Oni
Underboss
1131 Posts
    
 | | 10/06/2005 2:24 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by A Can of the Cave Beer
Wow, I never knew that some people took their fun so seriously. I mean some of you guys would have HATED the names I've given some character.
William O. Dinn (Odin)
Elin Zhat (anagram of Entil'Zha)
Bowenn Byrilla (last name sounds like a brand of pasta) and her riding boar named Poomba (Oooh, yeah. How many of can work The Lion King into your games?)
There's nothing wrong with having a little fun with your character's names.
I would be happy if my fellow players picked any of those names.
but no we got Sponge, and RRRR. I mean come on RRRR? He isent even a pirate! | |
"...don’t try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal."
- Zaphod Beeblebrox
Champion of the Nymph!
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/06/2005 7:01 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by reezel
Oh, best name ever was when our new Bard introduced himself as Valangil. It took us about two seconds to refer to him as a certain feminine product. He never lived that down.
BTW, if you can't guess that name by this point, you probably wouldn't want to game with my group [:p]
Don't forget Delerian who was promptly dubbed "delirious" and then "deliri-ass." Valangil was the best though.
Good times. | |
WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 10/06/2005 7:29 AM |
| quote:
Before you knew where it came from did you have any problem with the name?
No..I still dont have a problem with that one. Just felt I'd share.
Roscoe Bushdiver on the other hand...
quote:
The suggestion laid down in Hero Builder's Guidebook is basically this:
1. No Bobs things like Bob the Fighter detract from the idea of a fantasy setting.
2. No Merlins Copying a famous character name tends to make your character a pathetic copy of the original. The exception is using lesser known names.
3. No joke names Joke names tend to distract players early in the campaign, losing their fun after you've been around a while.
Your quoting the Hero Builders' Guidebook....Awsome. I love that book. Its so great for new players. Its labeled by many on these boards as one of the most worthless D&D boosk out there. I wholehartedly dissagree. :) | |
Champion of the Skulk
Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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BigBC
Sergeant
620 Posts
| | 10/06/2005 10:05 AM |
| | I once had a paladin named Sir Huggles. Everyone in the group, including the DM, decided it would be for the best to change it. I did, but in his background he had been squire to a knight named Sir Huggles, so I still got it in there. I also had a sorcerer named Shazam! with the exclamation point. | |
Complete: Ha, De, Ar, GoL, Ab, Dk, Af, Ud, WD, DQ, BW
Favorite Supplier
"Indecision may, or may not be my problem." - Jimmy Buffet
Champion of the Gibberling | |
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/06/2005 10:38 AM |
| My favorite paladin name is one I read in Knights of the Dinner Table....
Sir Stomp Evil
[:D] | |
WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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Hero of Skirmish
doubtofbuddha
Commander
3371 Posts
| | 10/06/2005 11:07 AM |
| Yes, I do take my fun seriously. There are a number of things I could be doing with my time, and if people want to call there characters something stupid (like "Ron Burgundy") then they can find another group.
There are things that have been humorous about my campaigns, but they take slightly different paths and make sense within the context of the world.
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I am not gone. | |
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/06/2005 12:03 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by doubtofbuddha
Yes, I do take my fun seriously. There are a number of things I could be doing with my time, and if people want to call there characters something stupid (like "Ron Burgundy") then they can find another group.
I agree with you COMPLETELY!
How stupid is it to play, "bob, the fighter"
Have a nice day [:)] | |
WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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Hero of Skirmish
doubtofbuddha
Commander
3371 Posts
| | 10/06/2005 12:46 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
quote:
Originally posted by doubtofbuddha
Yes, I do take my fun seriously. There are a number of things I could be doing with my time, and if people want to call there characters something stupid (like "Ron Burgundy") then they can find another group.
I agree with you COMPLETELY!
How stupid is it to play, "bob, the fighter"
Have a nice day [:)]
I sense you were making a joke at my expense, but I am not quite sure what it was.
Oh well. | |
I am not gone. | |
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/06/2005 1:07 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by doubtofbuddha
quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
quote:
Originally posted by doubtofbuddha
Yes, I do take my fun seriously. There are a number of things I could be doing with my time, and if people want to call there characters something stupid (like "Ron Burgundy") then they can find another group.
