Dedicated Voter Season 7
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Okay. I've got the concept, the cinematics (of a sort), the mechanics, formatting, etc.
The only issue left is the name. I've been agonizing for about two days now, and I'm no closer to having an appropriate title than I was when I first started.
The biggest name challenge is that the physical item is incredibly specific. There aren't any appropriate synonyms, and every attempt to fudge it yields unfortunate results.
The one name I was able to create ended up sounding a little too familiar. I googled it and realized that my subconscious had at least partially appropriated the name from a copyrighted source. How embarrassing!
I'm desperate! What sort of exercises do you guys use to help with finding a serviceable name?
If you know what it does, what is the possible shortest concept that covers most of it in 2-4 words?
I always look at synonyms for naming ideas but that doesn't help here it seems.
So get a short description in your head, those words will have synonyms and you could riff of those?
you can pm me and show me the item, I could then perhaps help you on naming.
Repeat PM - don't DQ yourself
Yeah, happens every year, this year is no exception.
Yeah, someone sent in their item and entered it in the blazing 9 thread
I'm also happy to try to help via PM if you'd like.
I tend to save names for last, since I think they're so important and need to be perfect. Obviously you've already looked through the thesaurus, which is my first step, just getting as many options as possible. I'll also stick words in from my results to see if that extra step gets me anything (i.e. if my item were a cup, using the thesaurus might give me chalice, which when entered leads me to grail, and I decide that's perfect).
After that, I like to try to think of the powers in different ways (though you say the object is the bigger problem in your case). My item last year played with initiative, with the idea that it could speed or slow time in brief spurts. I had a long list of possible synonyms and different words and none of them were fitting right. Eventually, I settled on time tide pendant, which fit perfectly what I wanted the power to do.
Sometimes you can't avoid a clunky word, so maybe work more with the other names to try to complement it was best you can. For example, I was making an Egyptian-themed set of magic items recently. One of the items was a nemes crown, which is that blue-striped head cloth often seen on pharoahs. It was easy enough to make it regalia as a generic term and then describe it as a headcloth/headcover. A second item, though, was a uraeus, which is the headband with the stylized golden cobra/asp. I went back and forth a lot, but really wanted to make sure it was clear what I was talking about and ended up using the precise term, even though I know people aren't going to be familiar with that word as they are with a headband.
Reply sent.
Must say that I am amazed by the quality of items I've seen this year, Anthony's example was pretty good in its own right and Pamela's item was pretty well done as well.
Hard to name though......
Now I have to wonder if my entry was good enough this year.
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Checks profile,
You're from NC? It is TRUE then, the water must be spiked with talent over there.
I could be wrong, but I think naming is strength of mine. It is the part that enters my head while walking one of my dogs and I quite often think of the name first. It sets the ability or item in my head as 'wondrous' (as opposed to useable). It is not always the final title. Google has seen to that. Copyright has forced a change or two too (schnikt gloves? that give you what kind of claws?).
Also I have a bookstore and have 1000's of titles that catch my eye. I write them down for inspiration.
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Advice directly quoted from Neil Spicer:
It's far more important to simply assure that your item name doesn't sound hokey and that it reasonably reflects what the item is with hints toward what it can do.
Consider the role-play history of the item. Who makes it and why? I'm not suggesting a backstory like, "the great wizard Marmak made this item of great magic so it is called the Marmak Item". Instead consider what reason some one in a game world needs the item and then figure out who might have crafted it. Perhaps the people of the south lands are plagued with some enemy so the wizards there developed the item to protect against the threat. Don't get campaign specific, or violate copyrights but this might lead you to a good name. It might lead you to say this is a "swamp wizards item" which now gives you a new springboard for naming conventions.
The best names fill two purposes, they evoke an image in your minds eye and at the same time clue you to the items central theme.
This is my seventh attempt, so take heart, you aren't the worst at names, that's my crown ;)
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
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Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8
aka Jrcmarine
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Don't be afraid to change the "noun" portion of your item either. I am assuming the noun is the actual item. When designing my item for this year's contest and looking for appropriate names for the noun, I actually changed the noun because I couldn't find a name I liked for the noun. More importantly it lead me in another direction and helped me to create a superior design over my original concept. The most important aspect of a wondrous item is the design, not necessarily the vessel that holds the magic. Don't be afraid to change the vessel.
RPG Superstar 2015
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Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka mamaursula
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Checks profile,
You're from NC? It is TRUE then, the water must be spiked with talent over there.
NC would be much closer than Seattle, maybe we can convince Paizo to put in an East Coast Office, Neil's already out there.