Humor Penny Arcade on 4e Naming Conventions

[Hexmage-EN]

Yeah, Shadowdark and Feydark are terrible names. I mean, really, why? I like the names Shadowfell and Feywild, but the names of their Underdark equivalents are just lazy.

Personally I like to think of the Underdark as being this huge, convoluted, multiplanar spaghetti that connects the Feywild, Shadowfell, and the mortal world.

[Hexmage-EN]

Originally Posted by Hairfoot

So true. But that's what happens when a company decides its target market is emo teenagers rather than the people who supported its product for four decades.

Yeah, because teenagers shouldn't be allowed to play Dungeons and Dragons anymore. The game already has its fanbase, and there's not enough room on the boat for new players.

[Shemeska]

Originally Posted by Lonely Tylenol

I also appreciated some of the fluff they stuck in various places in the splatbooks. Complete Arcane, for example, had stuff like Black Lore of Moil, which was not the greatest feat ever, but did provide an interesting hook. Who or was was Moil? Why would a character unearth this kind of knowledge? However, they ruined it later on by explaining the name--although I can't remember where.

It's a great name, but WotC doesn't get any credit for coming up with it. Moil and the Funeral World of Renais were both developed by TSR during 2e.

[Wormwood]

Originally Posted by Umbran

I think you might mean Sturgeon's Law.

Whoops!

Thanks

[Alzrius]

Originally Posted by Shemeska

It's a great name, but WotC doesn't get any credit for coming up with it. Moil and the Funeral World of Renais were both developed by TSR during 2e.

It's Ranais you philistine! You keep your whole change-one-letter paradigm under control!

[Shemeska]

Originally Posted by Alzrius

It's Ranais you philistine! You keep your whole change-one-letter paradigm under control!

*snicker*

[Mouseferatu]

Originally Posted by Shemeska

It's a great name, but WotC doesn't get any credit for coming up with it. Moil and the Funeral World of Renais were both developed by TSR during 2e.

Yes, they both appeared first in Return to the Tomb of Horrors.

But, uh, take a look at the author on the project. Go ahead, I'll wait.

[Hammerhead]

Shadowdark is lame. Me, I would have gone with Undershadow.

[Mouseferatu]

Originally Posted by Lonely Tylenol

Walking into the obvious trap, how about:
Anything by Ari Marmell, most of Planescape, a decent amount of the Storyteller games, a lot of the stuff from the early D&D modules and supplements--particularly the stuff that has remained in the general consciousness over the years.

Wow. That's some heady company.

Thanks.

[Alzrius]

Originally Posted by Mouseferatu

Yes, they both appeared first in Return to the Tomb of Horrors.

But, uh, take a look at the author on the project. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Actually, Ranais first appeared in Dead Gods, by Monte Cook, in 1997.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Originally Posted by Mouseferatu

Wow. That's some heady company.

Thanks.

Well, I was going to mention the shadowcaster class specifically (and did later) but it occurred to me that I don't think you've ever written anything I didn't enjoy.

And while I'm at it, I'll agree that Monte Cook and Bruce Cordell should be on my list of "good fluff" authors. Cordell can get a little purple at times (see Mindscapes) but he's usually pretty solid.

[Stormtower]

Originally Posted by rounser

Sounds like Strongbad's plane. You go there if you want him to draw a dragon.

Some other suggestions:
Nastybleak
Reallyawfulland
Naughtywrong
Yuckyfar
Omgwtfbbq

Ok, waitaminnit. I know for certain that Naughtywrong is a red-light district in Malcanthet's abyssal layer of Shendilavri. But you have to travel through Nastybleak and Reallyawfull to reach the morally questionable paradise of Naughtywrong's flesh dens.

Did you know that Yuckyfar is actually divided into two distinct subsections: Upper Yuck and Lower Yuck? Of these, only Upper Yuck is regularly visited by adventurers. The Yucky, Lower parts of Yuckyfar are too low and yucky for even 30th level PCs to explore. I think that's where Juiblex hangs out these days.

[FloatingDisc]

Originally Posted by Tigerbunny

Generic names in the published rules are generic ON PURPOSE.

Like Bael Turath and Arkhosia?

[Lonely Tylenol]

Originally Posted by FloatingDisc

Like Bael Turath and Arkhosia?

Now, those aren't bad. Bael Turath sounds like it was derived from another language, but to an English speaker, the phonemes suggest something sinister. Accordingly, it's the place where people made a big crazy deal with devils and turned into monster-people. Arkhosia, meanwhile, sounds like the sort of place where people wear armour and fly banners.

If the same effort and attention had gone into more of the names in 4e, I doubt we'd have very much to complain about.

[Drkfathr1]

Can't wait to send my players to the Hellbad.

Honestly, Plane of Shadow and Faerie Realm work just fine for me, but I can understand why they wanted "new" names for places like that...so they can control the IP. More business decision than design decision.

'tis a shame!

[Lord Tirian]

Originally Posted by Lonely Tylenol

Well, I was going to mention the shadowcaster class specifically (and did later) but it occurred to me that I don't think you've ever written anything I didn't enjoy.

And while I'm at it, I'll agree that Monte Cook and Bruce Cordell should be on my list of "good fluff" authors. Cordell can get a little purple at times (see Mindscapes) but he's usually pretty solid.

Oh, so yes. I want all the 4E fluff rewritten by a flavour team made up of Monte, Cordell and Ari.

Cheers, LT.

[vagabundo]

Originally Posted by Lord Tirian

Oh, so yes. I want all the 4E fluff rewritten by a flavour team made up of Monte, Cordell and Ari.

Cheers, LT.

That's your Fantasy DND Team, huh?

[Badwe]

It’s strange, I see the humor tag but all I see is maudlin. Do you know what the real joke is here? The people who made the joke that spawned this thread are PLAYING fourth. What’s more, most of their jokes originating with things re: their fake fantasy setting are a product of publications predating 4th, so relax guys.

I have an idea: why don’t you go and publish YOUR ingenious home campaign setting and then WE can tell you how much it sucks and is uninspired. On the bright side, if you made a product so awful that no one buys it, you can avoid the tirade of people accusing you of caring more about the business than the game.

Furthermore, as someone who takes the English language and its ability to convey ideas (rather than to prove how awesome you are via the number of words you can use), let me take a stand. Making a decoupage out of your thesaurus does not make a good story or even description! Context context context. If you are trying to impress upon your PCs or potential readers the significance of your setting, they had better either know the word or be able to deduce it’s meaning. Language is a means of conveying ideas, and when your audience goes “huh?” you have failed. I know that the underdark is a) under something and b) dark in there. I know the feywild is a)full of fey and b) has untamed sprawls of nature.

It’s freakin D&D guys. I’m glad you take your setting so seriously and can’t handle that *gasp* people might laugh at things in D&D (never mind all the people on the OUTSIDE laughing), but most of us are ok with these being flights of fancy that don’t always carry a serious tone. But honestly, I would go read pitchfork if I wanted to see so many people take themselves seriously and talk about how cool their passion was before it got all sold out and mainstream.

[Piratecat]

Yeah, we're done.