Have you ever seen a Bad Healer trying to save an Infirm hero from death?
Or an Anemic hoarding all your bandages because they can't swing a sword without bleeding all over the dungeon? Or a Nervous hero with a Fear of Unholy, going into cardiac arrest as soon as a Bone Courtier splashes them with wine?
If so, you have my commiserations. If not, we're here to help you quench those negative quirk experiences before it is too late!
Having already covered the Top 15 Best Quirks in Darkest Dungeon, it's time to look at the other side of the coin - the truly diabolical game changers. Quirks that have you howling inside the local Sanitarium, begging for medics to dig into your brain and fix the problem before it endangers future expeditions.
Buckle up and grab your scalpel – it's time to dissect the Top 10 Worst Quirks in Darkest Dungeon.
Before we start, here's a link to the Darkest Dungeon Fandom Wiki, providing a list of all positive and negative quirks you can acquire. If you feel like checking specific details, don't hesitate to visit!
Compulsive
"Suffers intense need to do specific actions" – 20%
See also: Curious | Corvid's Curiosity
Thanks to Forced Interaction Quirks, heroes can frequently stress themselves out, dilute your rewards, prevent free quirk removals, stop you from gaining combat buffs, and endanger your overall chance of success - amongst other things.
Curious or Compulsive heroes have a 20% chance of forcefully grabbing at any hallway curio they encounter, ruining your opportunity for better outcomes. Be it a simple desire for profit or something else entirely - there's nothing worse than a hero randomly deciding that sating their curiosity is much more vital.
Furthermore, the chance of a forced interaction is re-rolled every time you pass the object - not just a once-off. So, if you intend to backtrack and interact with a curio later in the run - such as waiting for more inventory space or waiting to loot a specific provision for the interaction - any related quirks now have another chance of ruining your goal.
Curious and Compulsive are awful to have, yet a worse version exists - Corvid's Curiosity – forcing the same interactions, but with a 27.5% chance instead of 20%.
Necromania
"Fascinated with corpses" – 40%
See also: Paranormania | Demonomania | Dark Temptation (etc)
Unlike Curious and Compulsive, various mania-induced interactions hinge on specific types of objects. For example, a hero with Necromania will feel compelled to interact with dead bodies, whereas heroes with Dipsomania will often grab at anything drinkable.
There is no positive upside to having these quirks. The only consolation is that they are marginally less problematic than Curious or Compulsive heroes, who interact with everything they can get their hands on, regardless of type.
There are numerous manias - some more impactful than others. An Egomaniac grabbing at their reflection is one thing, whereas a Demonomaniac pawing at Unholy Relics is infinitely worse.
Regardless of how you compare the interactions and detriments, having total control over each curio interaction is better for all involved.
Kleptomania
"Prone to stealing" – 35%
Reynauld, one of the two starting heroes, is a Kleptomaniac by default, so you have probably experienced the gold-grabbing nuisance it poses very early in your adventure.
Kleptomania isn't quite as damning compared to other forced interaction quirks, such as Dark Temptation or Necromania. The only reason it warrants special mention is that even if the forced interaction is positive, the results go into their pocket, not yours.
For example, imagine a Kleptomaniac opening a bag and finding a trinket you desire, a bundle of extra food needed to tackle respawning hunger tiles, and a collection of heirlooms you need to help build the town. Well, it's their loot now. Better luck next time!
By comparison, Plutomaniacs only want to open the treasure bag and see what's inside. At least they don't shove the contents into their pocket afterwards, which is why Reynauld is frequently benched or released from duty during the early game, at least until the Sanitarium finally opens.
Regardless of how Kleptomania compares to other quirks, it is often worth a trip to the Sanitarium, assuming you can spare it.
Antsy
+20 Stress when left Idle for the week
If forced interactions weren't bad enough, how about a quirk which passively inflicts stress whenever a hero is left idle in town? Thanks to Antsy, affected heroes can enjoy a free +20 stress injection whenever they're left twiddling their thumbs. Hooray!
Simply put, there is no upside, and the default -5 stress reduction per week doesn't soften the blow.
When you see this quirk, consider lobotomizing the owner with extreme prejudice until they learn how to relax while off-duty. You will both be far better off in the long run.
Imposter Syndrome
"Consumed by thoughts of inadequacy" – 4%
Losing control of your character is one of many reasons why avoiding an affliction is paramount.
Imposter Syndrome presents a 4% chance of your character sacrificing their turn during combat, so it's almost a mini-affliction by itself.
When the midden hits the windmill, the last thing you want is a hero flatly deciding to pass their turn and do nothing at all, which is why Imposter Syndrome is one of many quirks worth removing from your commonly used heroes as soon as possible.
The chance may be low, but all it takes is for one crucial moment to prove the point. If it comes at the cost of a hero's life, don't say we didn't warn you!
