There’s enough RNG in Darkest Dungeon to screw you over a million times, and the game’s quirk system does a pretty good job of both bolstering and ruining your characters as one of the game’s biggest stat modifiers.
Just like people in real life, every party member you come across has their share of quirks. They start off with at least one positive and one negative quirk when you see them in the Stage Coach, and they gain more while pushing through the horrors before them.
This guide will go over Darkest Dungeon‘s quirk system, as well as lay out all of the game’s positive and negative quirks for you to peruse and hope you get (or don’t get).
When do you get new quirks, and what affects whether they’re negative or positive?
There are three situations in which your characters may receive additional quirks:
- After an expedition
- When interacting with curios during expeditions
- When relieving stress at the Hamlet
Finishing an expedition brings relief, but sometimes that relief is short-lived — one or more of your characters may take on a negative quirk upon its completion.
There is no way to stop your characters from gaining quirks, but you can increase their chances of getting positive quirks from expeditions by keeping their stress low and completing the expedition’s objective.
If you leave an expedition early, the characters you took in are more likely to take on negative quirks. If you complete an expedition’s goal, you have a flat 45% chance to take on a positive quirk — and the chance of a negative one is based off each character’s stress level at the time of completion.
Lastly, a character can have up to 5 positive quirks and 5 negative quirks. A previous quirk will be overwritten if a character receives a new one, but this can be prevented via locking them in.
Removing negative quirks
Want to remove a quirk? Then it’s time for a trip to the Sanitarium, where they can wipe away negative quirks as well as lock in positive ones (for a hefty price that only goes up as a character’s Resolve does).
You can have a character stay at the Sanitarium to remove a quirk for a fee. This starts at a reasonable sum — but should a quirk have been enforced and made permanent, it will be more expensive to remove.
A negative quirk can be made permanent if left to fester for too long, or if a character interacts with a curio and is given a negative quirk it already had. It’s important to try to get rid of any truly debilitating quirks early on, before a character is heavily afflicted by it.
Some negative quirks are certainly less debilitating than others. It’s often in your best interest to let the less-than-terrible ones fester and be made permanent to avoid getting something even worse.
Locking in positive quirks
It seems locking in positive quirks isn’t that different from removing negative ones, as both are dealt with at the Sanitarium. As with removal, you can have a quirk locked in for a fee. But locking in positive quirks is significantly more expensive than removing negatives.
You can lock up to three positive quirks at the Sanitarium and your choices ca not be undone, so choose wisely.
Locking in positive quirks has two functions:
- You are guaranteed to not have that quirk overwritten by another when you get a new positive quirk
- The positive quirk will not be erased by its negative counterpart
Those are two pretty good reasons to lock in the best of the best. A list of conflicting quirks can be found below.
Positive quirks
This list is self-explanatory, except for one bit: Quirks with an asterisk (*) next to their names have no negative counterpart to knock them off a character’s quirk list. They can only be removed manually, or if a character with 5 positive quirks receives another positive and overwrites them.
| Quirk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Armor Tinkerer* | -20% Gold to upgrade Armor at the Blacksmith |
| Back Tracker* | No Stress gained when walking backwards |
| Balanced* | +15% Move resist |
| Beast Hater | +15% DMG vs. Beasts -15% Stress vs. Beasts |
| Beast Slayer | +10 ACC vs. Beasts +3 CRIT vs. Beasts |
| Clotter | +15% Bleed resist |
| Clutch Hitter | +3% CRIT when health is 50% or less |
| Corvid’s Eye | +8 ACC +8% Scouting chance |
| Corvid’s Grace | +6 DODGE +25% Move resist |
| Corvid’s Resilience | +33% Disease resist |
| Cove Adventurer | -20% Stress received while in the Cove |
| Cove Explorer* | +20% Scouting Chance in the Cove |
| Cove Scrounger* | +10% Scouting Chance in the Cove |
| Cove Tactician* | +15% DMG in the Cove |
| Deadly | +1% CRIT |
| Eagle Eye | +3% CRIT for Ranged Skills |
