Gnaming my gnome

[PaigeXenon]

I am planing on playing a specialist gnome necromancer and she needs some names. I would ideally like 6 or 7 nicknames for her. but I'm not getting any good ideas. I plan on making other characters use all of her names when addressing her or she wont respond to them.

This game will be semi serous so joke names aren't really wanted and I would like to try and hide the fact she is a necromancer other than that have fun? I hope you guys have better ideas than me.

[Feralventas]

Mirribel Ethel Deirdre Iris Cathrine Anna Laura?

[PaigeXenon]

I also need to come up with an interesting idea for a skeleton minion.

[Byke]

I also need to come up with an interesting idea for a skeleton minion.

A gnome necromancer with a skeletal minion screams Mech to me :smallbiggrin: get an ogre or half-giant skeleton throw some full plate on it and make yourself a comfy living space in his chest cavity. Ensure you have some kind of line of sight to cast spells out of.

If you throw in a hat of disguise and some minor illusions you might be able to even pass him off as a member of the party! Where you can pretend to be a fighter/gish type. No one would ever know your a gnome necromancer :)

You can also have a lot of fun with awaken undead, spell stitching, undead grafts, to make a truly memorable skeletal minion.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

This game will be semi serous so joke names aren't really wanted and I would like to try and hide the fact she is a necromancer other than that have fun? I hope you guys have better ideas than me.

I'll keep it to 4-5 names, as 6-7 names to memorize and recite every time will get on everyone's nerves.

That said, I, at least, would want to know more about her personality and quirks before coming up with nicknames, as well as more about how the campaign world sees Gnomes. That will help tailor the name to the character.

[PaigeXenon]

Sadly i can only start with a human skeleton minion and can't get anything bigger untill i get to a level where i can create my own undead

I am going for the mad scientist feel for her always tinkering and experimenting usually on the dead. Hiding that she is a necromancer is almost impossible not as part of her background she was a mortician. Personality wise she is going to be a bit eccentric. I haven't worked out a full personality for her yet ideas for how to play her would also be welcome. I am pumping points in to knowledge religion for the study of different death rituals and undead in general. (also going to become a palemaster so i need it anyway)

[Dr.Epic]

Garlic Jr.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

I am going for the mad scientist feel for her always tinkering and experimenting usually on the dead. Hiding that she is a necromancer is almost impossible not as part of her background she was a mortician. Personality wise she is going to be a bit eccentric. I haven't worked out a full personality for her yet ideas for how to play her would also be welcome. I am pumping points in to knowledge religion for the study of different death rituals and undead in general. (also going to become a palemaster so i need it anyway)

Alright. So we've got an eccentric, experimental mortician, and a Gnomish one at that. Here's a thought:

Amalia "Gurneymouse" Tinkerbone

After thinking it over, I decided to many names would dilute the value of each individual one, as well as making the whole name clunky and difficult to pronounce smoothly. Therefore, I chose just one nickname, but I chose it carefully.

I chose "Gurneymouse" as a nickname because I had a great mental image of a mildly death-obsessed young Gnome running around underfoot in the Morgue, darting around the legs of gurneys and generally making a nuisance of herself. Such a child might be given a nickname like this by the bemused (but often annoyed) morticians, and it would reasonably continue on as she was apprenticed there.

"Tinkerbone" as a surname is part tradition (Gnome names are often presented as combinations of existing words), and also a name that an eccentric, experimental mortician might receive. In such a world she might have been an orphan found running around a Gnomish city by a mortician or mortician's assistant, and thus been taken in by the morgue staff. An orphan wouldn't really need a surname, as she'd be around the morgue and whatever house she was adopted by, and thus she'd likely be given a surname once she completed her apprenticeship and was deemed capable of being out on her own.

Now, it would probably be frowned upon to experiment on the dead themselves, so the name might come from a fondness for performing experiments and/or creating art with the bones of animals: a hobby she has now melded with some learned arcane arts and turned into a practice used on human and gnomish bodies as well.

Alternatively, the community she comes from could revel in necromancy: perhaps reanimating the dead is considered a high art, and wealthy patrons pay good money to return as ghouls who feast on animal flesh or the bodies of the less wealthy. In this world she's on the path to becoming a master mortician, and her name is a reflection of her predilection towards her art.


