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View Full Version : [Any] Coolest & most lame names: classes, abilities, anything!



Thieves
2010-06-08, 06:19 PM
I'd like you to share what you think are the coolest names or the most lame for elements of any RP system, published or not. It can be anything: places, people, classes, abilities, items, anything. You don't have to give any reasons.

Because of my general lack of memory and source-knowledge, I can drop only a few:


Ur-Priest. That Ur- part completely does it for me. You can hear this guy's a bastard just with these two letters.
Psychic Reformation. I like the flow of it.
Rope Trick. Ugly, and I'd think it's a 'dancing snake' cantrip.
Mordenkainen's X, the spells that create you various kinds of shelters / houses, and basically all spells with people's names in it. It's like saying "Abra-cadabra, 6d6 damage Dr Oetker's Jello!".
Wilder. Like the actor? Or is this someone more wild than... someone else?


Fire away! :smallwink:

Drakevarg
2010-06-08, 06:21 PM
Phantasmal Killer. Name's awesome, and it involves killing somebody though sheer terror.

Reynard
2010-06-08, 06:26 PM
From Exalted: Spell Shattering Palm. You hold your hand up like a traffic warden, smash it into a hideously powerful piece of sorcery that could kill a few decently powerful gods, and are left completely unharmed in a miles wide smoking crater.

Drakevarg
2010-06-08, 06:29 PM
This one's kinda cheating, but whatever:

Rust Dragon. It's a Rust Monster that's also a Dragon. YOU. ARE. BONED.

(As a side note, new campaign plot idea.)

Xallace
2010-06-08, 06:44 PM
Ur-Priest.

To each their own. Ur-Priest is one of my least favorite class names. It just sounds to me like the design team was sitting around trying to come up with a name, and someone said "Errr.... Priest?"

Now, Hellreaver, that is a class name. That is a name dripping with buttocks-kicking potential, and it's ambiguous enough that it could be a "reaver from Hell," or "One who reaves Hell." That it's the latter is just sweet.

AtopTheMountain
2010-06-08, 06:47 PM
Now, Hellreaver, that is a class name. That is a name dripping with buttocks-kicking potential, and it's ambiguous enough that it could be a "reaver from Hell," or "One who reaves Hell." That it's the latter is just sweet.

Where is that from? I need to play one. Now.

Xallace
2010-06-08, 06:52 PM
Where is that from? I need to play one. Now.

Fiendish Codex II, good buddy.


Edit: I would also like to submit Razor-edged Chair Leg (from Pathfinder) and Mech-Fu (From Dragonmech) as two of the best feat names.

Thieves
2010-06-09, 11:56 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur-Hamlet

This, I believe, is why it is called an Ur-Priest. Jump to the prefix.

Hellreaver is soooo standard "omg this will kick ass cool time", there must be dozens like that! I like those that carry some... menace to them. Like the Ur-Priest, who not only is this heretical dude, but is also automatically connoted with Ur, and further extension, Babylon. And their gods, whose names just sound so plain ebil you just want to cry.

Then, Blighter. Pretty much an Ur-P for Druids, but not borkedly powarful (actually quite gimped I guess).
And Rich's own Dashing Swordsman ;)
Now, Hulking Hurler? I always imagine this huge bug-monster (MM1 I think) with oversized arms, and with Hulk Hogan moustache. Looks alright, but I guess not what the authors intended to connote!

Come on, guys, I wanna hear cool names! xO

Amphetryon
2010-06-09, 12:03 PM
Fleshwarper, because, well... FLESHWARPER! :smallsmile:

Totally Guy
2010-06-09, 12:05 PM
Flurry of blows...

Sounds like a euphemism.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-06-09, 12:09 PM
Quori Nightmare: I just have a hidden, dangerous meaning
Revenant Blade: just because

Ruinix
2010-06-09, 12:10 PM
blackguards: thematically to the fifa worlcup it come to my mind the southafrican guards of the stadiums XDDD

truenamer: come on! a guy who know the true name of entities .... they cook their brains for this name eh :smallamused:

incarnate: another COME OOOON ¬¬ bla bla bla souldmelds bla bla bla magical items made from Incarnum. the mechanic is nice the concept is nice too, but the name!! XD

Comet
2010-06-09, 12:11 PM
Fighter

No gimmicks. No fancy wordplay. Just one who just won't give in. One who fights until he can fight no more. No compromise, no retreat, just a brave soul or one that's driven into a corner with no escape. So they struggle. So they fight.
And that's pretty darn cool, I think.

Morty
2010-06-09, 12:13 PM
Bring 'em back alive: from some otherwise unimpressive PrC in Complete Adventurer(I think). It just has a nice, simple ring to it.

Ravens_cry
2010-06-09, 12:15 PM
Fleshwarper, because, well... FLESHWARPER! :smallsmile:
To paraphrase Penny Arcade,'"Picture flesh" "OK, I got it" " Alright. Now, Warp that ****!"'

Xallace
2010-06-09, 12:17 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur-Hamlet

Oh, that is interesting.

-----------------
Dark Lantern. I have no idea what it is, but that is an awesome name for a PrC. [From Five Nations.]

Escalation Mage. I really don't think there's a way that the class could live up to the awesomeness of the name. [From Faiths of Eberron.]

