Naming your sword.

[TheThan]

A classic fantasy and mythological troupe, weapons , armor and other objects are named for the great deeds they do in battle. Excalibur, Mjölnir , Hrunting, Glamdring, Orcrist, Andúril, and many other great and mighty weapons of fiction, myth, legend and even history. These are not just tools of warfare, they’re mighty in their own right with their own (usually fascinating) history, and are sometimes characters themselves.

And I LOVE it. It invokes my imagination, helps me think up things about my characters that I might not think up. How did he/she come to possess such a weapon, how the weapon earned it’s name, that sort of thing. (note to self, read up on weapons of legacy.)

Anyway I’ve started naming the weapons my dnd characters wield. Which is incredibly fun. The one major problem is that I don’t speak elf, dwarf or anything else besides English (languages is not my strong suit). So I’m stuck looking up dictionaries online, which wouldn’t be a problem except there are an awful lot of them and I’ve got no idea where to even start.

So I’m sort of fishing for good resources for naming weapons and armor, fantasy language dictionaries, real world language dictionaries, that sort of stuff. Aside from this, have you ever named the weapons of your characters?

[Leon]

I have a tendency to name weapons after Power Metal song titles ~ Particularly Hammerfall ones

[Angry Bob]

Words in real-world languages? I had an artifact black blade of disaster(basically an orb of annihilation, only a sword) named Eschatos which means "end." Everybody loves ancient Greek and Latin.

[anacalgion]

I have a tendency to name weapons after Power Metal song titles ~ Particularly Hammerfall ones

That... Is not a bad idea actually, though I can't think of any hammerfall songs that would work. Any examples?

[NowhereMan583]

You could always use Tolkien's elvish for D&D elvish -- there are plenty of English-Quenya or English-Sindarin dictionaries online.

I also use this page for good Draconic names.

It also makes sense (i.e., it's pretty easy to do and gives a language a consistent feel) to use real-world languages for various fantasy languages -- I tend to pull from the Indo-European language tree. In my campaign world, for instance, Orcish = Russian, Dwarvish = Anglo-Saxon, Neanderthal = Old Norse, Giant = Old High German, Goblin = Romanian, Infernal = Gothic, Celestial = Sanskrit... etc. There's no real rhyme or reason behind it, I just pick a language that's easy enough to look up words from and sounds kind of cool. If you're just naming swords and whatnot, you can look up words individually on Wiktionary and smush them together into compounds. It probably won't translate correctly to a native speaker of the language, but that's not really your goal.

Doing it this way also lets you take completely mundane terms and make them sound dramatic:
"Behold, the great Orcish blade Bolshoinoz!"
"That's quite a name... does it mean anything?"
"Um... 'big knife'. Look, don't ask questions."

[JBPuffin]

It also makes sense (i.e., it's pretty easy to do and gives a language a consistent feel) to use real-world languages for various fantasy languages -

This. If I don't have an idea for a name, I plug things into Google Translate, and bam! Interesting name is born.

[TechnoScrabble]

Donjon, chaotic shiny, plus anything linked on seventh sanctum.

I like naming weapons once they've earned it. Any item, really. Once had an oversized greatsword with a built in magic strength gauntlet so my chatacter coukd use it called Zweihandler Nichtverküzen-zweihandler being a mix of handle and zweihander and the name meaning No End, because the blade was longer than any sword deserves to be.

And yes I realize how badly that German is mangled.

[Thinker]

Names are descriptive when they are made. They only change over time to become easier to say or when they are similar to a word in the language of a conqueror. Apply the same to your weapons. If the weapon is an ancient hammer used to fight off the Nightborn Fey, it might have the name of Nighthunter in its original tongue. Figure out what language you want the ancient people to have spoken and look up Night and hunter in a lexicon, translator, or dictionary. Finally, anglicize it by typing it in the easiest way you can to pronounce it. If it is awkward to say, adjust the word until it is easier.

[Terazul]

I typically always name my characters "main" weapon if it's something they plan on keeping for awhile; Whether it's a point-based system that you keep upgrading or just a significant heirloom. It makes them more personal, in my opinion, or just adds a "signature" to the character in question. Plus having a nickname for something is always great for drama or intimidation factor. Hilariously, I've seen it in real life as a minor aside: Friend was at a bar, and almost got into a tussel when he called our other mutual friend over for assistance (calling him by his nickname). His assailant immediately backed off saying, "**** off, I'm not fighting a guy named Wraith!". Names have power.

On one of my more recent characters, a martial bard, he's been upgrading this crystal blade he forged, and renaming it with each incarnation, using a combination of musical terms and italian. Originally it was Alla Breve, or "cut time", which was punny and also appropriate for the speedy shortsword. Then later when reforged into a class-specific weapon, it was A Capriccio, which is "following one's fancy", usually used in music for a free and unpredictable tempo; Fitting, since at this point it was basically like a chain-sword dealy. Currently it is Troppa Forza, or "Too Much Force", as it's more a crystal staff at this point that emits blades of sound. He also recently acquired an Animated Tower Shield, which he dubbed Smorzando, or "extinguishing/dampening". It's enchanted with deflect arrows because it's been a running thing where he gets shot in the legs with arrows.

