“You are the echo of a forgotten function, a ghost in the character sheet.”
Something happened—something wrong. You weren’t born so much as compiled. You emerged from a memory loop, a miscast spell, or the flicker between timelines. You have no true origin, just a folder full of corrupted memories and instincts that aren’t yours. You might have lived a normal life... until the world began to lag.
Maybe you were an adventurer before the glitch found you. Maybe you were written in by something—or someone. Now, you drift through the world like an unsaved file.
- Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Deception
- Tool Proficiencies: Tinker’s Tools or Calligrapher’s Supplies (representing code-like inscriptions)
- Languages: One language of your choice
- Equipment:
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A cracked lens that shows glimpses of alternate realities
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A parchment with your name scribbled, crossed out, and rewritten three times
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10 feet of copper wire that hums when you lie
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A pouch containing 5 gp worth of unstable memory fragments (useless… probably)
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| d6 | Glitched Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I flicker when I lie. |
| 2 | I see things others don’t—patch notes, error tags, shadows that weren’t written in. |
| 3 | My memories load out of order. I’m not sure which ones are mine. |
| 4 | I compulsively try to rewrite reality around me—just a little. |
| 5 | Sometimes I hear voices whispering in binary. |
| 6 | My shadow sometimes moves independently, a half-second too late. |
You don’t belong, and the world knows it.
Once per long rest, you can glitch out of space for a moment. For 6 seconds (1 round), you become lightly obscured and can move through creatures as if they were difficult terrain. During this time, creatures have disadvantage to attack you unless they can see into the Ethereal Plane.
Additionally, beings with powerful magical awareness (like celestials, fey, and constructs) often recognize you as an anomaly. This can lead to curiosity, fear, or attempts to “patch” you.
Suggested Characteristics
Your existence is defined by contradiction. You are here—but not written. You feel emotions, but sometimes they glitch. You remember things that never happened. These traits help define your broken origin and how you navigate a world that doesn’t quite recognize you.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I constantly take notes in a strange, indecipherable shorthand—even when I don’t remember why. |
| 2 | I finish other people’s sentences before they say them. I’m right disturbingly often. |
| 3 | I stare too long at mirrors, waiting for my reflection to move differently. |
| 4 | I speak in metaphors, fragments, and code—even when I try not to. |
| 5 | I act confident, but deep down I’m terrified that I’m not real. |
| 6 | I compulsively check my surroundings for inconsistencies, like someone editing the world. |
| 7 | I’m calm during chaos—like I already saw it happen. |
| 8 | I try to act completely normal. Emphasis on try. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Free Will. I was rewritten once—I’ll never let anyone edit me again. (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Truth. If I can understand the glitch, maybe I can fix it—or fix myself. (Neutral) |
| 3 | Anarchy. I was born from a system error. Maybe all systems deserve to crash. (Evil) |
| 4 | Hope. Just because I’m broken doesn’t mean I’m worthless. (Good) |
| 5 | Power. Glitches grant control over reality. I want to master that power. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Balance. Every anomaly causes ripples. I must keep the code from unraveling further. (Lawful) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’m trying to find the person—or thing—that caused the glitch. I need answers. |
| 2 | There’s a voice in my dreams calling itself “Root.” It says we’re family. |
| 3 | I’ve seen a future where I destroy everything. I will not let that come true. |
| 4 | I left behind someone who believed in me before I glitched. I’ll find them. |
| 5 | I believe there’s a hidden script in the stars. I’m trying to decode it. |
| 6 | I think someone is rewriting the world. I won’t let them erase me again. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sometimes I freeze mid-sentence like I’m buffering. I lose hours this way. |
| 2 | I don’t trust people—they might be fake code, inserted to keep me busy. |
| 3 | I’ll risk everything just to prove I exist. |
| 4 | I disassociate when I see too much reality at once. |
| 5 | I sometimes say what the glitch wants me to say. I don’t know why. |
| 6 | Deep down, I think I’m just a bug in someone else’s world. |
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