Hangman Golem. Probably my favorite monster name. The creature itself does not live up to the moniker, though, being a collection of ropes wound into the Slim Jim mascot. [From Monster Manual III.]

Claudius Maximus
2010-06-09, 12:20 PM
Reaping Mauler sounds pretty rad. Right awful class though.

Necrotic Termination just sounds like such a bad thing to be hit by.

Similarly, Necrosis Carnex is a name name to run away from quickly.

I've always hated the psionic powers whose names don't tell you what they do at all. Apopsi in particular. It also sounds stupid, even if pronounced correctly.

Xuc Xac
2010-06-09, 12:24 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur-Hamlet

This, I believe, is why it is called an Ur-Priest. Jump to the prefix.

"Ur-" is a prefix meaning “earliest, original, or primordial” used in words denoting the primal stage of a historical or cultural entity or phenomenon. It was borrowed from German and was originally only used with other words borrowed from German, but now it's a fully English word.

Xuc Xac
2010-06-09, 12:29 PM
I've always hated the psionic powers whose names don't tell you what they do at all. Apopsi in particular. It also sounds stupid, even if pronounced correctly.

I've always hated the names of psionic powers for being too scientific and decidedly non-mystical. It's bad enough that the arcane spells sound so bland and non-magical and the divine spells sound mundane and non-miraculous, but if they were named like psionic powers then Fireball would have been called "Exothermic Sphere".

Eloi
2010-06-09, 12:32 PM
I've always hated the names of psionic powers for being too scientific and decidedly non-mystical. It's bad enough that the arcane spells sound so bland and non-magical and the divine spells sound mundane and non-miraculous, but if they were named like psionic powers then Fireball would have been called "Exothermic Sphere".

But that sounds cool! Names like "Ignis Sphere" (Fireball) or "Morlibero" (Dead Raise) sound awesome to me personally, but thats not the problem with Psionc names. The problem is that they aren't scientific or truthful to Latin enough, and just make-up random words, which is annoying.

aivanther
2010-06-09, 12:35 PM
It was borrowed from German and was originally only used with other words borrowed from German, but now it's a fully English word.

Since English is a hodgepodge language, anyway, of course it's an fully English word!

I've always thought the Holy Scourge sounded awesome. "Silly paladins are to soft on evil!"

Dervish always seemed silly to me, I mean you're a poor hermit?

nekomata2
2010-06-09, 12:37 PM
Kaleidoscopic Doom, because c'mon that just sounds awesome.
Jade Phoenix Mage, I just like the ring to, and of course, Emerald immolation.

Claudius Maximus
2010-06-09, 12:37 PM
"Apopsi" kind of maybe makes sense I guess if you know Greek (in that it makes things go away from your mind), but I wouldn't have guessed what it did off of name alone, which is sort of a problem if you're trying to sound science-y.

"Exothermic Sphere" at least tells you what it does.

ShadowsGrnEyes
2010-06-09, 12:40 PM
Book of Vile Darkness yeah, I love that name. . . it's so. . . well evil. . .

Book of Exalted Deeds but but but. . . your counter part sounded so coooool

ProfMoriarty
2010-06-09, 12:57 PM
incarnate: another COME OOOON ¬¬ bla bla bla souldmelds bla bla bla magical items made from Incarnum. the mechanic is nice the concept is nice too, but the name!! XD

Due to the nature of the incarnate taking on a specific alignment, I believe you are supposed to add your alignment to the front giving a particularly cool name.
Evil Incarnate: Awesome. Though the other names are less than optimal but lend themselves well to fluff.

Optimystik
2010-06-09, 01:08 PM
I find the Incarnum PrC and feat names hilarious. They should have just called it The Book of Blue.

As for psionic names, I have to admit that some of them don't quite roll off the tongue. Reddopsi? Synesthete?

But the flip side are the powers that just sound cool. Metaconcert. Microcosm. Id Insinuation. Names like that just drip with Psi. :smallbiggrin:

TheCountAlucard
2010-06-09, 01:35 PM
+1 on Exalted names.

Heaven Thunder Hammer! What better way to send the opponent flying from your mighty attack...?

Oh, yeah.

Crack the Sky!

Hammer-on-Iron Technique, Thunderclap Rush Attack, and Inevitable Victory Meditation. :smallbiggrin:

Being a martial artist is fun. :smallsmile:

Optimystik
2010-06-09, 01:51 PM
To paraphrase Penny Arcade,'"Picture flesh" "OK, I got it" " Alright. Now, Warp that ****!"'

For reference. (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/6/22/)

Weimann
2010-06-09, 01:51 PM
Seriously, one of the great benefits Exalted has is its naming conventions.

In addition to the ones posted above, I'd like to mention Fivefold Bulwark Stance, Thousandfold Courtesan Calculations, Cash And Murder Games, Wanting And Fearing Prayer, Ceasing To Exist Approach, Ten Thousand Dragons Fight As One... I could go on.

Characters are also called wonderful things. Harmonious Jade, Sad Ivory, Stern Whip Of Industry, Mirror Flag, Seven Devils Clever, Eye And Seven Despairs and Maiden Of The Mirthless Smile just to name a few.

Eldan
2010-06-09, 02:54 PM
To each their own. Ur-Priest is one of my least favorite class names. It just sounds to me like the design team was sitting around trying to come up with a name, and someone said "Errr.... Priest?"