Sadly i can only start with a human skeleton minion and can't get anything bigger untill i get to a level where i can create my own undead

In the first suggestion (non-necromancy civilization of origin), this skeleton would probably be in relatively poor condition visually, as it was probably hastily dug up from a human village's graveyard. That said, Amalia probably has a special fondness for it (perhaps going so far as to name it) because it is her first real creation. It might stagger around a bit, or occasionally freeze up, or be a bit lopsided, or held together with string in places, but it's her's, and that's what matters.

In the second suggestion (pro-necromancy civilization of origin), the skeleton is either her project to become a journeymen in her trade (present the master with proof of your skill) and she is now training to become a master (with the ability to raise sentient undead), or it was a parting gift from the morgue she once worked at: perhaps an old and doddery skeleton or zombie who used to do odd jobs around the mortuary, and one whom she grew up with. Perhaps, as much as a mindless, shambling entity can, it actually likes her.

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I'm also really liking this character as she popped into my head, so the stuff I wrote above may be something I end up using myself someday. Funny how something as simple as "eccentric Gnomish necromancer who worked in a morgue" can put so strong a character concept into one's head. :smallbiggrin:

[Phelix-Mu]

"Isadora" always seemed like a cool name to me. An obvious nickname, if she had brothers or sisters or cousins around the house when she was a kid is the name of one of those others, which her parents were constantly confusing her with... I was thinking "Eugenius." The idea is that it was irritating at first, then her friends started calling her it as part of joking around about her parents forgetting her name, and eventually she just adopted it as one of her monikers.

"Calebala" is also interesting, as are "Fredora" or "Liloona/Liluna" or something of the sort.

You should definitely work on a little flavor of how she got each nickname. Great rp fluff for conversations with other party members.

[PaigeXenon]

I am really liking it as well.

Your names are very good choices i will probably use them.

My DM still is undecided about how the culture feels about necromancy so The idea I had for getting the skeleton was sneaking in to the crypt one night and making it out of one of the bodies. I am hoping that my DM will let it be some one important and that fact be discovered later so the persons family would come after me and that would spiral in to a whole set of mini adventures.

[Darth Stabber]

I usually use long single names for gnomes. Like one of the NPCs in the game I am running is panoraxidaxiformus (nickname pan), though he did endup with family name due to being adopted by halforc arcanists (dragonson, since the family he was adopted by is decended from a black dragon). The chief librarian is also a gnome, named professor ackerlydomandovostrousii (nicknamed ackerly).

Their names tend to pick up sylables over time, begining with the last sylable of each parent's name at the time of birth, and picking up additional syllables at important points in their lives, though what syllable they pick up follows no logic discernable to non-gnomes. They generally don't like the shortened nicknames, but accept that living with non-gnomes pretty much requires it. They will never refer to themselves by it, instead their friends and coworkers will simply stop after the first 1-3 syllables.

[Acanous]

Gnomes pick names that are fun to say.
Good names for Gnomes I've heard before are;
Flibjib
Schmee
Kyankekee
Biffonicus
Kathica

there's only one female name in there, but you get the point :p

[PaigeXenon]

One of the other players suggested that she not think there is anything wrong with necromancy no mater the thoughts about it in the world. after thinking more about this character a bit more i realize she has nothing to aim for no life goals having one might help with creating a name any ideas?

[Phelix-Mu]

Someone that works in a morgue is probably familiar with how the standard, everyday people act when confronted with death (fear, grief, denial, etc.). As your character is not really afraid of death, you might be on some kind of quest to teach people about how death isn't as terrible and horrible as everyone tends to think.

Now, how you go about this with necromancy isn't totally obvious, but maybe your character is thinking outside of the coffin...er...box, so to speak.

[hymer]

Sometimes you don't need something to work towards. Just something to run away from (such as the family of the corpse you've animated). As you run you may come upon something worth having as you play the character.

The usual choices with wizards is something about perfecting their art, achieving something specific with magic, etc. In your case, sounds like your character is pretty focused on playing around with the essences of life and death, what with your alchemical goals and magical focus. What brought this on? General fascination? Or was there something more specific? Mockery led to excellence? It used to be nice, but the original noble goal got lost along the way?

