Dear 4e, Please Stop with the Horrible Portmanteaus!

[Desdichado]

Yeah, I know, I was just adding to the name-hate while I was at it. It seemed a convenient juncture for it.

 

[Ourph]

Why does the shadowfell need an underdark?

Wasn't 4e trying to do away with pointless symmetry in the planes?

Well, yes, to some extent. However, as the Shadowfell is supposed to be a sort of mirror-realm of the real world, symmetry is a necessary feature for this particular plane.

That said, there's nothing wrong with simply calling the Shadowfell's version of the Underdark.... the Underdark. It's still dark. It's still under something.

 

[Allister]

*Shrug*

Some People hate compound names but I personally DESPISE names I need a pronouniciation guide for.

For example, how do you pronounce Geoff and Furyondy?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

*Shrug*

Some People hate compound names but I personally DESPISE names I need a pronouniciation guide for.

For example, how do you pronounce Geoff and Furyondy?

Geoff I would presume is Jeff. At least, that's how one of my HS buddies pronounced his first name that was spelled that way.

Furyondy? Fury On Dee?

 

[I'm A Banana]

That said, there's nothing wrong with simply calling the Shadowfell's version of the Underdark.... the Underdark. It's still dark. It's still under something.

I'd be happier with it.

"Underdark" itself, like "Shadowfell," is another example of how not every word-word combo is total bunk. But I do imagine there is a broad consensus that 4e has plenty goofy names (even if not everyone is equally as sensitive to them).

I mean, a quick google search for "D&D shardmind" turns up the following quotes, without even clicking on any links:

What will you call the Shardmind?
...
Wish they would have named it something different.
...
Shardmind is fine enough for me. It doesn't sound like a native name...
...
Who the (ahem) is in charge of names for D&D? I might like shardminds if not for the name. Why not take related words and jumble them up?
...
Shardmind? I'll wait to see more on the race, but the name seems rather lacking.

And there's this wonderful little bit:

We could name one Kill(oops) Soul(naughty)ter, the Shardmind Battlemind from the Grimdark Darkbad.
...

As Usual, TVTropes is WAY AHEAD of this ENTIRE FREAKING CONVERSATION.

 

[Oni]

If the plane is called the Shadowfell, and it has an Underdark, what do you call it to differentiate it from the NORMAL Underdark? So when you say it, you know you're talking about the Shadowfell's Underdark?

The Underdarker?

 

[Rechan]

Honestly, if all people have to complain about is the names, I think we're doing good.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You know as well as anyone that there are more complaints about 4Ed than just the names...

Its just one of the more trivial complaints, given the game's overall history.

Of course, its also one of the more amusing complaints as well.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Its just one of the more trivial complaints, given the game's overall history.

Of course, its also one of the more amusing complaints as well.

I agree with both of those.

That RPGnet thread has me rolling over here.

"Cerebral Wartex."

 

[tuxgeo]

My hardcopy of KotS includes the following acknowledgement on page 2: "Special Thanks to Brandon Daggerhart, keeper of Shadowfell." To me, this means that WotC took inspiration for the "Shadowfell" name from this B.D. guy, and therefore did not have a great deal of latitude for changing its name.

However, we might enjoy fanciful speculation about what might have been a better name for that feature of 4E. Here's my suggestion:
Perhaps the Shadowfell could have been named "the Ghastreach" instead. (Not to be confused with "the Ostrich.") That way, the PCs could more readily suspect ongoing Ghastreachery.
That immediately suggests a new name for the Shadowdark, also: the Lower Ghastreach. (Sort of like the Lower Intestine.)