+1 to this. I can see the priest part, but what about him is particularly ancient? :smallconfused:

Drascin
2010-06-09, 03:17 PM
Seriously, one of the great benefits Exalted has is its naming conventions.

In addition to the ones posted above, I'd like to mention Fivefold Bulwark Stance, Thousandfold Courtesan Calculations, Cash And Murder Games, Wanting And Fearing Prayer, Ceasing To Exist Approach, Ten Thousand Dragons Fight As One... I could go on.

Characters are also called wonderful things. Harmonious Jade, Sad Ivory, Stern Whip Of Industry, Mirror Flag, Seven Devils Clever, Eye And Seven Despairs and Maiden Of The Mirthless Smile just to name a few.

The problem with these names is that they're friggin' impossible to translate without sounding supremely stupid, which is a tad problematic for those of us trying to ST in other languages. Players chuckling at the charm names every time they turn a page makes it hard to get them into the mood to build a mildly serious character! :smalltongue:.

Optimystik
2010-06-09, 03:22 PM
+1 to this. I can see the priest part, but what about him is particularly ancient? :smallconfused:

The class fluff is that divine power predates the gods. Thus, they worship a very old power (i.e. the power itself) - hence, Ur-Priest.

They are kind of like the Athar (PH) except that they believe that divine power should be seized and stolen, whereas the Athar think that nobody should touch it.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-06-09, 03:28 PM
How could I forget manoubers, some of them have AWESOME names

Five Shadow Ice Creeping Enervation Strike

IRON HEART SURGE!

Saphire/Ruby/Diamond nightmare blade

Emerald Razor

Obscuring Shadow Veil

Inferno Blast

Soaring Raptor Strike

Time Stand Still

Malfunctioned
2010-06-09, 03:34 PM
To me it's got to be the Shadowbane Inquisitor.

I'm not sure why it just sounds.....dedicated. Which pretty much describes the class really.

Elfin
2010-06-09, 03:43 PM
Warblade
Swordsage
Crusader

and nearly every Tome of Battle Maneuver, Stance, PrC, and just general anything.

Really, the names are one of the main things that contribute to my love of Tome of Battle.

Thieves
2010-06-09, 04:07 PM
Seriously, one of the great benefits Exalted has is its naming conventions.
[...]Thousandfold Courtesan Calculations, Cash And Murder Games, Ceasing To Exist Approach [...]
[...]Sad Ivory, Stern Whip Of Industry, Mirror Flag, Seven Devils Clever, Eye And Seven Despairs[...]

Dude. Seriously. My Disbelief is Willing to Suspend itself out to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. This just breaks the awesometer. Sigging!

What adds to the fun, the top ones sound like album names and the bottom ones like band names. All. Freakin'. Kickasstastic.

Kaje
2010-06-09, 04:13 PM
I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I see the words "Use Rope."

At the other end of the scale, the Pirates Vs. Ninjas system over in Homebrew has the "Kurosawa Corollary," which is such an awesome name for such an awesome concept.

Thieves
2010-06-09, 04:16 PM
Ah! Right! Skills! The reason I went to hate 3.0 apart from not getting an AoO against people standing up from prone:

... A U T O H Y P N O S I S.

WHAT.

Siegel
2010-06-09, 04:22 PM
Ah! Right! Skills! The reason I went to hate 3.0 apart from not getting an AoO against people standing up from prone:

... A U T O H Y P N O S I S.

WHAT.

Because Selfhypnosis would have been to easy

Thieves
2010-06-09, 04:29 PM
Flurry of blows...

Sounds like a euphemism.

Laffs have been had. Thanks you.


I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I see the words "Use Rope."

Luckily, it's not written down as 'Tying Up' or 'Gagging'. And 'Use Magic Device'- *smack* OufH!


Because Selfhypnosis would have been to easy

It's not really the word itself, I think autohypnosis sounds better, but I'd always imagined I'll be playing a Magical Game Of Knights, Princesses, Magical Artifacts, Heroism, Romance, Adventure... and autohypnosis?

Another thing! Tattooed Monk. I always had issues coming to grips with how being tattooed made you a better warrior, but that's minor and that was just some Chaotic Stupid reaction that's bypassable:

If they, however, called it a Tattoo Monk, I'd have some trouble.

"dude, Wu-Chang can pull some real mad Tatt-Fu on your ass, and it looks like it's real damn 3D"

Ravens_cry
2010-06-09, 05:14 PM
Truenamer.
Simple, yet evocative of an ancient magic.
The Word made Flesh.
The name that is. . .

SurlySeraph
2010-06-09, 07:22 PM
Entropic Reaper. That name just screams "This thing is going to kill you in a really badass way."

Slay Living. Straightforward and clear, but not dull.

Justice Blade, a Gray Guard class feature.

Cerebremancer. He... "mances"... brains? Huh?

Dorje, Psionatrix, and the names of most other psionic items. Seriously, all the silly names are the main reason I don't know psionics well; it's hard for me to keep reading it without rolling my eyes at the names.

