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Message: <blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 6059595" data-attributes="member: 92511">Cultures in my homebrew campaign world each have an associated culture...some of them (primarily humans) are associated with one or more earth-like cultures. The kinda italian/mediterranean mish-mosh nation, the kinda celtic nation, the kinda persian/egyptian mash nation, etc...So there will be names similar to real world names or real world sounding names. "Baradith, Kathlaine, Jaeden, Daerrun, Timmos" etc...Last names in certain cultures have prefixes (akin to the irish/scottish "O' or Mc/Mac" etc...Others are simple (the barbarian clans specifically), like "consonant-vowel-consonant, son/daughter of consonant-vowel-consonant."Elves have their own cultural naming conventions (which make rather lengthy names) and a language index (no, I don't use Tolkien's) from which to choose names that translate to "Common" as elfy sounding names. For example and Orean  elf [PC race, not all sub-races of elf are PC races in Orea] will have a name that is: Proper name/ surname/ familial clan or "house."So a full, formal name might be [if I'm translating off the top of my head, properly] "Valaura Rithsorai Eres'ka Staliirostae"...which is Valaura "of the[-i] Sun [sora]-Blade[rith]" from "House[Eres'ka] Star[staliir]-Watcher[ostae: literally "those who watch"].The proper names aren't that hard, usually 3 or 4 syllables. Possibly able to be cut back to a nickname ("Val" in this in example) or they use their surname...which leads to the common perception among humans that all elves have those nature-y names like "Silverrain" or "Dewleaf", "Blackstag" and that kinda thing. The use of the whole eres'ka/house name is more of a formal address/used by-elves-among-elves kinda thing.All the other PC races have their own naming conventions (though none as elaborate as the elves) and possibly languages, as well.This is all a really long way to say, if you're talking about breaking immersion, I think what the op says works for them is exactly the opposite as how I feel.I don't play a fantasy rpg to be running around with "Bill, Beth, John and Jane." Here and there as an npc peasant/commoner, fine. But not the PCs. And if someone comes up with something a little long or complicated, rest assured that the group will come up with a nickname.PS: I will grant that the example Ghostbear offers above takes it too far (for me). The player with the apostrophe fetish? Yeah, they need a lil' smack. But really, WotC is to be blamed for that (specifically, for how drow names evolved *rolls eyes sooooo high*).</blockquote>

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