Or you could take something more unexpected, perhaps entirely unrelated to your skills, like wanting revenge on someone, recover a lost item, or wanting to see the brightest green colour in the world.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

One of the other players suggested that she not think there is anything wrong with necromancy no mater the thoughts about it in the world. after thinking more about this character a bit more i realize she has nothing to aim for no life goals having one might help with creating a name any ideas?

Perhaps she accidentally brought something monstrous to life, but her mastery over the necromantic arts isn't strong enough to put it to rest again.

Perhaps she was ostracized for her practice of necromancy, and wants to prove that it can transcend popular opinion and be used as a force for good.

Perhaps, as I mentioned, she travels the world to hone her arts, so she can return home and officially become a master of necromancy (again...pro-necromancy community).

Perhaps she is deluded, and thinks necromancy allows the dead to experience the world again, and wants to share that with them. Perhaps she doesn't believe in an afterlife, so she strives to give even the dead a little longer on the earth.

[Toy Killer]

What about looking for a specific body? Weather you're looking for a relative, an idol or a specific set of circumstances, Autopsies are the predominate reason a morgue exists (as opposed to a mortuary, where people drop off the dead to be put to rest eternally). I could imagine a Gnome family running a morgue, as creepy as that is, with a daughter looking over daddy's shoulder explaining how they know what they learn from examining the corpse.

Which, in turn, explains a fascination with death, and a high Intellect score; Breeding grounds for a necromancer I'd say, especially with Gnomes (as they're already attuned to magic).

Now, following Joseph Campbell's hero cycle, she just needs a call to adventure. Fortunately, with you're back story and unique upbringing this allots for various options:

Something is unique to her in her community (I was specifically thinking the tomb-tainted feat, given the affinity for the feat to necromancers; however, you could just as easily give it any number of RP specific traits that have undead flavoring to them.) and no one is sure why. She sets out to find the answer, looking for someone, anyone that is like her.

An outbreak of strange fleshy growths are appearing in the bodies brought in to the family morgue. Most of them are traveling merchants, and a couple of them still pulsed and squirmed while the body had passed on. Your family still needs to keep the shop running, but gnomes being gnomes, particularly teenaged to young adult gnomes, you had to go sniff out the source.

Your mom/dad had caught wind of a horrific conspiracy in the local community through the dead brought in. When the conspirators (Could be cultists sacrificing virgins, serial killer in a noble family, half-vampire in a wealthy household, whatever) catch wind that their secret may be revealed, they ransacked the morgue, killed the owners, made it look like a robbery gone wrong... but the hired hands didn't know that they had a little girl...


The why to adventuring, in my honest opinion, always makes the game more full. When players have a character concept they want me to implement into the game, it makes it so much less numbers and actions and so much more cooperative story telling.

But then again, I may just be Crazy.

[PaigeXenon]

Why are your brains so good at this?

I know that she is an orphan as part of her background. I like the idea of her not believing in an afterlife and want to give the dead longer in this world. With this would she even worship a god ?

As far as a reason to adventure our dm is planing on the railroad approach but i would like some reason to keep going after the first adventure.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Why are your brains so good at this?

I know that she is an orphan as part of her background. I like the idea of her not believing in an afterlife and want to give the dead longer in this world. With this would she even worship a god?

To answer the first question: I've been doing heavy character-based RP for over a decade now, and I was always good at character writing. I just get characters springing fully-formed into my head, complete with personalities and life stories. It's fun. Free-form RP really helps you learn to focus on the character.

For the second part: not worshipping a god makes sense. Alternatively, maybe Olidammara. The trickster god might be a good choice: after all, the afterlife is a cruel trick if it doesn't exist, and a god's magics might, in her mind, explain why the afterlife that DOES exist in D&D lore isn't actually a thing.

Not that while she might believe in Olidammara and/or worship him, she probably doesn't like him much. Alternatively, she's actually hugely devoted, and she's getting the better of his tricks by extending the life span of his creation. Maybe she thinks he'll respect her sheer audacity, and laugh at her bravery to spite a god.

