What's in a name?

[No Name]

For me, clunky names detract from the quality of a product...

The naming convention of the town of Rock Ridge in Blazing Saddles didn't detract from the quality of that product.

Shilsen Johnson is right!

But of course, why have a name to begin with?

 

[GreatLemur]

Lately, I'm in love with taking lists of real-world names or words with an appropriate cultural flavor, and tossing them into this random word generator. It's basically a quick-and-dirty alternative to the Everchanging Book of Names. And, for placenames (ones that share the PCs' primary language, anyway), I'm mostly just giving them descriptive English names like Cliffpass, Yellow Plains, Two Keeps, and Cold Island.

 

[Jacob the Impaler]

I mostly use "corny" fantasy names because they're easier to remember. My players are going to remember the name Anvil City more than the name Ammond-Zirak. It's frustrating to spend a long time creating an area and have the players refer to it as "Um...that place with the ship and that tavern..."

 

[LostWorldsMike]

Lately, I'm in love with taking lists of real-world names or words with an appropriate cultural flavor, and tossing them into this random word generator.

That is just TOO cool.

 

[Dr Simon]

I mostly use "corny" fantasy names because they're easier to remember. My players are going to remember the name Anvil City more than the name Ammond-Zirak. It's frustrating to spend a long time creating an area and have the players refer to it as "Um...that place with the ship and that tavern..."

Having just been reading through The DM of the Rings, I agree - sometimes as a DM you feel you may as well just go ahead with 'You meet the might wizard Thatwizardguy'.