Help with pre-gens

[slithy]

As has been mentioned, I'm running 3x AS&SH games at Q-Con XX in a couple of weeks, using Anomalous Subsurface Environment. When I've done Con megadungeon sessions before (did Castle Zagyg a couple of years ago), players who come for more than one session can keep the same character between sessions and level up, otherwise everyone starts at 1st level.

Well I will need a stack of pre-generated characters, at least 25. Wondered if some of you guys might like to help out and generate some for me? If you feel so inclined, please roll up a character or two and post here! Stats 4d6, drop lowest; 1st level characters; perhaps a couple of lines of backstory/twist if you feel like it. If you have ASE you can equip them from those lists, otherwise the standard AS&SH equipment lists are fine. I let people roll their own hit points.

The only reward I can offer is if your character dies in an interesting way, I'll regale them here on the forum!

[Ghul]

Slithy, I have x9 first level pre-gens I can provide you. I'll have to scan them in . . .

[blackadder23]

Because the word "overkill" is not in my vocabulary, I rolled up 13 characters for you this morning. These were all actually rolled with precision dice using the "4d6 drop low" method as requested (even the Viking with the ridiculous stats - I wish I'd been rolling that one for myself!)

Akna-Who-Speaks-for-the-Snow-Spirits
Female Esquimaux Shaman – 17 years old, 5’, 93 lbs. – Alignment CE CG N
Str 11 Dex 12 Con 12 Int 15 Wis 15 Cha 12
Languages: Common, Tundra Esquimaux, Coastal Esquimaux
Secondary skill: Jeweler
Equipment: Studded armor, war club, dagger, boomerang, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, fishing net, 100’ ball of fishing string, 12 fish hooks, hooded lantern, 3 flasks of lamp oil, steel mirror, wooden rattle, yellow ivory totem, pouch of coarse rock salt, 5 gp

Black Kor-Esh
Male Ixian Necromancer – 18 years old, 6’, 140 lbs. – Alignment CE LE N
Str 8 Dex 13 Con 10 Int 17 Wis 14 Cha 14
Languages: Common, Ixian, Hyperborean, Subterranean Kimmerian
Secondary skill: Brewer
Equipment: Spell book, quarterstaff, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, piece of chalk, ink and quill, 3 sheets of parchment, 50’ silk rope, 3 torches, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, carefully wrapped skull of stillborn twin brother, 3 gp

Connor o’ the Empty Cup
Male Keltic Fighter – 16 years old, 5’ 10”, 149 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 17 Dex 14 Con 15 Int 12 Wis 7 Cha 12
Languages: Common, Keltic
Secondary skill: Wainwright
Weapon mastery: Long sword and short bow
Equipment: Scale armor, small shield, long sword, short bow, quiver with 12 arrows, backpack, pry bar, large sack, tinderbox, 3 torches, wineskin (full – for the moment), 1 week iron rations, lock of his poor dead lassie’s hair, 5 gp

Danu, Warden of Artemis
Female Amazon Ranger – 18 years old, 5’ 8”, 140 lbs. – Alignment CG LG N
Str 15 Dex 13 Con 11 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 12
Languages: Common, Amazon
Secondary skill: Watchman
Weapon mastery: Bastard sword
Equipment: Studded armor, small shield, bastard sword, short bow, quiver with 12 arrows, backpack, tinderbox, 3 torches, waterskin (full), 1 week iron rations, winter blanket, 50’ hemp rope, ivory prayer beads, locket with an image of the Amazon queen, 4 gp

Felicia of the Marshes
Female Common Witch – 18 years old, 5’ 2”, 120 lbs. – Alignment CE CG N
Str 8 Dex 15 Con 15 Int 16 Wis 7 Cha 16
Languages: Common, Tundra Esquimaux
Secondary skill: Painter
Equipment: Spell book, dagger, backpack, hooded lantern, 2 flasks of lamp oil, large sack, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, 100’ ball of sinew cord, Master Wart (toad familiar), small pouch of perfumes and face paints, 4 gp