Zeta Kai
2010-06-09, 07:45 PM
Nailed to the Sky is exactly what it says on the tin, & that's pretty sweet. :smallcool:

Monk is NOT what the class is all about. Fighter's fight, rogues go rogue, sorcerers do sorcery. But where's the monk's monastery? Does he pray for anything at all? No, no, no. He's a Weeaboo Fightan Man who sucks up a storm when he tries to do anything useful. Monk is a fine name for a character based on Friar Tuck, but not for Crouching Tiger Hidden Moron, which is what you actually play as. :smallmad:

Marriclay
2010-06-09, 08:28 PM
Warlock has just always seemed like a really cool way to say "Mage who can take your head off with ease" to me. Clear, powerful, and a good way to describe a really fun to play class

Captain Six
2010-06-09, 08:33 PM
Seconding NAILED TO THE SKY. It's what I thought of when I first saw this thread. Crappy spell, coolest name. Also, ELDRITCH GLAVE is a close second.

Susano-wo
2010-06-09, 08:34 PM
Zeta. Monk comma ShaoLin. not Monk comma Gregorian. Still is odd in a Medievalish fantasy backdrop, but I do love me some H2H ass kickin (actual power level aside)

One of my favorites is a feat called "Tiger Treads on Eggshells" from Mongoose's Quintessential Monk book. Its just a skill feat for Balance and move silently, and I realized that it was not that good and my DM let me swap it, but Damn, the Name!

And as far as Euphemisms: The "Hideous Blow" Warlock Evocation. @.@

Maneuvers names can be quite cool. I love Punishing Stance and Shadow Garrote personally(ok, yes, and Five Shadow's Creeping Enervation Strike


and for my gripe name: Adventurer. Not the word itself, but the idea that all PC's are such. AN adventurer is someone who goes off and does this crap for the fun of it. My knight searching for his brother in a foreign land, my half-vampire monster hunter (yeah yeah I know), and my Fey-blooded Exorcist setting out on a quest to save his childhood friend and to discover the depths of the "Father" churches' persecution of the "Mother" church.....are *not* adventurers.

Compounding this is Metalogic disguised as in-game thinking. Well, we're adventurers, so they should expect blah blah blah, etc (or trying to talk about alignment in character)...etc.
whew..sorry, a bit of a ramble there.

Il_Vec
2010-06-09, 09:06 PM
Ravagerrrrr Raawwwwr

KillianHawkeye
2010-06-09, 09:10 PM
And as far as Euphemisms: The "Hideous Blow" Warlock Evocation. @.@

I'll see your Hideous Blow and raise you an Awesome Blow. :smallamused:

Xuc Xac
2010-06-09, 09:10 PM
And 'Use Magic Device'- *smack* OufH!


I'm just glad there are wizards and sorcerers now instead of "Magic Users". No one wants to play an epic game of high fantasy adventure with a magic user. You might stabbed by an enemy weapon user and then you'll have to go to the local temple to get healed by the prayer user. But I guess those are the risks you take when you live the life of an adventure haver.

Kaje
2010-06-09, 09:38 PM
Better a Magic User than a Fighting Man.

Zaq
2010-06-09, 09:47 PM
Ironsoul Forgemaster. I heartily approve of anything dwarf-related that sounds like it was named by randomly shoving stereotypically dwarfy nouns and verbs together ("Hello, my name is Shieldbeard Irondrink, this is my friend Hammerstout Armorstone, and we're looking for my daughter, little Alehelmet. Have you seen her?") like that. The fact that it actually makes sense is just gravy.

The Ardent Dilettante is exactly what it says on the tin. Someday I'll play one, I swear.

Moving along to 4e, there's an Avenger power called Nine Souls of Wrath, which is just stupid enough to cross the "Stupid|Awesome" barrier and make me giggle. Assuming that it's shouted at the top of one's lungs.

Susano-wo
2010-06-09, 09:52 PM
I'll see your Hideous Blow and raise you an Awesome Blow. :smallamused:

I fold. :D...well, i can think of a few things....but um, I think they would be too far the the forums SFW sensibilities >.>

also, At least FIghting Man sounds like an archaic term for, well, Fighter. Magic User only makes sense if you're Japanese :P

Foryn Gilnith
2010-06-09, 09:57 PM
After making a gestalt warlock, I realize that many invocation names and dual-progression class names are irritating to me. A shame, since they're so nice.

DragoonWraith
2010-06-09, 09:57 PM
Agreed on Ironsoul Forgemaster, that's just awesome.

The Cat Goddess
2010-06-09, 10:47 PM
D&D has a long history of "Cool Name, Cool Concept, weak-sause implementation".

Bonefiddle, Creaking Cacophony, Blade of Pain and Fear, Brain Spider...

Optimystik
2010-06-09, 11:20 PM
D&D has a long history of "Cool Name, Cool Concept, weak-sause implementation".

Bonefiddle, Creaking Cacophony, Blade of Pain and Fear, Brain Spider...

It also has plentiful examples of "great ability, lousy name." Stand Still, Up The Walls, Kung-Fu Genius, Tongues (speaking in tongues usually makes you harder, not easier, to understand), Word of Chaos (compared to the names the others got, this is a copout!)

Something else I never got - shouldn't Turn Undead be the one that turns them to your side, and Rebuke Undead be the one that makes them flee?

Thieves
2010-06-10, 09:03 AM
I'm just glad there are wizards and sorcerers now instead of "Magic Users". No one wants to play an epic game of high fantasy adventure with a magic user. You might stabbed by an enemy weapon user and then you'll have to go to the local temple to get healed by the prayer user. But I guess those are the risks you take when you live the life of an adventure haver.

