Silly Character Names

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

Over the years, through two different steady groups and innumerable 'random' groups that held together for 6 months at a time, I've collected an intriguing list of all the odd names that produced laughter all around... from games I've played in and GM'd alike, from a variety of gaming systems... I'll not add the game/class entries, but instead just list the names - they rather speak for themselves. Understand - this list was started when I was like 13 or so, and I'm near enough 30 these days.......

Baksmaka Alotta (renamed Alakka to avoid harrasment)
Thundersky Bluecloud
Twinkletoes
Nerfherder
Gobble Bump
Monty Exhubinous
Burrito-on-a-stick & his brother - Taco-on-a-stick
Carni Vale
Tyrel Sackett (heck, the whole Sackett Clan made an appearance)
Lee 'Bushwhacker' Smith - the Malkavian who married a dommed BSD in VtM
Julianna Moorehead
Anita Moorehead
Wesley McCraven-Moorehead
Shirley Moorehead
Penelope ('Penn') Flora Moorehead
Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent & Lois Lane (VtM - Malkavians ::shudder:
Zimastoraltanyor Temiathan & his twin brother Zeekronodemono Temiathan
Shelly McCracklin (awakened Kraken - don't ask)
Beryllium Isotope
Undies ("Un-diaz") Everlasting (9th character generated after only 6 gaming sessions...)
Pump Flop
Prr Nck
Roger LaThat
Ivanna Thumper
Sir Slayalot
GrassHugger Tree**** (banned out of the game - was a hippie druid)
Morrigan Neemaster, Inquisitor at Large
Wench #13 (Human female, Appearance of 21 in 2E S&P)
Loremaster Dumas (add a b and s)
Master B.S. Flimflam
Flamer
Pyro Forestkiller
Flintknapper Rockheart

And of course - we actually had a bard following a ranger for about 4 gaming sessions one time... The Ranger's name was Robin, and he fought with a spring attack style of fighting... The bard always readied his action and sang "Brave Sir Robin ran away". Then the ranger died, and the bard sang of his most gruesomest death.

The bards name? Stalker.

 

[Driddle]

I like silly character names, as long as they're handled with a straight face and all seriousness. "Tongue in cheek," I believe it's called. Such is my nature; I live for the blandly ridiculous.

My favorite name is still "Lingus the Cunning." Lacking any other naughty-minded references, it should be a perfectly legitimate name for some guy named Lingus who's known for being crafty and sneaky. ... "What?! What you snickering at? It's a family name, OK?"

But I know a lot of folks just don't appreciate that sort of thing.

 

[Larcen]

I think we have all done it from time to time. I once had a wizard named Metamucil with a cat familiar named Ex-Lax. Hey, if you didn't know where I got the names from, you might agree that they sound like good names for a wizard and familiar, right?

 

[Rackhir]

I once ran a halfling thief in a campaign where you were expected to run your character according to how the DM thought your character should be run (irregardless of your views on the topic). Since I had just quit running my previous character because I didn't like how the DM wanted him run, I was in the mood to strike back. When the new character proved to have no stats above 12 (IIRC) and was thus fairly worthless, I decided to just have fun with the character and named him "David Stockman", after Ronald Regan's first? Treasury Secretary, I figured what better name for a thief...

He did eventually die (presumably), but not until after running amok in a Orc Hatchery and mating area (Dm had decided that Orcs laid eggs for some reason), provoking a fight with a giant and then killing him with a critical hit and finally talking our 3-4th level party in to assaulting an adult Black Dragon, where he almost killed the dragon with another critical hit before we were wiped out and captured. But the campaign ended about that time for some reason...

 

[Darth K'Trava]

The funniest name I'd seen so far on this thread was....

Sir Snoop Dogg the paladin

That one had me doubled over the desk, laughing my backside off!!

Yo, bro! I'm gonna smackdown dis evil, 'cuz you know...... black brutha paladins CAN jump!!!

 

[Impeesa]

However if you fail to give your character a name at all, you're just asking for rough treatment. One player in our group has not been able to play for several weeks due to the arrival of his second child. He did submit a PC (a Quickling Faen from AU) but failed to name him. We've been making up a variety of names for him in his absense. The two most popular so far are Pinky Scrotlesac and Juniper Turdburglar.

Sounds familiar. When one player in a recently-started Werewolf game hesitated in naming his character (a Silent Strider Theurge), it was quickly proposed that he be called Ricockulous Dickfor. Not by me though.

--Impeesa--

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I like silly character names, as long as they're handled with a straight face and all seriousness. "Tongue in cheek," I believe it's called. Such is my nature; I live for the blandly ridiculous.

I'm with this. Silly names can be fine for some games - if it doesn't get in the way of the game too much. I think they can even be fun, particularly if the humour is handled in character. Although 'Silly' is a bit subjective. 'Too Silly' would be bad. Definitely a DM call.

IMC, if it gets out of hand, then the name gets changed to 'Ping' - something taken from a campaign Morrus ran. One player had a whole string of short lived unlucky/kamikaze monks that generally died within a session or two of being 'spawned'... after the 3rd of 4th all the new names started getting confusing, so we ignored their name and called them all Ping.

Heh. It wasn't even a beer and pretzel game. Traditional British warm flat ale and crisps.

On the other hand, I'm also not a fan of names of really famous fantasy characters. If someone turned up with a D'r'ow Ra'nge'r called D'r'i'z'z't then I'd throw dice at them. Sharp throwing dice. With poison on.

 

[Li Shenron]

I feel your pain. My husband couldn't understand why I nixed his monk named Thelonius.

Some guidelines from the D&D books suggest to take names from real-world places, obviously something completely unknown and exotic, or otherwise from some language that no one in the group speaks. We have found that India and other southeast asian countries are a good source, without making the character sound like he is necessarily a Monk.

Finding names is one of the most difficult part of character creation! You know that you should come up with something realistic, and yet is must not use real-life names, at least not common or english names (old and uncommon english names are ok).

You can also ask yourself:
1 - if you were going to have a child, and you dreamed about him becoming a valiant Paladin or a schooled Wizard, how would you name him?
2- if you were a would-be Paladin or Wizard, how would you introduce yourself?

Question 1 should at least avoid names which sound too low or too high.
Question 2 raises also the issue that a character's name is going to change through her life. Rogues are very likely to gain nicknames from what "job" the become famous for, valiant warriors gain titles from heritage or deeds, villains often adopts covert evil-sounding names they choose themselves, etc...

 

[Li Shenron]

Like "Buttercup".

Actually, that's the perfect name for a tale's character, and D&D is also a tale after all.
The drawback is that it is such a perfect name that it has been already used in very many tales.

 

[tarchon]

Typical Medieval names in translation: Bear, Wolf, Bearwolf, Eaglewolf, Beewolf, Kingwolf, Thorwolf, Noblewolf, Goat, Lion (several popes), Boar, Boarfriend, Dog, Iron, Twin, Sixth, Citified, Blessed, Rock, Little, Noblestone, Noblewisdom, Elfwisdom, Peoplesking, Godsgift, Godprotected, Wealthfriend, Wealthprotector, Blesser, Goodking, Knight, Warriorking, Warrior, Warhelmet, Godspear, etc.