Gohan the Wanderer
Male Hyperborean Magician – 17 years old, 6’ 9”, 237 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 7 Dex 8 Con 10 Int 13 Wis 11 Cha 12
Languages: Common, Hyperborean, Pictish
Secondary skill: Cooper
Equipment: Spell book, silver dagger, quarterstaff, backpack, tinderbox, hooded lantern, 3 flasks of lamp oil, flask of incendiary oil, 50’ silk rope, winter blanket, bandages, large sack, fishing net, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, Odd Fellow (weasel familiar), dried flower that once grew high atop Mount Vhuurmithadon, 3 gp

Hagrid Head-Splitter
Male Viking Barbarian – 18 years old, 5’ 10”, 160 lbs. – Alignment CE CG
Str 18 Dex 16 Con 17 Int 15 Wis 14 Cha 8
Languages: Common, Viking, Amazon
Secondary skill: Fletcher
Weapon mastery: Battle axe
Equipment: Studded armor, small shield, battle axe, dagger, short bow, quiver with 12 arrows and 2 silver arrows, backpack, tinderbox, 3 torches, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, small hammer, 12 iron spikes, 50’ hemp rope, pocket treatise on philosophy, 2 gp

“Leatherbreeches”
Male Half-Blood Pictish Scout – 16 years old, 5’ 8”, 160 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE N
Str 11 Dex 13 Con 11 Int 13 Wis 11 Cha 10
Languages: Common, Pictish, Coastal Esquimaux
Secondary skill: Scribe
Equipment: Leather armor, “Hair Raiser” (hand axe), “Close Shaver” (dagger), “Leaf Cutter” (short bow), quiver with 12 arrows, backpack, 50’ hemp rope, winter blanket, large sack, thieves’ tools, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, crock of body paint, tinderbox, 5 tallow candles, steel mirror, bundle of scalps, 2 gp

Lightfingers Llewellyn
Male Kimmeri-Keltic Thief – 16 years old, 6’, 228 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE N
Str 15 Dex 16 Con 13 Int 10 Wis 9 Cha 6
Languages: Common, Plains Kimmerian, Keltic, Thieves’ Cant
Secondary skill: Navigator
Equipment: Leather armor, small shield, 2 daggers, short sword, backpack, grappling hook, wooden pole, 50’ hemp rope, small sack, thieves’ tools, wineskin (full), 100’ spool of wire, 1 week iron rations, wooden doll with paint worn away, 5 gp

Pythias of the Sable Woods
Male Kimmerian Druid – 19 years old, 6’, 166 lbs. – Alignment N
Str 12 Dex 12 Con 12 Int 12 Wis 18 Cha 13
Languages: Common, Plains Kimmerian
Secondary skill: Grocer
Equipment: Studded armor, small shield, falcata, sling, 20 clay sling bullets inscribed with curses, dagger, backpack, tinderbox, 3 torches, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, wooden holy symbol, small bag of his native soil, 2 gp

Rowan Nightshade
Female Pictish Assassin – 19 years old, 5’ 6”, 112 lbs. – Alignment CE LE N
Str 14 Dex 16 Con 11 Int 14 Wis 8 Cha 11
Languages: Common, Pictish, Plains Kimmerian
Secondary skill: Merchant
Equipment: Leather armor, short sword, light crossbow, case with 20 bolts, backpack, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, props for creating disguises, pouch filled with mildly toxic plants, 2 gp

Sir Van-Tees
Male Common Paladin – 17 years old, 5’ 10”, 160 lbs. – Alignment LG
Str 17 Dex 13 Con 13 Int 10 Wis 13 Cha 15
Languages: Common
Secondary skill: Gemcutter
Weapon mastery: Long sword
Equipment: Studded armor, small shield, long sword, hairshirt, backpack, waterskin (full), 1 week iron rations, wooden flute with a mournful sound, 2 gp

Sister Ichthys (also known as “Fisheyes” and “Greyface”)
Female Atlantean Cleric – 19 years old, 5’ 6”, 182 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG
Str 12 Dex 11 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 16 Cha 10
Languages: Common, Atlantean
Secondary skill: Woodcutter
Equipment: Chain mail, dagger, morning star, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, hooded lantern, 1 flask lamp oil, small sack, wineskin (full), writing stick, 1 week iron rations, wooden holy symbol, pouch filled with seashells, 5 gp

Let me know if you want any more. I can create characters like a machine. In fact, I once beat a steam-powered character creating machine and didn't even die in the process.

