To create unique effects for an NPC wizard or arcanist, consider giving them one of the following quirks. These rules have been adapted for 5e, but they may be applicable to other systems, as well.

1. Doubled Image: Every 10 minutes, the wizard splits into two identical images that act independently for 1 minute. These images share the wizard’s statistics and abilities but can move and act separately. After 1 minute, the duplicate image merges back with the wizard.
2. Constant Floating: The wizard is always floating 6 inches above the ground. This doesn’t impede their movement or actions, but it might give them advantage on checks to avoid ground-based traps or effects.
3. Short Stature: The wizard is 2 feet shorter than the average height for their race. This affects their reach, making them unable to reach things higher than usual, and may provide bonuses or penalties in situations where their height could be an advantage or disadvantage.
4. Animated Objects: Any object the wizard touches briefly comes to life for 10 seconds. These objects have a mind of their own and might perform simple actions or communicate briefly before returning to their inanimate state.
5. Sphere of Flame: A small sphere of flame hovers near the wizard’s head, occasionally emitting bursts of light or heat. This flame doesn’t harm the wizard or others but may ignite flammable objects.
6. Invisible Skin: Every few minutes, parts of the wizard’s skin turn invisible for a few seconds, revealing their skeleton and organs. This doesn’t affect the wizard’s health but might surprise or unsettle onlookers.
7. Oily Appearance: The wizard looks incredibly oily and greasy. This might make it harder for others to grab or hold onto the wizard, granting advantage on escape or grapple checks.
8. Teleportation: Every 10 minutes, the wizard teleports to a random place within 100 feet. This doesn’t cause damage but might be disorienting for the wizard and their companions.
9. Slow Falling: The wizard falls very slowly. They take no falling damage and can control their descent, potentially using this ability to reach otherwise inaccessible areas or descend safely from great heights.
10. Ice Particles: Particles of ice hover around the wizard’s body. These particles don’t have any mechanical effects but might create thematic moments or interactions with cold-based spells or environments.
11. Multi-Hued Light: A multi-hued sphere of light follows the wizard wherever they go. This doesn’t provide any mechanical advantage but might affect social interactions or exploration in dark places.
12. Blinding Speed: When performing mundane tasks, the wizard moves with blinding speed. This could grant them advantage on checks related to those tasks or allow them to complete them in half the usual time.
13. Random Wounds: Wounds appear and disappear randomly on the wizard’s skin. These are purely visual and have no effect on the wizard’s actual health or abilities.
14. Water Manipulation: Water appears to follow the wizard, rising up and hovering around them when they place their hand near water. This doesn’t have any mechanical effect but might create interesting situations or interactions.
15. Sphere of Acid: Similar to the sphere of flame, a small sphere of acid occasionally hovers near the wizard’s head. This acid doesn’t harm the wizard or others but may dissolve certain materials.
16. Silent Aura: It is very difficult to make any audible noise around the wizard. This doesn’t affect the wizard’s ability to hear or speak but requires others to shout to be heard near them.
17. Misty Cloak: The wizard is cloaked in a heavy mist extending about two feet, making it difficult to see them clearly. This grants them advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide.
18. Strange Advice: The wizard constantly shouts strange advice. This might distract or confuse others but doesn’t have any mechanical effects unless the advice is heeded.
19. Water Creation: Water constantly appears from beneath the wizard’s feet, slightly flooding the room. This doesn’t cause any mechanical hindrance but might affect the environment or create interesting situations.
20. Changing Symbols: Arcane symbols that change appear on the wizard’s face. These symbols don’t have any mechanical effect but might provide hints or clues related to magical knowledge or mysteries.
21. Dimming Presence: As creatures approach the wizard, light around them dims gradually. When within touching distance of the wizard, complete darkness envelops the immediate area, equivalent to the effects of magical darkness. Creatures within 10 feet of the wizard when darkness envelops the area gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks due to the concealment provided by the darkness.
22. Dancing Lights: Strange lights constantly dance behind the wizard, creating an ethereal and mesmerizing display. The mesmerizing lights behind the wizard grant the wizard advantage on Charisma (Performance) checks made to captivate or distract an audience.
23. Shifting Features: The wizard’s body appears to grow and discard strange features, such as feathers or claws, intermittently. The sudden changes in appearance can startle enemies. Once per short rest, the wizard can use their appearance change as a reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack roll made against them.
