GRAAAHH!!! [semi-rant/brief]

[Shade]

I'd avoid any of the following:

Master of... (I count 12 from WOTC products alone)
Knight of...
Shadow...
Divine...
Arcane...
...Dancer
...Singer
...Scion
...Slayer
...Agent

 

[PatrickLawinger]

The Immortals - A special fighter/bodyguard organisation using magic/drugs to become fearless and competent defenders. (OK, that' nothing truly new but I haven't seen it as a PrC yet.)

But ... but... but, there can be only one!

Ahem, sorry, back to the normally scheduled thread.

Patrick

 

[Cheiromancer]

How about prefixing a name you like (but which has already been taken) with a Place Name?

E.g. Bleak Mountain Necromancer. Morganville Paladin. Whisperwood Sorcerer. Etc.

Alternatively you could put a "of Name" at the end. The Name could be a place name, or a person's name. Paladin of Titania. Sorcerer of Tiamat. Reaver of the Black Mountain. Etc.

Probably shouldn't combine these ideas, though. "Bleak Mountain Necromancer of Orcus" is getting a little wordy. And only the former really works with the Verber of Nouns base. The "Reaver of Elves of Llolth"- does it kill drow or does it work with them?

Presumably you are writing prestige classes that are somehow anchored to a campaign setting somehow; showing this by including a bit of geography or personality in the name is a good thing. If you are writing generic classes (like Eldritch Knight or Mystic Theurge) then I can't offer much more than the Verber of Nouns suggestion already raised.

 

[eris404]

You know what this means, don't you? Yes, we have to make random prestige class names charts.

 

[humble minion]

If you think that's bad, just try coming up with a name for a new arcane caster core class! Wizard? Enchanter? Adept? Sorceror? Thaumaturgist? Nope, all taken. I'll NEVER forgive WotC for using 'Warlock' in Complete Arcane just as I was putting the finishing touches on my (completely different) version.

Pretty much everything that's left has unwelcome associations that come with the language. 'Magician' brings to mind card tricks and millinery-dwelling rodents. 'Mage' says either "The creator of this class is hopelessly mentally stuck back in 2E' or 'A White Wolf nut wrote this'. 'Witch-doctor' is usable but has heavy 'bone-through-nose savage' connotations that aren't always what you're looking for. *sigh* I guess there's always 'Arcanist', lame, made-up word though it might be...

 

[diaglo]

You know what this means, don't you? Yes, we have to make random prestige class names charts.

isn't that how they do it already.

diaglo "who thinks many of the PrC names have nothing to do with the abilities used by the class" Ooi

 

[billd91]

Mouse,

Just post a question along the lines "give me 10 divine PrClass titles" or some other vague somesuch.

Or e-mail the question to me.

Yeah, it would be kind of fun to try to brainstorm prestige class names. Blasted NDA! I wouldn't even want to know too many specifics because I'm not exactly a competitor since I've never written anything but software manuals for publication.

Ah, well.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

It's all the one word prestige class names that crank my personal cranker. Sooner or later, someone's going to come up with "Axeguy" because it'll be 4am and the deadline will be at 6.

I'm just happy "Warrior" was grabbed by the NPCs. They get so little else.

Anyway, I'm here to help


Harvester of __________
Defender of __________
Dweller of ___________
Illuminated ___________
Elite __________
Boundless ______________
Vallient ___________
Dread ___________


.... fill in the blanks with something else. Or not. "Harvester of Dread" doesn't sound half bad. Neither does "Boundless Elite".

Just remember me when your book hits the New York Times top ten, OK?

 

[Andor]

So why not reuse names? Honestly, where's the harm? Think of the fun when a bunch of wizard/fighters and a bunch of soulblade/sorcerers who both call themselves spellblades meet up. ];->

*shrug* If that doesn't work for some reason....

If it's for a setting book tie it to he setting, e.g. 'Karnathi Scullery Maid' for an Eberron book.

If it's an enviroment book tie it to the enviroment, e.g. 'Starbourne Cabin Boy' for Spelljammer.

Other possibilites are to make up or co-opt some slang. A language that can call railway builders 'Gandy dancers' will permit anything.

Also the acronyms and weird contractions. Look at some Prcs in the real world, Special Forces. We have Army Rangers, Navy Seals, Marine Recon, and (my personal favorite) Air Force Para-Weather.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Use ENWorld member names. Seriously. Piratecat? Whizzbang Dustyboots? Humble Minion? BiggusGeekus? Can you stop the awesome? I think not!