[Ghul]

Jun 11, 2013 12:16:12 GMT -6 blackadder23 said:

Because the word "overkill" is not in my vocabulary, I rolled up 13 characters for you this morning. <snip>
Let me know if you want any more. I can create characters like a machine. In fact, I once beat a steam-powered character creating machine and didn't even die in the process.

Ha! Too funny! Have an exalt! . . . Or not.

[blackadder23]

Jun 11, 2013 12:52:29 GMT -6 Ghul said:

Ha! Too funny! Have an exalt! . . . Or not.

There's no way to know anymore, is there?

(Ha, I was wrong. You can still tell if you look in the right place. I think I'm still punchy from making 13 characters tinged with my "unique" sense of humor...)

[slithy]

Awesome! Now I shall use awk and LaTeX-fu to turn these into beautifully-formatted character sheets!

[blackadder23]

Presented for your delectation: an additional 13 characters.

Arsonia the Fire-Witch
Female Common Pyromancer – 19 years old, 5’ 8”, 140 lbs. – Alignment CE CG N
Str 10 Dex 10 Con 10 Int 14 Wis 13 Cha 11
Languages: Common, Hyperborean
Secondary skill: Miner
Equipment: Spell book, short scimitar, dagger, backpack, flask of incendiary oil, hooded lantern, 2 flasks of lamp oil, winter blanket, bandages, large sack, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, jar of aloe vera ointment, 3 gp

Brother Two-Moons
Male Esquimaux Monk – 16 years old, 5’ 8”, 144 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 13 Dex 15 Con 11 Int 9 Wis 13 Cha 8
Languages: Common, Coastal Esquimaux
Secondary skill: Dyer
Equipment: Quarterstaff, dagger, hooked throwing knife, backpack, vial of holy water, 50’ silk rope, 4 beeswax candles, tinderbox, winter blanket, bandages, wineskin (full – prefers to drink from puddles), 1 week iron rations, ivory prayer beads, 12 incense sticks, small scroll with tenets of faith, 4 gp

Drogo the Bastard
Male Common Cataphract – 17 years old, 6’, 193 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 16 Dex 14 Con 8 Int 7 Wis 12 Cha 13
Languages: Common (reads poorly)
Secondary skill: Clothier
Weapon mastery: Long sword
Equipment: Scale armor, small shield, “Honor Redeemed” (long sword), short bow, quiver with 12 arrows, backpack, large sack, tinderbox, 3 torches, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, cobblestone from his father’s courtyard, 2 gp

Duffy of Atlantis
Male Atlantean Legerdemainist – 17 years old, 6’ 2”, 190 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE N
Str 9 Dex 17 Con 14 Int 15 Wis 11 Cha 11
Languages: Common, Atlantean, Viking, Thieves’ Cant
Secondary skill: Longshoreman
Equipment: Spell book, studded armor, small shield, long sword, light crossbow, case with 20 bolts, 50’ hemp rope, backpack, thieves’ tools, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, necklace of lucky charms, 2 gp

Erik Godshammer
Male Viking Cleric – 17 years old, 5’ 10”, 157 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG
Str 13 Dex 9 Con 10 Int 8 Wis 16 Cha 11
Languages: Common, Viking
Secondary skill: Animal trainer
Equipment: Scale armor, war hammer, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, 3 torches, 50’ hemp rope, vial of holy water, waterskin (full), 1 week iron rations, wooden holy symbol, pet rabbit in bag, 2 gp

