Topic: Character Names

[dutch206]

I really suck at naming NPC's.  Here is a list of ten thousand plus character names for a buck and a half:

RPG Now

[jdale]

I tend to use http://www.behindthename.com/ and http://surnames.behindthename.com/ which are free.

[GrumpyOldFart]

I tend to just come up with bad puns and obscure literary references. A male fighter who uses 2 swords will be named Johnny Rebeck, a female of the same type will be Julie Ann Fryes, that kind of thing.

I had an NPC needing a name recently, he was the sole survivor of an orc attack. I called him Bairleigh Conchas.

Because of its accretions from other languages, English tends to have a lot of spellings available to express a particular sound, so English is a good language for this.

It's also a mild but ongoing distraction to the players, which is a good thing for a GM trying to play monsters that are smarter than he is. 

[Cory Magel]

Check this one out too...
http://ebon.pyorre.net/

[markc]

  I was watching a sow on D-Day last night and a Sargent Harry Bear game an account. I do not know if I would let a player of mine use that name, unless they had a good story I approved of.


  I can just see it, Humm Sargent Bear, H; yes sir, Sargent Harry Bear reporting for duty. Sir. Officer; what did you just say your name was Sargent?
MDC

[Grinnen Baeritt]

<======== Use a bad pun for a Character name. me? 

(Name of my 1st Gnome Jester)

[intothatdarkness]

For fantasy, I tend to name based on my game, which has some language rules for specific cultures (along with naming conventions). I find that it helps ground my NPCs and players in their specific cultures and helps with the whole experience.

[GrumpyOldFart]

In many ways I can't avoid punny names because of the nature of my playing group. Most of them have been SCA Heralds at one time or another.

Heralds don't pun, they cant.