I agree with you COMPLETELY!
How stupid is it to play, "bob, the fighter"
Have a nice day [:)]
I sense you were making a joke at my expense, but I am not quite sure what it was.
Oh well.
No, I'm completely serious. I dislike intensely when people try to come up with nonsensical names for their PCs. | |
WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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Can of the Cave Beer
Commander
2838 Posts
| | 10/06/2005 5:13 PM |
| Ok, I've got a question for those of you who are more concerned with the seriousness of the names of characters in your game.
How do you judge when a name goes too far?
And what's wrong with Ron Burgundy? It sounds perfectly servicable to me. | |
Champion of the Werewolf Lord, Knight of Anything Duergar, and Squire of Things Gnollish
List reset with the start of previews for each new set...got Chainmail®? | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 10/06/2005 5:21 PM |
| quote:
How do you judge when a name goes too far?
And what's wrong with Ron Burgundy? It sounds perfectly servicable to me.
I think the Hero Builder's Guidebook does a good job of whats unacceptable
quote:
The suggestion laid down in Hero Builder's Guidebook is basically this:
1. No Bobs things like Bob the Fighter detract from the idea of a fantasy setting.
2. No Merlins Copying a famous character name tends to make your character a pathetic copy of the original. The exception is using lesser known names.
3. No joke names Joke names tend to distract players early in the campaign, losing their fun after you've been around a while.
Ron Burgundy is the guy played by Will Farrel in Anchorman. It detracts from the fantacy setting, its a famous character's name and its its a joke name....It breaks all 3 rules!
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Champion of the Skulk
Vindicated Champion of the Twig Blight | |
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The Mighty
jai
Commander
3235 Posts
| | 10/06/2005 6:05 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Fry
If you're playing WLD or Tomb of Horrors, names like "RRRR" are perfectly acceptable; after all, you don't want to waste a good name on a character who is already dead.
Bob
Bob Jr.
Bob the 3rd
Bob IV
Bob V
Six
SevenOfNine
8
9
(i quit; 9 lives, afterall) | | | |
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orcdoubleax
Sergeant
694 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 7:47 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by kyrin
The policy at our table is this: if you do not have a name, one will be assigned to you. And you WILL NOT LIKE IT.
Toss "Stinky" at him for a session. He'll come around. [:D]
JIM
aka kyrin
I actually had a PC who was named stinky | |
Yes I am Gelatinous.
www.gelatinousdudes.com
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/07/2005 8:08 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by A Can of the Cave Beer
And what's wrong with Ron Burgundy? It sounds perfectly servicable to me.
It sounds like it could be my neighbor
It sounds like a porn star
It doesn't have even one shred of "fantasy" elements
It's too "real world"
You're honestly okay with a PC whose name is Ron Burgundy? A PC who lives in a midevel fantasy world with magic and dragons and magical swords.
How many Ron Burgundy's do you find in works by Tolkien?
Anyway, those are my objections to such silly names. Fantsay RPG names need to evoke that epic fantasy feel. Certain chartacters such as gnomes, halflings and kender can have silly (but not real world) type names because they fit the race, but having a human fighter names Bob, or Ron, is just ridiculous, IMO.
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WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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orcdoubleax
Sergeant
694 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 8:10 AM |
| My thoughts on names.
Players often come up with stupid names so they do not have to remember Elvish or dwarven names.
A couple things that I do, especially with NPC, is use name that are easily to remember, but still sound somewhat approrate. A names like Richard or William is very easy to remember, but does not distract players like Dick or Bob.
I recyle names in different games. This is mainly so I can remember them. I have had several orc and goblin warlords named Rank Nor (according to a novel I read once brave warrior in goblin). I also use Garak, Sabatian, and Valnu quite a bit.
I don't name every NPC. the players will not remember any names if you throw to many at them.
As for PC if they do not have a name or a name like Fighter1 then they are not a character at all. They are just a collection of stats. I find that these are generally the same players who just wait around from one combat to the next.
