(3.5) truename research: does it have ANY use?

[lycantrope]

So I've been pouring through all materials related to playing and optimizing truenamers in order to play one in a new campaign, starting at level one, and I have a build in mind that allows me to utter respectably without a bad case of mush mouth, but also lets me defer the researching aspect to a university staffed by a cohort and followers. Pretty good racket I have going here, except for one problem: did wizards bother incorporating the results of truename research into the game? The only use for personal truenames that I've found in dragon mags has been a few lackluster feats that lower dr, among other things. As far as I understand, personal truenames don't make my utterances more powerful, and don't really affect targeting "the red dragon" works just as well as the dragons actual name. Any insights into this problem are welcome, as are possible home brew solutions if there really is no use to this awesome mechanic.

[golem1972]

Try kyeodo's truenamer fix. It changes the way utterances work when you add a truename.

Also, try to get the research time reduced to days or even hours. 1 week per 2 cr is a stupid long amountof time (a library and a feat reduce it to 1/4).

It is also possible to homebrew in utterring spells. This would probably up the truenamer to tier 0 so be warned. My group did this at a dc of 20 + ((spell level +1)squared). Truespeak optimization was taken for granted.

[Waker]

I would have to dig around to find out, but if memory serves there is a use for Truenames in Book of Exalted Deeds under the section concerning Words of Creation. I think there was an ability that let you summon a creature if you knew it's Truename.

[Chronos]

A personal truename is also required for some spells, such as Unname (the ultimate kill-spell) or Truename Dispelling (the ultimate debuff against a spellcaster). Unfortunately, these spells are unavailable to a truenamer, since there's no way to advance both truenaming and spellcasting.

[lycantrope]

I hadnt realized there was RAW synergy with words of creation. While not worth the feat investment for my character, it seems like an amazing choice for my fellow party members to actually benefit from my efforts directly. I wonder if the vile darkness equivalent dark speech has similar synergy. . .

I really like the spell conversion research idea, but as noted it would have to be played by ear to avoid creating a super caster. Im going for a WoW warlock style mailman build, layering reversed words of nurturing, anyway, so this would be a good pathway to utility.

Any ideas for what spells might be fit thematically for a truenamer to convert into utterances? Power words are the obvious choice, as well as spells along the lones of the fantasy namer staples that already exist, ala control winds and earthquake. Wish/miracle seems like it would fit the bill, but obviously it would have to have an xp cost.

[Bonzai]

I played a Truenamer in a campaign from lvl 3-15. I used it once, and it was for a 3rd party feat that oddly required the knowledge of your personal true name as a pre-req (and this was for a team mate as I already knew mine).

We were playing the Comyr/Shadowdale/Annorach trilogy, and without going into major spoilers I can tell you that Shar was heavily involved in them. So much so, that my Truenamer began to believe that the only way to stop all these gods from getting in the way of his research was to kill Shar.

So I looked into it, and it really isn't that hard to learn a greater deities true name all things considered. So it had me thinking about how I would do it. First I would need to get around their portfolio sense. Then it struck me that the ritual of renaming could help there. The ritual theoretically restructures your essence, literally creating a new version of you. Since that version of you won't exist until the ritual, it could allow you to get the jump on a diety, as they shouldn't be able to get pre-preemptive until the ritual is done, which will be just before you make your attack. Sure, they will know an attack is coming, but they won't be able to find the person involved until that person comes into existence.

Then you just need to get lucky with an unnaming spell, which is a whole other topic.

[Flickerdart]

Deities don't use truenames in their portfolio sense, so changing your truename won't make a lick of difference.

[Zombimode]

Well, the See the Named and Sending classfeatures of the Truenamer require the knowledge of personal truenames.

Both abilities can be very useful in the right campaign (or utterly useless in the wrong).

[Kuulvheysoon]

Deities don't use truenames in their portfolio sense, so changing your truename won't make a lick of difference.

I believe that his point is that the deity knows that person A is going to try an unname her, but up until the Ritual of Renaming, Person A doesn't actually exist.

At least, I think that that's the point Bonzai is trying to say.

[lycantrope]

Could the truename of a deity or other unique outsider be used to compel them to come through a gate spell, or is this just wishful thinking?

[Gemini476]

As far as I understand, personal truenames don't make my utterances more powerful, and don't really affect targeting "the red dragon" works just as well as the dragons actual name.

Actually, the DC to resist your utterance is raised by... I think it was 4? Since the DC to speak a Truename is a +4, it isn't really worth it. They are pretty useless, although there is a feat somewhere in Dragon that let's you use True names in an improved Binding. Search GITP for binding Elder Evils and you should find it.

It should be noted that there are three or more different versions of "true names" floating around sourcebooks, with most of them coming before ToM. A DM might be nice enough to let you substitute True name Research for the feat that let's you know the Name of a devil, etc.

EDIT: A diety or unique outsider might go through the gate, but that would probably be for the explicit purpose to kill you for knowing their truename, if fluff is any indication. There isn't really much of a reasoning to care about people knowing your Name, really.True Nicknames are where it's at.

[Flickerdart]

I believe that his point is that the deity knows that person A is going to try an unname her, but up until the Ritual of Renaming, Person A doesn't actually exist.

At least, I think that that's the point Bonzai is trying to say.
That doesn't actually follow either. The deity's portfolio sense isn't predicated on just one variable (the truename) because deities don't use truenames. The person that will attack them (you) still exist, just with a different truename. This is exactly the same as putting on a different hat and expecting the deity to be surprised because holy crap there wasn't a guy dressed exactly like you trying to kill it before.

[Bonzai]

I believe that his point is that the deity knows that person A is going to try an unname her, but up until the Ritual of Renaming, Person A doesn't actually exist.

At least, I think that that's the point Bonzai is trying to say.

Yep. Going by the fluff, your true name is how reality defines you. It contains everything you are, and all of your life experiences. By giving yourself a new true name, you are essentially giving yourself a false ID and your old one ceases to exist.

So if Loth for example gets a ping, and knows that some one named Mike Rotch is going to kill her several months from now, she will start casting divinations and tasking her minions to find you.

Loth: "I have just received fore knowledge that Mike Rotch is going to kill me".
Yochols: show shock and concern "Have you had it checked?"
Loth: "What? No. I need to find Mike Rotch now! But I have looked everywhere, and I can't seem to find him.."
Yochols: "You call it a "him"?"
Loth: getting irritated "Yes! What else would I call Mike Rotch?".
Yochols: look at each other with amusement, "Uh.... nothing. Well... it's kind hard to tell on a spider... but have you checked some between the thorax and abdomen?".
Loth: "What in the 9 hells are you talking about? Have you seen Mike Rotch or not?".
Yochols: ::snicker::

Long story short, Mike Rotch doesn't exist yet. He won't exist until the ritual takes place. Until then, he can make his preparations without divine interference.