On Fantasy Names (Resurrected Rant)

[2nd Ed Paladin]

As someone alluded to previously most of Jordan's names are borrowed from other sources (there are so many darn characters it's easy to understand why). And as the OP noted,some are then "Faentysyzh'ed". Personally I prefer names like that to Ub3r-R0xx0rs69

Most of the Forsaken are based on religious personas, usually demons
A lot of the ancient names (Aes Sedai for instance) are based on old Gaelic legends or Norse legends. Aes Sedai is likely a take off of Aes Sidhe, the ancestors, spririts, gods etc in Gaelic mythology.

On an unrelated note, the only reason I keep reading those books is because I liked the first few and want to see how it ends. Since the fifth book I just keep getting more and more frustrated.

 

[vonmolkew]

The obvious way to get around this problem is to do what I do: I call all of my characters "Dave", followed by their occupation. So, Dave Thefighter, Dave Themage, Dave ThepriestessofLolth, etc.

This relates to a larger problem I've been seeing in games: player creativity. Not only is there an epidemic of ingenious names, but I've been seeing more and more players doing things like describing their character's features, giving their characters backstories, families and relationships, and occasionally, even giving them goals and personalities.

This sort of untrammeled creativity is leading us away from the pure "kick the door down and hit it" dungeoncrawling that is the one true essence of D&D, down a path that can only lead to amateur thespianism, wearing black clothing and black mascara, and smoking clove cigarettes. Gary Gygax WARNED us about this threat! WHY DIDN"T WE LISTEN!

Even better: use common household items or names you see in public:
I ran a group that used beer as the basis: Coors, Bud, Michel Obe, Strohs, Samuel Adams, Schmidt (a regional beer from Minnesota, I think), and Hamms

Another smaller group was: Arthur, King of The Treachers, his loyal friend Too-Go of the Holy Order of Fries, and the henchmen Fish and Chip

 

[krissbeth]

I'm a pretty bad Gaelic offender.

Maeve. Legitimate name, but typically fantasy sounding.

Llyr, also (as a surname). It's a Welsh deity.

 

[Brazeku]

As long as you can establish a few common phonetic conventions in any given language, you should be able to build a few names that sound appropriate. Take it a little farther, and you can build an accent, and farther than this (grammar) and you can start pinpointing the types of problems a native speaker would have speaking english and develop characteristic NPCs.

Shotgun apostrophes: okay if the apostrophe actually means something. Maybe it's a noise that we have no romanization for, like a purr or a chirp.

Double vowels/weird dipthongs: not so unusual, just be consistent


You know what, screw it, here's some articles to start with the basics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_phonetics_topics


The thing that bugs me are names like "The Black Swamp". Oh, we must cross the Black Swamp in order to reach the Temple of Destruction.

I like to put names through what I call 'the nasal test'. Say it outloud in a really nasal, obnoxiously nerdy voice. If you feel ashamed enough to punch your own nuts and your dog starts howling, it's time to rethink the name.

 

[Samnell]

This thread has inspired me to name a PC Faeyr'eor'szti'iyr. It's still mising something, though. Could someone recommend several diacritics?

 

[Brazeku]

This thread has inspired me to name a PC Faeyr'eor'szti'iyr. It's still mising something, though. Could someone recommend several diacritics?

!Faeyr'eor'szti'iyr


There, perfect! (pronounced "clickBarney")

 

[Darkness]

Fred Flintstone?

Go on, admit you've wanted a dwarf called that.

In a somewhat similar vein, I've suggested naming a dwarf 'Rammstein Hammerfall' before (and a friend an elf 'Therion Moonspell'). Alas, no other metal bands with suitable names came to mind at the time or we might have named an entire adventuring party.

 

[Kastil]

Axebeard Stonehammer
Flint Fireforge
Stonebeard Flinthammer
Rockbeard Flintaxe
Rockhammer Stoneaxe
Forgehammer Firebeard
Rockbeard Goldhammer
Goldaxe Flintrock
Rockaxe Flintgold
Flintbeard Ironhammer
Flinthammer Ironbeard
Flintaxe Ironstone
Ironaxe Hammerbeard
Stoneaxe Hammerflint
Axeaxe Flintflint
Hammeraxe Axehammer

You don't mind if I saved this list for future reference, do you?

 

[Samnell]

!Faeyr'eor'szti'iyr

I like it, but it still needs more. Extra points for Khosian, though.

 

[Thurbane]

On the subject of names, this thread is great!