The Yips
-5 ACC
See also: Corvid's Blindness
If you have played Darkest Dungeon - especially during the first five weeks, when you are unable to pick or upgrade skills, don't have the heroes to form the comps you want, and are stuck with level 0's who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn - then you know what it's like to get dodged into oblivion.
Missing strings of attacks, flubbing life-saving stuns, having your killing blow dodged, which might have prevented a comrade from eating a critical hit (with a complimentary death's-door-bleed). The list goes on.
Ultimately, accuracy is a stat you want soft-capped (at the bare minimum) on practically everyone as quickly as possible. It is the most vital combat stat in the game, so any quirk that goes towards reducing it is a huge drag, especially when dealing with high-dodge enemies that are eager to slap your health or stress bar.
If a commonly used hero of yours has The Yips, then YIP that quirk in the bud with a quick trip to the Sanitarium.
Fading
-2 SPD & -5 DODGE
See also: Slow Reflexes | Slowdraw | Off-Guard | Nocturnal
Thanks to the hidden Initiative Roll, speed (+1d8) determines when all our heroes and opponents act each round.
There are limited benefits to being late - or last - compared to being early - or first - outside of a few specific situations and strategies. After all, a dead or stunned enemy cannot hurt you, and when you push the enemy into this situation as quickly as possible, victories are often quick and clean.
As a result, speed-reducing quirks such as Fading, Off-Guard and Slow Reflexes are the bane of efficiency. While you may forgive a Crusader - the slowest hero in the game - for being even slower, those few precious points of speed can still be hugely impactful, helping to keep up with friends and foes alike.
On the opposite side of the coin, a Plague Doctor with -2 speed might not get to double-stun as an opening move, and if that leads to taking two hits from the enemy, you may find yourself on the back foot very quickly, especially if the rest of your team is taking their sweet time.
If your favourite hero is swimming in speed-reducing quirks, it might be time to grab your callipers and measure their worth at the Sanitarium.
Ashen
-10% Blight Resist & -10% Bleed Resist
See also: Anemic | Thin Blooded
DoTs (damage-over-time effects) hold the largest kill tally in Darkest Dungeon by a long shot, especially against fast, squishy characters, such as the Grave Robber, Jester, and Plague Doctor.
Anemic reduces bleed resistance by 10%, whereas a Thin-Blooded hero must endure 10% less blight resistance. If a hero happens to be Ashen, they’re stuck with -10% resistance in both categories at the same time, making it a diabolical quirk.
Considering the frequency of DoT attacks throughout all zones, especially the Darkest Dungeons themselves, you’d be wise to nuke these quirks from orbit, especially for heroes who already have low resistances.
Shieldbreakers, for example, have only 20% blight res and 30% bleed res by default, so having both reduced by 10% via Ashen can be disastrous. Combine it with Thin-Blooded, and they have no blight resistance at all.
Ironic, considering their penchant for snake venom.
Claustrophobia
+20% Stress in Hallways
Mechanically, Claustrophobia inflicts +20% additional stress (from all sources) upon affected heroes while they are within a hallway, which is strange considering a lot of hallways are often more spacious than the rooms connected to them.
Either way, a sizeable portion of the game takes place within deep, dank, and dangerous hallways - making Claustrophobia an atrocious quirk to carry around.
When combined with other stress-related perks, be they passive, enemy specific, or light specific - a claustrophobic hero getting stress-nuked while travelling from one room to another can be devastating.
Let's hope that it doesn't affect them too much when you shove them into a tiny cell in the Sanitarium for treatment.
Phengophobia
+20% Stress if Torch above 75
See also: Light Sensitive | Nocturnal | Corvid's Blindness
The torch is the closest thing to a difficulty slider in Darkest Dungeon. No matter which setting you choose at the start of a campaign, your experience will be safer when everything is well-lit - and far more dangerous in the dark.
No matter your playstyle or preference, quirks exist to reward or punish you on both ends of the spectrum. For now, let's assume you prefer the safety of bright lights.
While travelling with 75-100 light, heroes with Phengophobia will receive +20% stress from all sources, Light Sensitive heroes will inflict 10% less damage, and Nocturnal heroes suffer -2 reduced speed.
To make matters worse, certain areas - such as the Courtyard and Farmstead - are permanently set to 100 light at all times, making various light-specific quirks and trinkets more prevalent - for good or for ill.
Woe betides any player who seeks the safety and comfort of light, only to receive reduced damage, speed, and increased stress. If your primary concern is keeping heroes alive - rather than the profit and challenge of low-torch adventures - then consider blasting those high-light quirks into the void.
Thanks for reading!
If you haven't already, check out my Top 15 Best Quirks in Darkest Dungeon list. It might help you save some gold, sanity, or even the lives of your heroes.