Grindle of the Savage Coast
Male Half-Blood Pictish Magician – 16 years old, 6’, 152 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 8 Dex 15 Con 13 Int 17 Wis 11 Cha 12
Languages: Common, Pictish, Coastal Esquimaux, Plains Kimmerian
Secondary skill: Locksmith
Equipment: Spell book, dagger, sling, 20 sling bullets made from petrified monkey skulls, backpack, ink and quill, 3 sheets of parchment, hooded lantern, 2 flasks of lamp oil, waterskin (full), 1 week iron rations, Mucky Muck (monkey familiar), bone and feather festish, 2 gp

Lurkio the Craven
Male Amazon Thief – 17 years old, 5’ 6”, 160 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE N
Str 10 Dex 15 Con 11 Int 12 Wis 10 Cha 14
Languages: Common, Amazon
Secondary skill: Glassblower
Equipment: Studded armor, dagger, light crossbow, case with 20 bolts and 2 silver bolts, thieves’ tools, 50’ silk rope, backpack, large sack, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, pet cricket in a tiny cage, 5 gp

Mandragora of the Shadow Order
Male Pictish Illusionist – 16 years old, 5’ 10”, 148 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 10 Dex 14 Con 11 Int 16 Wis 11 Cha 12
Languages: Common, Pictish, Keltic
Secondary skill: Messenger
Equipment: Spell book, quarterstaff, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, piece of chalk, ink and quill, 3 sheets of parchment, 50’ silk rope, 3 torches, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, 3 walnuts and a dried pea, 3 gp

Razma, Mistress of the Serpent Dance
Female Ixian Priest – 16 years old, 6’ 4”, 200 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG
Str 8 Dex 12 Con 11 Int 11 Wis 16 Cha 16
Languages: Common, Ixian
Secondary skill: Scribe
Equipment: 2 silver daggers, backpack, 3 torches, bandages, winter blanket, vial of holy water, 50’ silk rope, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, silver holy symbol, ivory prayer beads, shed skin of a python, 5 gp

Skye the Rager
Female Keltic Berserker – 19 years old, 5’ 8”, 154 lbs. – Alignment CE CG
Str 16 Dex 14 Con 15 Int 14 Wis 13 Cha 14
Languages: Common, Keltic, Plains Kimmerian
Secondary skill: Gardener
Weapon mastery: Long sword
Equipment: Studded armor, small shield, long sword, hand axe, backpack, bandages, pry bar, tinderbox, hooded lantern, flask of lamp oil, 50’ hemp rope, small hammer, 12 iron spikes, bunch of wolfsbane, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, bundle of pipe-weed and wooden pipe, 5 gp

Tuvok the Red-Handed
Male Hyperborean Warlock – 19 years old, 7’, 200 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 18 Dex 11 Con 12 Int 15 Wis 6 Cha 6
Languages: Common, Hyperborean, Ixian
Secondary skill: Dyer
Weapon mastery: Bastard sword
Equipment: Spell book, laminated armor, bastard sword, backpack, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, page torn from a book depicting Khromarium in its prime, 2 gp

The Warrior with No Name
Male Kimmerian Fighter – 17 years old, 6’, 148 lbs. – Alignment CE CG LE LG N
Str 16 Dex 11 Con 13 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha 10
Languages: Common, Subterranean Kimmerian
Secondary skill: Tinker
Weapon mastery: Battle axe, light crossbow
Equipment: Chain mail, small shield, battle axe, light crossbow, case with 20 bolts, backpack, tinderbox, 3 torches, 50’ hemp rope, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, iron ring bearing an inscription in an unknown language, 2 gp

Zanna of the Black Flute
Female Kimmeri-Keltic Bard – 18 years old, 5’ 8”, 135 lbs. – Alignment CE CG N
Str 13 Dex 15 Con 11 Int 13 Wis 12 Cha 15
Languages: Common, Plains Kimmerian, Keltic, Tundra Esquimaux
Secondary skill: Hunter
Equipment: Scale armor, small shield, long sword, short bow, quiver with 12 arrows, backpack, large sack, tinderbox, 3 torches, wineskin (full), 1 week iron rations, wooden flute (lacquered black), chunk of rock crystal from the Leng Plateau, 5 gp

[Ghul]

Perfect, now I don't have to scan these tonight. I wanted to do it after I get the kids to bed, but the Bruins game 1 for The Cup will be on!


