D&D 5E D&D Beyond - Xanathar's is Up!

[Bigsta]

So... you're saying it needs to be dark to ever fall in a pit trap?
.

Of course not! It could also be very foggy.

 

[Parmandur]

Agreed.

Still, it is probably gonna be my resource of choice for picking character names from now on. I'd already taken to naming them just from the short lists in the PH race entries, so of course more is better.

Nice and accessible, for sure. I think "Human" names must have been somewhat problematic to put together: go with fantasy human cultures, like the PHB, which risks favoring a particular setting, or use real world names that have very particular contexts? That might be why no surnames: the historical contexts there might be a bit much for the tables.

What kind of Arabic names are there? Overly Islamic names would seem odd, but a complete avoidance would also seem odd.

 

[Satyrn]

That might be why no surnames: the historical contexts there might be a bit much for the tables.

What kind of Arabic names are there? Overly Islamic names would seem odd, but a complete avoidance would also seem odd.

Hmmm. That's a reasonable explanation for the lack of surnames.

There's a list labelled Arabic. I can't really tell how Islamic the names are, but they look to me to be not so. I recognize several of them as being from antiquity, and thus being older than the religion. But again, I don't know enough to answer well.

 

[Satyrn]

Is Rihanna Islamic?

 

[Parmandur]

Is Rihanna Islamic?

Nope, that refers to the flower of sweet basil.

I was honestly surprised to see the real world language names in the previews, given the otherworldly nature of D&D generally.

 

[Satyrn]

Nope, that refers to the flower of sweet basil.

I was honestly surprised to see the real world language names in the previews, given the otherworldly nature of D&D generally.

They might have gone with real world names to ground the fantasy in something relatable.

I know I'd rather have real names for the humans. Partly so pronunciation isn't such a hassle, but I also find fantasy human names in literature can be offputting for me. Scifi can be so much worse for that.

 

[Parmandur]

They might have gone with real world names to ground the fantasy in something relatable.

I know I'd rather have real names for the humans. Partly so pronunciation isn't such a hassle, but I also find fantasy human names in literature can be offputting for me. Scifi can be so much worse for that.

It's a prickly problem, for sure; different D&D books over the years have dealt with it in multiple ways.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Surnames in many places tended to be very descriptive and were often patronyms or occupational or titles. And even then, this was usually the result of a large population as surnames aren't really needed in low density areas. There are cultures even today where surnames/family names just aren't a thing.

So if you're character's father was a smith, call him Smithson, or if he's a local leader, Burger, or if he's an orphan, don't even give him a surname because he probably wouldn't have one.

 

[Parmandur]

Surnames in many places tended to be very descriptive and were often patronyms or occupational or titles. And even then, this was usually the result of a large population as surnames aren't really needed in low density areas. There are cultures even today where surnames/family names just aren't a thing.

So if you're character's father was a smith, call him Smithson, or if he's a local leader, Burger, or if he's an orphan, don't even give him a surname because he probably wouldn't have one.

While true, the Non-Human get surnames.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

The Skulker feat is like a match made in heaven for a ranged gloom stalker ranger.