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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dvvega" data-source="post: 2079707" data-attributes="member: 524">I've had this situation occur many times, however it has had many reasons ...1. the name I gave the BBEG was a pain to remember/pronounce for some players ... I used to have a particular player who was there "to win" the pen and paper version of diablo essentially. He thought that all NPCs were there to be ridiculed and abused. Even after I enacted DM intervention and had the barkeep of a place owned by the Merchant Lords actually be a Merchant Lord "slumming it" he kept up with the nicknames because he couldn't be bothered remembering details (or even writing them down).2. It also makes the PCs feel familiar with their adversary and not given the BBEG any foothold on them. Take Harry Potter for example ... no one speaks the name of Voldemort, he is referred to in general terms of "the evil that must not be name". Why? Because speaking his name acts upon fears of his power.3. The only name anyone ever respected was in my long term Greyhawk campaign where Iuz made a very early appearance (when they were around 4th level) to spit on one of them. Essentially I made them fear for their lives and they respected a dem-god who lived a couple of countries away.However with my new group, the nickname thing hasn't come up. The game is full of intrigue, people have easier to pronounce names, the group wants to get involved in the story as opposed to being the winners of a computer game.The suggestion of countering a nickname with a nickname for the PCs can be taken even further than just saying "is hit by Mr Happy". Have the BBEG refer to them in some missives or if they eavesdrop by nickname. Make it clear that he hasn't bothered to learn their names, just that they are: Whacky, Sneaky, Zappy, and Prayer Monkey. I've done this before and the PCs were actually outraged. But it was hillarious when one of them died and the BBEG Animated Dead and he was then referred to by his name with Zombie in front of it. "Zombie Crevak, fetch my robe".D</blockquote>

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