As for joke names. I will allow a joke name or nickname if there is a actual character and the name is approprate. As I metion in a previous post I once had a PC named Stinky. He was a 2nd edition hobgoblin ranger who was extremly anti-social. He had spent many years alone as a hermit because he did fit into Hobgoblin society and was unwelcome any where else. He had actually forgottenhis name. He had a very low chrasima and poor hygine. Forced to join the the party due to a blood oath he went by stinky. It was as much a describtion as a name. | |
Yes I am Gelatinous.
www.gelatinousdudes.com
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/07/2005 8:11 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Count Dooku
Ron Burgundy is the guy played by Will Farrel in Anchorman. It detracts from the fantacy setting, its a famous character's name and its its a joke name....It breaks all 3 rules!
Well said. [:D]
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WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/07/2005 8:35 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by orcdoubleax
A couple things that I do, especially with NPC, is use name that are easily to remember, but still sound somewhat approrate. A names like Richard or William is very easy to remember, but does not distract players like Dick or Bob.
I'm on the fence about names like Richard and/or William. They are fine names to be sure and do conjure up fantasy and/or midevel imagery. Stuff like Richard the Lionhearted and William the Conqueror.
On the other hand, they are real world names and as such, I tend to shy away from them. But that's just me.
To me, real world names have no place in my RPG. | |
WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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B
Underboss
1189 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 9:57 AM |
| | In our game a lot of us tend to use pseudo-historical names. My current character is named Imish, a derivation of the scottish Hamish. I think that "Real Names" makes the character a little more "real". | |
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.--Dylan Thomas
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reezel
Sergeant
555 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 11:19 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
I'm on the fence about names like Richard and/or William. They are fine names to be sure and do conjure up fantasy and/or midevel imagery. Stuff like Richard the Lionhearted and William the Conqueror.
On the other hand, they are real world names and as such, I tend to shy away from them. But that's just me.
To me, real world names have no place in my RPG.
A bold claim from a man who names every NPC he didn't think of a name ahead of time "Festus"
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Champion of the Beholder and Beholderkin
The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. | |
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10990 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 10/07/2005 11:21 AM |
| How about Chet-Awsome Laser! [:D]
http://www.pvponline.com/archive.php3?archive=20050911 | |
Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 11:23 AM |
| quote:
I'm on the fence about names like Richard and/or William. They are fine names to be sure and do conjure up fantasy and/or midevel imagery. Stuff like Richard the Lionhearted and William the Conqueror.
On the other hand, they are real world names and as such, I tend to shy away from them. But that's just me.
To me, real world names have no place in my RPG.
Yes the name should fit the character. Some historic names can easily fit into a Fantasy setting but there are many others that just don't. One player in our group (he has died a number of times) has had alot of names... they included
the human fighter Richard - died of stupidity
Elros the Halfling rogue / cleric - killed by the rest of the party for treachery
Oscar Clawhammer - a dwarf with the last name as his clan name
While by far, the least imaginative name was Richard, but it did fit in for both the character and the game.
Like I've said, someone with a really stupid name should not be able to socialize without people making fun of his name every where he goes. And if it is a Lawful society, they should get arrested for beating up on local yokels in the tavern.
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"Are you not entertained?" 
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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B
Underboss
1189 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 11:39 AM |
| | It really does depend on the game. In one of our games we were from an empire named Bryncia that was based on the British empire. I played a rogue named Jason Windymere. Everyone called him Jayce. It is a real world name, but it fit. | |
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.--Dylan Thomas
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12441 Posts
The G Spot
| | 10/07/2005 11:59 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by reezel
quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
I'm on the fence about names like Richard and/or William. They are fine names to be sure and do conjure up fantasy and/or midevel imagery. Stuff like Richard the Lionhearted and William the Conqueror.
On the other hand, they are real world names and as such, I tend to shy away from them. But that's just me.
To me, real world names have no place in my RPG.
A bold claim from a man who names every NPC he didn't think of a name ahead of time "Festus"
Leave me alone!!!!!
[)]
Festus is a fine name | |
WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM | |
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kniterangr
Warrior
287 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 3:28 PM |
| We had one guy name his character with a symbol.. ala the Artist formally known as Prince type of symbol. We just started calling him names and eventually he changed it. [:)]
I think that names can also be created during game play, like a Dwarf who seems to always hit or miss when fighting a giant and calling him - Bob the giant killer or something like that. We never use anglo names though.