The "adventure haver" part killed me. And one point wizards and sorcerers that someone pointed out somewhere (memory fails me), it's irritating that we have a Fighter, Ranger, Rogue and Paladin separate classes, while one build of wizard (given that school specialization went farther) could vary from another to a three times bigger degree than these martial classes do from one another.

+1 to Slay Living. Now, I don't know why, but I just like Power Word. Stun, Blind, Kill. So minimalistically awesum!

InkEyes
2010-06-10, 10:55 AM
Good god, I was masochistic enough to read all the Monster Manuals for a DM project. There are some awesome and completely terrible names in those books.

Here's the worst: It's a monster that lives around cities and villages; it's composed of the collective fears of the townsfolk. Sounds cool right? It's called a Fihyr. That's right, they called it a "fear", but they changed around some letters so it was hard to read. What's the point? Players won't notice it's spelled oddly, it only creates headaches for DMs.

Oh, and there's a stronger version too. Guess what it's called...

If you thought Greater Fihyr you'd be correct. :smallyuk: It's in the Monster Manual II for those curious.

There are also a ton of monsters with names that are just a long string of letters thrown together haphazardly. I don't remember anything about them because I can barely remember what the names are.

Cogidubnus
2010-06-10, 11:56 AM
blackguards: thematically to the fifa worlcup it come to my mind the southafrican guards of the stadiums XDDD


This word is pronounced blagard. It's a middle english insult, like cur.

Cogidubnus
2010-06-10, 12:04 PM
It's not really the word itself, I think autohypnosis sounds better, but I'd always imagined I'll be playing a Magical Game Of Knights, Princesses, Magical Artifacts, Heroism, Romance, Adventure... and autohypnosis?



That's going in my signature.

Eldan
2010-06-10, 12:08 PM
The class fluff is that divine power predates the gods. Thus, they worship a very old power (i.e. the power itself) - hence, Ur-Priest.

They are kind of like the Athar (PH) except that they believe that divine power should be seized and stolen, whereas the Athar think that nobody should touch it.

Still. Every time I hear the name, I have to think of my great-grandfather. I can't help it, but that's the first thing I think of when I hear the syllable "ur". Because "Urgrossvater" literally means great-grandfather" in german. That's the problem with actually speaking the languages english is so liberally borrowing from :smalltongue:

And the Athar actually have their own clerics worshipping Divine Power itself.

The Rose Dragon
2010-06-10, 12:19 PM
Ur- has other meanings in German, though. Such as in der Urwald. Ur- itself only means proto, original, which is the meaning used in Ur-Priest.

drengnikrafe
2010-06-10, 12:19 PM
I've never been very fond of geas. In part because I've never really known how to pronounce it, or what it means as a word.

Telonius
2010-06-10, 12:32 PM
Good:
Dread Pirate. If you need me to explain why, there's nothing more I can do for you.
Skylord. Too bad the PrC was so mediocre.
Shadowdancer. Sounds cool, is descriptive of what it does.

Bad:
Fharlhanghnhnhnhnlhlhn. Deity. In my games he's referred to as "F the Unspellable."
Ollam. Okay, I get that it's supposed to mean "teacher" or somesuch in Dwarven. Doesn't make it sound any less lame.
Slayer of Domiel. Wait, are you working for Domiel, or trying to slay Domiel?

The Rose Dragon
2010-06-10, 12:36 PM
I've never been very fond of geas. In part because I've never really known how to pronounce it, or what it means as a word.

Wiktionary is your friend. (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/geas)

Marriclay
2010-06-10, 01:08 PM
I've never been very fond of geas. In part because I've never really known how to pronounce it, or what it means as a word.

personally, I've always loved the word Geas. always sounded a great deal more mystical that "Quest"

Optimystik
2010-06-10, 01:15 PM
personally, I've always loved the word Geas. always sounded a great deal more mystical that "Quest"

This. "Quest" is an awful name for a spell. :smallyuk:


And the Athar actually have their own clerics worshipping Divine Power itself.

Are we talking about the same Athar? The Defiants don't have any clerics at all.

At least, not in the "receive spells" sense.

lesser_minion
2010-06-10, 01:24 PM
WHFRP's Celestial Order has at least one. It's the most powerful non-ritual Lore of the Heavens spell provided. It twists destiny to ensure that its victim dies a horrible death, and it's taught that it should only ever be used on the most heinous of foes. The conjuration creates a disturbance in the warp so great that every witch-sighted being within five miles is aware that something big is happening. So far, so good.

And then they decided to call it "Fate of Doom". Basically meaning "fate of really bad fate" is just the start of its problems.

The Hierophant spell "Pillar of Radiance" also loses points. It's an OK name in and of itself, but I would not describe a giant beam of pure magical light that sears anyone touched by it as 'radiant'. 'Searing', 'scorching', or 'purifying' maybe. But not 'radiant'.

Zeta Kai
2010-06-10, 01:33 PM
And then they decided to call it "Fate of Doom". Basically meaning "fate of really bad fate" is just the start of its problems.

That one makes me laugh. The only thing that would be more redundant would by something like "Fate of Destiny". I LOL at this.

