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Troy’s Crock Pot: Monsters Names on the Fly

The fight against the kobolds is going well. The PCs need only to dispatch two more of the creatures, and they’ll be able to move on to the next room.

That’s when someone suggests: “Hey. Let’s capture one of these guys and interrogate him!”

Even the most experienced GM might groan inwardly at this turn of events. Brain freeze hits as the PCs ask their first question:

PC: What’s your name, kobold?

GM: Uh … uhmm …let me think … uh, Bob?

PC: Bob?

GM: Yeah, Bob. You wanna make something of it?

PC: No. It’s just that ‘Bob’ doesn’t sound very, I dunno, kobold-y.

In the spirit of sparing the PCs of having to face any more kobolds named “Bob,” here are some name charts of common monsters to keep in your GMing toolbox for when the need arises.

And if you have any resources or links to fantasy names, or naming conventions you rely on during the course of play, please share them in the comments below.

 Bugbear

1. Balak Bonecrusher
2. Piltzo Potbelly
3. Krelb Spinecracker
4. Billsy Bullring
5. Molly Legsnapper
6. Toom Irongut

 Centaur

1. Alfana
2. Bavieca
3. Briglindore
4. Celer
5. Harpagos
6. Morenjo

Frogfolk

1. Mugwon
2. Heep
3. Ligurp
4. Egal
5. Dewen
6. Krote

Gnoll

1. Adjo
2. Fisehan
3. Habren
4. Inerto
5. Mangu
6. Koto

Goblin

1. Druug
2. Gretz
3. Misk
4. Slink
5. Kostkim
6. Trisk

Hobgoblin

1. Phalaris
2. Akarizian
3. Akhghar
4. Orangar
5. Kosh-Amod
6. Nourid

Kobold

1. Plutch
2. Leenza
3. Klohp
4. Prels
5. Sprinklen
6. Karpho

Lizardfolk

1. Yezztin
2. Siazzin
3. Rhuzzun
4. Menzzin
5. Hezzofan
6. Ellozzara

Ogre

1. Klift
2. Frelm
3. Brunt
4. Nod-losso
5. Grint
6. Schmondt

Orcs

1. Morcan
2. Hentraun
3. Imenium
4. Kralek
5. Arcamohn
6. Wiflans

Sprites

1. Scrimp Willow
2. Pohlda
3. Scratch
4. Jak Periwig
5. Ginger Swan
6. Daisy Dewdrop

Troglodyte

1. Bevin
2. Fromodin
3. Ans-mere
4. Rubuz
5. Orthonk
6. Hugues

Troll

1. Donker
2. Yehmer
3. Boygron
4. Hrumpt
5. Gryst
6. Trom

Worg

1. Sternchen
2. Bello
3. Brummer
4. Edel
5. Kuschl
6. Landjunker

24 Comments (Open | Close)

24 Comments To "Troy’s Crock Pot: Monsters Names on the Fly"

#1 Comment By The Bearded Goose On August 30, 2013 @ 3:59 am

I’ve found all the generators and utilities at [1] to be very helpful.

#2 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 30, 2013 @ 7:36 am

Thanks for the link. Generators are always helpful.

#3 Comment By PartyPatch On August 30, 2013 @ 7:17 am

One of the things I do to come up with names on the fly is to look around the room or think of a word. I think drop off the first and last letter and bam that is the new name. Ex. Television=>Elevisio(or Elevi is nice too) or Painting=> Aintin.

#4 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 30, 2013 @ 7:40 am

Is this for a scifi game, or do use it for fantasy, too. I wonder, though if it would work much in my game. We play in the basement and the only objects are the furnace (Urnace) and the washer (Asher). Still, I applaud the inventiveness.

#5 Comment By drow On August 30, 2013 @ 10:04 am

fistly, kobold… prisoner? weird.

[2]

#6 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 30, 2013 @ 11:23 am

Not so weird. It depends on your group’s style. Interrogating Meepo the Kobold can lead the PCs through a whole avenue of adventure in the Sunless Citadel. It’s also useful for avoiding traps in kobold lairs. Kobolds love booby traps and snares. Plus, what a reward for PCs who took draconic as a language. Of course, getting anything useful outta the buggers might require more than mere persuasion. Intimidate, anyone?

