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Gemini Lupus
2014-02-11, 11:06 AM
Short, sweet, and to the point: What do you guys think of stealing names from pop culture, literature, video games, tv & movies, etc? Whether you take the whole concept along with the name or just use the name because it sounds really cool, do you do it? Or do you think that people ought to come up with their own names and just use the concepts as inspiration?

For example, in my campaign setting, I'm pretty shameless with some of the names I use, there is an Excalibur in the world, wielded by the King Arthur analogue, though his name in my world is Artos, which is more Celtic. The nordic zone of my world I am basing largely on Skyrim and am toying with just keeping the name, since a lot of it will be pretty easy to spot. In the history of my world, there was a powerful civilization that was destroyed and has left the world with only a few descendants and many powerful artifacts, including near-magic blades, a la Atlantis or Valyria from A Song of Ice and Fire, and I am keeping the name Valyria for this civilization. And again in my setting, there is an Empire on the south and east portions of the continent that I am basing on the Roman and Byzantine Empire, which I am calling Deltora, not because I'm basing it on the Deltora from the Deltora Quest series, but more because I just like the name.

Of course, I have no intentions of publishing this setting, so no worries about copywrite infringement, but what do you guys think of doing this? Or if you prefer to come up with your own names, how do you do it?

Rhynn
2014-02-11, 11:33 AM
Standard operating procedure. The only thing is, the players need to not recognize it. Changes (Artos to Arthur, etc.) are a good idea. Thus, stealing prominent names from something famous is generally a poor idea.

I mostly prefer to go with Latin and with names from specific cultures. I find that East European names - Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, etc., over Russian or Polish - go great with generic medieval European fantasy. Frankish names are good, too, even if they may sound a bit hobbitish. Saxon names, likewise, are great. Actual old Norse names are good, too (can't use anything that's in modern use, because it will just sound local or Swedish, and neither sounds cool :smalltongue: ).

Dawgmoah
2014-02-11, 11:40 AM
I steal names from anywhere and anyhow. Be it playing with Google Translate or reading powerpoint slides during a presentation. Got a big list of names saved up and every once and a while I'll sort it and kill the duplicates.

When it comes to concepts or items; I will change their names so the players don't know exatly what they have in their hands.

Lord Torath
2014-02-11, 11:48 AM
The Bible is a great source for obscure names as well. Genesis is full of amazing names. Some versions will have an Index that lists them all for you in easy-to-find format.

I've had a half-formed idea bouncing around in my head for years for an artifact called the Golden Wedge of Ophir.

zephyrkinetic
2014-02-11, 11:56 AM
I don't take much from pop culture, per se (though I did let someone worship the water god "A'quamihn"), but I do use regular-guy names all the time. Usually for "throwaway" NPCs (the guy running the tavern in that little town you're never going back to, the local smith, any dead-man-walking, etc). Barry, Steve, Dave, Jim, Bill, Dan, Mike, etc.

Conversations at my table often follow this format:
Player: "Ok, I need to find a smith in town."
Me: "Sure. Roll a Gather Info." [I base the quality of the smith's equipment on the strength of their ability to find a reputable smith.]
Player: "Uh... *roll* Ok, 19?"
Me: "Cool. You easily find the best guy in town, who has a large array of-"
Players [simultaneously]: "What's his name?!"
Me: "*sigh* I dunno. Joe the Blacksmith."
Players [simultaneously]: *lol*

Anyway, it seems they like it, so I don't bother trying to come up with "Hothgar" or "Darelius" or "Sven" every time. On the same token, if your players would enjoy meeting a serving wench named "Miley," or a Baroness called "Lady Gaga," then go for it.

Rhynn
2014-02-11, 12:01 PM
Other favorites of mine: Arthurian myth (whether Welsh or later; e.g. Bellangere, Calogrenant, Meleagant, Pelleas, etc.), stories of Charlemagne's paladins, the Mabinogion, and Celtic, Gaelic, Scottish, and Welsh names in general. I've got a few text files with names sorted by origin, gender, and alphabetically, and between them probably have 5,000 (who knows!) names, so I'm never going to run out or be going "Um uh um, Steven... with a PH."

