Monday, March 15, 2010

Earthmen Through Time And Space, Another Black Ziggurat and 200 Algol NPC Names

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

12 comments:

  1. 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.

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  2. I usually love your tables, but this is where I have to disagree with you a bit.

    I 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."

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  3. 1. Excellent illo.
    2. 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.

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  4. 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.

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  6. Good illo from Lester !

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  7. @ 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.

    I'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.

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  8. @ Rainswept: I meant pun/wordplay ;)

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  9. You 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.

    - so some NPC's are automatically more exotic than others, just by name.

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  10. 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.

    With 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!

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  11. 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

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