EDIT: A pyromancer with some Aloe Vera, BA23? You are a hoot.

[blackadder23]

Well, you have to do something until you can cast cure light burns!

[scalydemon]

Thank you for whipping these up blackadder23. I may use some to try and get my AS&SH game off the ground

[Deleted]

What method was used to role these?  

[blackadder23]

Jun 23, 2013 16:55:23 GMT -6 @subotai said:

What method was used to role these?  

4d6 drop lowest for the abilities (even the two with ridiculously high scores - I think I blew all my luck for the next year on those). I rolled height and weight by the rules. I rolled 3d6x10 for gold per the rules, then bought whatever equipment I thought they needed. Buying the equipment was the most tedious part, so I'm currently working on some standardized "starting kits" for all the various classes and subclasses; I'll share those when they're finished. I also gave each character some weird little item that reflects their past or personality, because I can't resist doing stuff like that.

[Deleted]

Thanks. The stats did seem a little inflated. I'm starting a Lamentations of the Flame Princess campaign and it uses 3d6 straight down the line and allows you to flip flop one. I didn't notice the weird little items. Awesome!

[Cthulhu Colin]

Nice pregens, but I'd change the names using the ASSH Name Generator document for authenticity. To quote Jeff:

Ghul said:

Players of an Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea™ campaign who wish to furnish their characters with authentic sounding names need look no further than this fine generator created by Colin Chapman. The AS&SH Character Name Generator is a handy resource that serves to inject verisimilitude into any Hyperborea campaign, including my own. I hope fellow AS&SH referees will recognize the utility of Colin’s work, using it to generate NPC names both notable and otherwise. You see, Colin has not simply populated a list of names derived from respective real world counterparts; rather, he has examined the setting material of the AS&SH game—the histories, cultures, races, religions, etc.—and has carefully populated each list with the most appropriate personal, patronymic, and matronymic names.

[blackadder23]

Jun 24, 2013 10:26:02 GMT -6 Cthulhu Colin said:

Nice pregens, but I'd change the names using the ASSH Name Generator document for authenticity.

Well, a lot of the names are jokes or puns (like "Arsonia" and "Sir Van-Tees" - I can't believe Gary never used that one). If you ask me to make a bunch of characters, you're not going to get a lot of solemn-sounding names and angst-ridden backgrounds. That just reflects my attitude toward both gaming and the pulp genre. Obviously anyone who uses any of these for anything can change the names to anything they want. I won't complain.

As to your name generator, let me first say that I admire all of your research and hard work and heartily endorse that product for anybody's use. Then let me say why I'm probably not going to make much use of it. Generally speaking, my NPC's have (allegedly) humorous names. If I have a Half-Blood Pict, he's not going to have a Tlingit name I can't pronounce; he's going to have a name like Seamus Plenty-Scalps. Partly that's because of my deranged sense of "humor", but mainly it's because I'm old, and the days when I could remember a lot of names that look like someone had a stroke while using their keyboard are behind me. I much prefer everyday Keltic names (like Liam, Fergus, Connor, Colin , Conan, Colleen, or Fiona), everyday Germanic names (like Erik, Harold, Sigmund, Ingrid, Olga, or Helga), standard-issue Classical Greek names (like Alexander, Diogenes, Castor, Medea, or Cassandra), and memorable pulpy names like Bol-Tar the Barbarian. Again, this is no reflection on your fine, thoroughly-researched work. It's a combination of my personal preferred aesthetic of the absurd, and the fact that names that look like random strings of consonants (authentic as they undoubtedly are) just aren't going to lodge in my thick skull anymore.

