Summoning and Name-suckage

[Simplicity]

I looked at the Arcane Power preview today. And I have to say... I've never really had the urge to play a wizard who could summon Hammerfist Crushers. Or Arrowhawks. Or Iron Cohorts? Fire Warriors are so bland as to make me wonder: was Pyromaw Firelord already taken or something? How can they have both bland and nonsensically over-flavored names at the same time?

Here's an idea: How about a wizard who can summon animals? Or elementals? Or undead? Or golems? Is that what those things are up there? Because I can't tell with all the frosting.

It's time for me to pull my open letter back out of the drawer and post it again.

Dear Wizards,

I hope those names are placeholders. Stop sucking.

Sincerely,
Concerned Golden Dragon Azure Power Super Puma Reader

 

[Nymrohd]

Haha, you are so right, those names are ridiculous.

 

[Nightson]

Arrowhawks have been in since the 3rd edition monster manual at the minimum.

 

[RefinedBean]

Dear Simplicity,

How about you think some better names up and submit them to Wizards, or a Fan Creations forum instead of writing a snarky post in General that achieves nothing?

That'd be awesome.

Sincerely,

The Internet

 

[Simplicity]

Dear Simplicity,

How about you think some better names up and submit them to Wizards, or a Fan Creations forum instead of writing a snarky post in General that achieves nothing?

That'd be awesome.

Sincerely,


The Internet

Dear Internet,

Are you really the real Internet?

Sincerely,
Concerned Golden Dragon Azure Power Super Puma Reader

P.S. I think I'll call you "Ethernet Swarmmouther"

 

[Siberys]

Those names ARE placeholders, but it's up to you to imagine alternatives. Why not imagine the alternatives for yourself? It needn't be NAMED awesomely to BE awesome. Astral Constructs in 3.5 psionics were damnably generic, for example - UNLESS you were a little creative.

 

[Simplicity]

Those names ARE placeholders, but it's up to you to imagine alternatives. Why not imagine the alternatives for yourself? It needn't be NAMED awesomely to BE awesome. Astral Constructs in 3.5 psionics were damnably generic, for example - UNLESS you were a little creative.

I liked Astral Constructs actually. I'd be fine with a similar sort of approach for wizards. The wizard who constructs summoned creatures out of random googly-bits in the Elemental Chaos or something.

But they are picking actual monsters for the summons. The arrowhawk is not a generic monster. It's an EXISTING monster. It has the power of flight and it feeds six due to its unusually large number of tasty, tasty wings.

This is the same argument that popped up for Elemental Frost and Golden Wyvern Adept. Yes, I can make up new names. It's not hard to make up flavor, just don't make me work backwards from your flavor to do so.

 

[Vorput]

It does seem like a generic name and then a suggested name would be a better way to go.

This would allow those who just need the dynamics to be able to simply remember them, those who wish to create their own fluff to have an idea to springboard from, and those people who don't have a lot of creativity to use the suggested name given.

It's feasible too. 3.x started publishing short descriptions of spells, and these would only have one or two possible names.

I wouldn't mind so much, but some of those names are kind of odd.

Example:
Winged Summon
Suggested names: Arrowhawk, Invisible Scythe, Arcane Airieal death.
(I know, they stink- I'm one of the people who would just use the generic title ). Hopefully you get the idea though.

 

[Gunpowder]

On one hand: Jeez WOTC where is all that great flavor I have come to expect of D&D? This reads like a bland wargaming manual.

On the other: Jeez WOTC, stop attempting to be creative with stuff. I don't need your crappy flavor. I can do it myself.

 

[Mournblade94]

Dear Simplicity,

How about you think some better names up and submit them to Wizards, or a Fan Creations forum instead of writing a snarky post in General that achieves nothing?

That'd be awesome.

Sincerely,

The Internet

Or post it here for entertainment value...

Thank you Simplicity have an XP!!!!