| Early Riser | +2 SPD when the Torch is above 75 |
| Eldritch Hater | +15% DMG vs. Eldritch -15% Stress vs. Eldritch |
| Eldritch Slayer* | +10 ACC vs. Eldritch +3 CRIT vs. Eldritch |
| Evasive | +5 DODGE |
| Fast Healer* | +10% Heal Skills when Camping |
| Fated* | 10% chance to turn a Miss into a Hit |
| Hard Noggin | +15% Stun resist |
| Hard Skinned | +10% PROT |
| Healer’s Gift* | +20% Heal Skills when Camping |
| Irrepressible | +5% Virtue Chance |
| Last Gasp | +1 SPD when Health is below 50% |
| Lurker | +10% DMG if Torch is below 26 |
| Man Slayer | +10 ACC vs. Humans +3 CRIT vs. Humans |
| Mankind Hater | +15% DMG vs. Humans -15% Stress vs. Humans |
| Meditator* | Improves Stress relief when Meditating and Camping |
| Natural Eye | +5 ACC for Ranged Attacks |
| Natural Swing | +5 ACC |
| Night Owl | +2 SPD if Torch is below 26 |
| Nymphomania* | +20% Stress relief from the Brothel |
| On Guard | +4 SPD on first round of Combat +5 DODGE on first round of Combat |
| Photomania | -20% Stress when Torch is above 75 |
| Precise Striker | +3% CRIT on Melee Attacks |
| Quick Reflexes | +2 SPD |
| Quickdraw | +4 SPD on first round of Combat |
| Resilient | +10% Stress Healing |
| Robust | +15% Disease resist |
| Ruins Adventurer | -20% Stress received in the Ruins |
| Ruins Explorer* | +20% Souting Chance in the Ruins |
| Ruins Scrounger* | +10% Scouting Chance in the Ruins |
| Ruins Tactician* | +15% DMG in the Ruins |
| Second Wind | +10% DMG when Health is below 50% |
| Skilled Gambler | Increased chance of winning while gambling |
| Slugger | +10% DMG on Melee Attacks |
| Steady | -10% Stress received |
| Stout* | +15% Healing Skills when Camping |
| Stress Faster | Easts -100% less food when Stress is 50 or more |
| Thick Blooded | +10% Blight resist |
| Tough | +10% Max Health |
| Unerring | +10% DMG on Ranged Attacks |
| Unholy Hater | +15% DMG vs. Unholy -15% Stress vs. Unholy |
| Unholy Slayer | +10 ACC vs. Unholy +3 CRIT vs. Unholy |
| Unyielding | +10% Death Blow resist |
| Warrens Adventurer | -20% Stress received in the Warrens |
| Warrens Explorer* | +20% Scouting Chance in the Warrens |
| Warrens Scrounger* | +10% Scouting Chance in the Warrens |
| Warrens Tactician* | +15% DMG in the Warrens |
| Warrior of Light | +10% DMG when Torch is above 75 |
| Weald Adventurer | -20% Stress received in the Weald |
| Weald Explorer* | +20% Scouting Chance in the Weald |
| Weald Scrounger* | +10% Scouting Chance in the Weald |
| Weald Tactician* | +15% DMG in the Weald |
| Weapon Tinkerer* | -20% Gold to upgrade Weapons |
Negative quirks
| Quirk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ablutomania | 40% chance to inspect fountain curios |
| Anemic | -10% Bleed resist |
| Automatonophobia | +20% Stress vs. Humans |
| Bad Gambler | Decreased chance of winning while gambling |
| Bloodthirsty | 35% chance to inspect torture device curios |
| Calm | -15% DMG in the first round of Combat |
| Claustrophobia | +20% Stress in corridors |
| Clumsy | -5 DODGE |
| Compulsive | 20% chance to inspect all curio types |
| Corvid’s Blindness | -10 ACC when Torch is above 50 |
| Corvid’s Appetite | +33% chance to inspect food curios |
| Corvid’s Curiosity | +27.5% chance to inspect all curio types |
| Cove Phobe | +20% Stress when in the Cove |
| Curious | 20% chance to inspect all curio types |
| Dacnomania | 40% chance to inspect torture device curios |
| Dark Temptation | 40% chance to inspect unholy curios |
| Demonomania | 40% chance to inspect unholy curios |
| Diurnal | -2 SPD if Torch is below 26 |
| Dud Hitter | -3% CRIT when Health is below 50% |
| Egomania | 40% chance to inspect mirror curios Will steal findings |
| Fear of Beasts | +15% Stress vs. Beasts -10 ACC vs. Beasts |
| Fear of Eldritch | +15% Stress vs. Eldritch -10 ACC vs. Eldritch |
| Fear of Mankind | +15% Stress vs. Humans -10 ACC vs. Humans |
| Fear of Unholy | +15% Stress vs. Unholy -10 ACC vs. Unholy |
| Flawed Release | -3% CRIT on Ranged Skills |
| Fragile | -10% Max Health |
| Guilty Conscience | 35% chance to inspect holy curios |
| Hagiomania | 40% chance to inspect holy curios |
| Hieromania | 35% chance to inspect holy curios |
| Hylomania | 40% chance to inspect treasure curios |
| Kleptomaniac | 35% chance to inspect holy curios Will steal findings |
| Lazy Eye | -5 ACC for Ranged Attacks |
| Light Sensitive | -10% DMG when Torch is above 75 |
| Lygophobia | +20% Stress when Torch is below 26 |
| Mercurial | +5% Affliction chance |
| Misses the Spot | -1% CRIT |
| Necromania | 40% chance to inspect dead body curios |
| Nervous | +10% Stress |