But let me again stress that I recommend your name generator to anyone who takes gaming more seriously and wants "weightier" names for their characters.

[Cthulhu Colin]

To each their own, so no worries; I personally avoid humorous names because I find they can destroy the mood or become running jokes, plus I associate such names with standard D&D play (my teenage years were chock full of ridiculously named groups of PCs, an example of which was a pair of fellows called Spliffy Ganja and Xavier Fisto Redlance III). Different strokes and all that.

If it helps, the simpler names you prefer are in the document as well. For example, some of the Keltic names: Bran, Brocc, Ciaran (Kieran), Conall, Conan, Cormac, Dughlas (Douglas), Fearghus (Fergus), Ronan, etc. Plus, folks can also use the time-honoured technique of shortening names ala diminutives if they find some names hard to remember, e.g. Nikomedes becomes Niko in all but the most formal events. Plus, nicknames and honorifics are expected, especially for the likes of Kimmerians and Vikings, so you can still have names such as Sigmundr (Sigmundar or Sigmund) Skull-Cleaver, Iason (Jason) the Haughty, etc. Using epithets, diminutives and nicknames for character names is also pretty authentic (as well as helping folks remember such names). For example, Sigmundr Skull-Cleaver may introduce himself where it matters as Sigmundr Hallsson and be known to people he's familiar with as Siggi.

I think the names most likely to cause folks some real puzzlement are the Half-Blood Pictish ones: in that case ignore the accents, so it's just Gooch, Keet, and Sax, f'rinstance, none of which are any more exotic or hard to remember than Generic Fantasy Name #12.

Colin

[blackadder23]

Jun 24, 2013 17:16:20 GMT -6 Cthulhu Colin said:

To each their own, so no worries; I personally avoid humorous names because I find they can become running jokes

But that's exactly why I use them.

As you say, to each his own. When running D&D I personally try to create a mood of slapstick surrealism, side by side with eye-popping gore*, so humorous names fit right in. I find myself even more inclined to do so in a game inspired by CAS. Honestly, do you think he came up with names like "Avoosl Wuthoqquan" because he thought they sounded authentic, or because he thought they sounded ridiculous? But certainly AS&SH can support any number of approaches, from complete farce to Wagnerian seriousness. I just happen to fall a little bit closer to the former end of the spectrum.

* - The movie Army of Darkness is a pretty fair approximation of one of my campaigns, if that tells you anything.

[mabon5127]

Jun 24, 2013 17:16:20 GMT -6 Cthulhu Colin said:

To each their own, so no worries; I personally avoid humorous names because I find they can destroy the mood or become running jokes, plus I associate such names with standard D&D play (my teenage years were chock full of ridiculously named groups of PCs, an example of which was a pair of fellows called Spliffy Ganja and Xavier Fisto Redlance III). Different strokes and all that.

If it helps, the simpler names you prefer are in the document as well. For example, some of the Keltic names: Bran, Brocc, Ciaran (Kieran), Conall, Conan, Cormac, Dughlas (Douglas), Fearghus (Fergus), Ronan, etc. Plus, folks can also use the time-honoured technique of shortening names ala diminutives if they find some names hard to remember, e.g. Nikomedes becomes Niko in all but the most formal events. Plus, nicknames and honorifics are expected, especially for the likes of Kimmerians and Vikings, so you can still have names such as Sigmundr (Sigmundar or Sigmund) Skull-Cleaver, Iason (Jason) the Haughty, etc. Using epithets, diminutives and nicknames for character names is also pretty authentic (as well as helping folks remember such names). For example, Sigmundr Skull-Cleaver may introduce himself where it matters as Sigmundr Hallsson and be known to people he's familiar with as Siggi.

I think the names most likely to cause folks some real puzzlement are the Half-Blood Pictish ones: in that case ignore the accents, so it's just Gooch, Keet, and Sax, f'rinstance, none of which are any more exotic or hard to remember than Generic Fantasy Name #12.

