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Who Was That Guy?

© Brandy Ross

We have discussed different aspects of character creation and now we are looking at the importance of character names. You may be lifting a brow at this or maybe giggling or snickering. Go ahead and tell me about one of your characters that does not have a name.

Ah ha! A name may seem like a small thing but it does identify your character and sometimes even defines it. A name can be a quick choice that you slap on your sheet to differentiate that character from others in the game. Or a name can be an elaborate creation that speaks volumes about the character and brings up a hint of history. It does not matter which way you approach the naming of your pc; you will likely spend at least a few moments on choosing one and then writing it down. If you are going to take time to do that, why not make the effort to choose a name that helps to make your character the unique piece that it should be.

I recommend keeping a notebook for name ideas and other tid bits that you may want to add in to flesh out a character. I have pages of names that I think are interesting. I also have added physical descriptions, personality traits, personal histories and other details that I was not ready to use but wanted to keep for later.

One of the easiest places to start a name search is a baby name book. Your local library or bookstore will likely carry several books that list names and their origins. I have two of these and often thumb through them when I am contemplating introducing a new character into a campaign. Here are a few sites that you can use at no cost and without leaving your home: Baby Chatter , and 123-Baby-Names.com Resources .

I also have a book for translating English to Italian. I have picked up some interesting words that made unique sounding names by looking through this book. You can find these at your local library or bookstore. You can also look online for free translation programs like Freeality Internet Search. You may want to go so far as to choose certain words that describe something about your character and look through several languages for these specific words. You may find an exotic sounding word that holds meaning for that particular pc. While you are at it, you may even learn another language.

I have encountered a few interesting methods for character name generation. A player I know