24. Confusing Aura: When conversing with the wizard, individuals feel a sense of confusion regardless of the simplicity of the conversation. This might impose disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made to understand the wizard’s intentions or motives. The confusing aura occasionally makes the wizard’s intentions unclear. Once per short rest, the wizard can force an opponent within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13). On a failed save, the opponent is confused for 1 round, acting randomly.
25. Stone Skin: The wizard’s skin appears to be made of stone. The appearance of having stone skin occasionally grants advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks made to assert dominance or instill fear in others.
26. Food and Drink Manifestation: Every few minutes, food like a loaf of bread and drink like a glass of wine appear a few feet away from the wizard. These manifestations are mundane and non-magical, but they can provide sustenance or be used as an offering or gift. The manifestations of food and drink can also be used strategically. Once per long rest, the wizard can present one of these manifestations as a peace offering or a bribe, gaining advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks in social situations.
27. Compelling Trust: Regardless of the wizard’s statements, individuals are inclined to believe them. The aura of trust around the wizard grants them advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks when trying to convince others of a false truth.
28. Mundane Mouth Object: The wizard’s actual mouth never opens, but they carry a mundane object with a mouth on it. The wizard’s voice seems to emanate from this object. The presence of the mouth object grants the wizard advantage on Charisma (Performance) checks made for ventriloquism or when trying to create dramatic effects with their voice.
29. Affinity and Assistance: Those near the wizard feel an affinity toward them and are inclined to offer help or assistance. This doesn’t force anyone to act but might affect social interactions and willingness to aid the wizard. Those feeling an affinity toward the wizard are more willing to help. Once per long rest, the wizard can call upon this affinity to gain advantage on a Charisma-based ability check made to request aid or assistance from someone who feels this affinity.
30. Hold Presence: While conversing with the wizard, individuals occasionally feel as if they are being held in place by an unseen force, as if by a strong hand. The wizard doesn’t appear to consciously do anything. The sensation of being held by an unseen force also occasionally deters opponents. Once per short rest, the wizard can use this sensation to impose disadvantage on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check made by an opponent within 30 feet.
31. Hands of Fire: The wizard’s hands are engulfed in flames, causing no physical damage to the wizard or others. The wizard’s hands being engulfed in flames grants them resistance to cold damage. Additionally, they can use their flaming hands to ignite flammable objects or create minor light sources at will.
32. Sentient Plants: A large number of apparently sentient plants follow the wizard. The sentient plants following the wizard provide an ambient effect that grants advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made in natural environments or areas with vegetation.
33. Dark Tentacles: The wizard has grown two dark tentacles out of their back that move aimlessly. The dark tentacles, while purely visual, grant the wizard advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks made against creatures within 30 feet.
34. Trance and Horror: Every few minutes, the wizard goes into a trance for about 30 seconds and wakes up horrified. During this trance, the wizard is incapacitated and unaware of their surroundings. After the wizard wakes up horrified from the trance, for the next hour, they gain advantage on Intelligence-based skill checks as if they were inspired by some terrifying revelation.
35. Invisible Interaction: Periodically, the wizard appears to hand something to an invisible creature, which holds it for them. The invisible entity that seemingly takes objects from the wizard’s hand can occasionally assist the wizard. Once per short rest, the entity can retrieve a small, non-magical object from the wizard’s person (as if the wizard was holding it) and hand it to someone within 10 feet.
36. Glowing Arcane Symbol: A bright, glowing arcane symbol is on the wizard’s forehead. The arcane symbol on the wizard’s forehead grants advantage on Arcana checks when deciphering or identifying magical glyphs, runes, or symbols.
37. Icy Touch: Whatever the wizard touches turns icy, with a small layer of frost covering their body. Anything the wizard touches with their icy hands can briefly freeze, causing disadvantage on the next attack roll made by the creature touched. This can be used once per short rest.
38. Glittery Dust: The wizard appears to have glittery dust on their clothing and skin. The glittery dust on the wizard’s clothing occasionally grants them advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to escape grapples or restrainments.
39. Slow Movement and Speech: The wizard appears to move and speak incredibly slowly, but they can understand speech perfectly fine. This doesn’t affect their actual speed or abilities, only their presentation. The slow movement and speech style allow the wizard to make Wisdom (Perception) checks with advantage to notice minute details or subtle changes in their environment.