Slipperychicken
2014-02-11, 12:40 PM
You should be fine as long as you're even remotely tasteful and/or subtle about it.

For example, if you're going to make an Assassin's Creed ripoff PC, don't call him Altaiir. Yes, one player I knew made at least 3 characters who were murderhobo versions of their videogame counterparts. The very least you can do is file off the serial numbers and pretend it was a unique creation.

As for coming up with throwaway NPC names, you could just screw around on Seventhsanctum (http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-name.php) or some other name-generator, then keep a few name-lists around in text files or hard-copies. Then if someone asks Goblin Spearman #8 for his name, you can just read off the next name on the "Goblin" list, then mark that name off (and maybe write a note next to it if the interaction was important), or have a "Generic Human" list for when the PCs try to talk to shopkeeps and such. Giving names to minor characters, especially allies and casualties, can help a lot.

Pex
2014-02-11, 01:21 PM
I find it annoying of people who use names only later to find out come from Doctor Who.

Ravens_cry
2014-02-11, 01:43 PM
Names can be useful. Done right, they can pique certain subconscious expectations that can be either fulfilled or denied at the DM's leisure. Of course, it can be done poorly. Having a traitor be someone named Judas verges on farce. Bennedict might be a subtler choice depending on audience. It could be fun to have that not be the traitor, but it's a trick you can really only play once. Names too familiar can be immersion breaking in games not set in the real world, and that's not even getting into name meanings that don't really fit with the fictional culture.

oudeis
2014-02-11, 01:57 PM
Other favorites of mine: Arthurian myth (whether Welsh or later; e.g. Bellangere, Calogrenant, Meleagant, Pelleas, etc.), stories of Charlemagne's paladins, the Mabinogion, and Celtic, Gaelic, Scottish, and Welsh names in general. I've got a few text files with names sorted by origin, gender, and alphabetically, and between them probably have 5,000 (who knows!) names, so I'm never going to run out or be going "Um uh um, Steven... with a PH."want please

Jay R
2014-02-11, 02:08 PM
There are several possible results:

1. The players don't recognize the name.
Example: I introduce a Braavosi to a bunch of players who know nothing about Game of Thrones.
Effect: neutral. You just found a name easily.

2. The players recognize the name, and it makes no difference.
Example: Example: I introduce a Braavosi, and it only tells them his accent will be Italian.
Effect: neutral.

3. The players recognize the name, and it gives them meta-knowledge that helps them in the game.
Example: Example: I introduce a Braavosi, so they all know he's a trained assassin.
Effect: Negative if they use it; neutral to semi-negative if they do their best to ignore what they know.

4. The players recognize the name, and it gives them meta-knowledge that hurts them in the game.
Example: Example: I introduce a Braavosi who they all assume is an assassin so they avoid him, but he is really Syrio - a great fencing master they could learn from.
Effect: Anywhere from sad to hilarious.

5. The players recognize the name, and it gives them clues to ponder.
Example: Example: I introduce a Braavosi, and they wonder if he is a merchant, an assassin, a fencing master, ...
Effect: Positive. The game is richer, more complex, more fun.

Aim for number five.

Rhynn
2014-02-11, 02:20 PM
want please

Well, since you asked... I'll compile the different lists into one file and upload it somewhere as a PDF.

Any recommendations on file-sharing services? If not, I'll just go with Google Drive.

Really, they've just been taken off baby name websites over the years, but I guess I probably have sank a few hours total into compiling the lists, and they're handier than surfing baby name websites.

Edit: All right, it's 26 pages with a word count of over 12,000. It contains Arthurian, Basque (one of my favorites), Breton (also great), Celtic, Gaelic, Germanic, Gothic, Hungarian (also great), Norse, Saxon, Scottish, Slavonic, and Welsh names. HERE (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxO3JOWetNLiWHpTYjFMb29BTnM/edit?usp=sharing) is the link (PDF file on Google Drive).