Colin

I don't think we take our game too seriously but the naming of characters is one area where I wouldn't allow someone to ruin the flavor of the campaign by being "Windy Floppynuts" or "Billy Bob" (though they have tried...). The initial naming sets the tone for a new campaign and if I'm working to evoke a feel I think the players should as well.

One of the first things I wanted as an update was naming conventions for the various races. Colin's resource was just the thing and has added a great feel to the campaign and is a relief to the players looking for an appropriate name.

But its all good. I would def still play in your game!!

Morgan

[blackadder23]

Jun 24, 2013 18:06:25 GMT -6 mabon5127 said:

I don't think we take our game too seriously but the naming of characters is one area where I wouldn't allow someone to ruin the flavor of the campaign by being "Windy Floppynuts" or "Billy Bob" (though they have tried...). The initial naming sets the tone for a new campaign and if I'm working to evoke a feel I think the players should as well.

I know those are just off-the-cuff examples, but "Windy Floppynuts" really does sound like the kind of nickname medieval soldiers probably gave each other (although I of course don't condone that kind of low humor ). I would probably ask the "Billy Bob" player to change it to "William Robert". To me that's actually funnier because it's more of a sly joke. I'm loathe to veto character names under most circumstances, because who am I really to tell a player he can't name his ranger "Aragorn"? The poor guy's probably just going to end up as raven-chow anyway.

I have given my players some naming advice, but I'm not being dogmatic about it. It's along the lines of:

Amazon, Atlantean, Common, Hyperborean, Kimmerian - Usually have Greek names. Common also often have Keltic or Germanic.
Esquimaux - Usually have Hollywood Indian names like "Red-Sun-Setting" or "Dances-with-Aurochs", or they can look up real Inuit names and use them.
Ixian - Iranian or Egyptian names, or anything that sounds pretty evil (e.g., "Galba Blackheart").
Kelt, Kimmeri-Kelt, Pict - Usually have Keltic names.
Half-Blood Picts - Usually have Keltic names and Hollywood Indian surnames (e.g., "Connor Bigfeather" or "Deirdre Flies-with-Ravens").
Viking - Usually have Germanic names.
Anybody - Greek names, Latin names, snappy little two-syllable names that sound like Ed Wood aliens (e.g., "To-Mar" or "Sar-Kas"), nicknames ("The Hound of Yithorium"), and anything else that isn't too disruptive or offensive (the mind boggles at what that would have to be).

And of course they can certainly use Colin's name generator if they wish. I'm just not going to require it.

[mabon5127]

Dancing with Aurochs. LOL!

[slithy]

Jun 11, 2013 12:16:12 GMT -6 blackadder23 said:

Let me know if you want any more. I can create characters like a machine. In fact, I once beat a steam-powered character creating machine and didn't even die in the process.

Hey, looks like I might have to take you up on that rolling more characters offer... first session last night had a TPK so might need a few more spares!

Last night as we were playing I noticed a few more of your humorous asides--Duffy of Atlantis, love it.

[slithy]

Despite everyone dying, I think everyone enjoyed themselves! I'll recount some antics below (spoilers if you haven't read Anomalous Subsurface Environment)

We started off in the Moktar lair (a kind of lion-headed humanoid). The party had probed under the debris covering the floor and found the pit trap, so Skye the Rager was carefully climbing/stepping around the corner, when she heard a low growl to her right. There was a pattering of paws and as she stepped onto the floor, she turned to face a wolf in mid-leap. The wolf's jaws clamped onto her shoulder and she staggered back. There was an ominous click, and wolf and warrior were tipped into the pit. The lid snapped shut before the rest of the party could recover their senses. Skye found herself badly injured (1 hp left) trapped at the bottom of a pit with a very angry wolf. "Graugghha!" she roared as she entered a berserk rage. While the berserker and wild animal battled in the pit, the rest of the party found themselves fighting its Moktar master.