The other character I've been having alot of fun naming weapons on is my Exalted character, if only because the system lends itself to the over the top names. If the character is Inexorable Righteous Havoc, it's only fitting that his golden artifact battle-jeep be The Indomitable Crusade, and his special giant shotgun crafted from his own essence is Inevitable Ruin.

I luckily have a bunch of non-native english speaking friends to help me get the wording right (that last bard weapon was Forza Troppo for awhile, which didn't mean much of anything), but I've found this glossary of musical terminology on wikipedia to be useful on the whole, as well as their list of mythological objects. I generally have my names for things either be a description of how it's used, or I tend towards <Adjective> <Noune>, like Verdant Dawn, or Sanguine Lotus, etc.

[TuggyNE]

The other character I've been having alot of fun naming weapons on is my Exalted character, if only because the system lends itself to the over the top names. If the character is Inexorable Righteous Havoc, it's only fitting that his golden artifact battle-jeep be The Indomitable Crusade, and his special giant shotgun crafted from his own essence is Inevitable Ruin.

Does he wear a Cloak of Untrammeled Dignity? "Making fun of Obenn ship names is like shooting fish in the Barrel of Circular Swimming." -- Kevyn, Schlock Mercenary

[OverdrivePrime]

I've been naming my characters' (and NPCs) gear since my very first game of D&D. Named weapons help carry the story and I feel it ties the character and his weapon even deeper into the game and setting. The easy way to tell how much I like one of my characters is to check how many named items he has. Even my Shadowrun characters will have 3-4 named objects.

When I started gaming I was taking German classes in high school, and so most of my characters had weapons with germanic names like Totstrecher, Donnerslied, Bergschlager and the like.

Many years later I've developed a love for many other cultures and tongues, and so have a long list of Scandinavian, Greek, Latin, Japanese and Celtic named gear for my various characters, depending on where they're from, or what sort of event led to them naming their weapon or armor.

Some recent favorites:
Brathutan - a bastard sword which slew a trio of fire giants in a fight I had no business winning
Gaoithe Casúr - a composite longbow with an unusually high number of criticals
Suhina - a throwing dagger with a particular hatred for mages
Kokoro Hogo-sha - a circlet made of platinum and diamonds which wards against emotional manipulation (perhaps the most valuable item I've ever owned)
Trotsig Fjäll - a battle harness made from dragon scales
Granor - a holy battle axe / electric guitar used by my power metal bard to slay demons (among dozens of other things)

[TheCountAlucard]

Exalted's artifact weapons are often name-worthy as well; there's a regular treasure-trove of named weapons across the span of books, and there should be even more when Arms of the Chosen comes out for 3e.

[TechnoWarforged]

My Orcish Barbarian named his Two-handed Great sword "Peaceful Negotiations"(Shamless taken from another thread in this forum), the arsenal of weapons he carries also have names like "Epic Flail", "Precision F Strike", and "Mook Slayer".

Mind you this is an orc that often don a Top Hat, a cane, monocle, and Cape when he isn't expecting any combats.

[Kitten Champion]

One of my characters made a hobby of thinking up names for her guns, she wanted ones which were suitably epic and awe-inspiring. She decided upon, after much deliberation, Temptress & Deliverer.

It was probably a waste of time considering that they were not exactly quality weapons. She made them herself on the cheap and were notorious for randomly jamming and twitchy trigger sensitivity.

I think for weapons with actual histories thought up, we had pretty good ones with one-of-kind divine weapons crafted by the setting's own gods and goddess. They granted whoever happened to have one in their possession the title of their Champion. All have serious drawbacks accompanying their power, making them cursed to an extent.

The Prisoner's Torment is a full body of armour that protects the user virtually completely from external attacks, but reproduces the feeling of pain from every blow done to it within the occupant's body -- and the sensation does not go away until the armour is removed.
The Maiden's Paradox is a bow which produces arrows magically and can send them flying at a blurring pace, but renders the user utterly blind.
The Wayfarer's Rhapsody is a scythe which can create a sort of omniscient three-dimensional map in the user's head and can rend holes in space to travel anywhere within it in a single step, but vanishes if the wielder stays more than three days in a single location.
The Fool's Lament is a small dagger which forces everyone who sees it to speak truly to the wielder, but the Champion has to to be perfectly honest him or herself by his or her own volition or be rendered with a sort of aphasia that makes them incomprehensible to all.
The Dreamer's Dirge is a wooden harp which produces enchanting, heart-wrenching, and unearthly music, but takes the player's memories as price.
The Raven’s Gamble is a katana and sheath, the longer it is left unsheathed the sharper it becomes. If the wielder fails to kill his or her target with it before the black bird engraved on the blade turns blood red they die in turn.
The Monarch's Decay is a great axe that consumes some of its Champion's sanity every time it draws blood, but makes them physically healthier, stronger, and even restores some youth with each body it adds to the count.
The Bastard's Grace is an ivory staff which allows the user to see the future and the past of the immediate area or that of anyone in it, but drives the user into greater and greater heights of euphoria -- which in itself seems to be a blessing until they lose touch with reality.
The Defiler's Elegance is a lacquered fan, once unfurled clouds start populating the sky until there's a sudden deadly storm -- the Champion is required to stand still with the fan exposed until the magic finishes or feel the angry brunt of the storm themselves.