Also, I dislike the Run feat. I could run already, thank you very much. That's not a feat. Couldn't they have called it Sprinter or Fast Runner?

Telonius
2010-06-10, 01:52 PM
That one makes me laugh. The only thing that would be more redundant would by something like "Fate of Destiny". I LOL at this.

Also, I dislike the Run feat. I could run already, thank you very much. That's not a feat. Couldn't they have called it Sprinter or Fast Runner?

I'm kind of conflicted on that one. On the one hand, it's an undeniably lame name. But on the other hand, what the feat does is undeniably lame.

aivanther
2010-06-10, 02:04 PM
Yes, well, it's not about whether what it DOES is lame or not, it's about how it sounds. And Run sounds silly, as has been pointed out.

Thieves
2010-06-10, 02:15 PM
That's going in my signature.

"I would like to import this utterance into my signature, if this is ok with you. I will of course credit you as this phrase's original author," would sound much better to my ear.

But that's, that's, you know, just in case you don't like paralysis-poison-coated +4's waking you up in the middle of your well-deserved 8-hour rest.

Morty
2010-06-10, 02:21 PM
WHFRP's Celestial Order has at least one. It's the most powerful non-ritual Lore of the Heavens spell provided. It twists destiny to ensure that its victim dies a horrible death, and it's taught that it should only ever be used on the most heinous of foes.

And then they decided to call it "Fate of Doom". Basically meaning "fate of really bad fate" is just the start of its problems.

The Hierophant spell "Pillar of Radiance" also loses points. It's an OK name in and of itself, but I would not describe a giant beam of pure magical light that sears anyone touched by it as 'radiant'. 'Searing', 'scorching', or 'purifying' maybe. But not 'radiant'.

On the other hand, Pay no Heed, a spell of Lore of Shadow found in Realms of Sorcery has a pretty cool name. For those unfamiliar with WFRP, it basically makes the caster ignored by everyone.

Foryn Gilnith
2010-06-10, 02:37 PM
Fharlhanghnhnhnhnlhlhn. Deity. In my games he's referred to as "F the Unspellable."

Fharlanghn has always given me much less trouble than the brother of Hextor.

The Rose Dragon
2010-06-10, 02:41 PM
Fharlanghn has always given me much less trouble than the brother of Hextor.

You mean Heironeous? Sure, it's spelled "weird" (i before e except after c), but it's not really difficult to remember.

Optimystik
2010-06-10, 02:42 PM
You mean Heironeous? Sure, it's spelled "weird" (i before e except after c), but it's not really difficult to remember.

"...except in "ay" words like 'neighbor' or 'weigh' " :smalltongue:

I think it's pronounced "Hay-row-knee-us" but I could be wrong there.

Foryn Gilnith
2010-06-10, 02:44 PM
You mean Heironeous?

It's all those vowels at the end. I can remember gaseous and homogeneous, but Heironeous trips me up for some reason.

Xallace
2010-06-10, 02:45 PM
Fharlhanghnhnhnhnlhlhn[/B]. Deity. In my games he's referred to as "F the Unspellable."


In our games, praying to Fharlaghn consists entirely of trying to pronounce his name for 15 minutes.

lesser_minion
2010-06-10, 02:46 PM
On the other hand, Pay no Heed, a spell of Lore of Shadow found in Realms of Sorcery has a pretty cool name. For those unfamiliar with WFRP, it basically makes the caster ignored by everyone.

I always liked the Quack Medicine and Botched Surgery results.

You Won't Feel a Thing (the patient gains d10 Insanity points) May Cause Drowsiness (the patient is knocked unconscious for d10 hours) Whoops! (the patient loses d10 intelligence permanently) A Surgical Triumph (no effect whatsoever).


The Handmaidens were quite interesting as well (blind, dark-feathered shades of burned witches who arise from doors and windows, heralded by the sound of fluttering wings, to hunt down Alchemists and Celestial wizards).

The Rose Dragon
2010-06-10, 02:59 PM
"...except in "ay" words like 'neighbor' or 'weigh' " :smalltongue:

I think it's pronounced "Hay-row-knee-us" but I could be wrong there.

English has an exception for every exception. Sometimes an exception to that one as well. One of the signs of a naturally evolved language.

Morty
2010-06-10, 03:05 PM
I always liked the Quack Medicine and Botched Surgery results.

You Won't Feel a Thing (the patient gains d10 Insanity points) May Cause Drowsiness (the patient is knocked unconscious for d10 hours) Whoops! (the patient loses d10 intelligence permanently) A Surgical Triumph (no effect whatsoever).


The Handmaidens were quite interesting as well (blind, dark-feathered shades of burned witches who arise from doors and windows, heralded by the sound of fluttering wings, to hunt down Alchemists and Celestial wizards).

WFRP writers do have a knack for names. Sadly, I can't provide any more, seeing as I only skimmed through RoS in English and my core rulebook is in Polish.

Optimystik
2010-06-10, 03:19 PM
English has an exception for every exception. Sometimes an exception to that one as well. One of the signs of a naturally evolved language.

I wasn't really trying to show you up or anything - I was just completing your quote.

On topic... yeah... some feats have bad names, or something.

Pluto
2010-06-10, 07:37 PM
RAGE MAGE: It's ridiculous, over-the-top and hilarious.

