Vocabulary advice sought

[tarchon]

Mmmmh... that's probably the way to go: rather than simply a synonymous word, to find a sort of evocative title, along the line of "Blade Runner". The only problem is that it would probably restrict it to a specific organization. Not that would be bad in itself though. Will have to think more about this tomorrow... (and will welcome any suggestion)

Well, what really sets the class apart from the other dozen or so classes and PrCs that involve tracking? Song and Silence has a "Vigilante" PrC, which is mostly that.
Nimrod would be an option, if it didn't also already have a bad connotation too. Venator. Shikari. Hard to pick one without more context on the PrC's particular features. You could make an agent from a seldom-agentized verb, to dog, to hound, to tail, to shadow, but they all could sound a little odd. "-hound" is often used generatively in epithets for people who obsessively pursue something, e.g "gloryhound," "chowhound," "newshound," and one that sounds like someone who chases cats but isn't.

 

[Mark]

Along those lines, wouldn't "Bloodhound" work just fine? I think people would understand that it meant you were becoming a supreme tracker.

 

[Angcuru]

Well, the class title doesn't necessarily have to a synonym for 'tracker' or 'stalker'. Like "Blade Runner", which is a 'Replicant hunter', you can be creative about it.

Just what exactly would this class be targeting?

 

[Turanil]

In fact, I am trying to create a few prestige classes that will cover some sci-fi movies and sci-fi literacy archetypes, but being somewhat broader. As such, among other thing I have the "Okar Sanjil Disciple" for a prestige class based on the Bene Gesserit. That is, if one wanted to play a Bene Gesserit concept, the Okar Sanjil Disciple is meant to fill that role. Then I want something for a Commando, a Blade Runner, and also for a Jedi/Paladin type (although the campaign is by no way Star-Wars like).

Well, the class title doesn't necessarily have to a synonym for 'tracker' or 'stalker'. Like "Blade Runner", which is a 'Replicant hunter', you can be creative about it.

Just what exactly would this class be targeting?

Well, this is a sort Blade Runner class. However, they aren't restricted just to replicants, but they track all sorts of rogue robots who have got some sentience and free-will, as well as creatures who look like humans but aren't (including bioreplica droids, clones created by alien races to be "trojan horses", etc.). I like the Blade Runner term but don't want to use it as is. Would prefer to find something along the line of "Okar Sanjil Disciple" for a Bene Gesserit-like prestige class. Anyway "Bloodhound something" is probably a good answer to my problem.

Song and Silence has a "Vigilante" PrC, which is mostly that.

I had thought to use the "Vigilante" term for the Jedi/Paladin PrC (a private organization that believe in dark supernatural forces and want to fight them, while most of societies view that as superstition. So this organization is semi clandestine). However, maybe the Vigilante term (maybe "Bloodhound Vigilante"?) would fit better with the Blade Runner concept?

 

[Knight Otu]

Well, this is a sort Blade Runner class. However, they aren't restricted just to replicants, but they track all sorts of rogue robots who have got some sentience and free-will, as well as creatures who look like humans but aren't (including bioreplica droids, clones created by alien races to be "trojan horses", etc.).

With that context, how about Ersatz Tracer? I'm not really liking the word ersatz in english, but it's a fitting word for both robots and "trojan horses."

 

[WillieW]

It is actually the same thing. In the wilderness a cat stalks his prey. In the human society, a man stalks a woman. Both usually end badly for whomever is being stalked.

For other words, the Thesaurus give me: ambush, approach, chase, drive, flush out, haunt, hunt, pace, pursue, shadow, striddle, stride, strut, swagger, tail, track, and trail.

I like your Thesaurus...

A Flushing Striddler.

 

[Turanil]

Flushing Striddler. I am no native English speaker, but this name sounds better for an ordinary NPCs whose job involves... cleaning the toilets.

Ersatz Tracer. This does sound a little strange. What do people think of also Ersatz Hunter and Ersatz Runner (the latter seems to sound good, and recalls of Blade Runner)?

 

[Desdichado]

I think stalker works just fine in that context. The word stalker itself doesn't have that crimininal connotation by itself, only in context. Heck, if I say it, people are more likely than not to think I'm talking about going to the grocery store late at night and running into the stockers.

 

[Knight Otu]

Ersatz Tracer. This does sound a little strange.

I blame the word ersatz. For some reason, I cannot keep in mind it is an actual english word.

What do people think of also Ersatz Hunter and Ersatz Runner (the latter seems to sound good, and recalls of Blade Runner)?

Ersatz Hunter sounds closer to what the context implies, the latter is closer to the inspiration. I'm pretty undecided about that.

 

[Angcuru]

I don't think that "Bloodhound" would be appropriate for a cyborg/android hunter. I'd advise going to the root of the word and modifying it to fit the target. Something along the lines of "Gear Runner", though that sound more like a scavenger or salvage expert.