DM and GM Problems: Names are Hard
Coming up with effective names is a challenge for any narrative medium, and this is no less true when it comes to running entertaining role playing game campaigns. Names can make or break a game session. Unlike other media, the challenge in role playing games doesn't solely stem from a need for verisimilitude. Not every game requires realistic names, and some games are better with silly names. It all depends upon the group you are with. Given enough time, it is possible to come up with the right name for your group and setting.
The real challenge for any gamemaster comes when you have to invent names on the spot that are both serviceable and memorable. I don’t care how much prep time you spend writing up NPCs for your campaign, I can almost guarantee you that your players will frequently ignore the NPCs you've carefully crafted and written complex backstories for. Instead of questioning these fully developed NPCs, your players will often interrogate "random street urchin 6" or "Kobold number 5" for hours of entertaining game time.
Entertaining game time...if you get the name right. With the right name, these spontaneous moments of storytelling can me magic. If you get the name wrong,” the session might spiral into metagaming or groans. You have to both know what kinds of names fit with your group's temperament, and be quick on your feet. No one wants to wait 5 minutes while you look through Gygax's Book of Names or as you hit generate on a random name generator on your PC or phone until you get the right name.
I am not claiming to be a master at this particular skill, but I do have one piece of advice for gamemasters both novice and experienced. Feel free to include your players in the name creation process.
Don't feel that you have to do this work alone. If your players want to interrogate "random street urchin 6," ask them to come up with a couple of names. These names won't always be great, but they will usually fit with your group's desires and are frequently memorable.
One of my favorite campaigns was one I ran before the pandemic. Like many of my campaigns, I gave it a title. In this case it was called "Tinker, Tailor, Dwarf, and Spy" and it took place within the D&D Known World setting's (aka Mystara's) Grand Duchy of Karameikos. The fact that I am using the name “the Grand Duchy” will give grognards some hint as to where in the Known World’s history I've set the campaign.
The Known World setting is a wonderful mashup of a large number of disparate cultures that might not seem to fit together on the surface, but which work as a sandbox for freeform gaming.
What do I mean?
To the West of The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, there's a society with peak Roman Empire governance and technology. It’s got Gladiators, Centurions, and Senators. The Grand Duchy, on the other hand, is a Feudal society inspired by medieval Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and a dash of the Holy Roman Empire. To the north of Karameikos is a country based on Naples, to the far north are the Germanic and Viking states. To the south is fantasy Hawaiistralia Reality TV island. That’s right. There’s an island country that is a mashup of Hawaii and Australia where the ruler is decided in via an annual game that is similar to Survivor.
The Known World is a chaotic place, but if you buy into that chaos it can be wonderful. My players' characters never found this out, but the "reason" why the countries are so chaotic in makeup in "my Mystara" is because one of the Immortals is preserving the dying cultures of our Earth and placing them on Mystara's surface, just as in “canon” Mystara he places Mystara's dying cultures in it's Hollow World.
Anyway, one of the freedoms that a world like this provides is that almost any name is fair game, and here is a list of the names we use in my game with their alignment, race, and class. Some are canon names from the sourcebooks, but others are just ours.
Official Campaign Characters Named in the Sourcebooks
Duke Stephen Karameikos (LG, Human, Fighter (Cavalier)) -- Ruler of Karameikos and the founder of the "Duke's Tinkers" who are Karameiko's secret police, the organization the player characters work for.
Duchess Olivia Karameikos (NG, Human, Thief (Mastermind)) -- Stephen's wife and the actual Chief of the Duke's Tinkers, she is known only as "The Weaver" to all but the most trusted Tinkers.
Characters Made Up on the Spot
Kraeyg Lyste (NG, ??, Thief(??)) -- The publicly known head of the Tinkers about whom very little is actually known. They appear to have the ability to change shape and are careful to cover their tracks. They keep detailed documentation of all members, and potential members, of the Tinkers and rival organizations.
Festival Master Quarch (N, Human, ??) -- He runs the King's Festival in the northern town of Stallanford. Stallanford has no mayor, so Quarch is the nearest thing.
Alaric (the Claric) (CG(E), Human, Cleric) -- A priest of the Church of Traladara who has forsaken his oaths to serve The Iron Ring and who has become a priest of Orcus. (Deceased?)
Dinae (LE, Bugbear, Ranger) -- Dinae was once a tracker and wrangler for the Iron Ring who captured slaves for the organization and answered to Alaric. He has recently been turned into an asset in the service of the player characters.
Sharaen Vlatovski (N, Human, ??) -- A human woman who was married to a Kobold named (???) who had been forced into service to the Iron Ring by Alaric. She infiltrated Alaric's hideout by allowing herself to be captured, she was about to assassinate one of Alaric's lieutenants and free her husband when the PCs arrived. The PCs know that she is married to the kobold, but are unaware of her skill set. When the PCs return to Specularum, she will find Kraeyg and enter into service in the Tinkers.
Bukie Bimblebritches (N, Halfling, ??) -- He and his brother Howie own the Inn, Stables, and Gambling Hall in the town of Stallanford. They are quite wealthy.
Felix Fentsworthy (N, Human, Thief(???)) -- He is the local fence in Stallanford and the head of its "band" of thieves. After all, you can't call 6 people a guild.
As you can see from the list above, my players were little punny.
Most of the unofficial characters above were random encounters that the players converted to important NPCs. Alaric was essentially “Acolyte 4” in a combat encounter, but he lived and the players began interrogating him. This led to his backstory and when he eventually escaped the PCs, it led to a long time campaign villain and that’s one of the best things about role playing games. Random unplanned moments can have long lasting narrative ramifications for your games and including your players’ creative energies in those moments makes them even better.
What’s a strange name from one of your games?