Names for Magic Items?

[Evilhalfling]

After getting tired of the gamespeak of +1 bonus weapons I started using a different naming system, so that more discussion could be done in character -

+1 = Awating or Awakened weapon, this also acknowledges that it is ready to add special abilities, that many of these weapons will be further enchanted.

weapons are also known by special abilities first, with the + mod assumed to be +1 and only mentioned as an after thought, if at all. Any weapon in my game that is more than 9k in value will have its own name, and probably history as well.

+2 = Hero's blade or <weapon type> - this is because a +2 weapon is considered suitable for general heroes, who need a utility weapon as they will fight huge numbers of differerent foes over the weapons lifetime.

+3 = Lord's Blade only noblemen sink this kind of cash into a blade with no special abilities. If it has powers in addtion to this than the wielder must be as rich and powerful as a lord, and most will have some title as well.

+4 = King's Blade, kings and emperors are said to be the only ones with access to this kind of wealth, although more commonly the blade is held by a bodyguard or champion of the king.

+5 = Legendary only rumors of these weapons are known.

The power level in my game is a little lower than published worlds, and NPCs who would be epic in the realms are 17th-20th, the highest PCs have ever gotten was 13th.

Does anyone else have naming conventions for + 1 weapons?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The problem with flavorful names that map directly to plusses is that they don't really add anything to the game; they really only serve to add another level of abstraction.

In other words, sure, you may say "King's Blade," but you (and the other players) are probably still thinking "+4."

I'd prefer it if individual weapons had individual names. A +1 longsword is not an "individual weapon." The +1 longsword your father brought home from the wars after cutting it from the hands of a Baron of Haalgerd *is* an individual weapon.