Another stellar illustration by Lester/B. Portly, depicting some Earth Men adventurers.
Another manifestation of the Black Ziggurat, Zikkurath Nacaal of the Weirdlands of Quantique. I have to say I have been consistently pleasantly amazed by the varied evocative creations, all of which have stirred my imagination!
As well, here is the rough draft of the Planet Algol NPC Names Tables with 200 names.
d% Names A
01 Accoli
02 Adar
03 Agadhur
04 Aigutt
05 Akhar
06 Anhar
07 Arashan
08 Azor
09 Barzul
10 Belziel
11 Berelzeg
12 Bhairgar
13 Bodrept
14 Bretar
15 Brivshtalki
16 Ceptid
17 Ceigu
18 Chered
19 Chothron
20 Chlun
21 Corzen
22 Cregal
23 Cuthel
24 Dalvintor
25 Dhormilhon
26 Dhomon
27 Dogen
28 Drekken
29 Duruk
30 Dzur
31 Elkond
32 Erech
33 Ereshtal
34 Ereveshti
35 Erlebpt
36 Erlen
37 Estash
38 Ezenzanzir
39 Fakharr
40 Fastyd
41 Fazilaztizar
42 Fengid
43 Ferlix
44 Filyk
45 Frotang
46 Frung
47 Garash
48 Gazid
49 Gerid
50 Gilganghar
51 Gilscomar
52 Goryx
53 Gotrug
54 Grothath
55 Harack
56 Hazarash
57 Helziar
58 Heptar
59 Hmid
60 Hobab
61 Hostinalda
62 Hymvigar
63 Ibkhan
64 Ikhvindhar
65 Ikang
66 Illyx
67 Inconju
68 Ingik
69 Iug
70 Ivort
71 Izbaraz
72 Jashar
73 Jashish
74 Jervandy
75 Jeryk
76 Jherent
77 Jhoghovahr
78 Jleb
79 Jozub
80 Kalmor
81 Kangu
82 Kathudi
83 Kothron
84 Krazid
85 Kreshk
86 Krishk
87 Kristoresh
88 Kurrash
89 Kvek
90 Lared
91 Lhomak
92 Lhoxid
93 Lobhar
94 Lomthar
95 Mnelg
96 Mozug
97 Mrok
98 Murruk
99 Mykorg
100 Mynodar
% Names B
01 Myzin
02 Namthar
03 Nazzid
04 Nizyk
05 Nlub
06 Noxor
07 Nrulluk
08 Nupt
09 Olog
10 Olopt
11 Oolbaz
12 Oraz
13 Orek
14 Orupt
15 Oxichultid
16 Ozmul
17 Pazl
18 Pixid
19 Porid
20 Poropt
21 Pothron
22 Prangl
23 Prezud
24 Prung
25 Quezarch
26 Quezed
27 Quilx
28 Quixid
29 Qulung
30 Quomoth
31 Quomung
32 Quox
33 Rashathan
34 Relmixian
35 Rexid
36 Rhagud
37 Rodan
38 Rothmhor
39 Rozuth
40 Rugr
41 Shangotar
42 Silik
43 Skozid
44 Slex
45 Slindar
46 Sond
47 Stromar
48 Strolp
49 Terex
50 Thanzun
51 Tleck
52 Tomakh
53 Torpt
54 Trokar
55 Turthen
56 Turug
57 Undziel
58 Ulthro
59 Ulzabhar
60 Umed
61 Ung
62 Uptar
63 Urrik
64 Uzash
65 Vand
66 Vexid
67 Vokud
68 Vorash
69 Vorka
70 Vrastl
71 Vrodar
72 Vroomish
73 Vulk
74 Wegred
75 Wezed
76 Wrast
77 Wohan
78 Wolkang
79 Woxithar
80 Wulyst
81 Wurxyd
82 Xarnagan
83 Xazyk
84 Xolchan
85 Xulmog
86 Xereyk
87 Yared
88 Yemyr
89 Yesh
90 Yetysh
91 Yillig
92 Yotrebdt
93 Yurud
94 Zakiel
95 Zarred
96 Zekariel
97 Zerash
98 Zokk
99 Zond
100 Zulish
Just wondering, have you considered a syllable table for random name generation? That way, you could structure the table (or a series of tables) to suggest names from different languages.
ReplyDeleteI usually love your tables, but this is where I have to disagree with you a bit.
ReplyDeleteI mostly use NPC names from actual human languages (which I see you do have some of here) and never made-up ones. And when an NPC is from a particular place in the game world, everyone from there has (say) an Arabic name, or a medieval German name, etc.
Every player in every campaign I've ever GMed has had trouble with NPC names... even if they're written down, names usually come along on the fly mid-adventure. It's bad enough if it's Ahmed or Garwulf. When it's Xaryek or Ulzabhar, the NPC usually ends up getting called "Magic Sword Guy."
1. Excellent illo.
ReplyDelete2. this is from my 11/5/09 entry over at TME, under the subheading "The High City." (http://themetalearth.blogspot.com/2009/11/ssaur1jpg-hosted-at-imageshackus.html)
"A huge Ziggarut juts above all the other structures in the High City. It is rumored to be older than the city itself. No one, not even members of the Circle ever talks about it."
I had actually forgotten I'd written this, but there I am, riding shotgun on the bandwagon. :)
3. I like crazy NPC names.
Fine work with the name list! Weird names are very important for... weirdness... I find that Dave is correct about players forgetting extremely weird names a lot of times, though.
ReplyDeleteTables, tables!
ReplyDeleteHTML, I mean ;)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood illo from Lester !
ReplyDelete@ Kobold: Lester/B Portly keep having at me to do such a table, esp. as he's such a fan of a similar table in the d20 Zothique PDF.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to do one, especially as certain syllables keep popping up, but I also like having the option to dice for "completed" names.
@ Dave: Haha, I'm sure some of those are real life names but I tried to make them all up.
I get what you're saying, and I agree to a certain degree, but one of the motif's of the genre I'm going for with this is "wacky science fantasy names." In play the group hasn't had much problem remembering the strange names, after it's repeated enough and there's a memorable personality that goes with it.
@ Aos: Haha, it speaks volumes about what a powerful archetype/cliche the ziggurat is! Heck, I had a rugose black ziggurat in my sandbox before "The" Black Ziggurat madness came along...
@ Rainswept: Good pub! The formatting problems are from me firectly cutting and pasting from a wordprocessing document.
@ Rainswept: I meant pun/wordplay ;)
ReplyDeleteYou could maybe use the completed names table as common names, with phonetic tables for less common names ? Maybe have a 10-20% chance of an uncommon name.
ReplyDelete- so some NPC's are automatically more exotic than others, just by name.
Oh definitely, that's the ideal way I'd like to do it! And there has to be the option for two or three name "names" like Strolp Zond and the like.
ReplyDeleteWith the NPC generation I'm aiming to do the same kind of thing. i.e. a table of 100 detailed npcs as well as the tables for generating them out of whole cloth.
I want the NPC generation section to be wide, deep, robust and versatile!
You would have to make the Black Ziggurat OSR-meme-of-the-month right when I'm reading Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, wouldn't you? :P
ReplyDelete