What's in a Name?

[Markdoc]

Re: What's in a Name?

 

So what would be "soldier mangler" in German?

 

My german's not very good at all, but Soldaterzerschlagen? Vertilgen? Or kaputtmachen?

 

Maybe some german speakers can help out here.

 

cheers, Mark

[IKerensky]

Re: What's in a Name?

 

Using Grue feel too much like a Zork reference to my taste. If you want to be original, create a name. or simply call them trolls... afterall it is a common name defining various different species in different settings, just like orcs, goblins, elves, ogres and giants can be very different from one game to another, sometimes sharing only the names. Just take your trolls and compare with Shadowrun/earthdawn ones or Middle Earth ones... I am pretty sure that dont look very much alike.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: What's in a Name?

 

I tend to just slightly modify the word if I can't come up with something truly unique.

 

My fantasy campaign setting I tried desperately to make original - no elves, no dwarves, etc. But then cat people and interesting lizard people aren't all that original.

 

I went with a somewhat biblical theme my race names. Seraps or Tseraph (Human / Tseraph words, respectively) are my big lizards (from Seraphim). Charrab are the smaller, long-tailed lizards (from Cherub or Cherubim), Nephil or Nephilim are my cat people, etc. I think the latter I stole directly from the Exiles series of shareware games.

 

For your trolls, maybe just alter the phoenetics... maybe Terahl or Tor'l or something. Then yeah prefix / suffix stuff for the various types. Ur'Terahl, Uz'Terahl, Agin-Terahl, whatever.

 

Unless you plan to publish, you don't have to sweat originality so much, but it is fun and definitely helps.

[AlHazred]

Re: What's in a Name?

 

Thing is, you never know when you've got something publishable. Being slightly more original now means potentially I won't have to worry about it later.