 5th edition D&D through the DM’s Guild website.
The “Marauders Game Group” is a game club in New Jersey USA
consisting of over 20 members collaborating to bring products you can