I'm never sure how anyone else goes about applying names to their magical items. My general practice tends to be either longevity of use or practical application. I'm not huge on the flat +x enhancement bonus so I tend to add attributes to things, special materials, etc. This can make a description a mouthful for weapons with even a +2/+3 overall enhancement bonus. My DM tends towards the 'Rule of +4'. What naming practices do you have? What are the qualifications to give something a name?
As it stands I'm pretty garbage when it comes to names, be it PC, NPC, setting elements, and the like. I'll admit I'm a bit of a lazy hunter but how would you name the following?:
+1 Cold Iron, Impervious, Evil Outsider Bane, Greatsword.
+3 Living Steel, Evil Outsider Defiant, Buckler.
+1 Impact, Vicious, Valiant, Lance
+1 Called, Furyborn, Flail
+3 Living Steel, Rallying, Arrow Deflection, Spined Shield, w/ +1 Spikes
In my campaigns the naming of weapons has always been based much less on what abilities the weapon has, and much more on what gloriously triumphant epic deeds the weapon helped accomplish.
Things like: Fiendslayer, Bonecrusher, Sunderheart, Mages'-end, etc. Barring that, sometimes players will name a weapon in a way that calls to mind its shape, like Fang for a shortsword or dagger, Dragon'stooth for any long pointy weapon, and so on.
With that in mind I would have zero idea how to name any of the weapons you've listed, because I do not know what mythic deeds they've been a part of.
My 2 cp
It doesn't help that I have no idea what half of those enhancements are. Let's try an easy one from one of my own games: +1 Vicious Axe.
These barbarians make weapons from the wyverns' stingers. Known as Wyvernsting Axes these weapons are infused with magic and no small amount of rage and warrior's pride.
While the axe head above is standard metal with a draconic motif, the pommel of the shaft is fitted with the wyvern's stinger. Upon attacking with the weapon the stinger animates and stabs the wielder; the pain of the wound mingles with the innate rage housed in the eldritch weapon to call forth a momentary surge of wicked power in blows landed with the axe
So there you have the Wyvernsting; a simple +1 Vicious axe. The spoiler helps name it and define the weapon among others. My advice, then would be if you want to provide names for your items these names should help define that weapon in your world.
There might be 3 different +2 Frost Longswords of Speed. Each of these might have a different name to define the weapon in a different way:
- Frostwind: a blade infused with the speed and cold of a winter's tempest. The monks who harness this elemental fury live on mountain peaks and seek to trap these forces so as to better understand the baffling chaos of nature that confounds their ordered minds.
- Flashfreeze Blade: a sword that momentarily stops time so that the wielder can make an extra attack; the sword's time stop has the added effect of "freezing" the wound slowing the molecules enough to ice over
- Dancing in Winter: a heretical dervish would endure hours in the coldest nights of winter to harness her skill. A small portion of her soul passes that torment on to the wielder of the blade and helps to channel her defiance of Saranrae with profane black ice left behind from the blade's caress.
In my campaigns the naming of weapons has always been based much less on what abilities the weapon has, and much more on what gloriously triumphant epic deeds the weapon helped accomplish.
Things like: Fiendslayer, Bonecrusher, Sunderheart, Mages'-end, etc. Barring that, sometimes players will name a weapon in a way that calls to mind its shape, like Fang for a shortsword or dagger, Dragon'stooth for any long pointy weapon, and so on.
With that in mind I would have zero idea how to name any of the weapons you've listed, because I do not know what mythic deeds they've been a part of.
My 2 cp
I agree 100%, that said...
+1 Cold Iron, Impervious, Evil Outsider Bane, Greatsword.
Correction
+3 Living Steel, Evil Outsider Defiant, Buckler.
Constant
+1 Impact, Vicious, Valiant, Lance
Father's Placation
+1 Called, Furyborn, Flail
Outburst
+3 Living Steel, Rallying, Arrow Deflection, Spined Shield, w/ +1 Spikes
Arrow Breaker
Bobstabber.
Billgutter.
Marthaspitter.
Etc.
+1 Cold Iron, Impervious, Evil Outsider Bane, Greatsword.
Although not the same kind of weapon, Hellslayer is a great name, and comes from the great game that is Diablo II. Some more accurate ones could be Purity's Edge, The Sanctifier, and Exorcist.
+3 Living Steel, Evil Outsider Defiant, Buckler.
Consecrated Scutum, Defender of the Innocent, and Herald of Divinity are the best I can come up with. Not too many interesting shield names IMO...
+1 Impact, Vicious, Valiant, Lance
This is a toughie, since it's hard to pick out a Lance...Time to dip into the specifics...
The Red Rose Thorn, the Knight Piercer, and Arioc's Needle, from the top of my head.
+1 Called, Furyborn, Flail
inb4 "Wrecking Ball" recitals. (Ironically enough, it can fit as a name.)
Knell Striker, Bloodrise, and Baranar's Star are great examples.
+3 Living Steel, Rallying, Arrow Deflection, Spined Shield
As for this one, I got nothin'. A shame. =(
+3 Living Steel, Rallying, Arrow Deflection, Spined ShieldAs for this one, I got nothin'. A shame. =(
Sap's Quills the Shine Bouncer
Personally when i name weapons i generally like to think of what the weapons purpose would be were it an intelligent weapon (the same goes for shields and armor, but those i don't name as often) or otherwise base it off some great deed that it has helped its hero do.
i think my favorite example is the Scythe that my GM made from my Scythe Fighter that i was allowed to name:
at any rate, naming items shouldnt happen at creation, but instead when something is done with them to make them worthy, unless of course the item is capable of telling you its own name.