Likewise, Necrotic Skull Bomb and Five-Shadow Ice Enervation Strike are just so absurd that I can't help but love them.

Decerebrate: I hear it and I go "Okay." Then, a second later, I think about it and just go "whoa."
Defenestrating Sphere: At first, I heard the name and rolled my eyes, thinking "defenestrate" was being used inappropriately, in the spirit that "decimate" always seems to be used in. Then I realized that it was appropriate and that WotC had really printed a spell that throws people out of windows.

Precognition, Offensive/Prescience, Offensive/Prescience: They're not flashy, they're not catchy, they're not informative.

Metabreath: I get that this is just going along the lines of Metamagic, Metapsionics and their ilk. But the words sound silly and meta- is typically used in English to indicate self-reference (metafiction, metacognition, etc.). In that context, this term is utter nonsense.

Fighter: What is it the other classes do again? This is easily the least evocative and least informative title in D&D.
Rogue: That's a personality, not an occupation.
Feat: What about these are traits and abilities makes them achievements?

Talon Sky
2010-06-10, 08:20 PM
This one's kinda cheating, but whatever:

Rust Dragon. It's a Rust Monster that's also a Dragon. YOU. ARE. BONED.

(As a side note, new campaign plot idea.)

I love you.

Anyways, I always chuckle at the Rod of Lordly Might. Hehehehe.

"Hey baby, wanna see my Rod of Lordly Might?"

grolim
2010-06-10, 09:12 PM
I always like the spell power word: Bleed from rolemaster. The amount you bleed every round is based on how much you fail your save by. So a very good caster roll and a very bad resist and you can make someone bleed more than they have hp through their skin in 1 second. Nice ghastly imagery and a REALLY nice bonus on the follow up intimidation checks.

One Step Two
2010-06-11, 12:18 AM
Exalted, Martial Arts of all manners both official and Fan Made evoke some of the best imagery, such as:

Caress of Ten-Thousand Hells, Capstone of the Righteous Devil Style Martial art.
Central Pillar Attack Pattern Majesty, from the super Sentai Matial art, Crimson Pentacle Blade Style.
Unfolding Retribution Stance, from Mantis Style, Life Severing Blow of the Violet Bier of Sorrows, and Searing the Beholder's Eye from the Vermeil Snare of Perfection Fan-made (http://exalted.xi.co.nz/wiki/MartialArts/VermeilSnareOfPerfectionStyle) Martial art.

And many others.

Rauthiss
2010-06-11, 01:45 AM
Greyguard, from Complete Scoundrel, IIRC. "I'm like a blackguard... only less black..."

Temotei
2010-06-11, 01:51 AM
Flurry of blows...

Sounds like a euphemism.

:smallbiggrin:

panaikhan
2010-06-11, 02:10 AM
Defenestrating Sphere: At first, I heard the name and rolled my eyes, thinking "defenestrate" was being used inappropriately, in the spirit that "decimate" always seems to be used in. Then I realized that it was appropriate and that WotC had really printed a spell that throws people out of windows.
Whoa. Just which book is THIS one out of? :smalleek:

Optimystik
2010-06-11, 02:11 AM
Whoa. Just which book is THIS one out of? :smalleek:

Spell Compendium

Great spell, sends kender flying.

panaikhan
2010-06-11, 02:12 AM
On topic, and a loooooooooooong time ago, I always liked the descriptions from Tunnels and Trolls..

"Softly Softly" - a silence spell for your feet.
"Take That You Fiend" - being the only 'attack' spell that comes to mind.

Pronounceable
2010-06-11, 04:53 AM
Unholy Blight (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0011.html)! Especially if you hear it as Christopher Lee for some unfathomable reason.
...
I'll go somewhere no one has ever gone (on this thread that is) and put stuff from an MMO. Specifically, Age of Conan.


Aura of Dread Fury: a self buff of the dark templar (leecher tank), which sadly sucks

Covenant of Pestilence: another self buff of the templar

Hex Marked Soul: yet another templar buff (they get buffs by the truckloads)

Curse of Gwahlur: nevermind the curse, Gwahlur is an awesome name. (and yes, yet another templar buff)

Flame Lash: a heavy hitting attack spell by the herald of xotli (melee mage)

Pillar of Infernal Flame: a combo of the hox

Undying Glory of Xotli: self resurrection ability of the hox

Glorious Exultation of Xotli: a self buff of the hox (Xotli is awesome too, but not as much as Gwahlur)

Furious Resurgence: an in combat resurrection ability, which consists of the conqueror (offtank) raising his fist in the air and screaming angily at the dead party member lying on the ground. Subsequently, said dead party member gets up.

Guard of Dancing Steel: a combo of the conqueror

Blasphemous Ruin: an aoe spell by the necromancer (pet mage)

Flesh to Worms: an attack spell by the necromancer that turns an enemy's flesh to (surprise!) worms that gnaw further on his flesh. Which can spread to nearby enemies. (alas it's all fluff, net result is just a bunch of floating damage numbers and some "dark magic" particles)

Despoil the Soul: another buff from necromancer (necros sure get all the cool names in AoC) that removes pet points for extra magic damage

Let Them Burn: a spell of the demonologist (blaster mage) which is simply the best fire spell name ever
...
As for lameness, there's always the Bicycle Kick.
...
Go on, tell us about all those awesome and horrible names you've seen in various games.

