Mind-Numbing Magnetism

#quirk #character_option #rules_analogue
Mental; -1 point
Requires specialization (e.g., Cheerful, Enthusiastic, Playful, Talkative).

Certain qualities, while well-regarded in small doses, grate on many people: Cheerful, Enthusiastic, Gallant, Jovial, Optimistic, Pensive, Playful, Precise, Romantic, Talkative, and so on. In a social situation, tell the GM whether you’re “turning on the charm”; it’s good roleplaying to do so as often as possible. This is a gamble – and as you think your trait is a virtue, you’re blind to whether this is wise, so you don’t get any kind of roll to test the waters first.

If the GM decides that your outlook matches the circumstances (e.g., Romantic at a poetry reading or Talkative at a cocktail party for powerful businesspeople), you receive +1 on reaction and Influence rolls in that scene. If your audience isn’t appreciative (e.g., Romantic at a frat party or Talkative at a funeral), your first such roll is at -1 and all later ones suffer a cumulative -1, to a floor of -4, as you grow progressively more annoying.

You can shut up to avoid mounting penalties. In a large group, you also can delay the progression by switching conversation partners – but this merely puts off the cumulative penalty by one roll, after which you’ll be regarded as “flighty” or “shallow” and suffer growing penalties anyway. Either way, you’re unlikely to end up getting the information or aid you seek, whether because you aren’t asking or because you’re speaking with the wrong person.

This can also be found in Power-Ups 6: Quirks, p. 20.