#7 Comment By TheCommoner On August 30, 2013 @ 11:54 am

I try to rely on using foreign languages as roots for names. If I give a dungeon or city an Arabic feel, I usually have a few words in Arabic written down, and I just change pronunciation or alter it in some way to give it some uniqueness. This way, a list of 10 words can give you lots of variation for anything you need to name, from landmarks to people. And you can do it with just 15 minutes on Google Translate.

#8 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 30, 2013 @ 1:20 pm

Do you like the German roots for some of mine?

#9 Comment By Steffen On August 31, 2013 @ 10:56 am

Being German I would use the Worg names only as comic relief but maybe you wanted them to be funny. 🙂

#10 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 31, 2013 @ 11:20 am

Actually, I wasn’t going for comic effect. Well, they sounded serious when I spoke them aloud to myself … but then to the ears of English speakers, spoken German always *sounds* serious.
Really, though, I’d be interested in some German wolf names that don’t come off as comic. If you have, say 6 of them handy, I’d love if you would share them.

#11 Comment By Steffen On August 31, 2013 @ 4:25 pm

Hm, I’ve never named a wolf. I’ll try to think of something…

To shorten the waiting time here are the translations (or at least similar meanings) of the names you came up with:

1. Sternchen = Little Star
2. Bello = Barko
3. Brummer = Grumbler
4. Edel = Noble
5. Kuschl = Cuddle
6. Landjunker = Squire

#12 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 31, 2013 @ 4:29 pm

Thank you Steffen. I think a worg named Cuddle would be adorable don’t you?

#13 Comment By Steffen On September 1, 2013 @ 5:51 am

“Little Cuddle just tried to eat my face! Isn’t he cute?” – Yeah, very adorable. 😉

As we usually don’t bark orders at each other the way Germans in movies do it’s not easy to determine what sounds sufficiently harsh. 🙂
I brainstormed with my girlfriend and came up with a few names that will hopefully work for you:

1. Reisser
2. Beisser
3. Fetzer
4. Blutkralle
5. Graupelz
6. Krummschwanz
7. Scharfzahn

#14 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On September 1, 2013 @ 8:19 am

That’s wonderful. My thanks to you and your girlfriend.
My source for hearing German spoken comes not from movies, but from having lived in or near communities with strong German heritage. A lot of great experiences, including many visits to Fredericksburg, Texas. Last I heard, the ticket taker at football games there still greets people in German.

#15 Comment By randite On August 30, 2013 @ 12:34 pm

It’s the little things like this that are *the* most helpful.

The article also reminded me how long it’s been since I’ve had my players face a “monstrous” humanoid… My players have killed a lot of people lately.

#16 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 30, 2013 @ 1:22 pm

Bob the kobold says “good” to that. Kill more people’s and fewer kobolds. 🙂

#17 Comment By randite On August 30, 2013 @ 1:39 pm

Oh that rascally Bob!

I smell a sitcom. A fastidious, conservative Dwarf is forced to be roommates with a slovenly, liberal Kobold. Antics ensue…

#18 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 30, 2013 @ 6:34 pm

I heard that Bob prefers to be called a progressive, but basically that’s it.

#19 Comment By SeeleyOne On August 31, 2013 @ 1:21 pm

I like to use the Everchanging Book of Names:

[3]

I use different settings for different cultures/races.

#20 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On August 31, 2013 @ 4:28 pm

Thanks for the link.

#21 Comment By Clarence In Wonderland On September 1, 2013 @ 8:55 am

I usually pick a different world language per intelligent species. So let’s say the forest people speak Finnish and the Plains people speak Turkish (or whatever). Then I go to Wiktionary, type in an English word and get the translations. So, someone who is well known for protecting the village is called “Shield”: Forest people “Kilpi” or “Suoja”, Plains people “Kalkan”.

#22 Comment By Scott Martin On September 3, 2013 @ 1:44 pm

My own online name trick is to steal from Abulafia: [4]

Of course, I still say “Bob” too often during a session, because I didn’t remember to print out the right names…

#23 Comment By Troy E. Taylor On September 4, 2013 @ 8:39 am

That’s why I like something like this — you print it out and you’ve got a single sheet reference.

Maybe that should be a future post — the benefits of having single-sheet references.

#24 Comment By Kurt “Telas” Schneider On September 25, 2013 @ 12:26 pm

Or you just throw a Bennie to the first player to come up with a good name.

What, you don’t have your players do all your work for you?