NB: This is just stuff I've pulled off the web over the years. I have done some bare editing on it, but there will be duplications, errors, typos, mis-filings, and so on, for which I take no responsibility. :smallbiggrin:

Sith_Happens
2014-02-11, 04:17 PM
I crib names, but I prefer do so creatively/subtly. For instance, take my Draconic Spellscale Bard X/Sorcerer 1: Ozpin Dracarys. "Ozpin" as in the Wizard of Oz, because Draconic Heritage (Emerald). "Dracarys" as in what Daenerys Targaryen says to her dragons when she wants them to burn things, because go go DFI. My group has yet to catch on.

hemming
2014-02-11, 05:26 PM
Making anagrams of the names your stealing is one of my favorite ways to get names: King Arthur = Garuth Nirg (or) Arngir Kuth

If you don't have a high horse on a little meta you can give bonus points for players to unscramble a few key names at the end of the session

If the tone of the campaign is a little campy, then for a pop culture reference I say just fantasy style the name and go for it.

i.e. That young entrepreneurial fellow w/ a big personality? - Thomias of Haverford

oudeis
2014-02-11, 06:15 PM
Anagrams are one of my favorite ways to come up with names. Also, I've come up with some pretty neat names/words when I accidentally placed my fingers slightly off the home keys on my keyboard and started typing.


@Rhynn Thanks!

Rhynn
2014-02-11, 06:20 PM
As an example of using Basque names for fantasy... the nobles in the focus-realm in my setting include King Baiard of Ossadar, King Lartan of Romeno, Duke Ekain of Janzura, Duke Iratze of Bero, Duke Ranimiro of Artzai, and Duke Maurin of Zaledon.

They sound, to someone unfamiliar with the language and used to cliche Western fantasy names, very foreign and fantastical, even fanciful, and they have a convincing coherence.

Several of those include letter-switches (where a letter is moved, dropped, or changed for another), which are a simple way to jazz up fantasy names.

Edit: I wish I had any clue where I got the name for the Dwarven delving: Nozvat-Hahd-Mat. :smallannoyed:

Prince Raven
2014-02-11, 07:33 PM
I use name generators for most of my on-the-fly NPC names, important NPCs generally have a name that is "inspired" from somewhere.

nedz
2014-02-11, 09:01 PM
I take names from a variety of places. Some I just make up.

Anagrams are one of my favorite ways to come up with names. Also, I've come up with some pretty neat names/words when I accidentally placed my fingers slightly off the home keys on my keyboard and started typing.
So what's oudeis an anagram of ?

I've had a half-formed idea bouncing around in my head for years for an artefact called the Golden Wedge of Ophir.

My players would just call that The Big Wedgie :smallsigh:, though the Golden word might make that worse. One has to watch out for these things, I find.

The Oni
2014-02-11, 09:08 PM
When it happens to me it's usually an accident. In one campaign, I presented a fairly wealthy, mine-owning half-orc family that included Thom Thomson, Jr, and his dear deceased papa, Thom Thomson, Sr, and some other NPC that the party nicknamed Tom as well.

This somehow led to a Muppet Treasure Island reference. :smallsigh:

Ravens_cry
2014-02-11, 10:20 PM
When it happens to me it's usually an accident. In one campaign, I presented a fairly wealthy, mine-owning half-orc family that included Thom Thomson, Jr, and his dear deceased papa, Thom Thomson, Sr, and some other NPC that the party nicknamed Tom as well.

This somehow led to a Muppet Treasure Island reference. :smallsigh:
But of course! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1rIiGk41Zw)

Razanir
2014-02-12, 12:39 AM
As an example of using Basque names for fantasy... the nobles in the focus-realm in my setting include King Baiard of Ossadar, King Lartan of Romeno, Duke Ekain of Janzura, Duke Iratze of Bero, Duke Ranimiro of Artzai, and Duke Maurin of Zaledon.

They sound, to someone unfamiliar with the language and used to cliche Western fantasy names, very foreign and fantastical, even fanciful, and they have a convincing coherence.

Several of those include letter-switches (where a letter is moved, dropped, or changed for another), which are a simple way to jazz up fantasy names.