Each relate to an Ancient Greek-like legend describing their god's particular strength and foil. These objects existing primarily to - on some level - have mortals empathize with them. As such they have a history going back to ancient times. I think the idea came from God Of War, although the setting is more Norse inspired.

[Blackfang108]

My Thunderborn Barbarian, Goliath Alek Hardstone, is known as "The Unyielding Mountain" in the campaign setting, due to his ability to go blow-for-blow against pretty much everything, and survive through a combination of durability, luck, healing and sheer bloody-mindedness.

His Halberd is know as "The Mountain's Edge." Nothing special about it, (+2 Rending), but it's his.

[The Fury]

I've really only started doing this kind of thing recently, I'll admit that it does add a lot to roleplay and it can inform how the character sees the world that they live in.

My character named her favorite sword "Arcadian," the idea was that she was from a pastoral farming village and she wanted a name that would remind her of home. With that said, the fact that the sword is described as being made of pitch-black metal, the name ended up being an accidental Ultima series reference.

I also made a knight NPC that named his sword "Joyous Dawn," in this case this was a deliberate reference to Charlemagne's sword, Joyeux.

The last good example I can think of is sort of vague-- an NPC that I made for someone else's game owns a 1911A1 pistol with a serial number stamped on the slide which is actually a cypher for "Ophelia." Whether this is the gun's name, whether it has any significance at all I've left up to the GM.

[Slipperychicken]

I prefer to name weapons during play, if at all. I feel like that makes it more meaningful, much like how titles should be earned during play.

[Cuaqchi]

My brother had a paladin who wielded the greatsword "Glacial Benediction"... As one would expect Holy & Frost were primary attributes.

[The Fury]

I prefer to name weapons during play, if at all. I feel like that makes it more meaningful, much like how titles should be earned during play.

I think context accounts for a lot here. If your character is the weapon's first owner, then yes it should probably be named during play. However if the weapon already has a history or legacy of its own, it would almost be stranger if it didn't start play with a name.

[ReaderAt2046]

Some names I've used include Veramorte (translates as "true-death") and Logos (as in the Word Of God which is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword).

[nedz]

Take a normal phrase which describes the purpose of the blade and translate it into another language: Latin being a good choice.

E.g.
Terminus Est for the Executioner's sword from the Book of the New Sun — The Sword of the Lictor

[ElenionAncalima]

In Pathfinder I had a half-elf Arcane Duelist Bard with a bastard sword named Carad-Duin. The names translates from Elven to Red River.

I named it this once I hit the level where I got bonded weapon. I got this level because our party of four, plus three NPCs took on an entire fortress where after fighting wave after wave in the courtyard, nearly 100 orcs and one of our NPC allies died...causing the river running through the courtyard to change color.

My character named the blade as a reminder of what the sword was capable of...as well as what they had to do to protect the city from the orc invasion.

[OverdrivePrime]

That's kind of awesome. Go go duelist bards!

[TheThan]

That’s cool. I like it, the sword earned it’s name. Now you can say things like “blood flows from Carad-Duin”, whenever you enter battle, or just to impress/intimidate someone that speaks elf.

[Lord_Gareth]

Mythology is rife with ideas for weapon names, even if you don't rob it directly; look at it for themes!

[The Fury]

Only tangentially related, but it occurred to me-- in what context would the name of a character's sword be revealed? I mean, it takes a certain kind of personality to draw one's sword and declare, "Behold! Caliborn!" or something.

[Jlerpy]

I love naming stuff. Horses, weapons, locations, vehicles, it's all good.

[Thinker]

Only tangentially related, but it occurred to me-- in what context would the name of a character's sword be revealed? I mean, it takes a certain kind of personality to draw one's sword and declare, "Behold! Caliborn!" or something.

If it has a name, it becomes important. If it is important, it becomes a plot device. It can be stolen, recovered, discussed, inspire hope, and instill fear.

[Lorsa]

Some of the names you mentioned in the first post doesn't really mean anything as far as I know, they're just names. I mean, what does Excalibur mean? And in modern swedish, Mjölnir means... absolutely nothing. So you should be able to come up with something that is just a name if you want.

Or hey, if all players speak only english you could always name your sword "Klinga" and it would mean something in swedish.

[The Fury]

If it has a name, it becomes important. If it is important, it becomes a plot device. It can be stolen, recovered, discussed, inspire hope, and instill fear.

Oh yes. That's definitely right, I didn't mean to give any impression to the contrary. I only meant to remark on something potentially weird: If my character has an axe that she names "Joe," nobody else could know that her axe is called Joe unless she somehow tells them.

Just a strange observation that I hadn't really considered before.