BBEGs with really bad sounding nicknames from the PCs...

[diaglo]

the story hour in my sig is written from a player's perspective. here is the DM's reply to what i wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by diaglo
"I am Indigo Montoya, You killed my mother," it roared. "Prepare to die." It spit an acidic stream out of its mouth and leapt backwards into the air.

The horror. Sometimes the artistic license taken with table talk is a bit much. Only one of those three sentences was spoken at the table.

 

[Hammerhead]

In our group, we mock just about all the baddies' names. Of course, PCs with bad names are subject to the same treatment.

Boy, you can say that again. I've long since given up on any of my bad guys inspiring fear or respect. My hobgoblin warlord becomes Car Bash, quickly shortened to E.L.F. to further taunt him.

Now I just resign myself to the inevitable mockery and make bad guys that are easy to make fun of. Or just have them go by "Black Company" style nicknames already and avoiding obscure names or laughable titles altogether.

 

[JimAde]

It's fine when it's the character making fun of the npc, but when it's the players just giving me grief it gets on my nerves:

NPC ally Avardis = Aardvarkus
High Priestess Engelyn = Angle Iron

I admit this bugs me. I shouldn't let it, but it does.

 

[Davelozzi]

Or just have them go by "Black Company" style nicknames already and avoiding obscure names or laughable titles altogether.

I'm not familiar with Black Company, what kind of nicknames do they use?

 

[Bryan898]

My group fits right in with mocking everything. City names, villian names, good guy names, it doesn't matter. It also doesn't bother me at all because when I play I do the same thing. Sometimes it's to help remember the names, Carauptus quickly becomes KrapAss, Ringland is ringworm, much easier for us (and more fun)! As for killing the mood to your villians with a funny name, have the villian strut his stuff, maybe bash around the PCs for a little bit. After all, the PCs aren't going to be scared of the villains name to begin with.

 

[diaglo]

I'm not familiar with Black Company, what kind of nicknames do they use?

Cooked up ones.


Glenn Cook is the author...

 

[Breakdaddy]

Cooked up ones.


Glenn Cook is the author...

Got any examples, by chance? I have never read Glenn Cook.

 

[diaglo]

Got any examples, by chance? I have never read Glenn Cook.

The Lady
Croaker
Raven ...

simple nicknames. glen cook doesn't give them a name or background until the reader needs to know more.

 

[Breakdaddy]

The Lady
Croaker
Raven ...

simple nicknames. glen cook doesn't give them a name or background until the reader needs to know more.

Thanks! One of my old NPCs was known as "The Owl" but other than that, I have always given them more "believable" names (for my campaign style, anyway). This really could be a good way to use simple nicknames if properly established in the context of your overall story.

 

[KidCthulhu]

What Rel said. The new god of undeath in my game is calling himself "The Dark Hunger" (I wanted something that sounded pretentious.) It's no surprise that my players have started referring to him as "The Dork Hunger.

Darn it! I was going to post this story. Don't forget the fact that we referred to Tovag Baragu (not a BBEG, but a site for a planned EEEEEvil ritual) as Toebag Barstool.

Generally, if you don't want your players to do this, try to keep bad guy names simple, and enact terrible vengence on "in-game" name calling.

My players refer to one of my recurring BBEGs as "Arachnor". They didn't know his name for a long time, and he did have a rather distinctive spider tatoo on his face...