| Night Blindness | -10% DMG if Torch is below 26 |
| Nocturnal | -2 SPD if Torch is above 75 |
| Off Guard | -4 SPD on the first round of Combat -5 DODGE on the first round of Combat |
| Paranormania | 40% chance to inspect curios that may be haunted |
| Phengophobia | +20% Stress when Torch is above 75 |
| Plutomania | 40% chance to inspect treasure curios |
| Ruins Phobe | +20% Stress while in the Ruins |
| Ruminator | -10% Stress Healing received |
| Satanophobia | +20% Stress vs. Unholy |
| Scattering | -5% DMG on Ranged Attacks |
| Shocker | -10% Stun resist |
| Sickly | -10% Disease resist |
| Sitiomania | 40% chance to inspect food curios |
| Slow Reflexes | -1 SPD |
| Slowdraw | -4 SPD on the first round of Combat |
| Soft | -5% Max Health |
| Stress Eater | Eats +100% more food when stress is 50 or more |
| Thanatophobia | +20% Stress when Health is below 50% |
| The Yips | -5 ACC |
| Torn Rotator | -5% DMG on Melee Attacks |
| Warrens Phobe | +20% Stress when in the Warrens |
| Weak Grip | -3% CRIT on Melee Attacks |
| Weak Grip on Life | -10% Death Blow resist |
| Weald Phobe | +20% Stress when in the Weald |
| Winded | -1 SPD when Health is below 50% |
| Zoophobia | +20% Stress vs. Beasts |
| Thin Blooded | -10% Blight resist |
| Tuckered Out | -10% DMG when Health is below 50% |
Neutral quirks
These “neutral” quirks are more negative than positive. All of them are related to what a character will or will not do when in town, and often they make managing your characters’ stress relief more complicated than it needs to be.
| Quirk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Deviant Tastes | Cannot visit the Brothel |
| Enlightened | Will only Meditate for Stress relief |
| Faithless | Cannot Pray or Flagellate for Stress relief |
| Flagellant | Will only Flagellate for Stress relief |
| Gambler | Will only Gamble for Stress relief |
| God Fearing | Will only Pray for Stress relief |
| Known Cheat | Cannot visit the Gambling Hall |
| Love Interest | Will only visit the Brothel for Stress relief |
| Resolution | Cannot visit the Bar for Stress relief |
| Tippler | Will only visit the Bar for Stress relief |
| Unquiet Mind | Cannot Meditate for Stress relief |
| Witness | Cannot Pray for Stress relief |
Conflicting quirks
These are quirks that cannot be had simultaneously — and there are quite a few of them. So how do they work?
Let’s say a character has “Natural Swing”, which grants a nice +5 ACC, but finishes an expedition and receives its polar opposite, “The Yips”.
In this situation “Natural Swing” and its nice +5 ACC will be removed and instead you’ll have “The Yips” and its -5 ACC in that character’s negative quirk category instead.
| Positive quirk | Negative quirk |
|---|---|
| Beast Hater | Fear of Beasts |
| Beast Slayer | Zoophobia |
| Clotter | Anemic |
| Clutch Hitter | Dud Hitter |
| Corvid’s Eye | Corvid’s Blindness |
| Corvid’s Grace | Corvid’s Appetite |
| Corvid’s Resilience | Corvid’s Curiosity |
| Cove Adventurer | Cove Phobe |
| Deadly | Misses the Spot |
| Eagle Eye | Flawed Release |
| Early Riser | Nocturnal |
| Eldritch Hater | Fear of Eldritch |
| Evasive | Clumsy |
| Hard Noggin | Shocker |
| Hard Skinned | Soft |
| Irrepressible | Mercurial |
| Last Gasp | Winded |
| Lurker | Night Blindness |
| Man Slayer | Automatonophobia |
| Mankind Hater | Fear of Mankind |
| Natural Eye | Lazy Eye |
| Natural Swing | The Yips |
| Night Owl | Diurnal |
| On Guard | Off Guard |
| Photomania | Phengophobia |
| Precise Striker | Weak Grip |
| Quick Reflexes | Slow Reflexes |
| Resilient | Ruminator |
| Robust | Sickly |
| Ruins Adventurer | Ruins Phobe |
| Second Wind | Tuckered Out |
| Skilled Gambler | Bad Gambler |
| Slugger | Torn Rotator |
| Steady | Nervous |
| Stress Faster | Stress Eater |
| Thick Blooded | Thin Blooded |
| Tough | Fragile |
| Unerring | Scattering |
| Unholy Hater | Fear of Unholy |
| Unholy Slayer | Satanophobia |
| Unyielding | Weak Grip on Life |
| Warrens Adventurer | Warrens Phobe |
| Warrior of Light | Light Sensitive |
| Weald Adventurer | Weald Phobe |
It may seem like there’s a lot to remember about quirks, but you come across (and lose) so many characters that you come to memorize your favorites and lock them in, and hope for the best otherwise. That is, of course, unless you’re playing above Normal mode. If you’re new to Darkest Dungeon, just do your best. The game is out to get you in more ways than just your characters’ quirks.
If you still need a bit of help, you can check out the rest of our Darkest Dungeon guides in order to survive this punishing game.