Edit: I wish I had any clue where I got the name for the Dwarven delving: Nozvat-Hahd-Mat. :smallannoyed:

A similar rule applies to place names. (Also fun is using real-world translated place names as a means of dropping subtle hints)

supermonkeyjoe
2014-02-12, 05:37 AM
It depends if the players are aware of the name. If you call a king 'Arthur' you immediately conjure up ideas of round tables, holy grails excaliburs and all the baggage that goes with the legends, if you want that kind of King then fine but if he diverges from the Arthur of legend then people often have a hard time letting go of their preconceptions.

Mastikator
2014-02-12, 05:58 AM
I think it's ok to copy a concept, but you should do your best to change all the names.
If I am a player and the DM starts throwing around known names from fiction then I start assuming he's just copying the fiction.

Swaoeaeieu
2014-02-12, 06:13 AM
My warforged PC didn't have a name, so everyone called him Buddy. Until they found the number 117 on his shoulder and all the playes wanted to call him John (yes, obvious Halo reference). We settles on the name Djonh to make it a little less boring name.

Copying names from the media is ok and even fun to get references going. But if you are just completely copying the characters or whatever the name refers to you are being lazy and give away everything about a character/whatever just by telling us the name. That is why we only copy names as a reference and then thinly veil the name but changing some letters or writing it different. Anagrams are also cool.

Kesnit
2014-02-12, 10:58 PM
When I was playing a certain MMO, all of my characters were named for members of my favorite WH40K Space Marine Chapter.

My first LARP PC was a stealthy, underworld type. I named him Lamont Cranston, for The Shadow. Only 1 person ever got it, and that player had to duck out of the room so he could laugh OOC.

I tend to name a lot of my characters for members of appropriate WH40K Chapters. For example, my stealthy HERO is named for the Primarch of the Raven Guard. (Though given the way he is developing, he should have been named for the Night Lords...) My mage PC in Skyrim is named for the Primarch of the Thousand Sons.

oudeis
2014-02-15, 07:32 PM
So what's oudeis an anagram of ?Not an anagram but a very old pun.

obryn
2014-02-15, 08:39 PM
Well, in a new game I just started playing in tonight, I have a Pixie Rogue with a Blink Dog companion (fey beast tamer theme).

The dog's name is Mr. Peabody.

Sadly, I am not named Sherman.

mephnick
2014-02-15, 10:55 PM
Seventh Sanctum comes up with some horrible (but great) grimdark names for preteens.

Rain Baneghost
Blade Graverage

I like to use them because they always get great groans from my players.

Spacebatsy
2014-02-16, 06:45 AM
I let one of my players name his accountant, and the whole group supported his decision. Never again. Now I'm stuck with conversations like:

PC: Who is it?
Me: It's just me, sir
PC: Who?
Me: *sigh*... your accountant, you called for me
PC: I might have many accountants, which one is you?
ME: *deeper sigh* ... It's Bilbo sir
Entire group: BILBO!

Dr. Cliché
2014-02-16, 07:10 AM
I let one of my players name his accountant, and the whole group supported his decision. Never again. Now I'm stuck with conversations like:

PC: Who is it?
Me: It's just me, sir
PC: Who?
Me: *sigh*... your accountant, you called for me
PC: I might have many accountants, which one is you?
ME: *deeper sigh* ... It's Bilbo sir
Entire group: BILBO!

Then, the strangest thing happened - Leonard Nimoy showed up and started singing a song... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGF5ROpjRAU)

Living_Dead_Guy
2014-02-16, 07:28 AM
I do it quite often and have even done it subconsciously.

I once named a ranger Finkle Einhorn, someone else had to tell me in session that it came from Ace Venture before I noticed.

Usually I take unknown names like Zorg from fith element. I leave well known names such as Drizzit, Gandolf, Harry Potter, Excalaber and others alone as every time the name is heard it breaks the suspension of disbelief as I inadvertently recall the original person or object.

Socksy
2014-02-17, 03:44 PM
I tend to grab words from my French vocab lists for my Dragons, and make them sound more mighty and powerful.

So the previous party had Hebdomadaricus and his half-sister Quotidienica. The current party have La'corridacius and Autochtoniz.

Regular NPCs usually just get named after characters from whatever anime or movie I last watched...:smallredface: