Gygaxing people's names

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Over on the 4E board, Orcus says he's Gygaxed up Eric Noah's and Erik Mona's names for inclusion into Necromancer Games products as characters and place names.

Frankly, this is an awesome idea and I'm ashamed to admit I didn't think of this for the names of my players in my home campaign. It's now time to give them some remedial love with Easter Egg names, cooked up Gygax-style.

Any tips on how to do this? What tricks did Col. Pladoh use to mix and match players' names (including his own) in the World of Greyhawk?

 

[jgbrowning]

Gninworb Hpesoj the Clever.

joe b.

 

[exile]

Chad Patterson becomes Dax Nosrettap.

Chad

 

[Will]

I once played myself, Will Timmins, in a Torg game and, when it became necessary to disguise my identity, we decided I should be called Tim Willems.

 

[Cam Banks]

When I was 13, I came up with an NPC in my 1st edition AD&D campaign by the name of Sknab the Sage. Somehow, "Sknab" didn't really deliver.

Similarly, I had a warrior named Noremac in a vaguely-Celtic-themed campaign late in my teens. Noremac, of course, being Cameron backwards.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Mouseferatu]

Step one: Read real name backwards.

Step two: If step one did not produce viable name, take real name, and swap out a few letters (preferably for those that sound similar, but not identical to the real ones).

Step three: If step two did not produce viable name, take backwards name and swap out a few letters, as above.

Step four: If all else fails, choose random anagram of real name.

Step five (optional): Add an interesting descriptor or title to the name, such as "the Mad" or "the Ill-Begotten." Bonus points for using a term that at least half your audience will need to look up in a dictionary.

 

[Will]

Sony's EverQuest is rife with such amusement.

Consider the main human city, Qeynos...

 

[Dragonhelm]

Somehow, the reverse name thing doesn't work when your name is Trampas (Sapmart ). Alternately, I work with a lady named Marlana. Pretty name forward, not so much backwards.

My best friend liked mixing up his first and middle names so that Kenneth Allen became Kinthalin. His innitials made KAR, so the name KARRAK had been used a time or two.

Now, I must have a talk with Melf about stealing my spellbook...

 

[Clavis]

Alternately, I work with a lady named Marlana. Pretty name forward, not so much backwards.

That depends on who's on the receiving end of the action...

 

[jgbrowning]

Now, I must have a talk with Melf about stealing my spellbook...

Ask his wife, Felf. She's the thief in the family.

joe b.