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Hi,
I've seen lately some character names that well... need some work.
It's often one of the things that as players we do think of last in the creation process but I believe that the name you give the character matters.
I know PFS is never going to go the way of the names we see in mmo's. Im a Neverwinter player who is astounded at the lack of imagination people put into naming their characters (if any at all).
If you dont know what to name your character , use a name generator. I used the Baldur's Gate generator for years. Do a search in google, you will find a Plethora of generators not only tailored for race but also class.
Contributor
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behindthename.com is my go-to site - you can plug in a "meaning" you want there to be in the name, and it'll search for you, or you can search by language, by mythology, etc.
I agree that there are many names out there that are just...eh...let's say, painful to the ear for a fantasy setting...
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It's often one of the things that as players we do think of last in the creation process but I believe that the name you give the character matters.
Well, it matters to you. Heck, it matters to me, at least most of the time. But, some players enjoy joke/pun names, and others don't see their characters as much more than a set of statistics; different RPG players roll differently.
Yes, Bob the Ranger or Elvish Presley the Bard break the verisimilitude, but not everyone feels the same (or cares)...and, in a OP environment, you can't always pick who you play with. Unfortunately, I think this is an area where you're just going to have to grit your teeth and bear it.
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I have definitely seen some names lately that have been less than inspiring. Some of my character names just come to me. A few I get from behind-the-name. My favorites I've mostly mashed together from taking syllables from the names of whoever/whatever inspired the character, mashing them together, and then changing letters until something works. The ones I've liked best from that method have been Raylos Chattra, Durnolf Banderswel, and Anrissana.
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Sometimes "clever" names are entirely reasonable. A nickname that the character has picked up. I have an Alchemist named Dorian Warden, but he goes by Pyro most of the time.... There's a player I know who has a character Ehryk Efehrc, but he has the nickname "Door's Bane" (a nickname I've seen in action).
By and large, the names I've seen in PFS have mostly been decent, including FtF games, what I saw at PaizoCon, and PbP games. (There is one actor name I've seen, although it was an unusual enough name that it actually sorta worked. I didn't realize until I saw the last name that it was an actor's name.)
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I like to figure out at least a semi-clever name if I can. Based on a comic book character, a word that is somehow central to the character concept, or maybe an obscure reference that fits their theme. eg. My Shoanti barbarian, Thaghoum Izar, fights with an earthbreaker-a weapon that reminds me a lot of a stegosaur's tail spikes.
Half-orcs, however, always have "grim" a part of there name in honor of Gazgrim, my first 3.0 half-orc barbarian. If it doesn't have "grim" in it, it's just not an orcish name.
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I apologize for this thread. I think it was just me typing what I was thinking for a few split seconds. Its not different than hiding Dennel Hamshanks in a scenario and watching 3-4 peoples heads jerk upright as they ask you to repeat that last part of the guys name just to make sure you arnt making things up.
I do however dislike the pun name, the no place in a fantasy game name.
However I will contain my rage...
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I like to figure out at least a semi-clever name if I can. Based on a comic book character, a word that is somehow central to the character concept, or maybe an obscure reference that fits their theme. eg. My Shoanti barbarian, Thaghoum Izar, fights with an earthbreaker-a weapon that reminds me a lot of a stegosaur's tail spikes.
Half-orcs, however, always have "grim" a part of there name in honor of Gazgrim, my first 3.0 half-orc barbarian. If it doesn't have "grim" in it, it's just not an orcish name.
Thagamzier started as a farside joke, but its now the official name for the stegasaurus's tail...
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I do the whole "check which Earth-expy Golarion culture the character is based on and conjure a name based on that" thing with most of the my stooges, e.g. Vasco Cantige the taldan sailor(yes, he sings sometimes), Ekewadu Oditobe a-Namtambu the Zenji magister, etc.
Sometimes though, verisimillitude has to end and references take the stage. For instance, I have a dwarf oracle named Freki "Captain" Ironblood who may or may not be based on a Dwarf Fortress AAR. It's a Finnish thing I guess, since there's like five of those around these parts.
Then there's a smattering of acrobats, scoundrels and ninjas here. all of them referencing Assassin's Creed either with their names(Azio Fiatore, Deska Pasmond, etc) or their reminiscent abilities. Finns are weird.
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Thagamzier started as a farside joke, but its now the official name for the stegasaurus's tail...
Yep, I know. :) The character is Thaggum for short.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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I try to keep things fantasy-sounding, but I also keep to a chemistry theme in naming my characters:
-Butyl Ithyomsson, cleric of Torag
-Friedel Crafts, and her mighty steed Aryl
-Aziridine, the archer
-San Xiao Ji Jia Ben (which theoretically translates to "trinitrotoluene"), my bombing alchemist
and so on.
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My wife's Heaven Oracle is named Merga Troid.
Any old timers get it?
There are a few of us that remain.
..Exit stage left!!!
:-D
yeah... it would be like nameing a Heavens Oracle Betsy....
'heavens to Betsy' Snagglepuss
Heavens to Mergatroid
The pink cat from the Laugholympics. He was a commentator where all the competing cartoon company's teams of cartoon characters went on a cross country road rally against one another. Mainly Hanna Barbara and Warner Brothers.
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It's often one of the things that as players we do think of last in the creation process but I believe that the name you give the character matters.
Well, it matters to you. Heck, it matters to me, at least most of the time. But, some players enjoy joke/pun names, and others don't see their characters as much more than a set of statistics; different RPG players roll differently.
Yes, Bob the Ranger or Elvish Presley the Bard break the verisimilitude, but not everyone feels the same (or cares)...and, in a OP environment, you can't always pick who you play with. Unfortunately, I think this is an area where you're just going to have to grit your teeth and bear it.
Didn't one of the main books (or perhaps it was a 3.5 book) specifically say not to use these type names?
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My wife's Heaven Oracle is named Merga Troid.
Any old timers get it?
There are a few of us that remain.
..Exit stage left!!!
:-D
yeah... it would be like nameing a Heavens Oracle Betsy....
'heavens to Betsy' Snagglepuss
Heavens to Mergatroid
The pink cat from the Laugholympics. He was a commentator where all the competing cartoon company's teams of cartoon characters went on a cross country road rally against one another. Mainly Hanna Barbara and Warner Brothers.
Definitely Hanna Barbara, but I think older than that. I think the Laugholympics used cut pieces from older, longer cartoons. (at least I think so).
I've only played two paladins, but they were definitely the most fun to name. 'Kezemiah Burnham Graveglory' and 'Sir Enoch Branwyn Taargus'. All bombast, all the time!
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Definitely Hanna Barbara, but I think older than that. I think the Laugholympics used cut pieces from older, longer cartoons. (at least I think so).My wife's Heaven Oracle is named Merga Troid.
Any old timers get it?
There are a few of us that remain.
..Exit stage left!!!
:-D
yeah... it would be like nameing a Heavens Oracle Betsy....
'heavens to Betsy' Snagglepuss
Heavens to Mergatroid
The pink cat from the Laugholympics. He was a commentator where all the competing cartoon company's teams of cartoon characters went on a cross country road rally against one another. Mainly Hanna Barbara and Warner Brothers.
Apparently it was called Laff-A-Lympics and it was all Hanna Barbara. Divided into the Scooby Doobies, Yogi Yahooeys, and the Really Rottens.
I just remember when Captain Caveman was one of the contestants.
Grape Ape, a shark, and the dune buggy were all characters.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I'm thinking about a rakasha tiefling named kooshka. Has to be female though.
"So you made El Kabong."
"Who?"
"Quickdraw McGraw's alter-ego?"
"Who?"