I use names with a latin base for some of my characters. It all depends on the game and the character for me. | |
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Grim
Sergeant
482 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 5:20 PM |
| | I think it depends on the style of game and the real-world influences of the setting being played. I have used analogies of Britain, France, Arabia and Spain in past campaigns and characters from these areas had names that invoked the flavour of their backgrounds. A swashbuckler named Emilio, a "french" bandit named Bloody Jocque", and derivations of common names (Steven to Stevren, Brain to Brin, etc.) for the British area. I found it lent verisimilitude to things to have names make sense. | |
I am a leaf on the wind...Urrk!!--Wash, "Serenity" | |
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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 7:03 PM |
| | Real-world names are entirely dependent on the setting. You can't tell me that there's anything wrong with characters named Ned and Robert in the George RR Martin books, for example. | |
Anson on WotC boards | |
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Can of the Cave Beer
Commander
2838 Posts
| | 10/07/2005 7:46 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
[quote]
It sounds like it could be my neighbor
It sounds like a porn star
It doesn't have even one shred of "fantasy" elements
It's too "real world"
You're honestly okay with a PC whose name is Ron Burgundy? A PC who lives in a midevel fantasy world with magic and dragons and magical swords.
How many Ron Burgundy's do you find in works by Tolkien?
Anyway, those are my objections to such silly names. Fantsay RPG names need to evoke that epic fantasy feel. Certain chartacters such as gnomes, halflings and kender can have silly (but not real world) type names because they fit the race, but having a human fighter names Bob, or Ron, is just ridiculous, IMO.
OK, about Ron Burgundy. I admit to having checked up on the name before I posted, so I really did know where it came from. However, before I ran it through Google, I had no clue--I'm not a fan of Will Farrel, and never saw Anchorman. Therefore, I had no (and still really don't have a) problem with it.
For me, names don't have to be evocative of a fantasy setting. In fact, I typically base my character names on real names.
Ragnar
Dieter
Dierdre
Vincent
Mathias
Petrof
All are real names or very close to them. Sure, sometimes I use old names (Albartus), but they're still names. I tend to be very fond of using Russian, Nordic and Celtic names when dealing with Humans. When dealing with other races, I often make one up. But I'm usually pretty careful about giving it a "real" quality. Sometimes I know a name that has a Dwarven or Elven "feel" to it, and go with that.
Then again, I've also named a riding boar "Poomba" and had a butler named "Wadsworth" who ripped a couple lines straight out of Clue. Which is blatantly against "the rules" (and something I RARELY do). I've even gone so far as to use the name of a song (Smashing Pumpkins' "Zero") when it was appropriate.
In every case, there were a few jokes in the group, but after the initial goofing off was done, things went back to normal. Except for Zero. No one made fun of Zero. Ever.
I don't think it's the name that causes the issue, but rather the group that deals with it. If that's all the character is (a thin joke held together with a silly name), then that's all it will be. But, if "Ronald Burgundy" (Ron for short) is a member of the nobility and/or known for the quality of beverage his family has been making for centuries, and conducts himself as such (or even really TRIES to conduct himself as such), then the coincidence of name is merely that. If every game devolves into riffing lines from Anchorman, there is a larger problem than that of the character's name, and no amount of "your name must be THIS serious/realistic/evocative of fantasy/etc. to play here" will ever really solve that.
But that's just my take on it. And, for the record, "RRRRRR" the fighter would be politely asked to come up with a name--not just a sound, and a name probably would have been chosen for the character before play started if the player were too reluctant; "Roscoe Bushdiver" would get a stern look, but I'd let it go, and then either torture the guy for having a last name that's so "unique"--Bushdivers throughout the land would be blasted as cowards because of one ancestor's actions, and watch out for any decendants of individuals harmed because some was hiding in the shrubbery or I'd never mention the last name again, but the first seems like more fun.
If I can suspend my disbelief of Dragons, Dwarves, Elves, Werewolves and Vampires a character named "Bill" won't throw me back into the real world of litigation and accounting, and I don't need characters name Varbin (Hmm...pretty Orcy to me) to get me accepting that Dragons are Real. | |
Champion of the Werewolf Lord, Knight of Anything Duergar, and Squire of Things Gnollish
List reset with the start of previews for each new set...got Chainmail®? | |
|