[Gnomish Wanderer]

Gnome names are best names!

Ellywick Forda Badgernackle
Pinfiddle Rowly Lilylicker
Relis Hawney Beetleblip
Barliney Samany Arthistle
Amnisy Heblivor
Rodipop Graiger La'snovelsoon
Haldera Attertookin
Ander Bane-ah Geldimly
Wottertodd Snootfoot Nelfiner
Aberlina Sagerato Billyflo

I find the more syllables per name the funner they sound, on average. Bet you can't guess how many of these I've actually used in my games :smalltongue:

[PaigeXenon]

.........i think I need help turning these ideas into something coherent to hand over to my dm. I'm not so good at such things.

[Vaz]

I enjoyed this thread based on gnomenclature.

Sorry, it was going begging.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

.........i think I need help turning these ideas into something coherent to hand over to my dm. I'm not so good at such things.

Well talk to us. What do you need help with, specifically (or vaguely)?

How the DM wants to portray necromancy in his world is important, as well as how you're allowed to portray necromancy in your character's home community.

But we're (or at least I'm) here to help. You just need to be a bit more specific on how we can help you at this stage.

[PaigeXenon]

My dms response to asking about the world - your in a city near the mountains........and he's not really sharing anything else so it's up to me to make crap up. I haven't made a coherent back ground in a while so I don't even know where to start forming something that makes sense when read.

[Darth Stabber]

I enjoyed this thread based on gnomenclature.

Sorry, it was going begging.

I was rather surprised that the thread wasn't named "gnaming my gnome".

[PaigeXenon]

I was rather surprised that the thread wasn't named "gnaming my gnome".

Happy now?

[Darth Stabber]

Happy now?

I haven't been happy in a decade, but I am much closer now. Thanks.

[Acanous]

It is a recorded fact that giving gifts and spending money make people happy.

So if you want to be happier, I can send you my paypal >.>

XD

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

My dms response to asking about the world - your in a city near the mountains........and he's not really sharing anything else so it's up to me to make crap up. I haven't made a coherent back ground in a while so I don't even know where to start forming something that makes sense when read.

Alright. That means that he'll probably be willing to work whatever you want into the world.

So you have some choices to make. We've made some suggestions...what sounded good to you?

[PaigeXenon]

I am thinking of she was an orphan that was taken in by a family of mortician. And that necromancy isn't accepted so the minion would be rushed and sort of shambling(if at all the DM still has not given the ok on the varent) . She worships olidammara but thinks the afterlife is a cruel joke and is practicing necromancy to spite the gods.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

I am thinking of she was an orphan that was taken in by a family of mortician. And that necromancy isn't accepted so the minion would be rushed and sort of shambling(if at all the DM still has not given the ok on the varent) . She worships olidammara but thinks the afterlife is a cruel joke and is practicing necromancy to spite the gods.

Alright...so you've got a pretty good idea of this character, actually. Some questions for you to think about:

Why does she disbelieve the afterlife? Was it something to do with her parent's death? Was it how she was raised? What would make someone deny the possibility of the afterlife in a world where magic is a given?

Why did she leave her home? Was her magic innate or self-discovered, and was she ostracized because of it? Did she take lessons? Was the mortician himself a hidden necromancer, and did he get discovered and killed?

[PaigeXenon]

Her parents were necromancers who were killed while performing a necrmantic ritual. The people who killed her parents did not know they had a daughter. In her parent's notes they had a theory about the non existence of the after life. The mortician who took her in were friends of her parents they did not know they were necromancers they just thought they were normal wizards. Her necromancy is self taught from studying books her parents had.

[Laserlight]

I would ideally like 6 or 7 nicknames for her. but I'm not getting any good ideas. I plan on making other characters use all of her names when addressing her or she wont respond to them.

I suspect that won't last long. There's a reason people have nicknames which are usually one or two syllables.

Even more so when you're in a hostile situation. "Anabella Bartholomea Charlotte Desdomona Eglentine Frances Gnomenclature, look out! Ah well, too bad, the trap got her."

[PaigeXenon]

Yeah that idea has been abandoned.

I also need to figure out my prohibited schools for being a specialist wizard