D&D General Yan C Bin is the worst name in D&D

[R_J_K75]

Well, better food than Alpo of the Nine-Lives.

Think that depends on who you ask.

 

[Mallus]

Have you ever read his short story, "The Stone Thing" in which he spoofs his own writing style?

Yes!

 

[ninjayeti]

The real reason FR displaced Greyhawk imho.

Iggwilv wtf?

Rotflol. That's like the pot calling the kettle Drizzt Do'urden.

 

[steeldragons]

Rotflol. That's like the pot calling the kettle Drizzt Do'urden.

Technically, I think we have Salvatore to blame for that, not Greenwood.

But the point is well taken.

 

[Zsong]

Remember how the names in the Birthright campaign setting warranted TSR releasing a series of audio files about how to pronounce them correctly?

They are Irish and Celtic names. It’s no harder to read than the irish sagas. Pretty insulting thread for that matter. I guess you don’t read the Norse sagas either and find the words difficult if you ever bothered to take the time to read them.

 

[Umbran]

Yes!

Cwlwmnwm.

 

[Stormonu]

Ugh, the Birthright names - it's the one thing that turns me off from that campaign world.

I'd always thought Yan C Bin was something from Moorcock Melnibone or, more likely Leiber's Newhon.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I still have a grudge against him for when I had to tell the PCs that the queen of Mithral Hall was Queen Dagnabbet. Yet I kinda love all the classical goofy names of AD&D. Yan C Bin, Fraz-Urb'Luu, Blibdoolpoolp, they're just alien and weird. And fun to struggle to say.

The Realms are no better. I'd like to $%@$#^#& RA Salvatore in the eye for every unpronouncable drow name, unnecessary apostrophe, and comic relief dwarf name that he ever penned.

 

[toucanbuzz]

• Larri Harriharri, a Dragonlance drow elf (there are no drow on Krynn but the buffoon who wrote this abomination sure thought there were) wizard from DL16, World of Krynn.
• Jake, another drow wizard from the published module.
• Waynoh Castermaster, with a name like that, a wizard who lives on the same floor.

But, when in doubt, check out Enworld's Pronunciation Guide.

 

[Voadam]

Except...Yan C Bin isn't Greyhawk and Akadi isn't Forgotten Realms. They've both general multiverse beings known in both settings.

EDIT: Though it does look like Akadi was originally published in Forgotten Realms materials before adopted into the multiverse at large. Nope, I was right the first time. Most prominently addressed in the Realms, but first appeared in the pre-Realms Manual of the Planes.

Manual of the Planes came out in July 1987, as did the 1e Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting boxed set.

To my knowledge Akadi and the other three elemental gods have never been referenced in a Greyhawk book. I checked 2e From the Ashes, the 3.0 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, and the 3.0 Manual of the Planes and could not find any references. Just the 1e Manual of Planes, a Planescape reference in the Inner Planes book, and FR stuff. Also in the late 4e era Heroes of the Elemental Chaos Akadi is listed for the world axis cosmology as a primordial elemental lord who is worshipped as the goddess of air in Toril.

Greyhawk has their own air and wind gods.