"It's a joke name, sir."
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
Maggan
Writer for CY_BORG, Forbidden Lands and Dragonbane
I have a group playing WFRP, a bounty hunter team. They made the characters at the start of the first session.
The first guy chose the name Wilhelm. A good name in WFRP.
The second guy chose the name Wilhelm. Hmmmm ... well, whatever.
Then the third named his guy Wilhelm, so the logical thing was to call the fourth guy Wilhelm as well.
I briefly considered vetoing the four Wilhelms, but then I figured it all fit together in my semi serious WFRP game of dark humour and absurd situations.
It worked out well.
A bit like the Ramones, when I come to think of it.
/M
The first guy chose the name Wilhelm. A good name in WFRP.
The second guy chose the name Wilhelm. Hmmmm ... well, whatever.
Then the third named his guy Wilhelm, so the logical thing was to call the fourth guy Wilhelm as well.
I briefly considered vetoing the four Wilhelms, but then I figured it all fit together in my semi serious WFRP game of dark humour and absurd situations.
It worked out well.
A bit like the Ramones, when I come to think of it.
/M
MonkeyDragon
Explorer
My mom's a nurse, and has seen such gems as Chewbacca Digs, Tequilla, and a boy whose name was pronounced shi-THEED. It was spelled, however, in a manner that Eric's grandma would not approve of here.
As for characters, I've seen and used several silly names and mundane names. I had a fraal sorceror named Pip (after the pips on the dice) because I had to use him faster than I thought, and blanked. I had an elf rogue named Jack. Ohg the half orc fighter ("Not Og, OHG!!") turned out one of my best characters ever. I've also had plenty of random NPC Bobs and such.
I've seen NPCs with all kinds of silly or common modern names. Sometimes they break the mood, sometimes they don't. I've seen a player name a character Verlander (after the baseball player), and the same player inadvertantly named a character after a feminine personal device. Another player had heard of the device in question (go internet!) and teased him mercilessly until he changed it. The teaser has, in my most recent campaign, named his character Blackleaf, and his goal is to hunt down Jack Chick, who is either a bad guy from his past, or some sort of mysterious monster (I forget which).
I don't freak out over odd names. I don't find it worth it. Sure I might sigh and try to talk a player out of something truly obnoxious (though I've never had to), but I'm not going to wig out because someone chooses a name with a different feel than the naming conventions of the area they're in/from.
I also don't have a problem with names used in modern english, especially those that were in use a long time ago. In fact, I would rather see people with names like Maggie, Jack, Elizabeth and David than have everyone named with long, fancy, fantastical names. Sometimes it just sounds overdramatic to me. A few old mercanaries named Bob never hurt anyone.
And every village in my world has an old man named Plah Took. Every one.
As for characters, I've seen and used several silly names and mundane names. I had a fraal sorceror named Pip (after the pips on the dice) because I had to use him faster than I thought, and blanked. I had an elf rogue named Jack. Ohg the half orc fighter ("Not Og, OHG!!") turned out one of my best characters ever. I've also had plenty of random NPC Bobs and such.
I've seen NPCs with all kinds of silly or common modern names. Sometimes they break the mood, sometimes they don't. I've seen a player name a character Verlander (after the baseball player), and the same player inadvertantly named a character after a feminine personal device. Another player had heard of the device in question (go internet!) and teased him mercilessly until he changed it. The teaser has, in my most recent campaign, named his character Blackleaf, and his goal is to hunt down Jack Chick, who is either a bad guy from his past, or some sort of mysterious monster (I forget which).
I don't freak out over odd names. I don't find it worth it. Sure I might sigh and try to talk a player out of something truly obnoxious (though I've never had to), but I'm not going to wig out because someone chooses a name with a different feel than the naming conventions of the area they're in/from.
I also don't have a problem with names used in modern english, especially those that were in use a long time ago. In fact, I would rather see people with names like Maggie, Jack, Elizabeth and David than have everyone named with long, fancy, fantastical names. Sometimes it just sounds overdramatic to me. A few old mercanaries named Bob never hurt anyone.
And every village in my world has an old man named Plah Took. Every one.
The Winnipegers will no doubt appreciate my axe-wielding Bard, Bachman Turner.
One player ran two consecutive characters based on famous historical figures, Niko and Spall. (Machiavelli and St. Paul respectively; never seen one person run two such completely opposite characters with a reasonable amount of panache. They even met once, and took an instant disliking to one another.)
One player ran two consecutive characters based on famous historical figures, Niko and Spall. (Machiavelli and St. Paul respectively; never seen one person run two such completely opposite characters with a reasonable amount of panache. They even met once, and took an instant disliking to one another.)
Mean Eyed Cat
Explorer
I tend to be the King of Bad Names in our gaming group. I run a FR game and I introduced a hadozee jester NPC by the name of Sal Ami. Needless to say, he annoyed the group. Eventually, he was roasted by a fireball.
I run a mojh runethane in a friend's Arcana Evolved game. Seeing the mojh's similarity to the Simpson's Mr. Burns, I nicknamed him "Monty"
I run a mojh runethane in a friend's Arcana Evolved game. Seeing the mojh's similarity to the Simpson's Mr. Burns, I nicknamed him "Monty"
I use them on both sides of the screen, but in moderation.
Perhaps one PC in a few dozen will have a name like Sir Loin (a minotaur warrior), and only one NPC in scores will have a name like Sensei Millia (a spaced-out martial artist).
However, if someone finds a name offensive, I'd be willing to ask someone to change the PC name.
In the real world, my Mother (a music teacher) once taught a kid named Pslm Civ...that's an abbreviation of Psalm 104.
My Dad (an MD) has encountered people named Asthma, Infant, and Syphillis.
But if you really want to have fun, check out a book called "...Names" (the whole title is really long) by Paul Dickson. In it, you'll find gems like Cookie Fortune, Mrs. Beaver Luckey, Esterline McKnuckles, and Reverend Vicesimus Lush. Yes, those are all REAL names.
Perhaps one PC in a few dozen will have a name like Sir Loin (a minotaur warrior), and only one NPC in scores will have a name like Sensei Millia (a spaced-out martial artist).
However, if someone finds a name offensive, I'd be willing to ask someone to change the PC name.
In the real world, my Mother (a music teacher) once taught a kid named Pslm Civ...that's an abbreviation of Psalm 104.
My Dad (an MD) has encountered people named Asthma, Infant, and Syphillis.
But if you really want to have fun, check out a book called "...Names" (the whole title is really long) by Paul Dickson. In it, you'll find gems like Cookie Fortune, Mrs. Beaver Luckey, Esterline McKnuckles, and Reverend Vicesimus Lush. Yes, those are all REAL names.
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