Solophoenix
2010-06-11, 05:08 AM
How has this gone four pages without Kaleidoscope Doom!?

Cyclocone
2010-06-11, 08:05 AM
Archmage, it's badass while being brief and to the point.

Quite unlike other things I could mention. Hurr, hurr... Slaughterstone Eviscerator! Rar!

true_shinken
2010-06-11, 09:54 AM
The Soulknife has Bladewind. The name is just awesome.
As if that was not enough, the description is amazing! You fragment your mind blade into dozens, maybe hundreds of small fragments and they hit everyone around you!
It's, like, Limit Break material!

Reynard
2010-06-11, 10:04 AM
The Soulknife has Bladewind. The name is just awesome.
As if that was not enough, the description is amazing! You fragment your mind blade into dozens, maybe hundreds of small fragments and they hit everyone around you!
It's, like, Limit Break material!

Yeah, it's like Lamda Burst for Skies of Arcadia.

In more ways than just the description.

nekomata2
2010-06-11, 10:46 AM
How has this gone four pages without Kaleidoscope Doom!?

I mentioned it on page 1.

balistafreak
2010-06-11, 11:14 AM
Blessed by Tem-Et-Nu.

The name isn't awesome, and seems dreadfully vanilla and part of a stupid cycle of useless feats. However, surprisingly it's not.

And the first word in the description that jumps out to you will make you a believer.

Hippopotamus.

Solophoenix
2010-06-11, 11:29 AM
I mentioned it on page 1.

I'm really not sure how I missed that, because I remember agreeing strongly with your mention of the Jade Phoenix Mage.

Thieves
2010-06-11, 05:07 PM
Go on, tell us about all those awesome and horrible names you've seen in various games.

GAWD. How could I forget. RAGNAROK ONLINE!

The international version is sadly very much devoid of these, but if you check the Korean names of skills... I mean, for me, this is art in a way. So many of them tend to be so clumsy and so distinctively jRPG that they evoke this magical atmosphere of playing FF VII and FFT as a 14-year old. That's good times.

Gunslinger hits it hard: Rapid Shower, Desperado, Full Buster, Dust (a 3-meter-knockback shotgun-to-the-face attack, could they have named it any better!?), Crowd Control Shot, the knight's Brandish Spear, Bowling Bash, the creator's Acid Demonstration, the whitesmith's Cart Termination, the assassin's Grimtooth... the list goes on and on and on, and THEN you get to the names of all the Items and Monsters and their Cards, which I feel 10 times better conditioned with than any names that may spring up when playing D&D.

GolemsVoice
2010-06-12, 06:55 PM
Unhallowed Metropolis, and the book detailing ghosts and psychic powers, Unhallowed Necropolis qualify hard.

You've got flaws like Combustible Dreams (the psychic defends agains his nightmare with very real fire!), Living Furnace (the psychich's skin is always hot to the touch), Catalyst of Despair (mysery follows the character wherever he goes) and of course classes like the Undertaker, who goes around killing Zombies for money.

lesser_minion
2010-06-12, 07:25 PM
I guess if we're going to go with the odd video game name, then there's always the GES (Green Exploding ...) Bio Rifle and the ASMD (And Suck My ...) Shock Rifle, thanks to their refreshing lack of technobabble. Featured in both Unreal and Unreal Tournament.

Console death messages don't really qualify as 'names', but "Silly player, grenades are for enemies..." should raise a smile.

Dhavaer
2010-06-12, 07:50 PM
For video games: Dragon Age's Storm of the Century spell combination. Looks cool, too.

The Epic Level Handbook had Momento Mori to kill people as a free action with no components.

The Rose Dragon
2010-06-12, 08:04 PM
Oh, how could we forget She Who Lives in Her Name?

Considering her name is She Who Lives in Her Name, it is entirely recursive, becoming She Who Lives in She Who Lives in She Who Lives in (...) She Who Lives in Her Name.

I mostly call her the Principle, after her title, the Principle of Hierarchy.

Reynard
2010-06-12, 08:10 PM
Or Swillin'

RelentlessImp
2010-06-12, 08:47 PM
+1 for Defenstrating Sphere. I laughed for about 20 minutes when I read the spell.
Also +1 for Nailed to the Sky.

DOOM
BFG 9000 Big F***ing Gun, Model 9000. Simple, descriptive, and hey, it lives up to its name.

D&D
Apocalypse from the Sky The name just evokes images of ruin in a gargantuan radius; nevermind that the Locate City Bomb does more at a lower level, it doesn't have a name so awesome.
Effulgent Epuration I don't know why but this name makes me smile; probably because of the alliteration (especially with its original name "Elminster's Effulgent Epuration"). You're guaranteed to get looks of 'bwuh?' the first time you cast this at the table.

Exalted
Death Flies Two Sails from Books of Sorcery Vol II, the Black Treatise. The name is just so awesome-sounding, and I can easily imagine a mortal sailor whispering the name in a horror-filled voice.

The Tygre
2010-06-13, 08:01 PM
Vengeful Gaze of God: The Epic spell for when you absolutely need to SEIZE THE DAY AND **** ITS CORPSE.

Optimystik
2010-06-13, 08:30 PM
On the subject of epic spells: Hellball! Awesome name, craptastic spell.