40. Energy Hand: A small hand made of energy follows the wizard and can obey simple commands. This hand doesn’t provide any mechanical advantage or disadvantage but might assist in minor tasks. The energy hand can be directed to perform simple tasks, such as retrieving a small, non-magical object from within 10 feet of the wizard. This can be used once per short rest.
41. Shrinking Touch: Any small object the wizard touches appears to shrink to half its original size, but only once. When an object shrinks due to the wizard’s touch, it gains advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks if carried or hidden on the wizard’s person.
42. Deafness but Lip Reading: The wizard is completely deaf but can read lips. This doesn’t hinder their spellcasting or actions but might affect interactions involving sound. Being completely deaf but proficient in lip reading grants the wizard advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks when attempting to discern the true intentions of others through their expressions and body language.
43. Red Glow: The wizard glows with a bright red light. The red glow occasionally grants the wizard advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks when trying to make a dramatic or passionate argument.
44. Wreathed in Flame: The wizard is wreathed in a constant flame that doesn’t cause harm to the wizard or catch anything else on fire. The constant flame around the wizard’s body provides a minor light source and grants advantage on saving throws against being grappled or restrained.
45. Sticky Hands: The wizard’s hands are sticky and difficult to remove from anything they touch. The wizard’s sticky hands grant advantage on checks made to grab or hold onto objects, preventing them from being easily disarmed or losing grip.
46. Flame Tongues: Small tongues of flame hover around the wizard’s body. The small flames hovering around the wizard can be directed to ignite flammable objects or create a brief distraction in a 10-foot radius as an action. This can be used once per short rest.
47. Projections: Projections of strange creatures and objects appear around the wizard. The projections of strange creatures and objects can momentarily startle enemies, imposing disadvantage on the first attack roll made against the wizard after the projections appear.
48. Blinding Glow: The wizard appears to be glowing and is too bright to look at. The blinding glow makes it difficult for enemies to directly attack the wizard. Ranged attacks against the wizard have disadvantage when the attacker is more than 15 feet away.
49. Flame Snapping: The wizard constantly snaps their fingers, producing a flame like a lighter. The ability to produce flame by snapping fingers allows the wizard to create a harmless flame within 5 feet, which can be used as a light source or for simple tasks requiring fire.
50. Iron Skin: The wizard’s skin appears to be made of iron. The appearance of having skin made of iron grants the wizard advantage on Constitution saving throws against being petrified or turned into metal by magical effects.
51. Sleepy Aura: The wizard exudes a calming aura that makes others feel unusually sleepy. Anyone within 10 feet of the wizard gains advantage on saving throws against being frightened and has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice hidden threats or danger.
52. Glowing Outline: The wizard is outlined in a glowing light, granting them disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in dim light or darkness. They also gain advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks when intentionally trying to intimidate others.
53. Blind Navigation: Despite being completely blind, the wizard has honed their other senses. They have blindsight within a 30-foot radius, effectively allowing them to perceive their surroundings without relying on sight.
54. Bark Skin: The wizard’s skin made of bark provides natural armor, increasing their Armor Class by 1 while they are not wearing armor.
55. Terrifying Presence: No matter what the wizard says or does, they exude an aura of fear. As an action, the wizard can force a creature within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 13). On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened for 1 minute. They can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success.
56. Reality Smearing: The blurred image across several feet makes it difficult for enemies to pinpoint the wizard’s exact location. Ranged attacks against the wizard have disadvantage when they are more than 10 feet away.
57. Sphere of Ice: The small sphere of ice that hovers near the wizard occasionally releases a burst of cold energy. Once per short rest, as a reaction when the wizard is hit by an attack, they can activate the sphere to release a cone of cold damage (2d6) against the attacker within 10 feet.
58. Teleporting Speech: Every minute, the wizard’s sudden disappearances and reappearances make them difficult to target. As a reaction when targeted by a spell or attack, the wizard can teleport up to 10 feet away to a space they can see.
59. Phasing through Doors: The ability to pass through doors without opening them allows the wizard to evade physical barriers. Once per long rest, the wizard can cast the spell Dimension Door as a bonus action without expending a spell slot.
60. Changing Facial Appearance: The constantly changing facial appearance grants advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks and disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks made against the wizard when trying to discern their true emotions or intentions.