After dispatching the wolf, Skye continued to smash its head with her sword. Akna-Who-Speaks-for-the-Snow-Spirits pressed down on the pit lid with a 10' pole to help her out. Still enraged, Skye jumped, grapped the lip of the pit, and half-climbed, half-jumped herself out, finishing the move by impaling Akna in the abdomen. As Akna slid off her sword, the rage subsided and Skye collapsed in a heap beside her.

Fortunately the party had enough healing ability to survive this encounter and move on; their battle with the rest of the Moktar war band didn't go so well. The cowardly soldiers Terry and Phil ran back to the Muddy Cup in Chelmsfordshire, with new tales of how the merchant's gold had been stolen by Moktars, but most of them had been killed by a brave but ultimately doomed party of adventurers!

[slithy]

OK, must go and prepare for this afternoon's session!

[Ghul]

Jun 29, 2013 2:35:52 GMT -6 slithy said:

OK, must go and prepare for this afternoon's session!

Great! Thanks for the recap. In my own campaign, I changed the moktars to ape-men. As far as Terry and Phil went, the party was very suspicious of them all along, and kept them on a tight leash. As soon as their old boss was discovered, and their treachery was revealed, they tried to escape, but the PCs chased them down and took them out.

[blackadder23]

Jun 29, 2013 2:14:27 GMT -6 slithy said:

Hey, looks like I might have to take you up on that rolling more characters offer... first session last night had a TPK so might need a few more spares!

Last night as we were playing I noticed a few more of your humorous asides--Duffy of Atlantis, love it.

Ha ha yeah, I kill me. I wondered if anyone else remembered that one. The second joke with that character is that he has a bunch of "lucky charms"... just the sort of thing I remember seeing advertised while watching that show!

Do you really need more characters? With Colin's quicker height and weight charts, and my pre-packaged equipment lists for all classes, I can turn them out even faster. I might even give most of them serious names (maybe). Just let me know and I'll make some this evening.

Great session report! It's really good to see that the powerful berserking ability has a very real downside - namely, you might gut your mates. Poor Akna though.

[slithy]

No more TPKs so in the end 26 characters was enough for the weekend, just about! Really appreciated your help with those; I had a deadline on Friday for an academic workshop paper I've been working on, so I didn't have a lot of time to put into prep for the convention; having the pre-gens to hand was a big help. I formatted them all nicely, so I could post the PDF in case they are of use to anyone else, if that's OK? (I can credit you as blackadder23, or let me know if you would like me to use your real name.)

Will post a couple more stories later, need to do some work now...

[blackadder23]

That's great, glad to help. You can use my real name if you want (it's on the Random Sword and Sorcery Adventure Generator a few threads down). I look forward to hearing those stories.

[Ghul]

Yes, I'm looking forward to the stories, too!

[blackadder23]

Colin, I owe you an apology and an exalt. I've recently been making an ungodly number of pregenerated characters, and I've been using your name generator after all (because it was frankly easier than creating dozens of smart aleck names ). The random Common and Hyperborean names in particular come out suitably ludicrous-looking and certainly have a Smithian sound. I still find the historical names a little jaw-cracking, but I have to admit they fit in well with the nonsensical names. So I'm now going to eat my words and encourage (but not require) my players to use your name generator.

[Ghul]

Jul 4, 2013 7:54:58 GMT -6 blackadder23 said:

Colin, I owe you an apology and an exalt. I've recently been making an ungodly number of pregenerated characters, and I've been using your name generator after all (because it was frankly easier than creating dozens of smart aleck names ). The random Common and Hyperborean names in particular come out suitably ludicrous-looking and certainly have a Smithian sound. I still find the historical names a little jaw-cracking, but I have to admit they fit in well with the nonsensical names. So I'm now going to eat my words and encourage (but not require) my players to use your name generator.

I've been using it ever since he developed it, too. It's great work!

By the by, mighty big of you to eat your words!

Happy Fourth!