Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dragonhelm" data-source="post: 4985205" data-attributes="member: 3867">We had a character named Brother Mannheim years ago.  The player had a hard time figuring out a name since he was new, loved Mannheim Steamroller, so we stole it.Personally, I think there's a disconnect if you use real-world names in fantasy.  We are trained to think in terms of escaping the real world, heading into a world of fantasy where even the names are fantastical.  For example, I knew a guy once who used his own name in every one of his character's names.  So you had Brother Jim, Jim the Flim-Flam Man, etc.  Those types of names take you out of the moment.When you hear a name like Paladian Dragonhelm, you get into the groove of the story.  That has the feel of a fantasy name.  Now, you can combine real-world and fantasy to some degree.  Paladian's older brother was John Dragonhelm.  That still worked out.  Another thing you can do is to take a real world name, and change the spelling.  For example, there's a Dragonlance character named Aran Tallbow.  Familiar first name, but spelled differently.  I think it all boils down to mood and tone.  Go with a name that suits your character in your world, whether it's fantasy, sci-fi, or what have you.</blockquote>